SERVICES
Chemical cleaning
Chemical cleaning of heat exchangers
Safe, thorough and effective – for maximum heat transfer and minimum downtime.
Dry cleaning is the fastest and most effective way to remove stubborn contamination from heat exchangers. Scaling, scale, sludge, rust and water-side deposits cause loss of efficiency, rising temperatures and higher costs.
With Blue Orange’ s chemical cleaning methods, we restore the full capacity of your heat exchanger – safely, in a controlled manner and according to proper process conditions.
Suitable for industrial, marine and agricultural applications.
Why dry cleaning?
Heat exchangers conveying water or glycol face:
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lime and mineral deposits
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corrosion products
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sludge and biofilm
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deposition from cooling water
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contamination from process residues
In practice, this can lead to 20-40% loss of efficiency.
Temperatures rise, flow drops and systems have to work harder to achieve the same cooling capacity.
Chemical cleaning tackles this directly:
the liquids dissolve contamination without attacking the metal – quickly, controlled and with maximum effectiveness.
How does dry cleaning work at Blue Orange?
Our approach is fully geared to safety, efficiency and accuracy:
1. Inspection & analysis
We define:
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degree of scaling
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type of contamination
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material type (stainless steel, CuNi, steel)
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risk of corrosion
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necessary chemical composition
2. Choice of cleaning fluid
Depending on the exchanger and contamination, we choose an appropriate solution:
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decalcification
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de-rusting
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sludge dissolvers
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neutralising agents
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inhibitors against metal removal
3. Chemical circulation or immersion bath
Options:
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recirculation system on site
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immersion cleaning in workshop
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controlled temperature & pH
4. Neutralization & rinsing
We neutralize chemicals and flush completely until all residues are gone.
5. Testing & quality control
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pressure test
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leak check
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flow measurement
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visual inspection
6. Report
You will receive a clear report with:
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before/after results
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measurements
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preventive maintenance advice
Dry cleaning for industry
Heat exchangers always pollute. But if it grows too far, the whole process becomes unbalanced.
Pollution leads to:
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efficiency losses (in practice we see losses as high as 40% for severely fouled heat exchangers)
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higher energy costs
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pressure differential / reduced flow
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rising engine temperatures (maritime)
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deterioration of plates, tubes or fins
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breakdowns and unplanned downtime
Cleaning is not a cosmetic procedure – it is crucial process optimization.
With the right method (chemical or ultrasonic), we restore the full capacity of your heat exchanger.
Sectors
The benefits for your industry
How do we proceed?
Every project at Blue Orange goes through the same clear structure. So we work quickly, precisely and completely transparently, from intake to completion.
Analysis & inspection
We begin with a focused inspection of the heat exchanger.
We check fouling type, flow, any leaks, and determine which cleaning method will provide the most efficiency.
Cleaning (Ultrasonic or Chemical)
Based on the diagnosis, we choose the optimal approach:
ultrasonic for deep, delicate or marine soiling
chemical for lime, sludge or water side scale
The heat exchanger is completely cleaned according to strict safety and environmental procedures.
Recovery &
Test
After cleaning, we retest the heat exchanger:
pressure test or leak tightness test
visual inspection
performance recovery compared to the initial situation
That way you know exactly how much capacity has been recovered.
Delivery & Reporting
You will receive a clear report with test results, photos and a recommendation for preventive maintenance.
If required, we also provide transportation or planning for another round of cleaning.
What cleaning method does your heat exchanger need?
Blue Orange inspects, tests and then chooses the cleaning that provides the greatest return – never standard, always customized.
| Situation | Best method |
|---|---|
| Lime / scaling | Chemical |
| Waterside fouling | Chemical |
| Salt deposits / seawater residues | Ultrasonic |
| Fine sludge in fins | Ultrasonic |
| Biofouling / fouling | Ultrasonic |
| Severe corrosion deposit | Chemical + inspection |
| Oil contamination | Both (analysis dependent) |
What will your heat exchanger cleaning do for you?
up to 40% more efficiency
lower energy costs
longer service life (3-7 additional years)
cooling capacity fully restored
fewer failures and less downtime
improved engine performance (marine)
Why?
Choosing Blue Orange?
Because every minute of downtime counts, and every detail makes a difference.
Active 24/7
we respond quickly, even outside office hours
Rapid intervention:
often operational again within 48 hours
Measurable result
up to 30% more efficiency
Longer lifespan
up to 25% more years of use
Request heat exchanger cleaning
Want to keep your heat exchangers in top condition?
Or is there an acute outage that needs to be resolved immediately?
Get in touch – our specialists are standing by.
We determine that during the inspection. For scale, rust and water-side fouling, we usually choose dry cleaning. For fine contamination in fins or fins (as in CACs and air coolers), ultrasonic is almost always the best choice.
No. We always choose the safest method for the type of material and contamination.
Ultrasonic and specialty cleanings remove dirt deep into plates and fins without damage to the metal.
We test each exchanger afterwards to confirm this.
This varies per situation, but in practice we see that a cleaned heat exchanger delivers 20-40% more capacity than a dirty one. We measure this afterwards with a performance measurement.
Yes. Dry cleaning can often be done on site. Ultrasonic cleaning is always done in our workshop because an ultrasonic bath is required.
Small plate exchangers are often completed within one business day. Larger shell & tube, marine or industrial coolers may take 1-3 days, depending on contamination and required testing procedures.
We dispose of all residues in an environmentally friendly way and according to applicable laws and regulations. You don't have to make any arrangements yourself.
Yes, but with severe corrosion or cracking we sometimes recommend overhaul or repair. We discuss this during the inspection and always show the underlying damage.
On average, once a year. In marine and heavy industrial environments it may be needed more often. After the cleaning, you will receive a customized recommendation.
Not always. We can ultrasonic clean small exchangers as a whole, but for fixed installations in industry or shipping, disassembly is sometimes necessary.
Cleaning does not solve leaks, but it does make leaks visible. If damage is found, we can repair or replace immediately.