water heater
Moderator: bfadmin
-
David and Susan Bratt
- Posts: 412
- Joined: Wed Nov 30, 2005 9:11 pm
water heater
An article in the most recent Motorhome magazine suggests replacing the anode in the water heater as needed. The owner's manual we received with our used BF does not mention this and we do not have a separate owner's manual specific to the water heater. Is this something that anyone has done or needs to be done?
-
Bill Ruh
water heater
Hi David and Susan,
Yes our 1991 suburban water heater has a sacrificial anode, yes it needs periodic checking, and yes I have replaced it. Our motorhome was 9 years old when we bought it and there wasn't much anode left. It's the big hex head accessed from the inside and (for me) took a 6-point socket and breaker bar with 6' of pipe to loosen it, so I doubt anyone had ever replaced it. When I put a new anode in, I wrapped the threads with teflon tape and now it's easy to unscrew to check. I check it every year or two and when I looked at it last year, the 5-year-old replacement had some degradation but still had plenty of metal left. I typically drain the fresh water and water heater when we're not using the motorhome, so that may help extend the anode life.
IIRC, suburbans use anodes and atwoods don't.
Yes our 1991 suburban water heater has a sacrificial anode, yes it needs periodic checking, and yes I have replaced it. Our motorhome was 9 years old when we bought it and there wasn't much anode left. It's the big hex head accessed from the inside and (for me) took a 6-point socket and breaker bar with 6' of pipe to loosen it, so I doubt anyone had ever replaced it. When I put a new anode in, I wrapped the threads with teflon tape and now it's easy to unscrew to check. I check it every year or two and when I looked at it last year, the 5-year-old replacement had some degradation but still had plenty of metal left. I typically drain the fresh water and water heater when we're not using the motorhome, so that may help extend the anode life.
IIRC, suburbans use anodes and atwoods don't.
-
Bill Ruh
anode
A sacrificial anode is metal that deteriorates (a rod) to protect other metal that you care about (the water tank).
On our suburban water heater, there is an anode rod that screws into the side, which you do need to unscrew and remove to inspect. I believe this is typical of suburbans, but the world is a big place and I'm not familiar with all suburbans.
On our suburban water heater, there is an anode rod that screws into the side, which you do need to unscrew and remove to inspect. I believe this is typical of suburbans, but the world is a big place and I'm not familiar with all suburbans.
Water Heater
David & Susan,
We have a 2005 24RB with a Suburban SW6D water heater, I just replaced the anode yesterday, it was about 50% gone. I had to use a 4 foot breaker bar on a 1 1/16th" socket, the size is 3/4"X14T (NPT pipe thread) to break it loose. We haven't used our rig much till I retired about 6 months ago. We spent 3 months in Arizona and our hot water tank was full all the time, I was amazed at how fast the anode had been eaten away.
The Suburban manual states you can replace it with either a magnesium or aluminum anode, I used magnesium but it looked like the original was aluminum.
I used a teflon based pipe "dope" on the last 1/2 of the threads, I believe you must have some contact with the steel tank for the anode to work properly.
Atwood hot water tanks are made of aluminum and don't use the anode, I believe all Suburban tanks are steel or ceramic lined steel.
The Suburban manual recommends checking the anode every 6 months.
Steve Solberg
Sequim,Wa.
We have a 2005 24RB with a Suburban SW6D water heater, I just replaced the anode yesterday, it was about 50% gone. I had to use a 4 foot breaker bar on a 1 1/16th" socket, the size is 3/4"X14T (NPT pipe thread) to break it loose. We haven't used our rig much till I retired about 6 months ago. We spent 3 months in Arizona and our hot water tank was full all the time, I was amazed at how fast the anode had been eaten away.
The Suburban manual states you can replace it with either a magnesium or aluminum anode, I used magnesium but it looked like the original was aluminum.
I used a teflon based pipe "dope" on the last 1/2 of the threads, I believe you must have some contact with the steel tank for the anode to work properly.
Atwood hot water tanks are made of aluminum and don't use the anode, I believe all Suburban tanks are steel or ceramic lined steel.
The Suburban manual recommends checking the anode every 6 months.
Steve Solberg
Sequim,Wa.
-
jobrien
What replacement anode's are people using?
Suburban will not sell directly to the consumer. Camping World carries one by NW Leisure Products called Tank Saver, which comes with a petcock drain. Reviews say it leaks and don't buy it. The only other one I can find online and in catalogs is made by Camco.
Any help would be appreciated.
John
Suburban will not sell directly to the consumer. Camping World carries one by NW Leisure Products called Tank Saver, which comes with a petcock drain. Reviews say it leaks and don't buy it. The only other one I can find online and in catalogs is made by Camco.
Any help would be appreciated.
John
-
SteveR
Here is a place that sells them on the internet.
http://www.rvwholesalers.com/catalog/home.php?cat=141
http://www.rvwholesalers.com/catalog/home.php?cat=141