"had one job near the coast where corrosion kicked in pretty quick."
Yeah, aluminum near saltwater is always a gamble—I learned that the hard way on a dock repair. Thought I'd save some money, but ended up costing me double in callbacks and headaches. Stainless steel's definitely worth the extra bucks if you're anywhere near the coast. Live and learn, right?
You're spot on about aluminum fixtures near saltwater—it's not worth the risk. We recently moved into our first home close to the coast, and I did a ton of research before tackling some plumbing upgrades. Initially, I was tempted by the lower price tags on aluminum and even some brass fittings, but after digging deeper into material specs and corrosion resistance, stainless steel or marine-grade bronze seemed like the only viable options.
What surprised me was how quickly even "corrosion-resistant" coatings can fail when exposed to constant salt air. A neighbor shared his experience with coated fixtures that started showing signs of rust within six months. He ended up replacing everything with stainless steel anyway, so he essentially paid twice. That convinced me to spend a little more upfront rather than deal with headaches later.
One thing I've learned from this whole process is that it's helpful to check the specific grade of stainless steel too—316 stainless is usually recommended for coastal areas due to its higher resistance to chloride corrosion compared to 304. The price difference isn't huge, but it makes a noticeable difference in durability.
Anyway, your experience definitely validates my decision to go with quality materials from the start. It's reassuring to hear I'm not overthinking this stuff—sometimes being meticulous pays off (at least that's what I keep telling myself).
You've definitely done your homework, and stainless steel or marine-grade bronze are solid choices. But honestly, I've seen some brass fittings hold up surprisingly well near saltwater—especially if they're high-quality, marine-grade brass. Had a client who insisted on brass fixtures for aesthetic reasons, and five years later they're still looking pretty good. Just saying, sometimes brass can surprise you...though I'd still steer clear of aluminum for sure.
Interesting you mention brass holding up—I had a similar experience last summer. Helped install some fixtures at my uncle's beach house, and he went with brass purely for looks. Honestly, I was skeptical at first, especially since it's right near the coast. But after a year, they're actually doing pretty well. A little patina, sure, but no real corrosion or leaks yet. Makes me wonder if the quality of brass really makes that big of a difference, or if it's just luck? Still wouldn't risk aluminum though...seen enough horror stories there.
Had a similar thing happen at a client's lake cabin. They insisted on brass fixtures purely for aesthetics, and I thought, "here we go again..." Surprisingly, two years later, they're holding strong—bit of patina charm, but zero leaks. Aluminum though? Learned that lesson the hard way.
