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55 Gal SS Drum
- Thread starter Eldon B
- Start date
Wow ! Where would you find a 55 gallon SS drum. I actually looked at some large (big) SS stock pots, a while back, but found them to be pretty much cost prohibitive, especially for just a few jobs. There is a video, out there somewhere, where some guy set up an e-tank in a SS stock pot. It really made for a nice set-up. I finally opted on using a 12" x 20" sheet of SS, as my sacrificial, and after 6 (more than 24 hr) cycles, I have no visible deterioration. I took it out, washed it off with a water hose and a brush, and it still looks great. I would imagine though, as Doug mentioned, that eventually there will be some sort of break down, whether SS drum, stock pot, or flat sheet stock. But, so far so good ! :razz:
Let us see you set-up, if you proceed.....
Hi Nick,
It's on order and should be here some time next week, I'll keep you posted.
Cheers!!!...
Robert.Aarstad
Member
I thought I read somewhere that using stainless steel 10 or Chrome plated anodes would create some kind of toxic water. You might want to look into that more before using it.
If you don't want to ruin a perfectly good SS Drum I would suggest you don't do it.
I have an extensive career in electrical engineering and some technical experience in chlorination systems connected to swimming pools. When the pool industry came up with using electrolysis as a means to chlorinate pools they failed to do proper research and shortly after that system hit the consumer, home owners had pin hole leaks in their SS pool filters simply caused by the electrical device connected inline with the pool piping. When salt was added to the pool for making chlorine the electro-natter chose to eat away at the metals when energized. Pin holes appeared by the hundreds all over the filters and to resolve the problem a fiberglass filter had to be installed.
If your looking for depth/volume by using a 55 Gallon drum, you may just use a regular metal drum and line it with a thick mill plastic (as an insulator) and insert removable re-bar/flat bar as your sacrificial anode and simply discard after several sessions.
That drum can't be cheap and to me it will be useless item when it starts to develop these leaks.
I have an extensive career in electrical engineering and some technical experience in chlorination systems connected to swimming pools. When the pool industry came up with using electrolysis as a means to chlorinate pools they failed to do proper research and shortly after that system hit the consumer, home owners had pin hole leaks in their SS pool filters simply caused by the electrical device connected inline with the pool piping. When salt was added to the pool for making chlorine the electro-natter chose to eat away at the metals when energized. Pin holes appeared by the hundreds all over the filters and to resolve the problem a fiberglass filter had to be installed.
If your looking for depth/volume by using a 55 Gallon drum, you may just use a regular metal drum and line it with a thick mill plastic (as an insulator) and insert removable re-bar/flat bar as your sacrificial anode and simply discard after several sessions.
That drum can't be cheap and to me it will be useless item when it starts to develop these leaks.
That sounds like a lot of trouble and kind of backwards. You would be better off just using a plastic 55 gal. barrel. If you don't want to replace anodes then line it with a sheet of stainless steel. With this setup your good for several years.
Yep, that's similar to what I did. I'm currently set up in a 32 gallon (Rubbermaid) plastic trash barrel (with wheels), but I'm only about half filled, with electrolyte solution. I've currently got a 12"x 20" stainless steel plate on one side of the tank, with plans to add another, on the opposite side. I could easily put in four, connected plates, of similar size, which would give me 360* coverage, and may consider that option, if my e-tank needs should increase.
A 55 gallon poly drum would be better. Look in your local yellow pages for drum suppliers (they might sell you a new one) or for some type of manufacturer, who uses chemicals in either their production or in their water treatment. You might found one who uses sodium hydroxide and you can buy one of their empty caustic drums.
What is an "electro-natter," MDF, and how does it eat away at the metal/SS? I, too, have extensive experience with the effects of chlorine/chloride on SS. Chlorine/chloride is devastating to SS. I guess my question is was it the "electro-natter" causing the problems or simply the contact of the SS and the chlorine produced with it?
I've seen pictures of several e-tanks that use scrapped SS drums, sinks, soup pots, chem feed tanks, etc. as the anode. I say go for it, Eldon. I don't believe you'll be disappointed.
Sorry about the spelling of my intended product. It is "Lectranator". I personally could care less what Eldon uses as I have no interest either way. Electrolysis was the culprit and not the chlorine. I was only trying to state that a plastic tank would most likely have bulging sides and may give way if topped full of water. As we try to clean bigger pieces it may sometimes require larger containers. I did a Griswold 203 (three burner hot plate (30" in length) in a plastic container that was just 6" deep but was 36" long. Sometimes horizontal works when vertical won't.
Spurgeon probably has the best idea since some of those poly containers are meant to have volume and will not collapse when filled. Our CIC directions are useful and when applied properly will do the job safely.
I've seen so many misuse of cleaning CI in the 2 + years here on CIC and just shake my head sometimes when those type post are listed. Our resource pages are there for a reason and hopefully everyone can benefit from them safely. Thank you.
Hi There,
I went for it! I just set up my 55 gallon stainless steel e-tank. The first experiment is with my 10 gallon gate marked kettle; it has been percolating for a little over an hour in the e-tank and it is working great.
I realize some where down the line it will develop pin holes and when that happens I will cut it up and use it as an anode in a 55 gallon plastic drum, so all is not wasted. I have several large pieces of cast iron that would not fit in my smaller e-tank so I wanted to experiment with a stainless steel large drum, so far I am very pleased with how it is working.
I went for it! I just set up my 55 gallon stainless steel e-tank. The first experiment is with my 10 gallon gate marked kettle; it has been percolating for a little over an hour in the e-tank and it is working great.
I realize some where down the line it will develop pin holes and when that happens I will cut it up and use it as an anode in a 55 gallon plastic drum, so all is not wasted. I have several large pieces of cast iron that would not fit in my smaller e-tank so I wanted to experiment with a stainless steel large drum, so far I am very pleased with how it is working.
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DavidBradfield
New member
Luckily down here in South Carolina 55 gallon Poly drums go for $15.00!
$20-25 on Craigslist around here. Where I used to work we would accumulate them and then end up cutting them up with a sawzall and throw in dumpster just to get rid of them.
If you want to set up an extra large tank you could cut the top out of one of these. Already has hanging bars attached.
https://peoria.craigslist.org/grd/6073041441.html
$20-25 on Craigslist around here. Where I used to work we would accumulate them and then end up cutting them up with a sawzall and throw in dumpster just to get rid of them.
If you want to set up an extra large tank you could cut the top out of one of these. Already has hanging bars attached.
https://peoria.craigslist.org/grd/6073041441.html
This link wouldn't open for me.
---------- Post added at 04:17 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:14 PM ----------
Sounds like its ok to use stainless as an anode for the ci then?
I was thinking they had to also be ci.
Or maybe rebar. I have a lot of rebar.