Heat exchanger cleaning – on-site CIP and chemical cleaning

Heat exchangers lose performance long before they fail. Scale, sludge, magnetite and biofilm build up on the plates and tubes, heat transfer drops and pressure loss rises – and you pay for it in energy and downtime. Energy Rent cleans heat exchangers on site using Clean-in-Place (CIP), so the unit stays installed and your system is back in operation quickly.

Signs your heat exchanger needs cleaning

• Lower outlet temperature or capacity than before
• Rising pressure drop across the heat exchanger
• Higher energy consumption for the same output
• Pumps working harder than they should

How we clean heat exchangers

• Chemical cleaning (CIP): a cleaning solution is circulated through the heat exchanger to dissolve scale and deposits – without dismantling the unit.
• Electromechanical cleaning: a newer method that uses electromagnetic fields to loosen deposits, and can be gentler on the heat exchanger than mechanical cleaning.
• Gasket replacement: worn gaskets are replaced during the service – we supply the spare parts and carry out the work.

The cleaning agent is always matched to the heat exchanger's materials and the type of deposit.

Our CIP process

• Inspection and analysis: we inspect the system and analyse the medium in a laboratory to choose the right method and chemicals.
• Cleaning: our mobile CIP rig – with filter, flow reversal, a 22 kW heat cassette, a 170 l/min pump and a 215-litre chemical tank – heats and circulates the solution.
• Rinsing and final check: the system is rinsed and checked before it goes back into operation.
• Documentation: we take before-and-after photos – and thermography on building systems – so you can see the result.

Keep running while we clean

Because we also rent out mobile heat exchangers, heating plants and chillers, we can keep your process running on temporary equipment while your own heat exchanger is being cleaned.

Recent projects

• Seawater heat exchangers: two large seawater heat exchangers had lost heat transfer capacity. After chemical CIP cleaning, heat transfer was restored and energy consumption fell.
• Magnetite in a heating system: a building's radiators were not delivering enough heat. Thermography before and after confirmed the problem, and in two days we cleaned pumps, underfloor heating, radiators and pipework – performance was restored.

How often should heat exchangers be cleaned?

As a rule, at least once a year – more often in demanding applications. We can set up a regular maintenance schedule for your heat exchangers.