Petrochemical
Heat Exchanger Retubing & Bundle Replacement
When leaking tubes have been plugged to the point where a shell-and-tube exchanger, heater or evaporator can no longer do its job, we pull the old tubes, clean the tubesheet and fit new tubes or a new bundle.
Leaking tubes in shell-and-tube exchangers and evaporators are normally plugged. Once enough tubes have been plugged to hurt performance – or tubes have been damaged by a faulty expansion – the tubes or the complete bundle need replacing.
To replace a worn-out bundle, we remove any tube-end welds and cut the tubes inside the shell so the bundle comes apart in two halves. The tubes are then drawn out with our hydraulic quick-pull extractors or manual tools, the tubesheet and tube holes are cleaned, new tubes are installed and the joints are expanded again.
Exchanger retubing in our references includes emergency diesel generator heat exchangers at a nuclear plant, LP feedwater heaters, surface condensers and turbine condensers in petrochemical plants, and chiller condensers.
Equipment and tube materials
- Shell-and-tube heat exchangers and lube oil coolers
- LP feedwater heaters, moisture separator reheaters (MSRs) and other power plant auxiliaries
- Emergency diesel generator heat exchangers at nuclear plants
- Surface condensers and turbine condensers in petrochemical plants
- Chiller condensers and evaporators
- Tube materials: copper alloy, stainless steel, titanium
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Work sequence
- Site survey: tube size and count, tubesheet material, available downtime
- Remove any tube-end welds and cut the bundle
- Pull the old tubes with hydraulic or manual extractors
- Clean the tubesheet and tube holes
- Install the new tubes or bundle
- Expand the joints; seal-weld where required
- Leak and pressure testing
- Documentation handover
Schedule
Depends on how many exchangers there are and how large, the tube count, whether welding is needed and site conditions. We agree a schedule before mobilizing; the contract sets the final dates.
Quality control
- Tube holes cleaned and inspected before tubing
- Leak testing after expansion
- Pressure test
- Work records and documentation handed over
Photos
Related projects
| Industry | Project | Unit rating | Date | Tube material | Scope |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nuclear Power | MSR Painting and Pre-shipment Packing, A/B (Harbin Turbine) | 2 units | Dec 2025 | Packing | |
| Petrochemical | Retubing at Jinshan (Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical Co., Ltd.) | 1 unit | Dec 2025 | Copper alloy | Retubing |
| Petrochemical | Sinopec-SK (Wuhan) Petrochemical Project (Hangzhou Guoneng, WB2025-LB-06Q) | 1 unit | Dec 2025 | Stainless steel | Retubing |
| Nuclear Power | CGN Lufeng Units 1, 2, 3 & 4 (Harbin Turbine Co., Ltd.) | Oct 2025 | Titanium | Cleaning, tube installation, expanding & welding | |
| Nuclear Power | LP Feedwater Heater Tube Installation and Cleaning, Changjiang Unit 3 (Harbin Turbine Co., Ltd.) | 4 units | Sep 2025 | Titanium | Tube installation and cleaning |
| Nuclear Power | LP Feedwater Heater Retubing, Changjiang Unit 3 (Harbin Turbine Co., Ltd.) | 4 units | Jul 2025 | Titanium | Retubing |
| Nuclear Power | Unit 1 Condenser Shell Assembly, CGN Lufeng (Harbin Turbine Co., Ltd.) | 1,000 MW | Jul 2025 | Titanium | Assembly |
| HVAC | Tube-End Expansion of Heat Transfer Tubes (Tongfang Energy Saving Equipment Co., Ltd.) | 17 units | Jun 2025 | Copper alloy | Retubing |
| Petrochemical | Heat Exchanger Tube Supply and Retubing (Fujian Meide Petrochemical Co., Ltd.) | 1 unit | Apr 2025 | Copper alloy | Retubing |
| Nuclear Power | Tube Installation, Expanding & Welding, Changjiang Unit 4 (Harbin Turbine, Huludao) | 2 units | Mar 2025 | Titanium | Assembly |
FAQ
How many plugged tubes before an exchanger needs retubing?
There's no single threshold. It depends on whether the exchanger still meets its duty with those tubes plugged, and whether the leaks are still increasing.
We can test and assess first; the choice between plugging, partial retubing and a full retube then follows the manufacturer's recommendations and your operating data.
Troubleshooting guides
- Leaking Heat Exchanger Tubes: Plug or Retube?
- How to Remove Tubes from a Condenser or Heat Exchanger Faster
- Tube Broke Off in the Tubesheet During Pulling: How to Remove It
- Tube Rolling in Hazardous Areas: Choosing an Explosion-Proof Tube Roller
Guides on the Lanbo products website, with causes, step-by-step fixes and the tools for the job.
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