Steam Cleaning Air Cooled Chiller

[madhat]

We have to Winter time, Weekend Clean a Chiller. The other guy is whining about getting cold, and wants to Steam clean it. Told him we will probably get wetter, from the steam rising off the unit. It's an RTAA air cooled, I'm leary of hitting the coils with that much temperature difference "250 F," and what the sudden copper expansion will do stress wise. We have up to 120 - 130 F hot water availible for our pressure washer and coil gun.

[klove]

I think you're wise to not use steam. And tell your partner to either suck it up, or go get a job as a bank guard.............

[The_Skoot]

Doesn't sound like a good idea to me. Plus how effective would steam be on a coil? Never heard of this practice, don't have to worry about cold too much down here.

[mustardman]

We have to Winter time, Weekend Clean a Chiller. The other guy is whining about getting cold, and wants to Steam clean it. Told him we will probably get wetter, from the steam rising off the unit. It's an RTAA air cooled, I'm leary of hitting the coils with that much temperature difference "250 F," and what the sudden copper expansion will do stress wise. We have up to 120 - 130 F hot water availible for our pressure washer and coil gun.

Your co worker is a wuss. Tell him to suck it up and dress for it gawd some peoples children

[amickracing]

Depending on how cold it is, I'd think steam would freeze faster (smaller drops of water give up heat faster and freeze) and before you know it, you've got an ice block.

I say just squirt it with warm water and be done with it.

[dgruber]

Tell him to suit up in his Arc Flash suit, to give him a reason to use it while you wash, should keep him warm and fuzzy.

He can go home and tell his wife he counted his calories today.

I agree with the others, just do it, but do it right get er done!!

[The_Skoot]

Thermal relief would worry me.

[flange]

get a can of red paint, put some stripes on him for being a candy ass.

[HvAckid82]

does steam cleaning have much pressure behind it?? Unless the entire unit is being slammed from all corners with steam I wouldn't worry about stress or relief valves going off. It has a large mass that would require a lot of heat for a good period of time.....How about compressed air?? I have seen guys do that plenty of times works well.

[chillerguy81]

get a can of red paint, put some stripes on him for being a candy ass.

That's funny. :D As one of our old fitters use to say " tell him to tie some kerosene rags around his ankles so the ants don't crawl up and eat his candy ass!"

[seascott]

The max inlet water temp for my pressure washer is 40C (104F) so I'd be sure to check the rating before I tried pumping 130 Deg water through one. Steam cleaning seems pointless and you are correct, if it is cold out and you are washing a coil that size, especially the underside, you will be working in a wet steamy cloud. Not warm, just a little warmer than ambient and learning directly about psychrometrics. When it comes to washing coils I like to do whatever the gentlest action is that will clean the coil thoroughly. The integrity of that bond between fin and tube is important and the less I do to disturb it the better. Trane makes a great neutral cleaner that won't burn your skin or oxidize your coil. It may not "foam the dirt out" but it works very well.