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View Full Version : Amonia cooling tower cleaning help



FWB35
18-12-2014, 04:59 PM
Hey all,

I have a newer amonia cooling tower, system has 160 gallons, and needs to be cleaned.

A person from another facility is telling me to clean the tubes with a high power pressure washer? This does not seem like a good idea to me, I thought chemical put into the cooling tower to circulate is the best way, a pressure washer could puncture a tube plus you are only cleaning the top row of tubes, please advise, thanks.

Brian_UK
18-12-2014, 10:53 PM
If your tubes are that thin that a pressure washer will cut them then you need a new tower, that one is shot.

The Viking
18-12-2014, 11:01 PM
Normally for heavily fouled or scaled up towers you would use a combination of chemicals and mechanical cleaning methods. (In your case the pressure washer)

Nevertheless, your best option is always to get a specialist in to advice you. Not only would he (or she) have plenty of experience but they would also know what the local legislation demands.

:cool:

NH3LVR
19-12-2014, 01:48 AM
It depends on your water. We have very good quality water in my area.
I had a condenser that had a lot of what seemed like mud in it with scale on the tubes.
The bleed had been shut off for some time. I opened the bleed up and the condenser was clean in a matter of a year or so.
Note that not using chemicals and relying on a bleed to keep the cycles of concentration down may not work in areas with hard water.

PaulZ
19-12-2014, 05:51 AM
Hi FWB
As suggested by Viking use a water treatment company. If you decide to use chemicals make sure they do not damage the galvanizing on the tubes. There is probably a Thread or two on this forum relating to cleaning the scale off condenser tubes. Try searching for these they could answer you questions.
Regards
Paul

mbc
19-12-2014, 12:37 PM
for cleaning of condenser with heavy fouled .

1) clean condenser mechanical as much as you can
2) use chemical dis-clear for second washing
3) again clean condenser with mechanical and with high pressure water .
be careful PH of water during second and third washing.
in this method you save you condenser from using more damage it may comes from dis-clear .