AM Mondays: Is Your RTO Ceramic Media Costing You More Than It Should?

AM Mondays: Is Your RTO Ceramic Media Costing You More Than It Should?

October 12th, 2026

Ceramic heat exchange media plays a critical role in a Regenerative Thermal Oxidizer (RTO). It captures heat from treated exhaust and transfers that energy to incoming process air, helping reduce supplemental fuel demand.

But over time, buildup, damaged media, or uneven airflow can quietly affect system performance and increase operating costs.

WHAT SHOULD YOU WATCH FOR?

• High Pressure Drop: Dust, process fines, or other deposits can restrict airflow, increasing fan energy demand and potentially limiting system capacity.
• Reduced Heat Recovery: Fouling, channeling, or deteriorating media can reduce thermal performance, forcing the burner to use more fuel to maintain operating temperature.
• Media Damage: Cracking, crushing, chemical degradation, or shifting can compromise airflow distribution and heat-transfer performance.
• Changing Operating Conditions: Rising fuel consumption, increasing fan load, abnormal temperature profiles, or declining process airflow may signal a problem that deserves investigation.

HOW CAN PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE HELP?

• Trend pressure drop, airflow, temperature profiles, and fuel consumption against established operating baselines.
• Inspect media beds and support structures for deposits, damage, or uneven settling.
• Identify the cause of buildup before selecting a cleaning method. Depending on the residue and system design, appropriate options may include dry-ice cleaning, washout, or a controlled bake-out.
• Evaluate whether cleaning, partial replacement, or a media upgrade offers the best long-term solution.

The goal isn’t simply to clean or replace ceramic media. It’s to restore performance, control operating costs, and help protect production uptime.

At Ship & Shore Environmental (S&SE), our aftermarket team provides preventive maintenance, troubleshooting, equipment upgrades, and service support to help industrial facilities get more from their air pollution control systems.

Don’t wait for rising operating costs or unexpected downtime to expose a problem.

Service: +1 (562) 997-0233
Email: service@shipandshore.com

For urgent oxidizer emergencies, call or text:
+1 (562) 477-7557 | +1 (562) 400-4439

When was your RTO ceramic media last inspected? Contact our service team to discuss your system’s performance and maintenance needs.

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