Air blasting (off-line): Can only remove light dust. Creates lots of dust. Cannot access between finned tubes. Can only be used where access doors allow.
Chemical/powder injection (on-line): Cleans in one direction with updraft from burner. Only cleans soft to medium fouling. Does not make 360 degree tube/fin surface contact.
CO²/Dry Ice (off-line): Superficial cleaning of what operator can see or large CO² nozzle can touch. Cannot access between finned tubes. Can only be used where access doors allow. Only removes light dust. Extremely slow.
CO²/Dry Ice (on-line): Ice melts!
Flame ball (on-line): Can damage refractory, only effective where the sonic blast reaches.
Hydrant hose wash (off-line): Only used where access doors allow. Only removes the lightest dust. Water damage to refractory.
Sand/Grit blasting (off-line): Erodes tubes/fins. Lots of dust. Need to collect blast media. Grit sticks between tubes. Creates ‘key’ thus increasing future fouling rates. Cannot access between finned tubes.
Soot blowers (on-line): Only effectively cleans within specific vicinity of soot blower nozzle radius. Does not remove hard scale. Does not make 360 degree tube/fin surface contact as soot blowers are static.
Traditional Manual Water Jetting (off-line): Can only be used where access doors allow. Water damage to refractory. Cannot access between finned tubes.