I just pulled the heat exchanger and sent it for cleaning and the anode was history, totally gone. Don't think this H.E. has ever been off by the look of it. Also one of the brackets that holds it to the engine had broken away from the body of the H.E., good thing I took it off.
How long can I expect the H.E. anode to last in salt water? So I can order enough spares for a year long trip.
I check my heat exchanger zincs every year and they have done fine. Though my guess is this will vary greatly depending on your location and the condition of your other zincs as the ocean will look at your boat as one electrolic source if everything is bonded normally.
In the last marina I was in I was in a hot spot some electrical leakage around my boat and it went through zinc quickly, I am a quarter mile away at a different marina and my zincs last well over a year.
That reminds me I am over due, time to call the diver and have him check my shaft zincs.
Cepheus dream
C36 MK I # 825
MK I Tech Editor No Mas
I change my HE pencil zinc every three months.
John Meyer
John Meyer
Hilbre
C36 MKll, Hull 2135
Cabrillo Marina, San Pedro, CA
I check every three months, like John. Mostly replace, sometimes they go to six months, but rarely.
Just put it in your log book to check every three months and you can't go wrong.
Stu Jackson, C34IA Secretary, C34 #224, 1986, SR/FK, M25 engine, Rocna 10 (22#)
Bud, was your boat previously used in salt water?
I ask because we're both in fresh water, and I'm curious to know if that anode died in fresh water use.
On my last boat I never saw any discernible deterioration on either the raw water or prop shaft anodes, and so concluded that this was mainly a salt water thing. I had that boat three years and used to check annually.
Cheers,
Graham Mackey
SV Nostromo
1989 C36 908
Tall Rig/Wing Keel
Toronto, Canada
Graham, this boat has always been in fresh water, first owners were down the St. Lawrence between Cornwall and Montreal someplace, then the boat went to Ohio/Lake Erie. Now back on Lake Ontario but heading south next year for a year if all goes according to plan.
It's hard to say for sure but this heat exchanger may never have been serviced before, I saw nothing to make me think it had ever been taken off before. If that's true the anode could have been 15 years old. It was totally gone. The prop shaft anode looks fine though I have no idea how long it's been on there either.
I am just acquiring spares and wondered how many anodes I should lay in. I think 4 or 5 sounds about right from what I'm hearing.
Thank you guys for brining this up! I checked mine this afternoon and sure enough it needed to be replaced!! I love this site.
Jack Bahen
Kinera - 1985 C36 Mk I Tall Rig
Hull # 422
Annapolis, MD
Just a note. Hilbre was on Lake Mead (freshwater) for almost four years and I replaced the Zinc only once. When I first checked the Zinc after I purchased the boat, the PO had used teflon tape. DO NOT USE TEFLON TAPE, it is important there is good bare metal electrical contact between the brass screw and the HE otherwise you defeat the purpose of the Zinc. Also, WM sells zincs that can be installed in the brass screw which is cheaper than buying the zinc with the brass screw. Just make sure you clean the brass screw before inserting a new zinc. And finally, it is good practise to open up the end cap on the HE every couple of years and flush out the zinc residue that can build up over time. Just make sure you have the correct 'O' rings for the end cap of the HE before you do this, they are not expensive.
John Meyer
John Meyer
Hilbre
C36 MKll, Hull 2135
Cabrillo Marina, San Pedro, CA