There’s nothing uglier in a water-based machine than an orange-tinged stain. Worse still, this particular device is an evaporative cooler, a piece of cutting-edge equipment that has earned the respects of the cooling community. Environmentally friendly, free of chemicals, the designers of this appliance type don’t want to see that reputation tarnished. And yet, that’s what happens when the metal parts lose out to the oxidizing effects of water.
Fight Back with a Rust Prevention Strategy
Designed to spend their entire existence drenched in this notoriously corrosive fluid medium, just what can we do to stop the metal from rusting? Well, always purchase a model that addresses this issue. Galvanized metals and stainless steel parts are all corrosion-resistant, so we see an immediate elimination of this orange/brown tinge. Hot-dipped alloys and graded steel metals are all designed with this corrosion defeating feature in mind. However, a corrosion resistance property isn’t really the same as a rustproof one, is it?
Install a Sacrificial Zinc Anode
Like the anodizing rod installed inside a home water heater, this stick of zinc gives up its material so that the cooler innards don’t deteriorate. Basically, this metallic element surrenders its electrons. This sacrificial feature saves the steel, aluminium, and galvanized parts. If the anode completes its self-destructive maneuver, replace it with a new zinc rod. Still, this solution isn’t exactly ideal, not when there’s still a galvanic circuit in place. What if the rod deteriorates faster than expected?
Introducing All-Polymer Constructs
This next defence works best when it’s used alongside a well-organized predictive maintenance program. In short, select a portable evaporative cooler that’s not burdened by corrosive metals. Remember, even a corrosion resistant alloy will rust if it’s attacked by a slightly corrosive fluid, perhaps one that’s carrying a scale-inducing metal oxide. Instead of the metal parts, use an appliance that’s packed with engineering plastics. Polyethylene and polyurethane, PTFE and UV-protected ABS, these durable polymers cannot corrode.
Of course, there are other approaches to this issue. Flush the water reservoir regularly. If the water pads are aging, there could be spores and oxidizing agents trapped in the water-saturating media. Change the pads, filters, and other direct-contact components often. The cooler pan is another contaminant hotbed, so clean that section of the evaporative cooler. In truth, clean every accessible component. Then, when it’s time to winterize the appliance, go the extra mile. Otherwise, any watery residue could and probably will work its way into any exposed metal surfaces, which means a rusty surprise awaits the device owner when it’s unpacked months later. Clean AND drain the water.