Heat Exchanger Cleaning of Microbiological Growth

The importance of keeping your condenser tubes spotlessly clean can not be over-stated. Even a minimal build-up of deposit, or fouling, can reduce efficiency and cost the owner wasted money in excess fuel expense. Degradation in condenser performance is also indicative of possible further damage to the condenser tubing.

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Since most fouling is caused by the flow of natural waters through the condenser tubes, microbiological growth is one form of build-up that, if present, must be removed when doing thorough cleaning of your heat exchanger. Bacteria that lives in untreated water has a tendency to multiply especially when passed through the warm sections of heat condenser tubes.

The build-up of microbiological sludge or slime can significantly hinder free flow through the tubing. Treatment for this problem involves removing the slime and treating the water with biocides. There are several methods available to remove foreign materials such as bacterial slime from condenser tubes. In the process of heat exchanger cleaning, some techniques are more appropriate than others, depending on what exactly you are removing.

In the case of sludge or slime, hydro-blasting, chemical foaming hydrochloric acid treatments, and wire or nylon brushes with rubber plugs have all been used. Unfortunately, the results tend to leave pitting and surface roughness, rather than the spotlessly clean desired effects. Shooting tube scrapers through the condenser tubing with high pressured water guns has been more successful.

Another approach has been to let the bacteria-laden tubes dry out completely and then flush the system with water to wash away the foulant. Some companies have employed biocides in the water of their condenser tubing to keep the growth of bacteria at a minimum. They treat the system periodically and dose it after every cleaning.

The problem with this approach to heat exchanger cleaning is an environmental one. What does one do with these chemical agents when they need to be disposed of? What effect will their release have on the environment, including local water supplies, plant life, and human population in the area? If they are strong enough to kill bacteria, what else will they kill or negatively impact? Proper heat exchanger cleaning requires a responsible approach to the problem, both within the condenser tubing and in the environment beyond.