water heater anode rod

ScottG wrote:
Atwood water heaters used to be aluminum, not SS.
Are they indeed SS now?

NO.....
Atwood WH Tanks were and still are ALUMINUM tanks with a zinc cladding
NO Stainless Steel used.

Suburban uses regular old carbon steel hence the need for the glass-lining AND anode rod
Just like the residential WH Tanks


Rarely does any one change the anode rod in residential WHs
Many don't know about them
Many forget/don't care
Besides......get a new one before warranty expires (5, 10, 12 years etc)

Atwood water heaters used to be aluminum, not SS.
Are they indeed SS now?

cavie wrote:

Lynnmor wrote:
It all depends on water quality and the quantity used. I replace when it is about half depleted or the wire looks weak near the fitting.

Weak at the fitting is not a problem. When it all looks a think as a pencil it's time to change.

The electrolysis action is more aggressive next to the fitting consuming the anode and, to some degree, the supporting core. Look at the illustration posted above and you will see what I mean. If you want to bounce down the road with an anode that is heavy outboard from the mounting point, fine. I just don't want to fish a broken part out the drain hole.

I wonder how often home owners change the anodes in their house water heater. Due to lack of sales, many big box stores quit stocking them and only offer a limited selection online. I think that few have a clue about the need for that maintenance. I need to replace those about every three years.

Magnesium is recommended as a first choice. If poor water quality causes the mag anode to deteriorate quickly (less than a year) then you can use the aluminum version. However the aluminum does not give as good of protection for your tank, due to it not being as sacrificial.

Jerry

I went to the magnesium anode rod because the aluminum left lots of the aluminum oxide gel in the bottom of the tank. Since I've gone to magnesium I don't have that issue.

True enough. I have no issue with needing to drain it from time to time, and down here in SC getting a frozen wh is the least of my concerns. What I don’t like most is, this is the first wh I’ve owned that will spew water out of the relief valve. Yeah Yeah, I’ve tried all of the published remedies, and from time to time I’ll go a few heat cycles without it dripping. The manual says it is normal for an RV wh to drip when the air pocket is lost. My take is if they know what causes it, then they can design a solution. They just choose not to. End of rant....

cavie wrote:

wildtoad wrote:

Lynnmor wrote:
It all depends on water quality and the quantity used. I replace when it is about half depleted or the wire looks weak near the fitting.

This is a good method. According to Suburban you should drain the heater when not in use, so plenty of opportunities to check it. The rods are cheap as is teflon tape around the threads, and I suppose Suburban has a good reason for using them in their water heaters.

Atwood is SS. needs no rod. Suburban is glass lined steal and must have a rod.You must drain the water in the winter to prevent freezing and breaking the tank.

wildtoad wrote:

Lynnmor wrote:
It all depends on water quality and the quantity used. I replace when it is about half depleted or the wire looks weak near the fitting.

This is a good method. According to Suburban you should drain the heater when not in use, so plenty of opportunities to check it. The rods are cheap as is teflon tape around the threads, and I suppose Suburban has a good reason for using them in their water heaters.

Atwood is aluminium. needs no rod. Suburban is glass lined steal and must have a rod.You must drain the water in the winter to prevent freezing and breaking the tank.

Rwake901 wrote:
This is the first RV that I’ve had that has an anode rod our other campers/motorhomes just had a plug. I took the anode rod out to drain the water heater and I thought it looked pretty ate up after only one season. Is this normal?

Yes. Change if the rod looks like a pencil. Atwood is SS and needs no rod. Suburban is glass line steel and need an anode rod.

Lynnmor wrote:
It all depends on water quality and the quantity used. I replace when it is about half depleted or the wire looks weak near the fitting.

Weak at the fitting is not a problem. When it all looks a think as a pencil it's time to change.