Water heater anode rod change frequency

Airstreamer67 wrote:
I would use the new anode and check it in a year.

After what I saw yesterday, I'm going to check it at about every six months.

Airstreamer67 wrote:
I assume all of them are made of a good "sacrificial" metal to keep the water heater tank from developing corrosion holes due to galvanic action. At least, I would hope so.

Well, that's kind of my question. Other submissions to this thread seem to indicate that it varies.

I would use the new anode and check it in a year. I assume all of them are made of a good "sacrificial" metal to keep the water heater tank from developing corrosion holes due to galvanic action. At least, I would hope so.

I just called the RV center that replaced my last anode rod, and confirmed that the old one was magnesium. It was down to about 30% or less after about a year.

Before I read the advice from this thread, I ordered TWO anode rods and both are zinc/aluminum. I didn't see a choice

According to you guys, I should have replaced it with another magnesium, as some was left after a year.. Did I screw up? Will this zinc/aluminum rod provide enough protection, or should I try to get a magnesium one?

Camping world didn't readily identify one from the other, but after reading the Q&A it stated that although the magnesium one was factory equipment, the aluminum one (no mention of zinc) was recommended for 'harsher' water.

What does that mean? In the South West where I've done all my RV'ing so far, we have very hard water, but I'm using a water softener now.

GordonThree wrote:
There will always be minerals in the water - a water softener is not a filter, it reduces levels of calcium and magnesium ions, trading them for a lighter metal such as sodium or potassium (which have health impacts of their own)

A reverse osmosis system will remove pretty much everything, but it's expensive; 1 gallon of pure water costs you at least 5 gallons of 'waste' water. there's nothing wrong with the waste water, most folks plumb the waste line back into their FW tank.

I do have a filter. It's factory equipment. A combo of carbon and particle elements. I would assume that it filters the water from both the water tank and city water, but I'm not sure if it filters it before it gets to the hot water tank.

I had a large problem with those chalky deposits in my plumbing before when I accidentally left a faucet on and drained my tank, and assumed that they were mostly calcium, and that the water softener would help. Well, there wasn't as much as before, but I was surprised to see any at all.

I don't really drink or cook with my TT's water much. Even if I did, I wouldn't expect there to be that much sodium in the water. And potassium is actually needed in my diet, as the high blood pressure medication supposedly leeches it from my system.

There will always be minerals in the water - a water softener is not a filter, it reduces levels of calcium and magnesium ions, trading them for a lighter metal such as sodium or potassium (which have health impacts of their own)

A reverse osmosis system will remove pretty much everything, but it's expensive; 1 gallon of pure water costs you at least 5 gallons of 'waste' water. there's nothing wrong with the waste water, most folks plumb the waste line back into their FW tank.

I pulled my Anode rod today. It was a true work of art!

It was well over 50% deteriorated, and was this camo pattern of metal and holes. Naturally beautiful in a way. Probably about 30% left on the rod.

I screwed up with my hose wand. (Did I just say that?)

It wouldn't fit in the hole the anode rod came out of, so I ordered the skinnier wand. Even with the wand I had, I was able to flush some pretty funky looking water, along with chunks of stuff I'm becoming familiar with out of my water heater. Whitish blue tinged chunks of chalky crap.

I used what I had, and got lots of chunks and brownish water out of my hot water heater. You mean to tell me that my water softening devise did no good? I'm still gonna get this bluish white buildup******in my water heater. EVEN IF I CHANGE THE ANODE ROD AND USE A WATER SOFTENER???

Now I realize what the RV salesman meant when he said 'The Fun Never Ends!'




I had no problem taping the new anode rod and starting it

Rmack1 wrote:

Escargot wrote:
The magnesium anode is recommended by Suburban, unless it lasts less than a year, then they recommend the switch from OEM magnesium to the zinc/aluminum rod.

This is interesting info. Mine erodes away very fast, so you're saying Suburban recommends the zinc/aluminum anode rod now?

Escargot is correct, if your anode is completely used up, in less than a year, you need to switch to aluminum. If it erodes fast, but still has 25%, at years end, stick with the magnesium.

Jerry

In our area for a stick & brick home, when ever I instal a new water heater heater I remove the anode rod, if it is left in a few short years the hot water will smell like rotten eggs.
I'd rather not say how old the water heater is in the home we moved out of a couple of years ago. I've found that using a water softener will make a water heater last many, many more years.

Dusty

Escargot wrote:
The magnesium anode is recommended by Suburban, unless it lasts less than a year, then they recommend the switch from OEM magnesium to the zinc/aluminum rod.

This is interesting info. Mine erodes away very fast, so you're saying Suburban recommends the zinc/aluminum anode rod now?

Magnesium is OEM.......it reacts the quickest to water chemistry and is a better conductor of electrical current (which is the reason it is a great sacrificial rod)
Aluminum will last longer but can accumulate deposits on the rod which can make it harder to remove.

If an anode rod has lasted 4 yrs. I would be concerned how well it was providing corrosion protection...it is suppose to deteriorate vs the steel tank Suburban uses.