Bartell Corrosion Control System - Monitrol

[sbman]

My boat came with a Bartell Corrosion Control system with a hull potential monitor and the ability to provide impressed current to prevent corrosion.

Does anyone have documentation on this system? I am likely going to remove it, but it was active when I purchased the boat and I do like the Hull Potential monitor that it has, not so sure I want the active protection part of it though.

Here's a picture of the control panel

 

[O C Diver]

No knowledge of the system, but certainly a conversation piece. I would leave the display as a curiosity. Kind of like having one of the first rotary phones on an end table.

Ted

 

[Frankenstien]

sbman ... that panel looks pretty cool ... and high quality ... maybe if you eventually locate correct documentation, you could revive the system fully ... meanwhile, the hull potential meter works - right? Does that Bartell system rely on its' own power source (i.e. battery[ies])? Or is it wired in to the 12VDC system?
FFF

 

[sbman]

It's wired to the 12V system, without the documentation I don't know if it's possible to use just the hull potential monitor or not without the impressed current system. Somewhere there has to be a reference cell installed on the hull as well so I guess I'll have to do some wire tracing to find that.

 

[MurrayM]

The rust on the control panel has a touch of irony to it

 

[soin2la]

Well, I suppose if it was any good, the Bartell system would have continued after the owners’ death in 2004.

However, if you feel like doing a little legwork, contact Calibre Yacht Sales at their Victoria location. This boat has the Bartell system, maybe Calibre can put you in touch with the owner, or him in touch with you.
https://calibreyachts.com/brokered-...ious-long-range-ocean-crossing-trawler-yacht/

In the meantime, there are lots of relevant article on the net.

 

[rgano]

I had an Electro-Guard system on my wooden trawler, and I felt it was essential for that hull. There was not a reference cell but rather a reference zinc, which could probably be replaced with any properly sized zinc. I bought mine form Electro-Guard. The ref was on the port side a foot or two inboard of the chine and a foot or two forward of the transom. The sacrificial zinc was on the opposite side of the boat. There was no impressed current capability, but there was an ability to adjust the potential to achieve the proper voltage, and I doubt yours is an impressed current but rather just a current 'Monitor." Some study will tell you what the proper reading should be. Don't dump this system. USE it.

 

[Frankenstien]

sbman ... I found the file for you (based on soin2la's post info) ...

... it's a November 1979 Oregon State University paper on these systems (in general) and mentions Bartell on page 7 under 'Controlled voltage systems' ...

... apparently, yours may be a 'Controlled zinc system' ...

... as opposed to a second type of controlled voltage system commonly called an "impressed-current" device (more details follow in that paper).

FFF

 

[rgano]

I asked Electro-Guard if they had ever heard of them, Waiting....

 

[soin2la]

sbman ... I found the file for you (based on soin2la's post info) ...

Thanks Frank. I included a dud link so deleted it.

 

[Frankenstien]

Thanks Frank. I included a dud link so deleted it.

soin2la ... ya man ... FFF

 

[Chrisjs]

Looks like Bartell still exists in California. This my help.
Bartell Corrosion Control Systems

 

[soin2la]

Looks like Bartell still exists in California. This my help.
Bartell Corrosion Control Systems

That link leads to nowhere and an out of service phone number.

 

[Chrisjs]

Yes. I guess they are gone!! From peripheral reading it seems the impressed current systems come with their own set of problems. Old tech??

 

[sbman]

The rust on the control panel has a touch of irony to it

I do think that's a nice touch yes.

I had an Electro-Guard system on my wooden trawler, and I felt it was essential for that hull. There was not a reference cell but rather a reference zinc, which could probably be replaced with any properly sized zinc. I bought mine form Electro-Guard. The ref was on the port side a foot or two inboard of the chine and a foot or two forward of the transom. The sacrificial zinc was on the opposite side of the boat. There was no impressed current capability, but there was an ability to adjust the potential to achieve the proper voltage, and I doubt yours is an impressed current but rather just a current 'Monitor." Some study will tell you what the proper reading should be. Don't dump this system. USE it.

This is interesting, I assumed it was impressed current but I can understand it being only a monitor. It is called 'Monitrol' after all. I'll trace whatever wires come out of it and see where they go. I'm working on doing everything to the bottom that needs doing before barrier coat paint so I'll be sorting out what thru hulls and devices are going to stay and which are going to go. I found one really janky install I can't believe anyone would do which hopefully is not related to this device.

Thanks for all the comments and information. Seems like there aren't a lot of these systems out there.