Anode questions.

using tape is a must or you will get rust and then you're in trouble. it will be very hard to get it undone. rule of thumb is to only tighten tight enough so the water stops leaking

Same here and had no trouble

A note for beginning RV'ers; The above only applies to Suburban water heaters. Atwood heaters do not use or need a sacrificial anode due to the tank material.

It should be 7 or 8 ft/lbs, and that's not very tight.

I do the same, with these exceptions:
I leave the anode out (just place inside at close the vent door). I thought that leaving it out would allow the tank to dry, no home for mold, mildew, etc. to get a start. I may be wrong in my thoughts though!
Tightening: We have two units with different tank construction. One has plastic threads where anode rod screws in....I use your described method. One the other, metal threads.....I get a bit more aggressive with the tightening.

I'm another fan of leaving the anode out. As far North as I am, nothing is going to crawl inside the heater over winter.

PTFE tape on the threads in the spring as mine are metal to metal.

memtb wrote:
Tightening: We have two units with different tank construction. One has plastic threads where anode rod screws in....I use your described method. One the other, metal threads.....I get a bit more aggressive with the tightening.

If you have plastic threads, the connection is not for an anode rod. The anode needs to make electrical contact with the tank (through the threads) to be effective. On residential water heaters at least, often the water inlet and outlet connections are plastic to provide a thermal break and avoid hest loss via metal pipes (and maybe also to ensure the connections do not corrode together).

path1 wrote:
1. How tight do folks tighten your anode?

(I use Teflon tape on threads and screw it in till finger tight, then little tiny two finger tap on end of socket wrench).

2. When not in use I drain mine (cold weather) and screw in finger tight.

Good or Bad??? What do you think?

Or what do you differently?

This is exactly how I do it. (except I don't bother with the Teflon tape. It doesn't leak, and if it does, it's just an occasional drip.)

It's pipe thread, it needs dope or tape, and needs to be very snug. Or you'll have leaks, not now but down the road once it thermals cycles a few times.

DrewE wrote:

memtb wrote:
Tightening: We have two units with different tank construction. One has plastic threads where anode rod screws in....I use your described method. One the other, metal threads.....I get a bit more aggressive with the tightening.

If you have plastic threads, the connection is not for an anode rod. The anode needs to make electrical contact with the tank (through the threads) to be effective. On residential water heaters at least, often the water inlet and outlet connections are plastic to provide a thermal break and avoid hest loss via metal pipes (and maybe also to ensure the connections do not corrode together).

Good valid point... With almost thirty years of rv’ing, this was my first RV with plastic.. Had my “head up my behind “ and wasn’t thinking! :SThe Old habits are hard to break!