Rv Water Heater Anode Rod Purpose

How an anode rod protects your water heater water heaters in general are vulnerable to rusting and corroding simply because of the composition of water and the process of how the materials that manufacturers use to make water heaters such as steel react to oxygen and moisture.

Rv water heater anode rod purpose.

As long as anode rods are replaced on a regular basis once six inches of the core wire have been exposed by corrosion a new one is needed the lifespan of a water heater tank can be extended indefinitely. You should hear it pour into the empty tank. For the purpose of this article we are going focus on water heaters with tanks. Although in modern water heaters the tank is encased in a thin layer of glass water can still get into cracks and rust the water heater s tank.

I like to install a fresh anode rod every year. These are all plentiful in a water heater tank. Refill and test the rv water heater. As aluminum anode rods corrode they can produce an aluminum oxide deposit normally found at the bottom of water heaters but occasionally make it into the main water supply and into faucet aerators.

Water heater anodes all serve the same basic purpose but there are a few models on the market so you will need to know what kind of anode rod your water heater uses before you attempt to replace them or before you start maintaining the tank. They are made from aluminum magnesium or zinc all metals that will sacrifice themselves through electrolysis and save the exposed steel water heater tank from a similar fate. If the anode rod had reduced in size by two thirds of its original diameter of 3 4 or shows signs of pitting it is time for replacement. Once it is in there nice and tight it s time to turn the water back on and let the hw tank refill.

So water heater manufacturers place an anode rod into the tank. An anode rod is a solid metal cylinder that gets screwed into a water heater s drain plug to prevent the steel water heater tank from rusting inside. Next to the water heater solar indirect water heater this purpose in the water heater and orient it or provide tubing so that any discharge the heater is installed. There are some tank less water heaters that are usually on demand style water heaters.

Tankless water heaters don t have anode rods but standard tank style heaters will have one. I generally don t see too many of these tank less water heaters because the manufacturers have found that they don t work very well and customers often complain about them. Page 1 of 1 start over page 1 of 1. An anode rod is made up of magnesium or aluminum.

Fetch this document. The aluminum oxide forms a virtually odorless gel substance that can vary in texture from a firm somewhat sticky curd to a thick running slurry.