I'm surprised you dont trade them in when getting new ones. I don't care if there is a dollar value on them I just don't like tossing things out that still have a use. My boat is 5 years old and likely will need new on for the 2020 boating season. Shame to throw them out.
Old anodes seems like a non-issue. What about old outdated meteor flares and other alert and locate pyrotechnics?
Oh yes, the USCG and Aux won't take them, the water cops won't take them, the local yacht clubs won't take them, and Halloween and New Year's aren't good options?
Considering keeping spares and spares every 3 years, after 30 years they tend to accumulate...
if the annodes have at least 1/2 left,put them on a grinding wheel and make all fresh surfaces and use them anothe r season.I have done it for years.If you only have a few the savings are insignificant however I have 4 acorns,($20)4 collars $48),2 waffle drive ($38) , 2 trim tab disc ($45),2 skeg(which are always mostly gone.
if the annodes have at least 1/2 left,put them on a grinding wheel and make all fresh surfaces and use them anothe r season.I have done it for years.If you only have a few the savings are insignificant however I have 4 acorns,($20)4 collars $48),2 waffle drive ($38) , 2 trim tab disc ($45),2 skeg(which are always mostly gone.
I have more than half left. They just don't look new and felt I was being proactive. I tend to replace parts before they are done. I'm going to take your advice and just clean them up and reuse for another season.
One thing that occurred to me when this question was originally asked was that the metal of the anodes will be 'depleted' through the galvanic corrosion process. As such, I am wondering how 'good' the remaining metal would be for recycling :noidea:
Any metallurgists among us?
I know that the metal that remains of the anodes on my outdrives after a season is about 50% and of that it is quite porous.
tpenfield Yes that is exactly what I was thinking. The cost of replacing is not that much. I just don't like tossing things out than can be reused or re-purposed even if I give them away.
One thing that occurred to me when this question was originally asked was that the metal of the anodes will be 'depleted' through the galvanic corrosion process. As such, I am wondering how 'good' the remaining metal would be for recycling :noidea:
Any metallurgists among us?
I know that the metal that remains of the anodes on my outdrives after a season is about 50% and of that it is quite porous.
The porosity is zinc depletion from of the matrix. Re-smelting the material would float any impurities for removal. The bigger issue is dealing with environmental regulations.
"Zinc" anodes are a toxic mixture of aluminum, cadmium, iron, copper, lead and zinc.
Spent a couple of nights in the hospital from "zinc" poisoning back in the day. An outright ban of zinc anodes is currently under consideration in Maryland.
Compiling to EPA regulations for smelting zinc would be bad enough. Add in the cost of compliance for the recovery and disposal of the cadmium and lead components from the mixture and the cost goes thru the roof.
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