Q.
 What is the correct shipping address to send my corrosion product to for service?
A.

You can send your product with the PROMARINER RETURN FORM to:

PROFESSIONAL MARINER, LLC
200 INTERNATIONAL DRIVE, SUITE 195
PORTSMOUTH, NH 03801
ATTN: SERVICE DEPARTMENT
Q.
 Do I need a Return Goods Authorization number (RGA #) to return my product?
A.
 Only if you are sending in a product for a dealer, distributor or marina that requires one. If you purchased one as an outright sale through one of the above, you don’t need one, but are asked to call before returning it to us to confirm that there is a problem with it and to get proper returning instructions.
Q. How do I test my Galvanic Isolator?
A. With a multi-meter in DIODE CHECK mode put the red lead on one of the terminals and the black lead on the other terminal. Record the reading. Reverse the red and black leads and record that reading. The two readings should be the same number (+/ – 10).
Q. What is the difference between the ProSafe Deluxe and the ProSafe 1 units?
A.
PROSAFE DELUXE
PROSAFE 1
Automatically tests every 6 hours. Automatically tests every 3 hours.
Performs a self-test of its own electronics.  
LEDs:
Ground Wire
(Normal & Fail)		 Reverse Polarity
(green and red)
Galvanic Isolator
(Normal & Fail)		 Ground Wire
(green and red)
Bonding System Protection
(Normal & Fail)
Galvanic Isolator
(green and red)
General:
During automatic tests of the system the audible alarm is disabled so as not to be an inconvenience during sleeping hours.

 Less Expensive than ProSafe Deluxe
Smaller than ProSafe Deluxe
Easier to install than ProSafe Deluxe
Q. Why is the Ground Wire red light is on?
A. The Ground Wire (green wire) is not connected to the shore properly. The fault can be caused by the green wire being open or disconnected, by a bad connection at the Galvanic Isolator, shore cord plug, dock plug, or even the metal tip of the plug itself not making good contact. It can also be caused by the ground wire not being connected to the neutral back on the dock (a requirement under the National Electrical Code).
Q. What is the difference between an Analog Portable Corrosion Test Meter and a good multi-meter for corrosion readings?
A. A digital meter will have a more accurate reading. Also, if you are checking corrosion voltage levels in fresh water you will need to use a digital meter. An analog meter will give you a very low reading (if any at all) in fresh water.
Q. Where can I mount my Thru Hull Cell in the boat and how do I maintain it?
A. The Thru Hull Cell can be mounted anywhere below water level. You should never paint a Thru Hull Cell. You can keep it clean from growth using a soft brush.
Q. What type of voltage does the Corrosion Test Meters read?
A. The Corrosion Test Meters read DC millivolts.
Q. What is the correct wire size to use in a bonding system?
A. The recommended wire size to use in a bonding system is # 6 gauge GREEN wire.
Q. What is a bonded system?
A.

A bonded system is when you connect all your metals in the boat (that are exposed to water) to each other and then to a sacrificial anode (like a piece of zinc). The sacrificial metal will erode protecting the boat metal that is bonded to it.

If a boat is not bonded and you took readings on all the underwater metals with a “Corrosion Test Meter” the readings will be slightly different from each other. If a boat is bonded then the readings should be exactly the same.
Q. What are the definitions to some of the most commonly used terms for corrosion control?
A. Here is a list of the most commonly used corrosion terms:
Anode
 The more active (less Noble – higher in voltage) metal or area of metal in an electrolyte that protects the cathodic (less active -- more Noble) metal or area by sacrificing itself.
Cathode
 The more Noble, less active area or metal in an electrolyte that is protected as the anode gives off current.
Electrolysis
 Chemical and/or electromechanical changes in a solution due to the passage of an electrical current. Some boaters use this term incorrectly to mean galvanic corrosion or stray current corrosion.
Galvanic Corrosion
 Corrosion resulting from electric current flow between dissimilar metals or dissimilar surfaces on one metal in contact with the same electrolyte. This same natural phenomenon we see every day in flashlight batteries, automotive batteries, electroplating etc.
Pitting
 Tiny areas where the protective film has broken allowing corrosion to take place. Stainless steel is very susceptible to pitting.
Sacrificial Anode
 The metal attached to a bonding system that is intentionally a higher voltage than the rest of the metal in the system so that this metal is sacrificial rather than the highest voltage boat metals.
Shaft Brush
 A device to connect the revolving shaft electrically to the bonding system.
Stray Current Corrosion
 Similar to galvanic corrosion in that the more active areas lose material to the less active areas of metals in an electrolyte but caused by an outside source rather than spontaneously. The boat’s DC system or AC system, the dock’s AC system, or other boats on the dock could be the source of stray current.
Zinc Pad A mounting device to make zinc replacement easier and to insulate the zinc and current flow from the wooden or painted hull.
A mounting can be made by insulating threaded rods with heatshrink to the thickness of the hull and separating the nuts from the hull with non-current carrying washers (plastic, phenolic, etc.) needed on wood hulls and metal hulls that need separate systems.
Q. What is bonding and why is it necessary?
A.

Bonding, in effect, makes all the immersed metals into one piece of metal. The voltage throughout the bonding system will be the same and will average out depending on the size and voltage of each metal. One piece of zinc, of the appropriate size, attached to the bonding system as the sacrificial anode, will protect all the bonded metal as long as the zinc keeps the needle of the corrosion test meter in the green section.

Bonding provides a low-resistance electrical path between metals in contact with water. This path protects against self-generated galvanic corrosion, helpful against other types of corrosion, and also acts as a radio ground.

It is recommended that a #6 gauge wire with green insulation on it (to designate its purpose) be used for the bonding system.
Q. What are the different types of corrosion control systems that you can use on your boat?
A.
Advantages
Disadvantages
(A) BONDED SYSTEM WITH ZINC
Protects against Galvanic Corrosion.
Adds to lightning protection and radio ground.
 No control over zinc output.
Stray current corrosion can not be tested or observed.
Wide range of zinc voltages.
Decreased voltage when boat is moving.
Normal voltage can destroy wood hulls.
(B) BONDED SYSTEM WITH ZINC AND MANUAL ZINC CONTROLLER
Protects against Galvanic Corrosion and wood damage.
Adds to lightning protection and radio ground.
Zinc can be controlled (with aid of portable test meter).		 Daily zinc voltage or stray current corrosion can not be tested or observed.
Decreased voltage when boat is moving.
(C) BONDED SYSTEM WITH ZINC AND MANUAL CONTROLLER WITH BUILT-IN CORROSION TEST METER
Protects against Galvanic Corrosion.
Adds to lightning protection and radio ground.
Zinc output and voltage can be controlled.
Stray current corrosion can be tested and observed.		 None – The boat captain must monitor the system and a slight adjustment of the control knob on the meter once or twice a month will keep protection at exact levels.
(D) BONDED SYSTEM WITH ZINC AND AUTOMATIC ZINC CONTROLLER
Protects against Galvanic Corrosion.
Zinc output voltage automatically controlled.
Stray current corrosion can be tested and observed.
Increased current when boat is moving.		 Does not automatically protect against stray current corrosion – meter must be observed.
More complex.
More expensive.
Can cover up beginning of problems or small stray currents.
(E) IMPRESSED CURRENT SYSTEM
All of zinc system advantages plus exact output voltages and some stray current corrosion protection. Does not automatically protect against all stray current corrosion (meter must be observed).
High initial equipment and installation cost and more complicated to repair.
Bonded fittings must be very well done and checked often.
System failure could destroy metal.
The recommended system would be (C). The Corrosion Controller test meter should be viewed each time one goes on board. A simple adjustment of the corrosion control knob will adjust protection up or down and should not vary substantially over several weeks. Voltage and current can change slightly with the salinity, temperature and flow of the electrolyte (seawater). Stray current corrosion can strike at any time through several sources including your DC system, your AC system, the dock’s AC system and other boats on your dock and a daily check is warranted.
Q. Should Zincs or Thru Hull Sensors be painted?
A. You should not paint Zincs or Thru Hull Sensors on your boat. It can affect the operation of the components from working properly.
Q. What prevents a particular metal on a boat from eroding faster than another metal?
A. A lower voltage metal will last forever if its normal freely eroding voltage is raised by 225 to 250 millivolts. If you have two metals connected together the one that is more active (less Noble) will deteriorate while protecting the metal that is least active (more Noble).
Q. Why do I need a Galvanic Isolator on my boat?
A.

When the dock shore cord green wire is attached to your bonding system and another boat in the area has an AC green wire to bonding connection, you have formed a battery. Your boat will lose zinc towards the dock and to all other lower bonding system voltage boats in the general area that have the AC green wire attached to their bonding systems.

A Galvanic Isolator (also known as a Zinc Saver) installed between the AC shore cord green wire and your DC bonding system stops zinc loss to other boats and to the dock while maintaining AC safety ground protection.