donn0128 wrote:
No. According to Suburban the anode rod uses a chemical reaction NOT electrical.
It could be totally isolated from any metal and will still perform its intended function. Think sacrifical anodes on a boat for an example.
This had me wondering since I thought I knew how it worked, but you would think the Suburban assistant service manager might be aware, but according to this article from a boating magazine, he is incorrect.
"There is an unfortunate misconception that a sacrificial anode can be mounted anywhere, even hung over the side on a string, and it will still perform its appointed duty. That is dead wrong!
For a zinc anode to provide any protection, it must be in electrical contact with the metal being protected. The conductivity of the water is not adequate. We need low-resistance, metal-to-metal contact..."
He refers to zinc as that seems to be the material most commonly used on boats, but the operation is the same.
