Frequently asked questions

After cleaning out the calcium and barnacles from my heat exchangers what will stop this from happening again?

By installing Adit Marine’s Fresh Water Flushing System,(various sizes and models to suit most vessels) the fresh water will stay inside the raw water cooling side of the system thus eliminating the barnacle growth and stops the solid calcium build inside the heat exchangers.

Can I use this system for the gen-set I’ve got on-board?

Adit Marine Fresh Water Flushing Systems can help to reduce salt build up and prolong the life of your generator, as well as your air-conditioner. The flushing is carried out as normal after use.

Do I have to have my heat exchangers removed and cleaned before installing a Fresh Water Flushing System?

Only if the heat exchangers are of a servere nature. The cleaning of heat exchangers can now be attained without the removal of these items with the use of the Adit Marine CAD (Chemical Adding Device) and the cleaning agent CFS (Clean Flush Soak), all available from Adit Marine.

Do I have to turn off the seacock when operating the fresh water flushing device?

No – if your boat is in the water. This is a safety factor.

How do I clean the internals of my heat exchanger without removing it?

Commercial cleaning products can now be easily administered after installation of the Adit Marine fresh water flushing device.
With the Adit Marine system installed, regular flushing with fresh water, on the completion of each boat trip, will eliminate salt build-up in the heat exchanger. The fresh water will dissolve the residule salts from the substrate as the heat from the engine is transfered to the fresh water absorbing the salts and holding them in suspension until motor start up. These salts are then released back into there environment.

How does calcium build up in the heat exchangers?

While the engine is cooling down, the salt water inside the heat exchangers heats up due to no circulation. This makes the water molecules separate with the heavier salt settling to the bottom, known as brine. This in turn builds up in layers causing the cooling galleries of the heat exchanger to be sealed off – thus causing over heating of the engine, potentially leading to catastrophic engine failure.

I’m not a mechanic, how easy is it to install a Fresh Water Flushing System?

The B100 to the B200 requires a hacksaw and a 10mm spanner. We must emphasise however, during any installation of this nature, the sea cock must be closed. The Remote Fresh Water Flushing System and the Large Remote Fresh Water Flushing requires some mechanical knowledge. All these systems come with instructions. The Automatic Fresh Water Flushing System requires fully qualified Marine mechanics and Electricians for total install.

I’ve just spent over $3,000 per motor to have my heat exchangers cleaned, do I now need to install these flushing devices?

Yes, cleaning heat exchangers which have become clogged with salt, can be very expensive, and not just in monetary terms. If you rely on your boat to make your living (eg. charter boat, water taxi, pilot boat, etc), then you don’t want the boat out of the water any more than is absolutely necessary. Now, with Adit Marine’s fresh water flushing devices, your boat’s down time can be reduced.
By regularly flushing your engines with fresh water at the end of each boat trip, you will be keeping the build up of salt in your heat exchangers to a minimum.

Is the Fresh Water Flushing System only available for main engines?

The Fresh Water Flushing System can also be used for gen-sets, airconditioning units and any other system which has a raw water cooling heat exchanger.

Is there a better way to flush your heat exchangers?

There is nothing available on the market that we know of, that can economically (and without harming the environment), easily and cleanly maintain your heat exchangers like the devices from Adit Marine.

My heat exchangers are clean but the engines are still over heating.

Heat exchangers are only part of the raw water cooling system.The plumbing between the heat exchangers and also from the sea cock to the raw water pump may be blocked with barnacles thus restricting the water flow. To remove these we recommend Barnacle Buster. This product will also remove the calcium build up from the heat exchangers at the same time.

Why install a Fresh Water Flushing System to my vessel’s motor(s) heat exchangers?

When a vessel is used in a salt water enviroment, the calcium build up commences once any engine has been run and cooled down. This ocurres with all heat exchangers from gen sets, airconditioners, main engines and hydraulic heat exchangers.

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