How To Clean Barnacles Off Transducer

Shuggy

Well-known member

Joined: 10 Mar 2006

Messages: 1,046

Location: Argyll

My plastic NASA depth transducer (external) attracted so many barnacles from May-July this year that it stopped working (much). I believe you can't paint them with antifoul, but is there anything else you can do? Someone suggested lanolin and I've heard that fish oil or stern gland grease might work. Any views?

Thanks.

I used some silicone grease on mine it seemed to work, but the antifouling took a battering this year, scrubbed off in august and the log stopped in late september, when i lifted out for the winter, it had an inch long array of weed stopping the flow to the paddle wheel, which was clear of weed and barnacles and freewheeling....

Nowt wrong with antifouling the transducer. Obviously the more layers you put on the (slightly) less sensitive it will be.

Consider that transducers do get installed on the inside of GRP hulls (usually in an oil bath).

Depth - I antifoul mine (Stowe). Rarely (but sometimes) a problem.

Log - I bring inside the boat, not that you asked!

I think the argument against antifouling the transducer is something to do with the solvent attacking the plastic of the transducer. No idea if it's fact or old wives' tale though. I suspect the latter. Maybe someone out there knows for certain.

Check with Alan at NASA.Very helpfull and very knowledeable but wait untill LIBS has ended.

simonfraser

Well-known member

Joined: 13 Mar 2004

Messages: 6,794

Shuggy

Well-known member

Joined: 10 Mar 2006

Messages: 1,046

Location: Argyll

Shuggy

Well-known member

Joined: 10 Mar 2006

Messages: 1,046

Location: Argyll

Thanks. That seems sensible to me. And as I have a spare transducer I'm not that bothered! I may have a go.

simonfraser

Well-known member

Joined: 13 Mar 2004

Messages: 6,794

that's what i thought too

my boat is ply epoxy

i fixed the transducer with silicone sealant, it works fine, even whilst the sealant was still soft !!

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There are so many different types of plastics and antifoul solvent chemicals that there is a small chance that the plastic will melt in some rare instances. There is also the possibilityh of false readings. The paint manufacturers do not want to take liability for either event and so recomend that the antifoul is not applied. If liability is not an issue and you do so at your own risk, more often than not you will not have a problem.

[ QUOTE ]
I think the argument against antifouling the transducer is something to do with the solvent attacking the plastic of the transducer. No idea if it's fact or old wives' tale though. I suspect the latter. Maybe someone out there knows for certain.

[/ QUOTE ].

Airmar specify that both their log and depth [fully thro' hull]transducers should be antifouled using a water-based NOT a ketone-based paint. I couldn't find out which antifoulings were ketone-based but use International boot topping which so far has caused no problem. The paddle wheel fouls up just as much as the old Stowe one which I never antifouled!

NASA specify that their through hulls are bedded in Silicone. Apparently, this is because there is a possibility that Sikaflex may degrade the plastic. So, not an old wife's tale, and also the reason why I lubricate my log transducer 'O' rings with silicone grease.

This is the reason that I have just ground out my NASA log tube, and replaced it with a bronze Aquafax tube, as described elsewhere on this forum (thanks). It seems likely that organic solvents may cause deterioration of the NASA echo sounder transducer.

Shuggy

Well-known member

Joined: 10 Mar 2006

Messages: 1,046

Location: Argyll

Thanks all - I'm going to have a go at antifouling it. I will let you know how I get on.

What's the forum think about a layer of protective (bubble-free) lacquer over the Xducer before applying a'fouling?