Tube tools are tools used to service any tubing (material) in industrial applications including, but not limited to: HVAC or industrial heating and air (hospitals and universities, for example), OEM's(Original equipment manufacturer), defense contractors, the automotive industry, process industries, aluminum smelting facilities, food and sugar production plants, oil refineries, and power plants. Application Tube Tools can be categorized into function by application: Tube Cleaners-tube cleaning demands vary widely by application Shell and tube heat exchangers, condensers and chillers: Deposits are typically sediment from impurities in the water circulating through the tubes. Manual scrubbing with a wire brush attached to a long rod is the traditional method of cleaning. Modern methods involve pneumatic or electric motors to pulsate the brush automatically with a medium pressure water jet to further clean out residual deposits. Tube Testers- Use air pressure or vacuum to test for leaks, cracks, and material failures in a tube. Both manual activated and air activated models are available. To test for leaks in tubes, two operators are required with an operator at each end of the vessel. Step 1 - Seal the tube at both ends. Step 2 - Build air pressure or vacuum in the tube. Step 3 - Observe gauge to see if air pressure is dropping or vacuum is not holding. Tube Plugs(Repair)- To regain efficiency of a heat exchanger or chiller, tube plugs are installed to take leaky tubes out of service. The rule of thumb is that a vessel will need to be retubed after approximately 10% of the tubes have been plugged. Tubes need to be plugged at both ends of the pressure vessel. It is a good practice to: Install a plug that is the same as or a compatible material to the tube and tube sheet. Puncture the leaky tube using a one revolution tube cutter to relieve back pressure. Some contractors weld the tube plugs to the tube sheet after they are installed to permanently secure the plugs in place. Tube Removers-One or a combination of the three below methods is used to remove a tube from a boiler or chiller vessel Tube Cutters- Tube Cutters are used to internally cut from the inside to the outside of the tube behind the tube sheet on one end. This lessens the force required to pull a tube. To eliminate tube cutting chips in the vessel, tubes should be scored and not