My bilge system failed due to a corroded in-line fuse holder…my bad, put on a plastic one, meaning to replace with a rubber sealed one and forgot. So; water got into the battery compartment, but the sealed batteries were safe. What did happen was a lot of electrolysis took place between the battery poles. I replaced the in-line fuse, clipped back the battery cables and crimped on new clamps (?)…(those flat metal things at the end of the cables.) Then I remembered to check the battery switch and OMG it was a mess, thick green putty of corrosion at the three connections. After cleaning all that off ,it dawned on me that the insides of the switch must have been just as bad, so I put on a new batery switch, too. Even the battery wing nuts were pitted. And now, I sit here and realize that I did not check the sacrificial anodes, I’ll check those tomorrow. Question; have I missed anything? What else could be messed up? All my wiring has heat sealed connectors with liquid tape on top of that, they seem OK. My boat was over 20 feet away from any other boat, so I did not erode anything on another boat. Motor starts and runs OK.
Moral? Check those in-line fuses to your bilge pumps and use those yellow rubber fuse holders. Get the pre-wired ones; you’ll never get the ones you have to assemble to be waterproof. Learn from my mistakes. NaClH2O [boat is a Wahoo, so it did not sink]
One of the greatest fears on a submarine was sea water getting into the battery compartments. When sea water mixes with sulfuric acid it combines to give off chlorine gas, nasty stuff!
Long Enuff
I slather dielectric grease on panel connections every so often. taking flashlights/q beams apart and coating the electric guts with it adds alot of life as well.