Three Ways Magnesium Anodes are Used on Small Farms

If you are considering the purchase of a small farm or homestead, then you likely will find several steel structures on your property. These could be silos, barns, storage areas, and even propane tanks. If any of these items is on your property, then corrosion may be an issue for you. Before you frantically begin to search the web for answers to your corrosion issues, consider magnesium anodes and how they are used on small farms to help reduce corrosion issues.

Propane Tanks

One of the most common ways you will see magnesium anode used on small farms is with propane tanks. The anodes are used in one of two ways and are generally used with tanks that are placed in ground. When the tank is placed in ground, a magnesium anode is attached to the outside of the tank. If a anode is not attached to the tank, you can look for an anode bag as well. This will also be attached to the outside of the tank to help prevent corrosion and breakdown of the tank itself.

Steel Sheds

Steel sheds are common on some farms for either storing outdoor tools or for storing grains and other items. Though some of these sheds may be climate controlled in someway, by a window air conditioner for example, most are not. This means that corrosion during certain times of the year may be an issue. With that in mind, you may notice magnesium anodes used throughout the structure, attached to the walls and beams.

Water Based Structures

There are some farms that may have water based structures, such as partially submerged feeding areas for fish farming. In these cases, if steel is used as part of the structure, you may find the need for some form of magnesium anode to help reduce corrosion. This is also true of farms that use aquaponics as a way to grow not only plant based foods and crops but also farm fish at the same time. With hydro and aquaponic farms, you may need to have a specialist visit the set-up to ensure you have the right anodes in place and to give you an estimate for other options that may work better for your particular set-up.

Keep in mind, magnesium anodes do come in different styles and sizes, so if you don't see them right away, you may want to contact a contractor to come out and ensure they are there and see if they may need replacing.

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