Anode? Do I need one?

[dkhntr]

I have a 16ft '75 silverline openbow with an 85hp outboard. The hull is fiberglass. I am in the process of wiring up a stereo, fish finder and bilge pump. All three will be run off the same battery stowed in the cubby under the steering consul.<br /><br />My question is. Do I need an anode? Or just wire it to the - and +'s on the battery.<br /><br />Thanks in advance,<br /><br />Chris

 

[12Footer]

Re: Anode? Do I need one?

All outboards allready have a zinc or anode on them, in the form of a trim tab, exaust port, or other part. It is good for most potentials on a boat it is capable of powering efficiantly. If you were to leave your boat in the water, you would want to have a marine electronics tech,or electrician check the potentials.<br />Basicly, (and I don't pretend to know all the divisions of the subject), but the causes and effects would be seen in corroded metal,like bow light housings, railings, and thru-hull fittings.<br />Bottom line, if you see any pitting begining,you might want to tack on an additional zinc in saltwater, nickle in fresh, on the negative buss of the boat's electrical. What you are doing in essence,is giving it something to eat,while trying not to let it starve. In water, your boat becomes a battery in itself. Just as car batteries and such have plates of dissimular metals,seperated with alkyline or acid liquid, your boat becomes a battery, using the water as it's "alkyline" or "acid"...The metal,whether placed on the hull to be eaten or not, becomes the "plates".

 

[Franki]

Re: Anode? Do I need one?

In its most basic form, an anode is just a piece of metal that is designed to be eaten away instead of your motor or other "soft" metal on your boat.. the material of the anode must be lower on the tables then anything else on your boat to work,, there are only two of them.. Zinc is one, but I can't remember the other..<br /><br />basically when you have two differing metals that have different corrosion properties and those metals are joined by a conducting solution, (seawater makes an excellent one), the stronger metal will more or less bleed particles or electrons off the weaker one.. resulting in pitting etc...<br /><br />Anodes are pretty cheap,, about 10US when I bought one to weeks ago.. <br /><br />I didn't think old pre 80's motors had anodes, so I put one on mine and will replace it whenever it wears down. (on my motor, the leg showed signs of pitting, so I figured it was a good idea to nip it in the bud before it got serious.)<br /><br />I think I screwed up my terminology in this explanation, but the basics are all there.<br /><br />In short, you lose nothing by adding one, so do it..<br /><br />rgds<br /><br />Frank