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Electrolysis


TomBettle
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All fittings are of the same material, I am tempted to find a small anode to attach between the fuel tank & the battery earth cable just to see if any erosion is taking place. Is this a good idea?

No not at all. The anode MUST be underwater to work as it is the salts in the sea water that are the electrolyte.

 

Simply put.......... Any metal object that needs earth and/or electrolysis protection must be linked together via continuous lead INSIDE the boat. The lead is taken to the inner mounting nuts of the externaly and undrewater mounted anode.

 

If deck fittings are of similar metal ie Stainless Steel there is NO NEED to link them into the circuit. But for the sake of argument one has a bronze deck filler that feeds a mild steel painted fuel tank the galvanic protection is a must.

 

Mad Mike

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also, skin fittings insulated from everything ie. in a GRP hull and connected to plastic pipe do not strictly need any galvanic protection (the techy name for anodes!)

Also, boats in freshwater need magnesium anodes as zinc ones don't work well enough.

 

As your anodes are eaten away the metal removed becomes a plating on whatever it was attracted to.

 

Finally, if you use a stainless washing machine drum hung over the pontoon as a livebait container they need the big alloy spindle left on the back or they rot really quickly. - This seems to contradict what I have said above about not having to protect skin fittings, yet my bronze water inlet for my bait tank is fine, no de-zincification at all.

 

De-zincification - poor quality bronze/brass (can't remember which) will have it's zinc atoms corroded out of it and become weak. Random Harvest nearly sunk because of this a while back, one of it's skin fittings disintegrated.

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Quote......... De-zincification - poor quality bronze/brass (can't remember which) will have it's zinc atoms corroded out of it and become weak.

 

Lots of misconseptions about brass/bronze and it could be summed up by mis quoting a saying and changing it to "All that glitters is not bronze"

 

Brass...... Copper and zinc ......... Never ever to be used on sea going boats

 

Bronze ....Arsenous Copper, lead, and zinc ...... Pre S/S screws and cheap fittings.

 

Naval Bronze.... The pukka stuff! Arsenous Copper, tin, Zinc, Antimony and other addatives depending on area of use.

 

All of these are frequently called brass

 

Mad Mike

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Oh B@gger!

 

So me pleading to his better nature and bowing down to his infinite wisdom isn't going to cut it?

 

ph34r.gifph34r.gifph34r.gif

 

...So lads. Quest II has opted for a trip to errrrr West Bay in May

 

... Actually I think I may have to relinquish my membership and neve return to the forum for fear of the ridicule that is soon to take place.

 

weep.gif

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