{"id":1389,"date":"2026-10-09T18:57:37","date_gmt":"2026-10-09T18:57:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mcpmarine.com.br\/mgps-how-it-works-and-7-signs-that-the-system-needs-maintenance\/"},"modified":"2026-10-09T22:34:01","modified_gmt":"2026-10-09T22:34:01","slug":"mgps-maintenance-warning-signs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mcpmarine.com.br\/en\/mgps-maintenance-warning-signs\/","title":{"rendered":"MGPS: How It Works and 7 Signs That the System Needs Maintenance"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The <strong>MGPS (Marine Growth Prevention System)<\/strong> protects a ship\u2019s saltwater systems from mussels, barnacles, and algae. When it works properly, no one even notices it\u2019s there. When it fails, the first warning is usually an overheating heat exchanger or a clogged filter at the worst possible moment. Here\u2019s how the system works and what signs indicate it\u2019s time for maintenance.   <\/p>\n<h2>How MGPS\/ICAF Works<\/h2>\n<p>The most common system used on ships employs <strong>ICAF (Impressed Current Anti-Fouling)<\/strong> technology: pairs of anodes installed in <strong>seawater intakes<\/strong> or filters receive a current controlled by a control unit.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The <strong>copper anode<\/strong> releases ions at a very low concentration, sufficient to prevent marine organism larvae from attaching to the pipes<\/li>\n<li><strong>The aluminum or iron anode<\/strong> forms a protective film on the inner walls, reducing corrosion<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The treated water flows through the entire seawater system: seawater intakes, filters, pumps, <strong>box coolers<\/strong>, heat exchangers, and fire suppression systems.<\/p>\n<p>There are other technologies, such as <strong>electrochlorination<\/strong> (the generation of hypochlorite from seawater) and <strong>ultrasound<\/strong>. MCP Marine works with all three. See <a href=\"https:\/\/mcpmarine.com.br\/en\/mgps-anti-fouling-systems-icaf\/\">the MGPS\/ICAF anti-fouling systems<\/a>.  <\/p>\n<h2>7 Signs That the MGPS Needs Maintenance<\/h2>\n<h3>1. Alarms on the control unit<\/h3>\n<p>Low, high, or zero current alarms indicate a depleted anode, a broken cable, a corroded connection, or a malfunction of the unit itself. Acknowledging and then ignoring an alarm is the most common mistake. <\/p>\n<h3>2. Anode current outside the design range<\/h3>\n<p>Even if there is no alarm, compare the currents on the panel with the specified value for the system flow rate. A current that is significantly below the design value indicates insufficient protection. <\/p>\n<h3>3. Anodes nearing the end of their service life<\/h3>\n<p>The service life of MGPS anodes varies depending on each vessel\u2019s design: pump flow rate, number of sea-water intakes, and interval between dry-docks. If the ship extended the interval between dry-docks or operated at a higher flow rate than anticipated, the anodes may have been consumed more quickly than planned. Imported anodes take about 40 days to arrive, so don\u2019t wait until the last minute.  <\/p>\n<h3>4. Temperature increase in cooling systems<\/h3>\n<p>If the main engine, generators, or air conditioning system are running hotter than usual under the same load, this is a classic sign of scaling in box coolers and heat exchangers.<\/p>\n<h3>5. Saltwater filters get dirty faster<\/h3>\n<p>If the crew is cleaning the strainers more frequently and finding clams or mussels, the MGPS is probably not dispensing enough.<\/p>\n<h3>6. Drop in flow or pressure in seawater pumps<\/h3>\n<p>Scale buildup reduces the effective diameter of the pipes. Pumps working harder to deliver less water is a strong indication of this. <\/p>\n<h3>7. Internal corrosion and holes in pipes<\/h3>\n<p>When the aluminum or iron anode is depleted, the protective film is no longer replenished, and internal corrosion accelerates, especially in steel pipes and heat exchangers.<\/p>\n<h2>What to Do When You Notice These Signs<\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Record the<\/strong> control unit <strong>readings<\/strong> (currents and alarms) and the date<\/li>\n<li><strong>Check the filters<\/strong> and make a note of what you found<\/li>\n<li><strong>Schedule a technical inspection:<\/strong> current measurement, cable testing, and anode evaluation<\/li>\n<li><strong>Plan to replace the anodes<\/strong> during the next maintenance window, or sooner if consumption indicates it is necessary<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>An <a href=\"https:\/\/mcpmarine.com.br\/en\/annual-review-iccp-mgps\/\">annual inspection of ICCP and MGPS<\/a> prevents these signs from appearing. And <a href=\"https:\/\/mcpmarine.com.br\/en\/remote-monitoring-iccp-mgps\/\">MCP Pulse<\/a>, our remote monitoring system currently under development, will allow us to track ground currents and detect a fault the very day it occurs. <\/p>\n<h2>Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Is the copper released by MGPS harmful to the environment?<\/strong><br \/>\nThe concentration of copper ions is very low and is regulated by the control unit. The system is designed to prevent larvae from attaching, not to kill adult organisms. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Is it possible to replace the MGPS anodes without docking?<\/strong><br \/>\nIt depends on the installation. Anodes mounted on filters or in seawater boxes with internal access can be replaced while the ship is in the water. Those installed in seawater boxes without access can generally only be replaced while the ship is in dry dock.  <\/p>\n<p><strong>Does MGPS handle the cleaning of the sea boxes?<\/strong><br \/>\nNo. It greatly reduces scaling, but periodic inspection and cleaning are still necessary. <\/p>\n<h2>Contact MCP Marine<\/h2>\n<p>We supply and maintain MGPS\/ICAF systems with copper, iron, and aluminum anodes from <strong>K.C. LTD<\/strong>, and we service MGPS systems from Cathelco, Wilson Walton\/Corrpro, and any other manufacturer. We also work with electrochlorination and ultrasound. <\/p>\n<p><strong>WhatsApp +55 21 99512-0824<\/strong> \u00b7 info@mcpmarine.com.br<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p><em>By <\/em><em>Andr\u00e9 Macena<\/em><em>, Project Director at MCP Marine, with over 16 years of experience in naval and offshore systems.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The MGPS (Marine Growth Prevention System) protects a ship\u2019s saltwater systems from mussels, barnacles, and algae. When it works properly, no one even notices it\u2019s there. When it fails, the first warning is usually an overheating heat exchanger or a clogged filter at the worst possible moment. Here\u2019s how the system works and what signs [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1116,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1389","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sem-categoria"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mcpmarine.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1389","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mcpmarine.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mcpmarine.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mcpmarine.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mcpmarine.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1389"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/mcpmarine.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1389\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1407,"href":"https:\/\/mcpmarine.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1389\/revisions\/1407"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mcpmarine.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1116"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mcpmarine.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1389"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mcpmarine.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1389"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mcpmarine.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1389"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}