Why we use only marine grade 316 steel for our heaters

Decades of marketing campaigns have caused the label stainless steel construction to become aligned with durability and resilience. However, it is important to know that – not all types of stainless steel are the same.

The many different grades of steel

Stainless steel comes in many different grades. In manufacturing, different grades of stainless steel are used depending on what kind of stresses a particular product or structure must stand up to.

Problems arise when the customer assumes a stainless-steel product will stand up to a specific environment and it falls short. Because of this, it is recommended that you familiarise yourself with the different grades of stainless steel.

But don’t worry, you do not have to go away and research all the grades of stainless steel. For outdoor heaters, you just need to know about 304 grade and 316 grade.

When 304 stainless steel should be 316

In Canada, much of our outdoor products are manufactured overseas. These products almost exclusively use 304 grade stainless steel in their construction. While this is okay in some environments, these products are susceptible to deterioration in saline environments - like coastal settlements.

With large parts of Canada being coastal, this is a major issue. 304 grade is a cheaper material and through prolonged exposure in loses its lustre and can rust. 316 grade however contains higher levels of the alloy molybdenum. Molybdenum significantly improves corrosion resistance in saline environments.

Kelray Heaters are the only outdoor heaters that use 316 grade stainless steel (including all small nuts, bolts and components).