Water Heater Anode---after only 4 months...WoW

[ForBruce]

I drained the water heater to flush as i normally do every few months ....

What i got was a shock as to the condition of the Anode rod after only 4 months....

When the rod gets full calcified ( limed up ) it will not longer conduct an electrical current that is used to prevent the tank from rusting out.

I wire brushed the rod clean ( still very pitted ) but i will replace as soon as i am able to due to the NARROWING just behind the pipe fitting...
The photo doesn't show the narrowing very well.

Don't want it breaking off and dropping into the tank. I have seen some rod actually get thinner than a pencil.

I believe the rod is in this condition because we have been saving propane by using the electrical heating element....

[phillyg]

I don't think it's bad at all.

[jsb5717]

Looks pretty good to me too. They are only good for a year or two, maybe three depending on use

[77cruiser]

They can't break off it has a steel rod in the middle.

[ForBruce]

Originally Posted by phillyg

I don't think it's bad at all.

once it completely INSULATES with calcium it will not function....unless you clean it off

[DQDick]

Actually, been camping with water heaters for almost 40 years now and never done anything with the anode rood untill it was almost totally gone and have never had to replace a water heater. On the other hand only our Montana has one, our HC doesn't have a Suburban heater so it doesn't have one at all.

[jimcol]

Originally Posted by ForBruce

once it completely INSULATES with calcium it will not function....unless you clean it off

Originally Posted by DQDick

Actually, been camping with water heaters for almost 40 years now and never done anything with the anode rood untill it was almost totally gone and have never had to replace a water heater. On the other hand only our Montana has one, our HC doesn't have a Suburban heater so it doesn't have one at all.

I'm not sure your assumption about calcium is correct. I have never cleaned mine in 20 plus years of RV'ing and they have all just kept working. When they get down to almost just the steel rod I replace them.

[DutchmenSport]

There is absolutely nothing wrong with the anode rod in your photo above. It is wearing perfectly normal. You replace them WHEN the metal rod in the middle is exposed. That "stuff" you are wiring off is the "stuff" that is protecting your water heater. If you do not see the wire in the middle, it is still good. Don't wire it off, you are just wiring off it's functionality and shortening it's life.

[BB_TX]

I agree it is normal. It will continue to function and continue to corrode until there is nothing left but the center steel rod if left in long enough.

[team bradfield]

I replace mine every year when de-winterizing, they are cheap.

[ForBruce]

Originally Posted by DutchmenSport

There is absolutely nothing wrong with the anode rod in your photo above. It is wearing perfectly normal. You replace them WHEN the metal rod in the middle is exposed. That "stuff" you are wiring off is the "stuff" that is protecting your water heater. If you do not see the wire in the middle, it is still good. Don't wire it off, you are just wiring off it's functionality and shortening it's life.

the magnesium rods have the wire in the middle....the alum rod are solid
and it's a fact whether your heater last 20 years or 40 calcium does NOT conduct electricity

[BB_TX]

Originally Posted by ForBruce

the magnesium rods have the wire in the middle....the alum rod are solid
and it's a fact whether your heater last 20 years or 40 calcium does NOT conduct electricity

If the calcium deposits stopped all conduction the rods would never erode down to the center wire. But in fact they do.

And also a fact, calcium does conduct electricity and could be used as a wire if a situation suited it.

https://lunarpedia.org/w/Electrical_Conductors

[rohrmann]

Just cleaned out our water heater and installed a new magnesium anode. I then ordered a new Suburban magnesium rod to have for the next time, and the one came from Amazon a couple days later. It is a Suburban magnesium rod and instead of just a steel rod in the middle, this one has a stainless steel rod in the middle. I guess, new and improved. The photo is captured from the Amazon page for the Suburban aluminum anode, and the detail at the threaded end shows the weld for the steel rod down the middle like on the magnesium rods, so I'm thinking the genuine Suburban rods have the steel support rod. I saw a number of after market aluminum rods that do appear to not have that steel rod, so I would be a bit leary of using them.

[beeje]

Do you use your unit a lot ? If you are like us, we get out 40-60 nights a year and drain the heater after every trip. Install a combo drain valve/ anode if you are not using it VERY often.

[rohrmann]

We full time, 365 days a year, and I have never had to replace the magnesium anode more than once a year. I do, a couple times a year, pull the anode to flush the crud out of the tank, but the anode is still fine each time. I just wrap the threads with Teflon tape and screw it back in each time.

[Rick Leary]

That rod looks like a new one. I change mine annually and it's always smaller than a pencil.

[432bartman]

Changed mine out today after servicing my axle bearings. Glad I did, it was worn. Flushed the tank out and it was pretty clean. Thank you Rohrmann. I ordered a pack of two magnesium ones from Amazon, and they arrived in two days. Mine was probably a little over a year old.

[ForBruce]

Originally Posted by 432bartman

Changed mine out today after servicing my axle bearings. Glad I did, it was worn. Flushed the tank out and it was pretty clean. Thank you Rohrmann. I ordered a pack of two magnesium ones from Amazon, and they arrived in two days. Mine was probably a little over a year old.

Thank you Rohrmann ?????...what am i chop liver..i started this thread

[bcrvman]

Originally Posted by ForBruce

I drained the water heater to flush as i normally do every few months ....

What i got was a shock as to the condition of the Anode rod after only 4 months....

When the rod gets full calcified ( limed up ) it will not longer conduct an electrical current that is used to prevent the tank from rusting out.

I wire brushed the rod clean ( still very pitted ) but i will replace as soon as i am able to due to the NARROWING just behind the pipe fitting...
The photo doesn't show the narrowing very well.

Don't want it breaking off and dropping into the tank. I have seen some rod actually get thinner than a pencil.

I believe the rod is in this condition because we have been saving propane by using the electrical heating element....

That is almost brand new. Has nothing to do with propane/electric, it's water hardness. Do NOT wire brush, just wasting it that way. It does NOT conduct an electrical current.

[bcrvman]

NOT true.