How to Boil Heat Exchanger Tubes
- 1). Determine the cleaning fluid to boil inside the heat exchanger tubes. For instance, a dilute solution of sodium hydroxide could be used.
- 2). Increase the steam flow on the shell side of the heat exchanger so that it has a temperature higher than 250 degrees Fahrenheit. This can be done using steam pressure regulators.
- 3). Block in the tube side outlet to 50 percent of the normal flow so that the flow of sodium hydroxide cleaning solution has sufficient time to boil while inside the tubes. It is important to avoid completely blocking in the liquid in the tubes because there could be thermal expansion and damage to the tubes.
- 4). Clean out the tubes by running water through the tubes before putting the unit back in service.
Source...