To ensure you get the most out of your heat transfer fluids throughout their lifetime, it is recommended to sample, test and analyze your fluids once a year. Be sure to look for a heat transfer fluid supplier that provides these testing and analysis services.
The benefits of regularly sampling are extensive. Monitoring fluids allows you to catch issues early, which can extend fluid and equipment performance life, protect the equipment and help avoid unplanned downtime. Sampling fluids also promotes safety and fire prevention and conforms to insurance and code recommendations.
The six basic steps you need to know to safely sample fluids from your heat transfer system follow. Make sure you have a heat transfer fluid sampling kit ready before you begin.
- Before collecting your sample, be sure to follow safety protocols. Handling potentially hot samples requires you to wear personal protective equipment, which can include a protective jacket, face shield, goggles and gloves.
- Look over the sample port to make sure it’s properly insulated with no leaks and is in good operating order. Prepare the port by starting a cooling water flow through the cooling coils.
- Open the valve to start the hot fluid flow through the sample cooler. Draw enough fluid into a dry pail to thoroughly clear out the sample line and to verify the fluid is being properly cooled.
- Draw about 0.5 liter (1 pint) into the sample bottle. Be sure you have a clean container to minimize contamination and increase safety. Secure the sample port valve.
- Plug and cap the sample bottle promptly and securely. Place a lid over the flush pail and secure the area.
- Complete the paperwork and packaging to ship your sample to the fluid supplier where they will analyze the sample in their labs.
Fluid sampling tests from any supplier should detect fluid contamination, check moisture levels and evaluate thermal degradation while also looking for other problems that can affect system performance. The detailed report you receive should also include suggestions for corrective action, if necessary.
At Eastman, we provide the TLC Total Lifecycle Care® program to all of our customers using Eastman Therminol® heat transfer fluids, including a complimentary sample testing and analysis of in-service heat transfer fluids, allowing you to proactively monitor your system and plan ahead for fluid replacement before you ever experience a loss in system performance.
For more information on safely sampling heat transfer fluids, visit Therminol.com for a short instructional video. We outline the benefits of regular fluid analysis and show how performing specific analyses can save time and money and improve production throughput by reducing down time.
To request a complimentary sample collection and analysis kit, contact a Therminol fluid specialist,or fill out the request form at Therminol.com.