How long will plates last?

[Robahr24]

If your using 18guage 304 every day, about how long will they last. Is it so much better to go with 16 or even 14 guage?

[BigTruck]

It depends how hot and hard you run them. I guess we need to establish a standard measure of comparison. Either miles or hours of use.

I'm hoping to get about 10,000 miles out of mine, but they are thin like yours. I would think the lower gauge (thicker ones) would last longer. I would like to hear what the others have to say.

[Robahr24]

Hours of use and amp is probably your best bet. I'll be running somewhere around 18amps hopefully which isn't that much.

[Robahr24]

Do you think it matters what the finish on it is, like either a unpolished #2b finish(which is a little cheaper) or a #4 polish finish. I'm guessing no but just wanted some thoughts about it.

[HYDROTEKPRO]

If your using 18guage 304 every day, about how long will they last. Is it so much better to go with 16 or even 14 guage?

18 gauge is good gauge. Many people use 20 or 22, some even 24 guage.

We use nothing but 18 gauge 316L, just to make sure our customers really have an excellent unit!!:D

Lifespan depends on a few factors of course. % of KOH, NaOH or baking soda is a major factor, just like hours in use per day/week/month. Running temperature is also a factor, because these chemicals we use for electrolyte are more corrosive the hotter they get!:( So everybody benefits with an efficient unit (one that doesn't waste too much heat into the electrolyte from the electricity, but controls and uses the highest percentage of the electrical energy to pass DIRECTLY from plate to plate, or from wire to wire, through the electrolyte to make all those happy HHO bubbles!

Sorry, I didn't answer your question.:D

Since the corrosives we're using are still considered mild, shouldn't be a big deal.

But consider this. If you use a thicker plate that corrodes faster than a thinner plate of a higher grade stainless, which is better? The thinner plate because the exposed connections will fail later than with the lower grade material.

We felt this was plenty reason to only use 316L stainless.

How long will they last?? We're talking years; how many? Very few people know since this technology is soo new.

One person guessed that the 316L would last 4 to 6 years or perhaps even longer. But that was still just a guess.

Whaddaya do? Just build 'em as best you can, to last as long as possible! Then in probably 10 years, we all have a big reunion and compare notes!:D