2 min read

Corrosion Is Nobody’s Friend 

While your buffer tank’s stainless steel and mild steel bodies are highly corrosion resistant, they are designed with a very mild corrosion allowance, as neither material is 100% corrosion-proof. 

If your tank becomes corroded, it will harm the rest of your system as costly failures, inefficiencies and downtime occur. In minimising the corrosive potential of your tanks and extending their product lifecycle, sacrificial cathodes can be extremely effective if used correctly. 

An Insurance Policy 

Magnesium Anodes attract the metallic molecules that cause rust, absorbing and being eaten away by them, rather than allowing these metallic ions to attach themselves to the steel tank. This chemical reaction occurs constantly, with the magnesium rods designed to become worn out over time, hence their sacrificial moniker. 

Our cathodic protection is available in 7 sizes to suit buffer tanks ranging from 500L – 10,000L in capacity. If you need protection for tanks outside of this range, custom-made anodes are available on request. 

Made of designated M2 high potential extruded magnesium rod to AS 2239-2003 standard, the chemical performance of our anodes is guaranteed, safeguarding your tank’s steel structure from harmful chemicals. 

Low Maintenance 

These anodes are non-electrical, meaning there is no need to connect to any electrical equipment or power. As a contractor, you only need to bear two things in mind when taking advantage of sacrificial anodes; 

Firstly, it is recommended for anodes to be checked biannually. Depending on how good the quality of the water is, they might only have to be replaced once every 2 yrs or so. 

Secondly, you will know that an anode needs to be replaced when more than 1/3 of its central wire core is exposed through corrosion. The picture below shows a new anode, contrasted with a sacrificed anode that needs to be replaced.

Magnesium anodes are made with male threading for easy installation. Your tanks will have a female threading designed for this protection, meaning that hiring a specialist is not necessary for the maintenance process. 

Do it Right 

When your plantroom space allows for it, we recommend installing the anodes in the top of the tank. This is because if it is side-mounted, water will spurt out and need topping up in the maintenance process as the anodes are removed and replaced. This issue is eliminated with top-mounting, with no water loss or hassle occuring during replacement. 

Ready to Resist Corrosion? 

Sometimes, simple and inexpensive solutions are still extremely powerful. 

Corrosion occurs through a flow of electric current. By placing an anode into the tank, the current from the anode will make the surface of the tank cathodic and prevent metallic ions from attaching to the tank. 

If you’d like the security and peace of mind in knowing that your buffer tanks are bulletproof, ask us about which sacrificial anode size is right for your tanks, and our engineers will provide you with an expert recommendation.