Heat Transfer Equipment Deposit Buildup & Treatment


|| Water Impurities || Water Testing || How A Boiler Works || Boiler Ratings/Load || Boiler Treatment Options ||

Treatment of Deposit Buildups  || Out-Of-Service Boiler Care || Explanation of Plant Control Test Log || Water Treatment Charts ||

Problems Caused by Deposit Buildup in Boilers, Cooling Towers,
& Other Heat Transfer Equipment


  1. Reduced water flow
  2. Reduced heat transfer
  3. High head pressure
  4. Equipment will pull more current when working harder - increasing power costs
  5. Breakdowns can be predicted to occur for cooling towers during summer heat and for boilers during the coldest part of the winter, when they are needed most

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Boiler Cleaning versus Scale Buildup

Scale Density (mg/cm2)

Suggested Action

< 23

No action

25 - 75

Chemical cleaning within a year

75 - 100

Chemical cleaning within 3 months

> 100

Chemical cleaning ASAP

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Cleaning Steps to Follow

 Cleaning Step

 Explanation
  • Mechanical cleaning
 Loosens scale
  •  Water flushiing
Flushes away scale loosened by mechanical cleaning, in previous step, preparing system for chemical cleaning.
 
If a heat-exchange system has developed buildup of oil, grease, organics AND scale, it is very important to FIRST treat the system with an alkaline cleaner, such as Alken CW 883,  designed to specifically suspend, emulsify and remove oil, grease and organic buildup in boilers, cooling towers, etc., while passivating metal parts, to protect them, during treatment. Follow application directions on the appropriate product technical bulletin, linked from the column to the left, since usage and temperatures are modified to suit equipment. Never acid clean FIRST when both scale and organic buildup are present.
 
 
 
 While the above-described alkaline cleaner works effectively to remove organic buildup from heat-transfer equipment, the best treatments for removing scale deposits, especially calcium carbonate, calcium phosphate, copper compounds and/or iron oxides. without attacking the underlying metal surfaces. are provided by one of Alken-Murray's four inhibited acid cleaners, linked from the column to the left. Alken DRSD 886, which combines to form "inhibited hydrochloric acid" once activated in water, is the most powerful and popular of the four formulas. Cleaning heat-transfer equipment periodically will deliver efficient operations, corrosion-control and reliability, while preventing tube failures.

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|| Water Impurities || Water Testing || How A Boiler Works || Boiler Ratings/Load || Boiler Treatment Options ||

Treatment of Deposit Buildups  || Out-Of-Service Boiler Care || Explanation of Plant Control Test Log || Water Treatment Charts ||

 Clear-Flo || Even-Flo || Demulsifier || Polymers || Chemicals || ASH Cats

E-mail: chemical@alken-murray.com