Cleaning Indirect Water Heater

Scott25

HR raises an excellent point, as always! Anytime you acidize something you are decreasing the life expectancy of the equipment being cleaned. The low pH or high alkalinity instantly starts to dissolve the foulant as well as the metal!!

Just because a cleaner is "safe" doesnt mean it wont have adverse effects on the equipment due to the many variables encountered with water and multiple metals.

Scott

Brian

Cleaning Indirect Water Heater

I have a customer that uses his indirect water heater for power washing his barn and called to say that he is getting less hot water than he was getting before.He has very hard water so I'm thinking that calcium has formed on the outside of the submersed coil.What I was wondering is what can I add to the water heater to disolve the calcium and still be suitable for human consumption after it's flushed?

Thanks Brian

Big Ed

Indirect

Calcium is not a problem from my neck of the woods but I'am thinking vinegar for harden calcium ??????If it is the problem .Can you pull the coil to check ?Once cleaned ,then install a filter before the heater with the proper cartage to prevent it from happening again.....

heatboy

What brand indirect?

Is this an Amtrol unit? Since this unit and some others have finned heat exchangers, it is very possible the fins are full of debri, calcium or otherwise. Has anyone adjust boiler temperatures of late. This will have a huge impact on recovery. Probably going to be a pain to pull the HX to clean.

The really good indirects will have top and side clean-out ports, so access to the HX is easy.

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Scott25

safe cleaners

There are many types of low pH solutions that are safe to use with potable systems. If it is a calcium problem then lowering the pH will dissolve the scale and allow it to be flushed and drained. Citric acid is a strong possiblity and vinegar is a possiblity if you want to smell like a pickle factory. There are also cleaners that use alkalinity to dissolve cacium as well. Email me, and I can get you some products or more information that may suit your needs.

You may want to look at a water softner as well to keep it from happening again.

Scott

Brian

Indirect

The unit is a 75gal.John Wood.I do not believe it has finned coils.I also don't think that the coil can be removed but will check with my supplier tomorrow.

Thanks
Brian

todd s

Cleaning coil

Another chem-free way to clean an indirect coil is to : drain tank, run boiler temp up to 180° and hit the hot coil with cold inlet water, the idea is to shock the coil and make the calcium flake off. good luck

kevin

i was not aware that...

John Wood made indirects....I hought they were oil fired- direct only...If the coil can come out either replce it or dip it in Sizzle... diluted. kpc

Tom M.

this method also works on Amtrol

You can also make a cleaning wand out of 3/8" OD tubing to go in through the top opening and clean the coil off that way. Then fill halfway and drain until water is clear.

munchkin-man

The best cleaner I have found Marsolve

www.marsolve.com they make a non toxic biodegradeable liquid cleaner that can be purchased through the web site mentioned. You can bring up testamonials MSDS it is EPA approved and can be desposed off down the drain.
It was formulated for the marien industry to desolve calsium deposits. I have tested it and it works great. It is gental on the tank and will not erode the material the tank is made of. The only othe ralternitive is to use meriatic acid if the tank is real bad and no warranty on it as a last resort you may get two to five more years out og it using that method. The safest way is to use the Marsolve.
One other option if the coil has a calcium coating on it and it is not transfering one can do a thermal shock. Drain the tank run 200* boiler water through the coil for ten fifteen min and turn the cold water on going in to the tank. The coil will be expanded fro the hot boiler water and when the cold water hits it it contracrs and sometimes will flake off some of the deposits on the coils surfce if not to far gone.

hot_rod

How old is the tank?

the date code is usually in the serial number. How hard is your water? Have it tested with a hardness test kit. And lastly how many gallons have gone through that baby. Add up all these factors to get an idea of the condition. You will reach a point of no return, as far as build up and clean-ability. Especially with the finned coil type of HX.

Seems like the amount of acid to clean a badly fouled coil will often detoriate the copper fins and coil, sometimes.

Here is an Amtrol after 1 year on hard water! It weighed about 150 lbs when we removed it. Needless to say recovery was non existent!

hot rod

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