Heat Exchanger and
Tube Bundle Cleaning
Fouled heat exchangers cut throughput, raise energy cost, and put units on the critical path during a turnaround. Hydrokinetics cleans heat exchangers and tube bundles in place. No bundle pull. No off-site shipping. We clean bundles other contractors have declared uncleanable.
We Clean What Traditional Hydroblasting Can’t
Conventional hydroblasting needs an open flow path. A fully plugged tube dead-ends the jet. Our patented hydrokinetic process breaks the bond between the deposit and the tube wall, so it clears tubes at 100% blockage from crystallized coke, polymer, calcium scale, and hardened conglomerate.
Documented Results
- Ethane cracker exchangers: 5 contractors and 20,000 PSI failed to clean a single unit to
inspection level. Hydrokinetics cleaned the first in one pass in under 2 shifts. Won the
remaining 15 plus an annual contract. - 600-tube exchanger, Texas City: blocked over 10 years, 9 drill bits stuck inside,
replacement already ordered. Cleaned all 600 tubes in 5 hours. $500,000 replacement
cancelled. - HDPE vertical exchanger: 4,700 tubes, 35% fully plugged, one-week window. Cleaned in
under 3 shifts against a 13-shift proposal. - HOFCC splitter reboiler: cleaning cut from 56 days to 10 days. Passed IRIS on the first
attempt, a first for that client.
Why Plants Call Us
- 40-50% faster than conventional hydroblasting.
- In-situ. Straight-tube and U-tube bundles. No bundle pull in most cases.
- Safe on thin-wall and titanium tubes. Lower operating pressure than ultra-high-pressure hydroblasting.
- Automated, remote operation. Zero recordable incidents.
- 20+ years, 12 countries, 3 patents.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Cleaning fully plugged heat exchanger, condenser, and exchanger tubes is one of the most common reasons industrial facilities contact us.Our specialized tube cleaning process can often restore flow in tubes that conventional hydroblasting and mechanical cleaning methods cannot clear.
In most cases, no. We perform in-place heat exchanger tube cleaning at your facility, eliminating the time, cost, and downtime associated with pulling the bundle. We will evaluate your equipment and recommend the most efficient cleaning approach.
Yes. Our non-destructive cleaning method has been successfully used on thin-wall tubes, titanium tubes, stainless steel tubes, and other sensitive heat exchanger materials without causing surface damage.
Many of our projects begin after conventional tube cleaning methods have failed. We specialize in removing stubborn deposits, severe fouling, and complete tube blockages that other approaches cannot address. If you’ve been told the tubes can’t be cleaned, call 409-945-5414 for a discussion.
