Choose the Right Marine Anode for Your Boat
When it comes to providing protection to your aquatic vessels and boats from the clasp of corrosion that leads to gradual deterioration, nothing serves better than attaching anodes to your boats. Anodes or sacrificial anodes, as the name suggests, protect the stern-drive, propeller shaft and hull of your aquatic vessel by sacrificing themselves to the process of corrosion. These anodes when come in contact with water, release electrons. These are deposited on the surface of the more useful metal and form a protective layer over them providing them cathodic protection against corrosion. However, the most important part is choosing the right kind of anode for your aquatic vessel. The following steps can be of good use:
Steps
- Know the type of aquatic vessel you own. The first thing to know is the kind of aquatic vessel you are dealing with. Kinds of anode to be used depend upon the kind, size, volume, and built of the aquatic vessel. The type or size of anode to be used in boats will vary from the one to be used in ships and other water vehicles. The velocity, volume and weight of the aquatic vessel should also be taken into consideration.
- Know about the metals anodes are made from. Before selecting the most apt anode for your boat, it is important to know about the varied metals that anodes are made from. Generally, three most active metals are used to construct anodes and they are zinc, aluminum and magnesium. It is also necessary to know about their voltage, electrical potential and reaction with the process of electrolysis.
- Know about the factors that affects the rate of corrosion. It is important to know about the factors that increase or influence the rate or speed of corrosion. For instance, the voltage difference between the two metals (sacrificial anodes and the main metal) influences the rate of corrosion. In addition, higher content of slat increases corrosion, and apart from that, increasing temperature and pollutants increases the corrosiveness of the water. Keeping these factors also help in selecting the right anode for your boat.
- Know the water quality wherein your boat will be used. It is important to keep in mind that three different anode metals react differently in fresh water, slightly polluted water, brackish water and salty water. For instance, magnesium anodes work only in fresh water, where zinc is apt just for salty water and aluminum anodes are suitable for salty and fresh water.
Tips
- It is always advisable to do a quick yet through research about the manufacturer and distributor of particular sacrificial anodes as buying them from reputed producers makes a lot of difference.
- Make sure to keep a watch on the anodes and it is wise to replace them at a regular interval (once/twice in a year) depending upon their usage and rate of depreciation.
- Anodes should make good electrical contact with the metal it is protecting. Make sure to remove any sort of paint or dirt from the anode as that hinders its efficiency.
- It is also suggested to keep your budget in mind while buying the anode parts apart from keeping the above mentioned aspects in mind.
