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ROCHEM Fyrewash Ltd
5-6 Sun Valley Business Park
Winnall Close, Winchester
Hampshire
SO23 0LB
ROCHEM Fyrewash Inc
23707 West Hardy Road
Spring
Texas
77373
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02 Sept 2026
One reason gas turbine operators clean their compressors is to regain lost performance. However, their equipment sometimes recovers less than they’d expected.
Today we’re looking at why gas turbine compressors may not return to full performance after washing, helping you understand and address this potential issue at your site.
Foulants accumulate within the gas turbine compressor during normal use, adhering to blade surfaces, reducing compressor volume, impeding optimal airflow, and damaging delicate components through erosion and corrosion.
By washing these foulants away, it’s logical to assume you'll regain lost performance, and this is often the case.
However, there are numerous reasons that not all performance loss can be recovered through washing. We will look at each in turn and discuss how to address them.
Performance loss caused by fouling is generally recoverable through washing (although stubborn deposits may require more attention). The foulants can be removed, and performance should be regained.
However, performance loss caused by erosion, blade damage, increased clearances, or mechanical wear is not recoverable through washing. This physical damage cannot be repaired by washing, so if this is your issue and you’re suffering significant losses, you could consider replacing parts.
Research suggests that different cleaning methods achieve different levels of performance recovery:
A combination of wash types will:
a) keep fouling to a minimum and
b) remove tough deposits in good time. The idea behind cleaning is to prevent foulants from excessively affecting compressor volume/airflow and removing them before they have a chance to erode/corrode surfaces. An effective cleaning schedule should manage this.
Cleaning solution can only clean the places it contacts. If your spray distribution is limited/uneven, you have no chance of conducting a thorough clean.
When addressing spray distribution, you should consider:
Research suggests that cleaning effectiveness depends on more than simply increasing wash pressure. Droplet size, momentum, and penetration all influence how effectively deposits are removed from compressor blades.
Optimize your wash nozzles to deliver droplets engineered for the best wetting, coverage, and cleaning possible.
The main (sometimes only) component of wash solution is water. Water purity is critical to cleaning, as you want to avoid introducing avoidable foulants and/or leaving residue after washing and rinsing.
Different operating environments create different contaminant types which generally enter the system via the air inlet (even once filtered).
Depending on your site, your compressor may suffer from foulants including
Ensure your chosen cleaning chemicals target the relevant foulants.
If you carry out regular washes and are happy with your spray pattern, droplet size, water quality, and everything else mentioned above, another cause of performance loss may be at your gas turbine site.
Consider the following as you seek to regain lost power:
If you’re struggling to regain lost power through cleaning, use this summary table to help:
Sometimes gas turbine site operators hope a single wash will regain all lost power in one go, despite years of neglect. Sometimes they are already conducting regular washes and can’t figure out why they’re not getting better results.
The reason(s) washes don't restore full performance may not always be clear, but we hope this article gives you some suggestions to consider.
Whether you know exactly what you want to address or not, we’re here to support you.
At Rochem, we’ve specialized in gas turbine compressor cleaning for decades. Our cleaning chemicals and equipment are used at thousands of sites worldwide, and customers trust us for world-class products and support.
If you’d like to regain lost power at your gas turbine site and are struggling, we’ll be happy to help. Please get in touch to discuss your requirements.
Post written by Martin Howarth
An extensive knowledge of mechanical and electrical engineering together with hands on experience with gas turbines provides a bedrock for his work at Rochem.
