Varnish can be formed by many different events, from gaseous product ingression in compressors, stress of the oil due to high temperatures (hot spots), incorrect selection of lubricant, and more. Varnish is formed as the additive pack is used up doing its job and waste is formed from the depleted antioxidant package.
Removing the varnish in bulk can be achieved at the time of an engine pack change or during an outage.
This is best tackled using a specialised chemical system cleaner.
There are a number of proprietary products on the market, that work in similar ways by solubilizing the varnish deposits within the system.
There is a routine to follow for effective treatment with the best way to remove the bulk of the solubilised varnish being to dump the existing oil charge to waste.
Even once that’s conducted, a detailed confined space clean will also be required and high velocity flushing essential to remove any legacy contaminants from the system before recommencing operations.
If you require assistance with treating a heavily varnished system for an upcoming outage or maintenance, give us a call first and we can guide you through the process and provide products and services as needed.