The hazards of boiler tube blockage
Once the boiler tube is clogged, the harm cannot be underestimated. In terms of heating, hot water cannot circulate smoothly, resulting in difficulty in meeting indoor temperature standards and greatly reducing comfort, especially in cold seasons, which causes great trouble to users.
From the perspective of equipment operation, blockage will cause uneven pressure distribution inside the boiler and excessive local pressure. This will not only increase the load on various parts of the boiler, but may also cause pipe deformation, rupture and other failures, seriously affecting the service life of the boiler, increasing maintenance costs and downtime, and affecting production progress.
Safety hazards cannot be ignored. Blockage reduces the efficiency of boiler heat exchange, incomplete fuel combustion, and produces harmful gases such as carbon monoxide. If leaked into the surrounding environment, it is very easy to cause poisoning or even cause serious accidents such as explosions, threatening life and property safety. It can be seen that it is very necessary to clear the blocked boiler tubes in time, which is related to the heating quality, equipment life and safety.
Common causes of boiler tube blockage
1. Water quality issues
Boilers cannot operate without water. If the water quality is poor, it will easily cause blockage. Impurities, microorganisms and oil stains in the water will continue to deposit and adhere inside the boiler, forming scale. In some areas, the water quality is hard, with high content of calcium and magnesium ions, which will produce a lot of hard water scale after long-term use. These scales are tightly attached to the inner wall of the boiler tube, which reduces the inner diameter of the pipe, hinders the water flow, and eventually causes blockage, affecting the normal operation of the boiler.
2. Fuel issues
Fuel quality also has an important impact on boiler tubes. When the fuel contains more impurities and sediments, a large amount of ash will be produced after combustion. For example, biomass fuel contains unburned carbon particles and minerals in the ash left after burning. The flue gas carries the ash and flows in the pipe. When the temperature drops, the ash will adhere to the pipe wall. Over time, it will accumulate more and more, causing the pipe to be blocked. In addition, incomplete combustion of the fuel will also produce some sticky substances, which will aggravate the blockage.
3. Equipment agingWhen the boiler is in operation for a long time, its components will gradually wear out and age. Taking the fire tubes of a fire tube boiler as an example, if they are exposed to high temperature and high pressure for a long time, the material of the fire tubes may become thinner and deformed due to corrosion and erosion, and the internal space may become smaller, which may easily cause blockage. Moreover, as the equipment ages, its performance declines and its tolerance to impurities decreases. Even a small amount of impurities may cause blockage problems.
4. Improper operation
During the operation, if the operator does not strictly follow the procedures, it may also cause the boiler tube to be blocked. For example, if the boiler is not cleaned thoroughly and regularly, dirt will remain and accumulate in the pipes. When cleaning, if the method is improper, such as using overly rough tools, it may damage the inner wall of the pipe, making it easier for impurities to adhere. In addition, when the boiler is started and stopped, if the operation is too fast, the temperature and pressure change drastically, which will cause the impurities in the pipeline to precipitate and condense, causing blockage.
How to unclog boiler tubes?
Mechanical dredging is a common and efficient method, which is mainly completed with the help of a boiler tube dredging machine. Its working principle is to use the dredging machine to drive the cutter head on the flexible shaft to rotate at high speed, thereby rotating and cutting the hard dirt in the pipe. For example, when there is thick scale or stubborn slag in the boiler tubes, the cutter head can cut them into pieces bit by bit. After cutting is completed, the crushed dirt is taken out of the pipe by blowing air or water.
During operation, first select the appropriate type of unclogging machine and cutter head according to the diameter and blockage condition of the boiler tube. Carefully insert the flexible shaft of the unclogging machine into the boiler tube, start the machine, and allow the blade to slowly contact the dirt. During the process, the flexible shaft should be advanced at a constant speed to ensure uniform cutting of the cutter head. After cutting, connect the air or water blowing device to completely remove the dirt. This method is fast, can complete the unblocking in a short time, is relatively safe and reliable, and is not easy to damage the boiler tube wall. However, you must be extra careful during operation to avoid damaging other parts of the boiler due to improper operation, which will affect subsequent use.
Precautions for unclogging boiler tubes
Safety first
Safety is the primary consideration before unclogging your boiler. Make sure the boiler is powered off to avoid electric shock during the unclogging operation. At the same time, the water in the boiler must be drained to prevent accidents such as scalding and electric leakage caused by the presence of water during operation, creating a safe environment for dredging work.
Reference Manual
Each boiler has its own unique structure and design, so when disassembling and unclogging the boiler, you should carefully refer to the boiler's instruction manual. The manual contains detailed operating procedures, precautions and technical parameters. Strictly following its instructions can ensure the correctness of the operation and avoid damage to the equipment due to incorrect operation, which will affect the subsequent normal operation of the boiler.
Regular maintenance
Regular cleaning of your boiler is an important way to prevent blockages. It is recommended to carry out comprehensive cleaning and maintenance of the boiler at regular intervals, depending on the frequency of use of the boiler and actual conditions. Clean the dirt and impurities in the pipeline in time to avoid the gradual accumulation of blockages, reduce the risk of boiler tube blockage, ensure the long-term stable operation of the boiler, and reduce the maintenance costs and safety hazards caused by blockage.
Read more: How To Detect The Thickness of Boiler Tubes?
Once the boiler tube is clogged, the harm cannot be underestimated. In terms of heating, hot water cannot circulate smoothly, resulting in difficulty in meeting indoor temperature standards and greatly reducing comfort, especially in cold seasons, which causes great trouble to users.
From the perspective of equipment operation, blockage will cause uneven pressure distribution inside the boiler and excessive local pressure. This will not only increase the load on various parts of the boiler, but may also cause pipe deformation, rupture and other failures, seriously affecting the service life of the boiler, increasing maintenance costs and downtime, and affecting production progress.
Safety hazards cannot be ignored. Blockage reduces the efficiency of boiler heat exchange, incomplete fuel combustion, and produces harmful gases such as carbon monoxide. If leaked into the surrounding environment, it is very easy to cause poisoning or even cause serious accidents such as explosions, threatening life and property safety. It can be seen that it is very necessary to clear the blocked boiler tubes in time, which is related to the heating quality, equipment life and safety.
Common causes of boiler tube blockage
1. Water quality issues
Boilers cannot operate without water. If the water quality is poor, it will easily cause blockage. Impurities, microorganisms and oil stains in the water will continue to deposit and adhere inside the boiler, forming scale. In some areas, the water quality is hard, with high content of calcium and magnesium ions, which will produce a lot of hard water scale after long-term use. These scales are tightly attached to the inner wall of the boiler tube, which reduces the inner diameter of the pipe, hinders the water flow, and eventually causes blockage, affecting the normal operation of the boiler.
2. Fuel issues
Fuel quality also has an important impact on boiler tubes. When the fuel contains more impurities and sediments, a large amount of ash will be produced after combustion. For example, biomass fuel contains unburned carbon particles and minerals in the ash left after burning. The flue gas carries the ash and flows in the pipe. When the temperature drops, the ash will adhere to the pipe wall. Over time, it will accumulate more and more, causing the pipe to be blocked. In addition, incomplete combustion of the fuel will also produce some sticky substances, which will aggravate the blockage.
3. Equipment agingWhen the boiler is in operation for a long time, its components will gradually wear out and age. Taking the fire tubes of a fire tube boiler as an example, if they are exposed to high temperature and high pressure for a long time, the material of the fire tubes may become thinner and deformed due to corrosion and erosion, and the internal space may become smaller, which may easily cause blockage. Moreover, as the equipment ages, its performance declines and its tolerance to impurities decreases. Even a small amount of impurities may cause blockage problems.
4. Improper operation
During the operation, if the operator does not strictly follow the procedures, it may also cause the boiler tube to be blocked. For example, if the boiler is not cleaned thoroughly and regularly, dirt will remain and accumulate in the pipes. When cleaning, if the method is improper, such as using overly rough tools, it may damage the inner wall of the pipe, making it easier for impurities to adhere. In addition, when the boiler is started and stopped, if the operation is too fast, the temperature and pressure change drastically, which will cause the impurities in the pipeline to precipitate and condense, causing blockage.
How to unclog boiler tubes?
Mechanical dredging is a common and efficient method, which is mainly completed with the help of a boiler tube dredging machine. Its working principle is to use the dredging machine to drive the cutter head on the flexible shaft to rotate at high speed, thereby rotating and cutting the hard dirt in the pipe. For example, when there is thick scale or stubborn slag in the boiler tubes, the cutter head can cut them into pieces bit by bit. After cutting is completed, the crushed dirt is taken out of the pipe by blowing air or water.
During operation, first select the appropriate type of unclogging machine and cutter head according to the diameter and blockage condition of the boiler tube. Carefully insert the flexible shaft of the unclogging machine into the boiler tube, start the machine, and allow the blade to slowly contact the dirt. During the process, the flexible shaft should be advanced at a constant speed to ensure uniform cutting of the cutter head. After cutting, connect the air or water blowing device to completely remove the dirt. This method is fast, can complete the unblocking in a short time, is relatively safe and reliable, and is not easy to damage the boiler tube wall. However, you must be extra careful during operation to avoid damaging other parts of the boiler due to improper operation, which will affect subsequent use.
Precautions for unclogging boiler tubes
Safety first
Safety is the primary consideration before unclogging your boiler. Make sure the boiler is powered off to avoid electric shock during the unclogging operation. At the same time, the water in the boiler must be drained to prevent accidents such as scalding and electric leakage caused by the presence of water during operation, creating a safe environment for dredging work.
Reference Manual
Each boiler has its own unique structure and design, so when disassembling and unclogging the boiler, you should carefully refer to the boiler's instruction manual. The manual contains detailed operating procedures, precautions and technical parameters. Strictly following its instructions can ensure the correctness of the operation and avoid damage to the equipment due to incorrect operation, which will affect the subsequent normal operation of the boiler.
Regular maintenance
Regular cleaning of your boiler is an important way to prevent blockages. It is recommended to carry out comprehensive cleaning and maintenance of the boiler at regular intervals, depending on the frequency of use of the boiler and actual conditions. Clean the dirt and impurities in the pipeline in time to avoid the gradual accumulation of blockages, reduce the risk of boiler tube blockage, ensure the long-term stable operation of the boiler, and reduce the maintenance costs and safety hazards caused by blockage.
Read more: How To Detect The Thickness of Boiler Tubes?
