Hot water tank anode - Page 2 - Montana Owners Club

RC and Samantha · 10-01-2006, 07:00 AM

We check ours every couple of months and have changed it once.

Here is the item that many were speaking of.

Water Heater Tank Saver (Wand)

and here is one from E-bay

RV WATER HEATER TANK RINSING / FLUSHING WAND TOOL

Patty

Fordzilla · 10-01-2006, 08:37 AM

Another method I have used is to turn off hot water heater element, turn off the water pressure and drain the heater by pulling the anode rod out and leaving it out. Then once it is drained I turn the water pressure back on and hold my thumb or finger in the anode rod hole until the water heater gets partially filled with fresh water and then remove thumb and it will come blasting out of there. This is your warning it will splash out 3-4 feet, so stand to the side when doing this. I repeat this process a half dozen times or so until I can not feel any sediment inside the tank.

indy roadrunner · 10-01-2006, 10:23 AM

Oh Ron, that is too easy, as you know we are people of means around here and can afford those fancy spray tools from CW. Why should we bother with all that risk of getting wet?

kdeiss · 10-01-2006, 03:31 PM

I keep water in my tank all summer I replace every two years this works for me for over 20 Years of camping.As others have mentioned depends on water.

Fordzilla · 10-01-2006, 04:34 PM

I can afford the rod too, just haven't ran across one until the Rally and they didn't have them at CW when I was there. But wanted to share the meathod I have used for the past ?? years and it works well.

indy roadrunner · 10-02-2006, 12:10 AM

What!!! Ron you mean you can still afford one after that trip to Goshen?? You must have stayed away from the Menonite sale and from Judy Denner's Mexican Train Table.

I think your thumb over the hole is unique. Just may possibly try that myself as CW is over a hundred miles from me.

VanMan · 10-02-2006, 02:26 AM

Another way to clean it out (not recommended, however) is to forget to let the pressure off and then unscrew the anode. About the last 1/8 of a thread the rod will shoot out (with GREAT force) scaring the "H" out of you and drenching you with the cruddy water!! You'll only do it once, though (unless maybe you have the onset of Althiemer's)!!

mfoss · 10-07-2006, 07:52 AM

We are in the process of winterizing and drained the hot water heater and pulled the anode. It's very corroded but there's still lots there. I decided to order a spare so went on the Camping World site. The reviews there are not favorable for their anode (extra parts that are not needed, leaky, etc.). Where do you get yours? We'd like to carry a spare.

OntMont · 10-07-2006, 10:51 AM

At the rally, the Suburban rep. told us that the best anodes are the magnesium ones, and these can be identified by a small blob of weld on the front of the mounting nut. You should be able to get them at almost any RV place.

P.S. - you will need a socket (1-1/8 I think, but check to be sure) and a short extension bar to do this job successfully. It is fairly easy with the right tools, and nearly impossible without them.

Parrothead · 10-07-2006, 11:37 AM

We buy ours at a local RV supply place - not CW. We did this ourselves for the first time last spring and John is right, it is easy with the right tools. We had to buy them and that was the hardest part - finding the socket.
Happy trails....................

RnR · 10-08-2006, 05:53 AM

1-1/16" socket for the anode rod.
Garry
(RnR)

VanMan · 10-15-2006, 05:03 AM

I picked up the socket at a pawn shop - they had hundreds of all sizes in a big bin - it was like a treasure hunt !!!

krvk · 10-30-2006, 04:45 PM

My dealer told me to let the first rod (when unit was new) corrode all the way down to the small dia. rod, as this releases some kind of protective material for the inside of the tank. If I replace it to early it will not release the protective material. We have been fulltiming for 18 months now and the last time I checked it was in Aug while in Alaska and it still had some material on it. Need to check it again.

Fordzilla · 10-30-2006, 06:30 PM

I believe the guy at the rally this fall said to replace it when you could start to see the center rod.

kdeiss · 10-31-2006, 06:13 AM

I just drained my tank after 6 Months at the Camp Ground in Erie Pa with City Water was like new this was a replacment not the OEM.

texdeano · 11-03-2006, 05:22 AM

If you stay in Yuma very long you will like'ly need to replace it.I bought a new Montana last Nov. and went to Yuma the first of Dec.and stayed until April.Mine was all gone when I got home and pulled the plug.Of corse Yuma water is about like sea water.

old turbo · 11-03-2006, 08:16 AM

That is a first about the rod releaseing a secret compound when it is wore down. When it is wore down the rod core is steel. I would like to know what the secret compound is? When I take out my anode,and it is going to be out for a while, I put in a tapered pipe plug with some anti-seize on the threads to keep the drain hole threads from getting corrosion on them. It makes it easy to get the anode started. Remember just a little anti-sieze.

Mudchief · 11-03-2006, 11:09 AM

Thanks Old Turbo, I never thought about the anti-seize.

nailbender · 11-03-2006, 01:51 PM

Good to see that so many members are checking the anode rods. Has anybody ever checked the anode rod in their stick house water heater? If you have not don't feel bad, I have never checked my either.

jsrang · 11-04-2006, 02:54 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by Fordzilla

Another method I have used is to turn off hot water heater element, turn off the water pressure and drain the heater by pulling the anode rod out and leaving it out. Then once it is drained I turn the water pressure back on and hold my thumb or finger in the anode rod hole until the water heater gets partially filled with fresh water and then remove thumb and it will come blasting out of there. This is your warning it will splash out 3-4 feet, so stand to the side when doing this. I repeat this process a half dozen times or so until I can not feel any sediment inside the tank.

Fordzilla,
Your idea above worked great! My Monty was 2 years old with continuous use, so there was mostly just the 1/8" rod left. Since it hadn't been removed since day one, it was really corroded in tight. I even moved up to a 1/2 " socket drive and still couldn't crack the fitting. I really didn't want to put a "cheater" pipe extension on the ratchet drive (I broke a 1/2" ratchet drive a few years ago doing just that!), and then I remembered to try tightening to break the seal, and "wola" it worked. I flushed several times to get most of the sediment removed. The thumb idea worked well. Thanks for the great tip. By the way, it takes a 1-1/16" socket.

Jim

You may also like: