Reminder to check your water heater anode annually...

[John in Santa Cruz]

So I kinda neglected checking our water heater anode for 2 years, even tho I know our water at home is quite hard...

got a replacement and swapped it today...




yeah, thats just about on its last legs.

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz

So I kinda neglected checking our water heater anode for 2 years, even tho I know our water at home is quite hard...

got a replacement and swapped it today...

yeah, thats just about on its last legs.

If that got you two years service, you could probably go another two years. However, they're relatively inexpensive and if it gives you peace of mind to replace it, that's okay too.

[Iowa Dave]

That’s about where I like to change mine. When it really starts to go, about like yours was I get a little paranoid about chunks in the screen on the aerator etc. you got the goody out of it as they used to say.
Iowa Dave

[gordon2]

Is that the anode in my water heater... in the lower right of this photo?

[Rzrbrn]

Gordon2, most probably, if that is your shower head in the upper left...

[gordon2]

Originally Posted by Rzrbrn

Gordon2, most probably, if that is your shower head in the upper left...

Why yes it is! Unless I use the tea kettle to fill the solar shower. Kinda a joke but kinda not. I actually took my water heater out because of lack of use. One less thing to maintain. Of course some people wold never consider doing that, a true case of YMMV.

[Rzrbrn]

We don’t use the water heater either, and do heat water on the stove to fill a bottle for an outside shower. But I don’t have the cohones to rip my hot water take out. I take my hat off to you!

[Glenn Baglo]

Originally Posted by Rzrbrn

I don’t have the cohones to rip my hot water take out. I take my hat off to you!

If you did, you could store water containers there.

[Bonnie RB]

Mine looked like that first post image as well before I decided "just one more year" wasn't prudent. My concern was with only the small gauge core rod holding all that the weight of remaining anode way out there could cause the rod to snap off and lose all conductivity to the heater case and trailer ground.
Is there some galvanic reason the anode nearer the bung erodes first?


Oh, one more for the "stupid egg-owner trick" book: using compressed air to blow out the lines compresses the air in the empty heater. Unthreading the anode from the "empty" heater can launch the anode a good distance.

Jon MB

[Glenn Baglo]

Originally Posted by Bonnie RB

Is there some galvanic reason the anode nearer the bung erodes first?

Because it is closer to the metal that the heater is made of. I wouldn't worry about the wire core failing as the magnesium or aluminum it supports becomes full of holes and weighs less as it sacrifices itself.

[mary and bob]

Originally Posted by Bonnie RB

Oh, one more for the "stupid egg-owner trick" book: using compressed air to blow out the lines compresses the air in the empty heater. Unthreading the anode from the "empty" heater can launch the anode a good distance.

Jon MB

I'll admit to doing that one time. Didn't launch the anode rod because I was using low air pressure, but did blow water all over my arm. I forgot to open the hot water side of the kitchen faucet to relieve the air pressure before unscrewing the anode.

[Glenn Baglo]

There is a pressure relief valve ( top centre in pic ). I just open that.

[Rzrbrn]

I replaced the anode rod in my Casita every year. The Big Foot has a Dometic water heater and does not have an anode rod. I don't have a good understanding of what this is.

[Defenestrator]

It's because it's an aluminum tank instead of coated steel. No sacrificial anode needed (and an aluminum one wouldn't really work anyways) because aluminum oxide's pretty durable.