Water heater anode rod change frequency

[Rmack1]

I understand that you are suppose to change your WH anode rod every year under normal circumstances. I learned that lesson the hard way.

Ever since, I've put nothing but softened water into my tank. I think once I let the regen cycle go until I read just a little above the least amount of contaminates color. I fixed that fast, and have used only softened water that tested at or very near the lightest (best) of the test strip colors.

It's been about a year since I put in a new anode rod. Do you think I could get away with a little more before changing it again, since it shouldn't have had to be working that hard?

[Rmack1]

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.

[Airstreamer67]

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.

[Rmack1]

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.

[Rmack1]

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.

[GordonThree]

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.

[Rmack1]

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

[MFL]

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

[Dusty_R]

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

[Rmack1]

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?

[Old-Biscuit]

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.

[Fred_n_Jo]

Our anode rod is four years old and good as new. When we started with this rig I purchased a waterstick water softener and since then we have traveled over 40,000+ miles crisscrossing these lower 48 plus Canada from southern Ca to Prince Edward Island and from Florida to the Olympic NP in Washington state. In previous trailers and before the softener we had an Atwood water heater with no anode rod.

[Escargot]

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.

[Rmack1]

I did some more research, and it seams that a zinc/aluminum anode rod would be better than a magnesium. That's all I've gleaned so far.

[Rmack1]

Old-Biscuit wrote:

fred42 wrote:
Does the state of the anode rod play a role in the "rotten egg smell syndrome" or is that an unrelated phenomenon?

Sulfur content in water source and bacteria can cause that rotten egg smell.

Leaving water in water heater unused for extended periods can result in that smell due to the stagnant water.bacteria growth

Magnesium Anode rods can also react with microbes in water to create that smell

I believe that the anode rod I ordered is aluminum. Is magnesium better?