Pop goes the water heater!

[RobG]

I had a new water heater installed back in 2014. It popped two nights ago. I got up to the sound of water -- I actually thought it was raining. Upon closer inspection, it was water pouring out of my water heater. It made quite the flood outside.

I shut off the water to it, and got a flashlight. The "tunnel" where the burner goes is all rusted out and collapsed. Despite ensuring a good anode rod, it appears that corrosion did the thing in.

So now I have two choices: Replace it with another one, or go with an on-demand system. Cost is similar: About $500 for either. The on-demand system that people seem to be recommending is the Girard 2GWHAM. The water heater I'd use is a Suburban 10- or 12-gal unit. The trailer came with a 12-gal, but it got replaced with a 10 in 2014 (which I didn't know until yesterday; I thought it was another 12).

In the meantime, I'm showering in my camper. Thankfully I have that as an option.

Any suggestions? Any other (cheaper hopefully) on-demand units I can consider?

Thanks.

Rob

[maillemaker]

If Teflon tape were so good at isolating the "electrical connection" btwn the tank and anode rod, the Teflon tape would be 100% intact and still look like a flat piece of tape when the anode rod is removed.

You can also easily convince yourself of this by using an ohmmeter between the annode plug head and the surrounding metal.

[lenr]

Love the 10 gallon Dometic/Atwood gas and electric water heater that came OEM with our unit. We leave electric on all the time so campground pays and turn the gas on just before a shower. Water temperature is very even and has yet to run out of hot. Hated having to fool with Suberban anode rod on the previous trailer.

[mobeewan]

Wild Bill 888 wrote:
“ fwiw the anode rod never did degrade over time“

Is it possible that the rod is not grounded (eg. threads wrapped in Teflon tape)? No current flow, no protection.

Scrap off a few flakes and touch with a flame. Burns white hot, mag, melts, aluminum.

Teflon tape isolating an electrical connection btwn the water heater tank threads and the anode rod plug threads is a fallacy. An urban legend. An internet creation.

Teflon tape crushes btwn the male and female threads to fill the voids and imperfectionsin order to keep liquids from leaking through the threads. That's why it comes out in fine pieces and why some of it comes out in strings when removing it and cleaning it from the threads when the plug is removed.

The tape is basically destroyed as the anode rod is screwed in and tightened resulting in plenty of metal to metal contact. Believe it or not metal can penetrate plastic under Force.

If Teflon tape were so good at isolating the "electrical connection" btwn the tank and anode rod, the Teflon tape would be 100% intact and still look like a flat piece of tape when the anode rod is removed.

[Groover]

My issue with tankless water heaters is that they only run on propane, you just can't get enough electricity in a camper to heat water on demand. I prefer to run on electricity so that I don't have to mess with propane. Plus electricity is cheaper.

[RobG]

You're right -- my anode rod was aluminum. What the heck?? Why would they ship the WH with one, knowing it wouldn't protect it??

[Dusty_R]

I worked it the construction industry for over 30 years. The only place that I saw a Tankless Water Heater that I thought was in a good place, was at a loading dock, at a Department Store, that was a long ways from any rest-room or where hot water would be used.

Dusty











ankless

[JTLance]

Tankless water heaters are an answer to a problem that doesn't exist.

[Wild_Bill_888]

“ fwiw the anode rod never did degrade over time“

Is it possible that the rod is not grounded (eg. threads wrapped in Teflon tape)? No current flow, no protection.

Scrap off a few flakes and touch with a flame. Burns white hot, mag, melts, aluminum.

[Old-Biscuit]

Suburban cut outs (opening size) is completely different then Atwood cut outs.
Dometic makes a 'KIT' (brackets) to replace a Suburban with an Atwood
Conversion Kit

Course you will still need to modify/run new wiring
Suburban Electric/Gas have separate systems (unless it is a DEL model)
120VAC is direct and 12VDC for propane
Atwood uses 12VDC for both electric and propane controls..so will need to change the wiring and provide for DC to turn electric on/off
Not real difficult just more involved then pulling old out and installing new.

Leak from inside combustion chamber.....
Poor factory welds (over heated where the spot welds are for baffle plate)
Condensation from flue gasses cooling





Anode rod....
Check the head of current rod
Smooth.....Aluminum
Bump in center...Magnesium

IF aluminum...it is NOT protecting your water heater as evidenced by it still being almost fully intact.


That Atwood XT Model.......uses a mixing valve to 'extend' available hot water.
Water is heater to 155*F (t-stat set point) then cold mixes with hot and mixing valve controls output to 130*F

[pianotuna]

Hi,

I'd go with the Attwood. I prefer the campground pay for my water heating, so that eliminates "on demand" heaters.

[RobG]

Thanks guys. I'll admit I didn't pay a lot of attention to it; thought the anode rod thing was just an indication of "good" water instead of a problem. Oh well, live 'n learn. I will look at Atwoods instead.

(pause)

HOLY ****. The 10-gal Dometic XT is $850!!! At least that's the price on Amazon...

[BruceMc]

The OP states: 'The "tunnel" where the burner goes is all rusted out and collapsed.'

Thinking out loud, exploring some alternate ideas:
Could it be the corrosion happened on the burner side of the heat tube rather than the water side?
In that case, the condition of the anode rod wouldn't matter. (Except, during normal use, the anode should have eroded some.)

The air is pretty dry in Mesa Arizona, so one wouldn't think excess moisture would be a contributor as it would be in western Oregon/Washington, for example.
Yet, propane does contain a fair amount of moisture so the air may not have been a contributor.
(Has your propane vendor been padding their profits by doping their propane supply? B^)

Chris, your comments may explain this one - a dry fire with propane would certainly overheat the combustion side of the heat tube.

As enblethen suggested, if I was in your situation, I'd certainly opt for an aluminum Atwood. I've had Atwoods since our first motorhome and never had a speck of issues.

[ernie1]

fwiw:
I have a Truma tankless water heater and it works great. I've heard really bad things about the Girard units. PleasureWay rvs were at one time equipped with Girard units until they received so many complaints about problems that they switched to Trumas.

[Chris_Bryant]

I bet it was fired empty at some point- the only way I can see that failure on a 5 year old heater.