Everything you need to know about Anode rods

• Self sacrificing anode rods are placed inside water heater tanks to protect the tank from electrolysis, not to purify the water.
• Anode rod life is affected by the makeup of the water. Soft water caused the anode to self sacrifice faster.
• Atwood water heaters typically have aluminum tanks and do not need anode rods.
• Suburban offers two types of anode rod material, magnesium and aluminum.
• Anode rods should last at least a year. A rod should be replaced when it has reached 50% of its original volume.
• If the magnesium rod does not last a year, you should switch to the aluminum rod which is harder and does not self sacrifice as fast.
• A by-product of the anode rod self sacrificing is hydrogen gas.
• If there is high amounts of sulfur in the water, the hydrogen gas will mix with the sulfur to create hydrogen sulfide (rotten egg smell). You may want to switch to the aluminum rod to reduce the amount of gas created.
• Anode rods effectiveness is not reduced by using Teflon tape to seal the threads. You should always use a thread sealant approved for potable water.

Aluminum

Magnesium