Do you know how long the life spans of a heat exchanger?
Fouling is main reason why the heat exchanger damaged and the life time become shorter. The tube damage was caused by erosion–corrosion induced by two factors:
- Disturbed flow of water containing suspended solid particles.
- Chemical composition of water rich in chlorides that resulted in loss of stability of protective cuprous oxide layer.
The best way to maximize the life spans or optimizing of a heat exchanger is to inspect every year and need some cleaning to avoid major failure on the equipment. Monthly cleaning is recommended almost by manufacturer to increase the lifetime of heat exchanger. Most heat exchanger can last very long time.