User Tag List

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 11
  1. #1
    Seasoned Camper Hwktlg8's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Location
    Des Moines, Iowa
    Posts
    239
    Mentioned
    2 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Is this typical anode rod wear?

    Was prepping for the season today and remembered I need a new anode rod. I found interesting wear on the current rod. Pitted along the rod but nearly completely worn through near the threaded end. I have replaced a couple in our previous keystone but this is the first time in the solitude and dont remember the wear being this uneven.

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	83376EC8-778D-4AAA-A7A1-CCE7AFEF66CD.jpg 
Views:	50 
Size:	1.10 MB 
ID:	18819
    Ryan and Alison
    2017 Solitude 377MBS-R
    Titan electric/hydraulic disc brakes
    Morryde CRE 3000, xmembers x3, WBs,4k springs
    2017 GMC 3500 Duramax Denali SRW Airlift bags with wireless control
    Pullrite 2900 autoslide hitch

  2. #2
    King Pin
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Posts
    6,521
    Blog Entries
    10
    Mentioned
    41 Post(s)
    Tagged
    1 Thread(s)
    It's just a little odd that the end is eroded away, but nothing to worry about. There could have been a crack or flaw in that area and it dissipated first. Here's a chart showing when a rod should be replaced.



    Jim

  3. #3
    Big Traveler JCZhome's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2016
    Location
    A rolling stone....we're in Tucson, Az. now.
    Posts
    1,537
    Mentioned
    10 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Flush your water tank well before you put that rod back in. You may have mineral deposits sitting in the bottom of it, closer to the opening.
    SOLD my 2017 Momentum 376TH being pulled by a 2014 Ford F-350 Lariat, FX-4, Crew Cab, Longbed, Dually. Not pulling the 5er, catch me on my 2013 CVO Harley Ultra Classic.

    Map = states that we've stayed at least one night in our RV.

    http://visitedstatesmap.com/image/AR...TNTXUTWYsm.jpg

  4. #4
    Seasoned Camper Hwktlg8's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Location
    Des Moines, Iowa
    Posts
    239
    Mentioned
    2 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Quote Originally Posted by JCZhome View Post
    Flush your water tank well before you put that rod back in. You may have mineral deposits sitting in the bottom of it, closer to the opening.
    Thanks..yes I flushed last fall before winterization thats when I noted the odd wear. We camped longer this past yr in Michigan than yrs past. Maybe the water is particularly corosive there.
    Last edited by Hwktlg8; 03-30-2019 at 03:03 PM.
    Ryan and Alison
    2017 Solitude 377MBS-R
    Titan electric/hydraulic disc brakes
    Morryde CRE 3000, xmembers x3, WBs,4k springs
    2017 GMC 3500 Duramax Denali SRW Airlift bags with wireless control
    Pullrite 2900 autoslide hitch

  5. #5
    Seasoned Camper Hwktlg8's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Location
    Des Moines, Iowa
    Posts
    239
    Mentioned
    2 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Quote Originally Posted by TucsonJim View Post
    It's just a little odd that the end is eroded away, but nothing to worry about. There could have been a crack or flaw in that area and it dissipated first. Here's a chart showing when a rod should be replaced.



    Jim

    Thanks for the chart Jim. According to that graphic the rod may not be as bad as I thought...I just dont want the thing to break off and have to fish it out—that would not be fun.
    Ryan and Alison
    2017 Solitude 377MBS-R
    Titan electric/hydraulic disc brakes
    Morryde CRE 3000, xmembers x3, WBs,4k springs
    2017 GMC 3500 Duramax Denali SRW Airlift bags with wireless control
    Pullrite 2900 autoslide hitch

  6. #6
    Big Traveler JCZhome's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2016
    Location
    A rolling stone....we're in Tucson, Az. now.
    Posts
    1,537
    Mentioned
    10 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Might just be an oddity of that particular anode rod. I wouldn't worry about it at this point but check it again at the end of summer.

    Yes, the minerals in the water can make a big difference in the deteroration rate of an anode rod. Going to RV Maint. Tech training in Athens, Tex. they were good for a year however, the instructor told us that there's an area in west Tex. that you check your anode rod very often and may be replacing it in as little as four months. That's some seriously hard water.

    And in Ariz. this winter I noticed that the large majority have those large blue water softner bottles hooked up to their water supply. I asked a mobile tech and he told me that's due to Ariz. having such hard water.

    My thought......does that mean we can use water that has gone through the softner to wash the RV, truck and motorcycle and it'll dry spot free?
    SOLD my 2017 Momentum 376TH being pulled by a 2014 Ford F-350 Lariat, FX-4, Crew Cab, Longbed, Dually. Not pulling the 5er, catch me on my 2013 CVO Harley Ultra Classic.

    Map = states that we've stayed at least one night in our RV.

    http://visitedstatesmap.com/image/AR...TNTXUTWYsm.jpg

  7. #7
    Site Sponsor
    Join Date
    May 2018
    Location
    Central FL
    Posts
    690
    Mentioned
    3 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Quote Originally Posted by JCZhome View Post

    And in Ariz. this winter I noticed that the large majority have those large blue water softner bottles hooked up to their water supply. I asked a mobile tech and he told me that's due to Ariz. having such hard water.

    My thought......does that mean we can use water that has gone through the softner to wash the RV, truck and motorcycle and it'll dry spot free?

    It doesn't dry spot free but the spots are a lot fewer and not near as hard to get off.
    2022 Reflection150 226RK
    2022 F150 Powerboost hybrid with 3.5L Ecoboost


  8. #8
    Site Sponsor Cate&Rob's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Posts
    8,880
    Mentioned
    85 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Softening your water is more likely to accelerate anode corrosion than reduce it. There are many references to this online.

    Anode corrosion is galvanic corrosion which is an electrochemical reaction not just a chemical reaction. The rate of corrosion is definitely affected by the composition of the electrolyte (the water). Various dissolved minerals will make the water more conductive. A carbon filter will not remove most of these dissolved minerals.

    The most significant affect on corrosion rate is how far apart two metals are on the galvanic potential chart. See the attachment to post 14 on this thread https://www.mygrandrv.com/fo...677#post145677 Brass is one of the most noble metals encountered in normal plumbing systems. So, if you thread a brass fitting into your steel or aluminum water tank, your zinc anode will corrode more quickly.

    Remember that the anode is designed to corrode, to keep your tank materials as the cathodes in the reaction. As long as there is an anode, the connected cathode materials will not corrode. Once the zinc anode is completely gone, the galvanic corrosion will move to the next material less noble than that brass fitting . . . that being the aluminum or steel tank wall.

    If you want to reduce the corrosion rate of your anode, replace brass fittings with plastic ones or put a plastic bushing between the brass fitting and the tank, to electrically isolate the two.

    BTW . . . the anode rod in the original picture is not even 25% used (per the diagram posted by Jim)

    Rob
    Cate & Rob
    2015 Reflection 303RLS

  9. #9
    Long Hauler
    Join Date
    Jun 2018
    Posts
    2,356
    Mentioned
    16 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Quote Originally Posted by Cate&Rob View Post
    Softening your water is more likely to accelerate anode corrosion than reduce it. There are many references to this online.

    Anode corrosion is galvanic corrosion which is an electrochemical reaction not just a chemical reaction. The rate of corrosion is definitely affected by the composition of the electrolyte (the water). Various dissolved minerals will make the water more conductive. A carbon filter will not remove most of these dissolved minerals.

    The most significant affect on corrosion rate is how far apart two metals are on the galvanic potential chart. See the attachment to post 14 on this thread https://www.mygrandrv.com/fo...677#post145677 Brass is one of the most noble metals encountered in normal plumbing systems. So, if you thread a brass fitting into your steel or aluminum water tank, your zinc anode will corrode more quickly.

    Remember that the anode is designed to corrode, to keep your tank materials as the cathodes in the reaction. As long as there is an anode, the connected cathode materials will not corrode. Once the zinc anode is completely gone, the galvanic corrosion will move to the next material less noble than that brass fitting . . . that being the aluminum or steel tank wall.

    If you want to reduce the corrosion rate of your anode, replace brass fittings with plastic ones or put a plastic bushing between the brass fitting and the tank, to electrically isolate the two.

    BTW . . . the anode rod in the original picture is not even 25% used (per the diagram posted by Jim)

    Rob
    Why is the pressure release valve brass? This is screwed into an aluminum tank with no anode rod, Atwood.

    Brian

  10. #10
    Site Sponsor Cate&Rob's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Posts
    8,880
    Mentioned
    85 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Quote Originally Posted by Country Campers View Post
    Why is the pressure release valve brass? This is screwed into an aluminum tank with no anode rod, Atwood.

    Brian
    Hi Brian,

    I don't have an answer for this . . .and neither did the Atwood technicians who I asked this very question, at a Rally a few years ago. My best guess is that they get away with this because the pressure relief valve is (usually) in the vapor space above the water in the tank. For galvanic corrosion to take place, all connected metals have to be in the same electrolyte (the water).

    Disclaimer: My knowledge of galvanic corrosion has very little to with water heaters and a whole lot to do with owning an aluminum boat in a harbour full of brass, bronze, steel and stainless steel appendages in the same water where my aluminum hull is. Aluminum is an anode for all these materials unless I carefully protect it with sufficient more anodic material. I use magnesium which is as anode reactive as you can get, to everything else.

    Totally unrelated to this water heater story, but for those who might be interested . . . the galvanic electrical circuit is completed between boats by the ground wire in the shore power. I also have an isolation transformer so that my hull is not electrically connected to everybody else.

    Rob
    Cate & Rob
    2015 Reflection 303RLS

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  

DISCLAIMER:This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Grand Design RV, LLC or any of its affiliates. This is an independent site.