Anode questions.
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...
Forum Discussion
sarojg wrote:
What the heck is a sacrificial anode for in the water heater and where do I find maintenance info? I bought my RV used and it is missing a lot of material.
The sacrificial anode, if one is used, is a metal rod that gets screwed into the water heater to prevent galvanic action from eating away at and eventually perforating the heater tank. On RV water heaters, if there is one used it's generally also the drain plug. On residential water heaters it's generally a separate thing that gets screwed into the top of the heater, and often jointed so you don't need several feet of clearance above the heater to be able to remove or replace the rod.
Suburban RV water heaters have (or should have) the anode rod. Atwood RV water heaters use an aluminum tank and so don't need or have an anode, and their layout would make it very nearly impossible to get one in anyhow (the gas line runs in front of the drain plug). Maintenance consists of checking it from time to time and replacing it if the rod is considerably eaten away; how long that takes depends on the softness and other properties of the water, and can vary a good bit (months to years).
