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Electrolytic reaction - aluminum with stainless and brass

April 28, 2010

I need to fit a plate and tap to several 400 gallon black plastic water tanks which are being used for rainwater harvesting.

Plate that covers exit is 3mm plain aluminium. 4 bolts hold it in place and according to reply on this site if I use 18/8 stainless bolts there will be no reaction with the aluminium.
I cannot get a stainless steel tap. Can anyone tell me whether a brass tap would be OK or would it be better to use a plastic connection through the aluminium plate and fix the tap to the plastic tubing. Worry is that plastic would go brittle after time.

Chris Dore
Engineer and environmental gardener - Southampton, United Kingdom

Hi, Chris. This seems to be for your own personal use, and I'd just put a lot of teflon tape on the brass tap and screw it on in :-)

If this is for a product line, though, I don't think plain uncoated aluminum plate is sufficiently corrosion resistant regardless of what the bolts and tap are made of.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
(Ted can offer longterm or instant help)
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
April 28, 2010

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