Does My Tank Have Anodes?
Because cathodic surfaces cannot rust, thus the steel surface is protected while the anode fades away. Many tank manufacturers initially supply anode protection provided by the insertion of specialty anodes designed for tanks c/w threaded end caps or tabs for welding directly to the inside walls of the tank. Although the majority of storage tanks today require anodes, there are a handful of tank manufacturers that have tank designs utilizing stainless steel fittings that do not corrode thus eliminating the need for the installation of anodes in these specific tanks. Your HydraStone technician will be able identify if anodes are required for your tank during your initial tank inspection. Anodes should be replaced on regular, 2-5 year schedule as directed by your HydraStone representative.
Manufacturers of tanks we service that may require magnesium anodes: Clemmer Steel Craft, O’Connor Tanks Ltd., Gil-Fab, Wheeler Tank, Reco USA, Highland Tank, Chemfab, Ajax Boiler Inc., Ferro Metals, CemLine, Paterson Kelly, I.E. Matheson, FM Welding, Enermax, Drummond Welding, RoSteel, Aqua Pro Fab, Westeel, Superior Boiler Works, J & D Boiler, and AO Smith to name a few. If your tank has steel fittings it will require anodes to extend the life of the vessel.
Field inspections of lines that have been in service for many years have verified the laboratory results; cement linings do tighten and heal in service and provide the corrosion protection to the pipe and the high flow coefficients for which they were designed.