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Hot water-Anodes

Yahoo Message Number: 18078
A year ago I posted regarding anodes replacing the small nylon or plastic plug in the hot water heater. Several individuals posted not to do it, because the anodes are difficult to remove. I visited with the couple that had been doing it for years about the reported problem. They said to change them every year and you won't have a problem. I just put in my second one. The first just removed was easy to remove, but it was nearly gone. This was after using the coach for only about six months of the year, in storage the balance.
The amount of damage that would have occurred to the tank is amazing.
When installing the new anode, both teflon tape and Ace Universal Thread Seal were used. Hope this experience is useful to those who would like to avoid hot water tank replacement. John 2002 Allure
#30792

Re: Hot water-Anodes

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 18086
Are you sure your water heater needs an anode? One brand takes it , and the other will erode the tank if you use an anode.

Per 95 Affinity

Re: Hot water-Anodes

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 18087
The anodes sold at Camping World are for the brand we have. For many years we have used them on our home water heater, over 10 year life on the one we just sold. The couple we watched a year ago had used them for many years, but need to change them each year. They are only about 5 inches long. The anode gives itself up instead of the tank. John 2002 Allure
#30702

Re: Hot water-Anodes

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 18088
Hi Folks,

The aluminum hot water tank doesn't come with an anode but is carefully designed so that the water pipe connections to the tank do not have dissimilar metals in contact. Most of the plumbing in our coaches is plastic in contrast to home plumbing. The question I have - what is the anode protecting? The aluminum tank? What does the manufacturer say?
Fred Kovol

2000 Allure 30593

Quote from: countryjrc
A year ago I posted regarding anodes replacing the small nylon or > plastic plug in the hot water heater. Several individuals posted not > to do it, because the anodes are difficult to remove. I visited

with

Quote
the couple that had been doing it for years about the reported > problem. They said to change them every year and you won't have a > problem. I just put in my second one. The first just removed was > easy to remove, but it was nearly gone. This was after using the > coach for only about six months of the year, in storage the balance.
The amount of damage that would have occurred to the tank is

amazing.

Re: Hot water-Anodes

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 18091
I have never seen any hot water heater that last over 10 years without replacement unless it has an anode. Several coach owners in the past have reported the failures and the expensive replacement. I have not seen any changes in the tanks in use today to those that have failed in the past. John
2002 Allure
#30702

Re: Hot water-Anodes

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 18092
Fred,

Check to see which water heater you have. A Suburban requires an anode, an Atwood does not according to the manufacturers.

Per

95 Affinity

Re: Hot water-Anodes

Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 18095
I have a friend who purchased an 2004 "SOB" with a Suburban water heater and this I am posting the email below, that he sent me from his research on this particular model, FYI. I have an older Atwood and was told not to use an anode. My advice is to check with the manufacturer to be certain or it could cause a problem.

Read next paragraph from my friend:
"Our water heater is a Suburban, and according to the owner's guide, the tank

is made of a material which DOES NOT require an anode. The purpose as I understand it, is that the tank is made of aluminum which will react with the particles of other metals that end up in the tank from the various water

sources used to fill it during use at the different campgrounds/rv parks.
According to Suburban, they have a specialized method of manufacturing the

aluminum tank which has it containing another metal along with he aluminum

when the material is rolled before making it into a tank, and this material

eliminates the need for an anode which is typically a sacrificial piece of

metal that over time will get "eaten up" by the chemical reaction."

magnamama

2000 Magna 5798

Quote from: countryjrc

Re: Hot water-Anodes

Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 18112
We visited the Awood HQ in Indiana a few months back and got a similar answer re the need for an anode rod.
The issue is not whether the tank will erode - it will - but with the materials used now and the thickness of current models, a leak will not happen any time soon.
There was no mention of any harm from using an anode rod other than to point out that the original plug is plastic and the rods use a steel plug to which the anode material is welded/attached. If this is left in too long it can react with the tank material making removal difficult to impossible.
As we plan to keep our rig the better part of a decade, or more, I'm using an anode rod and I check it semi-annually for erosion and will be replacing it yearly as well as using teflon tape and anti-seize materials..

Bob Handren

'05 Inspire 51178

"Rosemary, Magna #5798" wrote: