Heating boiler, like almost any technological equipment, working in difficult conditions, requires periodic maintenance. One of the most important operations carried out during the maintenance of a gas boiler is cleaning its heat exchanger.
Heat exchanger It is a metal (or cast iron) box with a built-in radiator, which is heated from the outside by a burner flame and transfers heat to the liquid flowing inside. If the heat exchanger is clean, then it operates with maximum efficiency, transferring almost all the energy received for heating. However, over time on the walls internal channels Various impurities begin to precipitate, which are compounds of salts dissolved in the coolant (scale). The formation of lime deposits occurs especially intensively in the secondary heat exchanger of a double-circuit boiler if hard water is used in the hot water supply line. 
Such contamination of the heat exchanger channels can lead to a number of unpleasant consequences:
- Reduced boiler efficiency. Mineral deposits have much lower thermal conductivity than metal, so much more energy will have to be spent heating water. Accordingly, gas consumption will also increase.
- Heat exchanger overheating. The operating diagram of gas boilers assumes that the coolant coming from the return line cools the internal cavities heating element. When scale appears, cooling efficiency drops, the heat exchanger overheats and quickly fails.
- Breaking heating equipment . Mineral deposits on the internal walls of heat exchangers make it difficult for coolant to pass through them. This creates additional stress on circulation pump, which will quickly exhaust its resource if the narrowed channels are not cleaned in time.
Thus, timely flushing of the heat exchanger will help save significant money, preventing the breakdown of expensive components and ensuring the minimum required fuel consumption.
Frequency of cleaning the heat exchanger
In different sources you can find rather contradictory information about how often different elements of heating boilers should be cleaned. Typically, intervals Maintenance are given in the instructions for the specific model. However, it must be borne in mind that these data are approximate and are designed for use in the most favorable conditions. In reality, flushing the heat exchangers may be required more often.
You can assess how badly the heat exchanger is clogged by several indirect signs that accompany the operation of a gas boiler:
The design of modern boilers is designed for long-term use, and the cost of spare parts for them is quite high. Therefore, cleaning the heat exchanger should be done immediately when the symptoms described above appear. Otherwise, the cost of maintaining heating boilers may increase significantly.
Methods for cleaning heat exchangers
The heat exchanger can be flushed different ways. Next we will look at them in more detail, and at the same time we will note how to clean the heat exchanger of a double-circuit boiler, which is especially susceptible to the formation of organic deposits.
Manual cleaning
To solve the problem using this method, the heat exchanger must be completely removed from the boiler in order to get to it Free access. After this, it can be cleaned with various tools:
- Mechanical cleaning. Remove plaque from inner surface you can use a stiff metal brush or a special scraper;
- Flushingin special formulations. Most often, heat exchanger parts are soaked in an acid washing solution. This method is especially effective for removing heavy contamination, for example, in the channels of double-circuit gas boilers.
The manual cleaning method is simple and effective. It can be used to clean the heat exchanger yourself. The only note is that you need to be careful when working with the sealing elements of boilers and ensure that all connections are tight.
Hydrodynamic cleaning
Flushing the heat exchangers of a gas boiler can be carried out without disassembling it.
Hydrodynamic cleaning is a process mechanical removal scale from the walls of pipelines using water jets high pressure, which sometimes contain impurities of small abrasive particles.
This procedure is carried out using special installations that pump pressure up to one and a half thousand bar into the lines. This is the most effective, although quite expensive, way to clean heat exchangers.
Chemical cleaning
Chemical washing of gas boiler elements involves introducing an acid washing solution into the system using a special device called a booster. This solution is then run through a heat exchanger for several hours and cleans it. This method allows you to remove the most complex species deposits - carbonate scale and ferric iron.
The disadvantages of chemical cleaning include high cost reagent, metal wear and large volumes of toxic waste.
Liquids for flushing heat exchangers
In conclusion, we will consider the question of how to flush the heat exchanger of a gas boiler. Despite the abundance of recommendations in various sources, some caution must be exercised in choosing a cleaning product.
Many experts recommend using hydrochloric acid for washing. It removes scale really well, but is a rather aggressive compound that can damage the protective coating on the inner surface of the heat exchanger.
In addition, there is evidence that flushing hydrochloric acid may cause the metal to become brittle.
Citric acid is less dangerous for the heat exchanger material. It copes well with all types of deposits, as well as special reagents: DETEX, Cillit, Sanax and others.
Timely and proper care behind the elements of the heating system will increase its service life and reduce the cost of maintaining operability. Cleaning the heat exchanger, as one of the most important operations performed during boiler maintenance, will make the most significant contribution to this process.
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Thanks to the information presented here, you can independently, without the involvement of specialists, carry out preventive maintenance on a gas boiler, single or double-circuit. The work you perform in accordance with the recommendations below will be no less high quality than the preventive maintenance carried out by qualified personnel of service companies.
In addition, you can save a considerable amount, since the cost of specialist services can reach several hundred US dollars. In addition, waiting for a technician to arrive for several days, or even weeks, may not suit every owner of an individual heating system, especially shortly before the start heating season.
A little theory or where it all begins
After familiarizing yourself with the theoretical information, you can understand that the operating principle of the gas heating system is the elementary process of converting the energy of combustion gas into the energy of water or some other coolant circulating in the heating system. All these changes occur in the heat exchanger of the gas boiler (read also: "").
Although heat exchangers of different heating systems may have some distinctive features, but their design and principle of operation are basically the same: a coolant passes through a curved pipe (coil), then the coil is heated by a flame of combustion gas, transferring heat to the liquid passing through it, which is supplied further through the pipes to heating radiators. The plate system, which houses a flame-heated tube, allows you to increase the temperature and make the heating of the coil material more uniform. Externally, such a system resembles a radiator installed in a car.
For the manufacture of heat exchangers, materials with good thermal conductivity are most often used. As a rule, these are copper alloys or pure copper.
In order to ensure efficient heating of the coolant in the heating system, it is necessary to ensure:
- Cleanliness of the heat exchanger inside and outside
- Clean and unclogged gas injectors that release gas to heat the heat exchanger and surrounding plates
In this case, the excess consumption of gas can be 10-15%. When converted into a financial equivalent, the amount lost as a result of inefficient operation of the heating system can be quite large. In accordance with the advice of professionals, for the heating system to operate efficiently, annual cleaning of the heat exchanger of a double-circuit boiler is necessary, but practice shows that with soft tap water it is enough to carry out this procedure once every three years.
Scale in kettles and taps indicates high degree water hardness, in this case we recommend cleaning the heating system every two years.
Cleaning the boiler heat exchanger with your own hands - getting started
Before starting work, firstly, you should disconnect the heating boiler itself from the source of electricity.In order to access the system's heat exchanger, you will need the following tools:
- Phillips screwdriver
- Flat head screwdriver
- Adjustable wrench.
At the bottom of a turbocharged boiler, you will most likely find a pile of debris drawn inside by air. It will be most convenient to remove it using an ordinary household vacuum cleaner.
The lower part of the combustion chamber is occupied by a number of nozzles that pass gas into the system. All nozzles should be thoroughly cleaned - the holes through which gas is supplied should become transparent.
Next, you need to remove the heat exchanger itself. In the model under consideration, there are no threaded connections; the tube through which water is supplied and discharged is connected using an adapter. On one side of the heat exchanger there is a temperature sensor, from which the wires should be carefully disconnected.
Cleaning plate heat exchangers
The heat exchanger disconnected from the system should be cleaned from the outside and inside of any dirt, rust and scale that has formed. It will be most convenient to start cleaning the outer part.
First, fill the heat exchanger with warm water, adding some household product to remove rust, scale and other contaminants. After a while, wash everything off the metal clean water. It will be easier to carry out this procedure outdoors using a high-pressure car wash. If you don’t have one at home, you can ask any car wash to clean the part, but you should be careful that the thin plates are not crushed by a powerful jet of water (read also: “ “).
Having cleaned the outer surface, you can begin to tidy up the inside of the heat exchanger, that is, the inner walls of the curved pipe. There may be a fairly thick layer of scale in it, especially if previous maintenance was carried out a long time ago or not at all, or if the water in your home is quite hard. There may also be dirt inside, which comes with tap water, especially if you do not have a filter installed to clean it.
How to clean a boiler heat exchanger
As described above, to clean the outer part of the heat exchanger it is enough to add clean water any household chemical for washing and cleaning various surfaces. To clean the inner surface of the heat exchanger walls, more potent drugs may be needed.Watch the video for an example of cleaning the heat exchanger of a double-circuit boiler:
First you can apply detergent for cleaning plumbing equipment, removing plaque. Then you should rinse the pipe several times with an anti-scale cleaner designed for coffee machines, irons and other similar equipment. You can get by diluted in water citric acid. Next, use a powerful stream of water supplied to both holes to rinse the heat exchanger, removing any remaining cleaning agents from it.
Free passage of water will indicate that the tube inside is clean. After finishing the “bath” procedures, reassemble everything in the reverse order, not forgetting to remove all accumulated dirt from the inside of the boiler. Turning it on full power, you should make sure there are no leaks and proper operation boiler
It will only take you about two hours to complete all the work.
A plate heat exchanger is a device whose main function is to transfer heat from the plates to a cold environment. The heat exchange itself is ensured by a special liquid, without which it is impossible to imagine the operating principle of a plate heat exchanger.
If you are interested in the price for flushing plate heat exchangers, you should turn to another site. Well, this article will tell you how to wash this device.
Why does the device need to be cleaned?
With constant use of a plate heat exchanger, contamination and hypofunction of the device are almost always observed. Therefore, the plate heat exchanger must be flushed every two years. Refusing to flush is a bad idea, because in order to continue using the device, you will have to contact service, which will take a lot of time and money.
Problems you may encounter when using a plate heat exchanger
The main problem that interferes with work of this device, is scale. Two types of scale are identified:
- salt or oxidation products of Magnesium;
- products of the corrosion process.
Each of these scales must be disposed of. different methods, which are described below.
Methods for cleaning plate heat exchangers
There are three methods for flushing plate heat exchangers:
- Chemical washing.
- Mechanical cleaning.
- Comprehensive cleaning.
In the case when your device suffers from the first type of scale, chemical washing is used. This cleaning method is quite inexpensive. The essence of the work is this: the plates of the device can be treated with reagents that destroy and wash away scale and plaque from the surfaces.
After you have washed your device with the reagent, be sure to rinse it with water to remove any traces of previous active ingredients.
If you have already completed these two steps, you will have to test the device to ensure that it is in good condition.
Mechanical cleaning of the plate heat exchanger is carried out only if the device is damaged by corrosion.
To begin mechanical cleaning, you need to disassemble the heat exchanger and rinse each plate with water.
After mechanical cleaning, as well as after chemical washing, you should test the device to ensure that it is operating in good condition.
Comprehensive cleaning of a plate heat exchanger can only be carried out when the device suffers from scale that has a complex or uncertain composition.
In this case, you need to disassemble the device and treat its parts with a chemical reagent. After the procedure, as always, make sure that the heat exchanger is functioning properly.
A complex type of cleaning is very expensive - those who carry it out should be very careful and responsible.
Summer is a busy time for utilities. Throughout Russia, heating is being turned off and hot water in order to clean and prepare equipment for the next season. Our company offers pumping units for cleaning plates (boosters) and liquids for washing plate heat exchangers of all types: collapsible, brazed and welded devices. We will select for you devices and chemicals that will help you carry out full service maintenance so that the heat exchange equipment serves you as long as possible and works as efficiently as possible.
Features of cleaning heat exchangers
Plate heat exchangers (PHE) have become widespread in the housing and communal services sector: today they can also be seen as part of heating points that distribute heat throughout apartment buildings, and in individual DHW systems and heating. PHEs are characterized by high performance indicators, while being easy to maintain and requiring minimal maintenance. Periodic chemical cleaning of plate heat exchangers falls within this minimum range.How to properly flush a plate heat exchanger?
First, let's figure out how often it is necessary to flush heat exchange equipment? It all depends on the conditions of its use and the moving environment. For example, in the municipal sector, annual flushing is sufficient, while working with products in Food Industry requires daily complete cleaning devices. In individual heating systems, heat exchangers are washed once every 2-3 years. The cleaning procedure can be carried out more often if you notice that the value of the heat transfer coefficient has decreased by 30-35% compared to the calculated one, or the pressure drop readings have noticeably increased. Depending on the stage of contamination, the type of scale, accumulated deposits, and the type of heat exchanger, the following types of equipment washing are possible:- chemical washing (without disassembling the device);
- mechanical cleaning (with equipment disassembly);
- double chemical-mechanical cleaning (devices are also disassembled).
In-place (chemical) flushing of the heat exchanger
Suitable for all types of PHE: disassembled, soldered, semi-welded and welded. A special flushing pump (booster) is connected to the heat exchanger, which pumps a solution inside to flush the heat exchangers. Circulating through the channels, the liquid gradually dissolves accumulated deposits, scale and other contaminants. This is the simplest method of flushing heat exchange equipment. It takes a minimum of time, does not require special technical knowledge, and, moreover, since the devices cannot be disassembled, the possibility of damage to gaskets and sealing elements is completely eliminated. The main thing is to choose the right chemical solution. The disadvantage of washing-in-place is the inability to remove ultra-resistant contaminants. Using a solution you can only get rid of those deposits that dissolve. To remove substances that cannot be dissolved, more thorough mechanical cleaning is required.Mechanical cleaning of heat exchangers
The heat exchanger is disassembled and then each individual plate is cleaned. In this case, hard brushes are used, as well as chemicals for manual cleaning of heat exchangers, or special devices with which the plates are washed with water under high pressure. Main disadvantage this method - firstly, only dismountable devices can be washed in this way, and secondly, the method requires special knowledge and skills. The plate block must be carefully disassembled without damaging the pressure pads, and then all the plates must be assembled in the correct order.Chemical-mechanical cleaning of heat exchange equipment
The method is also only suitable for cleaning dismountable devices. It is most often used to remove complex, stubborn stains. At the first stage of cleaning, the heat exchanger is disassembled and each plate is cleaned manually. Then all the plates are placed in a special container with a chemical solution that dissolves any remaining contaminants. The final step will be to re-clean the plates manually and reassemble the TO. This is the most effective method cleaning heat exchangers from scale, salt deposits and other contaminants. At the same time, this is also the most labor-intensive method, which requires not only special skills and knowledge, but also significantly more time than the previous two types of washing.How to choose a liquid and device for flushing the heat exchanger?
Are you wondering how to clean the boiler heat exchanger? Don't know what products are best to use to clean devices used in the heating system? Contact our specialists and they will help you with your choice chemicals and cleaning devices. When choosing chemical solutions and pumps (boosters), factors such as:- type of heat exchanger and its size;
- degree and complexity of contamination;
- material of plates, gaskets and seals;
- conditions for using heat exchangers;
- the washing method used;
- power of equipment for washing heat exchangers;
- level of concentration of chemical solutions for cleaning equipment.
We also advise you to carefully read the instructions for the heat exchanger and use only those products and devices recommended by the manufacturer. If you do not know what products to order for washing plate heat exchangers, please contact our company consultants. Our specialists will certainly select for you the optimal cleaning fluids and equipment that will help carry out maintenance of the PHE quickly and efficiently. Remember! Regular cleaning of the heat exchanger is the key to long and stable operation of the equipment. Do not neglect careful care and quality service! This guarantees not only the absence of breakdowns, failure of heat exchangers and, as a result, shutdown of the heating system, but also the maintenance of high efficiency indicators, stability of heat supply and reduced costs for consumed resources. Leave a request for
"Warm Company" offers comprehensive maintenance, cleaning and repair of heat exchange equipment in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Our services include the following types of work:
- Washing plate heat exchangers(physical, chemical)
- Heat exchanger repair
- (physical, chemical)
- (physical, chemical)
- Heat exchanger maintenance
- replacing seals
- power increase, installation
- supply of spare parts
- consultations
Maintenance of plate heat exchangers: why is it worth contacting the “Warm Company” in Moscow or St. Petersburg?
Our services include washing of plate heat exchangers and their service from the following manufacturers: Alfa Laval, Swep, Gea Ecoflex, G-Mar, Funke, EESTI Termotehnika, MASHIMPEKS, Promenergo, Etra, Termoblock PA .
When cleaning and repairing equipment and pipelines, we use exclusively original spare parts, high-quality equipment (for example, pumps), and specially developed reagents. The service of washing the heat exchanger with acid is in great demand.
By contacting us, you will receive service the highest level, your equipment will work long and smoothly. This means you will save a lot of money!
Cleaning heat exchangers, washing heat exchangers - choosing a method!
In-place flushing of heat exchangers is selected as the main cleaning method in the following cases:
- when it is necessary to flush the heat exchanger, both brazed and semi-welded;
- when the degree of contamination is assessed as low or medium (acid washing of heat exchangers).
Collapsible the most effective and is used if the degree of contamination of the heat exchangers is assessed as severe. This may be due to the fact that the channels are completely clogged with deposits and the heat exchangers need to be cleaned. In such cases, manufacturers advise resorting to the dismountable method, which is guaranteed to remove any contaminants.
Scheduled preventative maintenance is less painful, significantly extending their life. At the same time, productivity improves. The main signs of the need for maintenance are: an increase in pressure loss, failure to maintain a temperature schedule in relation to the passport values. The conclusion of technical specialists is that the heat exchanger needs to be cleaned.
A timely and regular procedure for washing the heat exchanger plates - this removes deposits, scale, dirt, microorganisms of devices of any type - significantly extends the service life, which is much cheaper than its overhaul. Nothing is more costly than unplanned production stoppages.
However, these costs can be avoided because much can be planned before the problem becomes a reality. You just need to make a plan in advance preventive measures. For example, seals are subject to wear. However, if they are replaced in time, leaks that lead to various costs can be avoided. The plates may become dirty. Scale negatively affects heat transfer and impairs performance. In some cases, increased pressure drop can cause serious problems. Timely cleaning and flushing will help avoid such problems.
Cleaning and flushing the plate heat exchanger. Heat exchanger cleaning service.
In the process of work, our company uses special chemistry that does not lead to destruction of the surface of the plates, does not react with seal materials, and at the same time effectively removes almost any type of deposits and scale that form as a result of operation.
The work on chemical washing of plate heat exchangers carried out by our company is characterized by: high quality, meeting international standards, reliability, optimal price-quality ratio.
As part of the service, we clean and rinse the heat exchanger plates with chemicals, including acid.
Current and major repairs of heat exchangers
Current repair of the heat exchanger – this is the prompt elimination of defects in heat exchange equipment. The need for such an event as heat exchanger repair may arise in situations such as:
- leakage in one or more places between the plates;
- flow of media from circuit to circuit.
Heat exchanger overhaul - This is a complex of the following activities:
- replacing all seals after their service life has expired (4-6 years);
- complete cleaning of heat exchangers from deposits and scale;
- inspection of the plates for signs of corrosion, rejection of such plates.
Our company provides round-the-clock service for any heat exchangers (emergency service for cleaning and washing the plates in the heat exchanger), as well as an emergency repair service for heat exchangers of any complexity. We also carry out work to maintain the constant functionality of your equipment.
You can enter into a service contract or arrange individual visits. The important thing is that you can control the situation without allowing problems to arise.
We always have in stock the main components and spare parts for the types of heating equipment we service.
As you can see from the photo, timely service IMPORTANT condition stable work. The seals and some plates have become unusable - they need to be washed.
Warm Company specialists clean the plates in an acid bath and wash the plates under pressure.
The cost of washing heat exchangers, cleaning and repairing plate heat exchangers - Basic prices in Moscow and St. Petersburg.
This table presents several types of heat exchangers. You can find out all the prices for the relevant work on the prices page of our website. The price does not include spare parts. Prices shown are for informational purposes only.
Ridan, Sondex
| 10 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | |
| NN-S04 | RUB 11,212.00 | RUB 11,424.00 | RUB 11,636.00 | RUB 11,848.00 | RUB 12,060.00 |
| НН-S07 | RUB 11,611.20 | RUB 12,022.40 | RUB 12,433.60 | RUB 12,844.80 | RUB 13,256.00 |
Etra Funke
| Number of plates in the heat exchanger apparatus | |||||
| 10 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | |
| ET-004/FP04 | RUB 11,212.00 | RUB 11,424.00 | RUB 11,636.00 | RUB 11,848.00 | RUB 12,060.00 |
| ET-005/FP-08 | RUB 11,611.20 | RUB 12,022.40 | RUB 12,433.60 | RUB 12,844.80 | RUB 13,256.00 |
Tranter, Swep
| Number of plates in the heat exchanger apparatus | |||||
| 10 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | |
| GX06-07-08 | RUB 11,611.20 | RUB 12,022.40 | RUB 12,433.60 | RUB 12,844.80 | RUB 13,256.00 |
| GC-09 | RUB 11,611.20 | RUB 12,022.40 | RUB 12,433.60 | RUB 12,844.80 | RUB 13,256.00 |
Teplotex APV
| 10 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | |
| U165, TR 1 | RUB 11,212.00 | RUB 11,424.00 | RUB 11,636.00 | RUB 11,848.00 | RUB 12,060.00 |
| SR-2 | RUB 12,212.40 | RUB 12,924.80 | RUB 13,637.20 | RUB 14,349.60 | RUB 15,062.00 |
Mashimpex GEA
| Number of plates in the device | |||||
| 10 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | |
| VT-04 | RUB 11,212.00 | RUB 11,424.00 | RUB 11,636.00 | RUB 11,848.00 | RUB 12,060.00 |
| VT-10 | RUB 12,212.40 | RUB 12,924.80 | RUB 13,637.20 | RUB 14,349.60 | RUB 15,062.00 |
Alfa Laval
| Number of plates in the device | |||||
| 10 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | |
| M 6 | RUB 12,212.40 | RUB 12,924.80 | RUB 13,637.20 | RUB 14,349.60 | RUB 15,062.00 |
| M 10 | RUB 16,710.00 | RUB 17,920.00 | RUB 19,130.00 | RUB 20,340.00 | RUB 21,550.00 |
