water heater anode rod
How often should I replace the water heater anode rod and are they pretty much all the same when it comes to purchasing one? Thanks
Forum Discussion
- Further when it’s time to drain the system I never mess with the relief valve just open a faucet in the kitchen to help it drain. The way I figure it nothing good happens when you open and close that valve.
- Dutchman... the word “spew” was the first word that came to mind to describe the flow as “Drip” did not seem adequate. To be clear the relief valve only drips an the end of a heating cycle which seems “normal” and according to the manual expected and describes a temporary remedy. I have done the steps described from the manual and the various threads on the subject on this forum over the years. I have replaced the relief valve thrice times and not much help. Recently I actually got through three days worth of heating cycles with no drip but low and behold it starts. The manual suggests that if the normal procedures don’t work perhaps I should install small pressure tank just before where the cold water enters the heater. Again this indicates to me that Suburban knows it’s a problem (probably not much more than an annoyance) and have chosen not to engineer a permanent remedy. We did this to some degree when working for a software company when a customer would find a problem. We would devise a workaround until we could solve the actual problem. But we usually did go fix it.
On edit: I tested the water temp at my kitchen sink which sits about a foot above the wh and it was dead on factory spec. - If you go thru a anode rod in a year it is a sure sign the rod is truly needed to protect the water heater. Penny wise pound foolish to replace the anode rod with a plastic plug.
- Anodes last a long, long time here as well. Our water is super soft so it doesn't have much work to do.
zigzagrv wrote:
I have owned my mh for over 12 years and have never replaced the anode rod in my Suburban water heater. I remove it every year when winterizing and there are gelatinous blobs accumulated on it and some minor pitting, but it is still about the same thickness and length of a new one. I have used water from all over the country and it stays in there till I drain it to winterize. I do have a spare rod, but have never seen the need to replace the old one.
Perhaps it was replaced with an aluminum anode rod that lasts longer, but protects less. They aluminum rods are sold at many online sites and local stores with deceptive advertising.- I have owned my mh for over 12 years and have never replaced the anode rod in my Suburban water heater. I remove it every year when winterizing and there are gelatinous blobs accumulated on it and some minor pitting, but it is still about the same thickness and length of a new one. I have used water from all over the country and it stays in there till I drain it to winterize. I do have a spare rod, but have never seen the need to replace the old one.
wildtoad wrote:
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....
OK, this really confused me. I'm not understanding what's going on here. Are you saying your relief valve blows occasionally spewing water? If so, it's doing that because the water is heating too much. Those valves are temperature regulated.
If you are talking about "spewing" when you replace or take the anode rod out, either via the relief valve or from the anode rod - drain hole, then make sure the water pump is off and turn off the water spigot at the water inlet source (garden hose). Then let pressure off by simply opening a faucet inside the camper first until nothing flow any more. Now you can comfortably remove the plug / anode rode without getting a shower first. And you don't have to relieve the pressure at the pressure relief valve, getting everything wet.
If you are talking about an occasional drip at the relief valve, this is normal. It's not the water heaters fault, it's in the relief valve, usually a speck of lime build up. Open and close the lift handle a few times and this usually breaks any crud and they seal good again. Even home water heaters relief valves will drip if opened and closed until they lime over again.
The difference on an RV is, we drain them often. Unlike a house where they may get drained once in 10 years.
If the "drip" is at the anode rod itself, this is also normal. If the threads of the anode are rusted, and / or the threads of the tank are rusted, chances are, there will be some small dripping going on. So, never store the camper with the anode rod pulled. Always replace it, even if the tank is empty, to keep the threads from rusting.
Also, Teflon tapes helps around those the plug threads too.
I don't understand the above comments about the air pocket and lowering the tube. I know there is a small air pocket at the top of the tank. But if the air is escaping through the relief valve, eventually, the air will be replaced with water and dripping and spewing (if overheated) will still happen.
So, I'm confused over your situation here, what's going on.
If spewing out the relief valve, sounds like your water heater is getting to hot, or the relief valve is failing, time to replace it.wildtoad wrote:
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
There is a fix for that- simply remove the upper dip tube from the outlet, this gives a much larger air cushion, at the expense of about a half gallon of capacity. Alternatively, you can remove and shorten the dip tube and reinstall.Old-Biscuit wrote:
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)
My bad. Don't know why I typed that. I know better.ScottG wrote:
Atwood water heaters used to be aluminum, not SS.
Are they indeed SS now?
Nope. MY bad, don't know why I said that I know better.
