How to Clean the Shell Side of a Heat Exchanger

A heat exchanger is a device for transferring heat from one substance to another. One of the most common--and easiest to make--types of heat exchangers is the shell-and-tube type. This type of heat exchanger has coils or a shell wrapped around a central tube. As the heat exchanger is used, the two tubes become corroded, which reduces the efficiency of the heat exchanger and slows the flow through it.

Distilled water
2 rubber plugs
Safety goggles
Heavy rubber gloves
Acid (sulfuric or hydrochloric)
2 glass or plastic pails

Instructions

- 1
  Drain the heat exchanger of any liquid. Rinse the shell out with distilled water.
- 2
  Put a rubber plug on one end of the shell tube.
- 3
  Put on the gloves and goggles. Acid is corrosive and will damage your skin, eyes, mouth or other body parts it comes in contact with.
- 4
  Add roughly 1 cup of acid to a pail then slowly pour in about 1 gallon of distilled water. This will dilute the acid, preventing it from eating away at the heat exchanger.
- 5
  Fill the shell of the heat exchanger about 1/2 full with dilute acid then insert the other plug into the open end of the shell.
- 6
  Turn the heat exchanger back and forth to mix the acid throughout the shell and break up the fouling within the shell. After two to three minutes, remove a plug and pour out the acid into the second pail.
- 7
  Repeat rinsing the shell with diluted acid until the acid comes out clear and free of particulates. Pour the acid in both sides and drain it from the opposite end that you poured the acid into the shell.
- 8
  Rinse the shell five times with distilled water to remove any residual acid.

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