Sacrifical Anode

[vetleap]

What's a good indicator that your sacrificial anode is need of replacement? I should take a pic but mine has some white specs lake spackles on it.

[Stratos219]

that is nothing to be concerned about. if your motor stays its whole life in fresh water, it should never need replacing

[Lake Wisconsin]

Originally Posted by Stratos219

that is nothing to be concerned about. if your motor stays its whole life in fresh water, it should never need replacing

x2. I was thinking the same thing as mine looked bad. Working with my local marine dealer, he said he never had to replace one as long as the boat did not go into salt water.

[pjshorthorn]

Agreed.

When fishing in saltwater consistently, one would need to keep an eye on the anodes. We always started to replace them when flakes could be picked off the anode(s) with a knife.

I've never worried about an anode on a freshwater boat unless it had been in brackish water on an occasional basis year on year.

PjShorthorn

[REW]

The anode needs to be replaced when it is no longer there.

i.e. by its definition, the anode corrodes in salt water - rather than have other parts of the motor corrode in salt water.

If the bulk of the anode is still on the motor, you are good to go. If 70-80% of the anode has corroded away, you should replace it.

Be safe

[vetleap]

Thanks for all the replies. Didn't know this was strictly a salt water thing.

[KPKyllo]

It's not strictly a salt water thing. There are circumstances where galvanic corrosion can occur in fresh water as well but if your sacrificial anode isn't eaten away by corrosion, you should have no worries.

[staylor]

Vetleap- I run a lot in the Niagara River and Erie Canal- where the water is not exactly clean or pure- and maybe not even water.... My anodes get the same white speckles you've noticed, and over time develop a few little pock marks where the zinc is eroded by the anode doing what it's supposed to do- sacrificing itself so everything else stays uncorroded. The white spots come off with a wire brush, but will come back again over the next few months of use. I've never had an anode that needed replacement in fresh water.
Doug

[jfaisten]

I've often wondered about this myself. Good information
thanks

[vetleap]

Originally Posted by staylor

Vetleap- I run a lot in the Niagara River and Erie Canal- where the water is not exactly clean or pure- and maybe not even water.... My anodes get the same white speckles you've noticed, and over time develop a few little pock marks where the zinc is eroded by the anode doing what it's supposed to do- sacrificing itself so everything else stays uncorroded. The white spots come off with a wire brush, but will come back again over the next few months of use. I've never had an anode that needed replacement in fresh water.
Doug

Thanks a lot for that info..