Suburban Water Heater

Thank you Lynnmor, wildtoad and Old-Biscuit. Since I already ordered the wand I'll use it, but I'll also do the Power Flush.

Want to really flush out that crud......forget that wand.
Have to stick it thru hole to use and that partially blocks the drain hole
Wand is OK to rinse inside of tank walls cause you can point it up and sideways.

Power flush it....
With anode rod out stand back and turn water supply ON and let it blast out the drain hole
Inlet diffuser points downward so the water pressure will stir up the crud on bottom of tank and force it out the drain


Suburban OEM anode rod is magnesium because it does provide good protection and will dissolve quicker.
But it can interact with microbes in the water source and stink.....sulfur smell

Aluminum is an optional anode rod but does not dissolve as quickly hence not as good protection and can be harder to remove due to calcium build up on the aluminum....can even result in 'gel' like substance
Aluminum hydroxide=====result of the minerals in the water reacting with the aluminum anode rod
The gel is not harmful..water soluble just drain/flush more frequently

FYI Suburban advises to empty the wh when not in use. Should prolong the life of the anode rod.

RobWNY wrote:
Ok. I ordered a Magnesium anose rod and the water heater flush thing from Amazon. Thanks for your help Donn0128 and wa8yxm!

You bought the right things. Magnesium will offer better protection, but shorter life. The length of time an anode rod will last depends on water usage and the water quality. Expect life of months to years.

Ok. I ordered a Magnesium anode rod and the water heater flush thing from Amazon. Thanks for your help Donn0128 and wa8yxm!

If the garden hose is too big they make a smaller plastic "Nozzle" that is about a foot or so long for flushing out the tank, has an angled tip. Any RV place should have.

As to which type of anode you need. Check with surburan. make sure you have the MODEL number of your heater handy.. I'm unable to advise.

Take your garden hose and stuff it in the hole and turn it on. If you happen to have a piece of plastic hose you could make something that screws onto a hose end, but still fits inside the tank and slosh it around to flush out the debris.
Get the magnesium anode. There is only a few dollars difference, so use the best you can find.