Can someone offer any insight as to why Hallmark would remove the anode rod from the hot water heater? I know from research that the Suburban water heater typically has an anode rod. This is only the third year I have owned it but have thought about it every time I winterize it. Is this typical from Hallmark?
Hallmark Hot Water Heater
- Thread starter GT-Jim
- Start date
smlobx
Lost again
I'm not sure I follow you are you talking about the drain plug?
longhorn1
Ouch, that stings!
Don't think Hallmark would do anything to someone else's product. "It would be called assuming the warranty and liability". The new water heaters don't have an an anadode rod. You failed to mention what year your camper is. Ours is a 2014 FWC and our water heater doesn't have the rod
Old Crow
Searching....
Hi, GT-Jim...
Very interesting!
Can you provide the model number of the water heater and/or post a photo of it? And did you buy the camper new from Hallmark? And can you provide a description of the drain plug (What material is it made of? Is there any kind of rod at all or is it just flat on the inner side?)
Very interesting!
Can you provide the model number of the water heater and/or post a photo of it? And did you buy the camper new from Hallmark? And can you provide a description of the drain plug (What material is it made of? Is there any kind of rod at all or is it just flat on the inner side?)
smlobx
Lost again
Our Hallmark is a 2016 Everest.
If I remember correctly when we did our walk around they gave us a PVC plug with a drain valve in it. Matt said he cannot change the original metal one out (warranty etc.) but reccomended switching out to the pvc one to make it easier to drain.
Interestingly, I just did this last week as part of my winterizing process. There was some rust around the drain plug so this may help that....
I still have the original plug and can take a picture of it if you'd like.
If I remember correctly when we did our walk around they gave us a PVC plug with a drain valve in it. Matt said he cannot change the original metal one out (warranty etc.) but reccomended switching out to the pvc one to make it easier to drain.
Interestingly, I just did this last week as part of my winterizing process. There was some rust around the drain plug so this may help that....
I still have the original plug and can take a picture of it if you'd like.
We had a 2000 Caribou TC where the water heater had an anode. It was a separate plug, mounted in the center of the tank. The drain plug was at the bottom. Our travel trailer doesn't have an anode in the WH.
Old Crow
Searching....
I'm just trying to figure out whether GT-Jim has an Atwood or Suburban water heater. Generally speaking, Suburbans have an anode rod and Atwoods don't. That's because Suburban's have a (porcelain-lined) steel tank and Atwoods have an aluminum tank (clad inside with 7072 aluminum-zinc-magnesium alloy).
From the factory, Suburbans have a 3/4" NPT metal plug with the sacrificial anode rod sticking up into the tank while Atwoods have a 1/2" NPT nylon plug without a rod. It's fairly common for owners to replace an Atwood's nylon plug with a brass one with a drain-cock so they don't have to mess with removing the nylon plug. It's also possible that a Suburban owner decides he or she wants a drain-cock and removes the anode rod even though that wouldn't be the manufacturer's recommendation.
Hallmark's Service Page shows manuals for both Suburban and Atwood water heaters. And I see the winterization videos in the Videos section show a Suburban water heater in part 1 (for LaVeta, Raton, Guanella, K2, Nepal, and Milner) while Part II shows an Atwood water heater (for Ute, Everest, and Cuchara).
From the factory, Suburbans have a 3/4" NPT metal plug with the sacrificial anode rod sticking up into the tank while Atwoods have a 1/2" NPT nylon plug without a rod. It's fairly common for owners to replace an Atwood's nylon plug with a brass one with a drain-cock so they don't have to mess with removing the nylon plug. It's also possible that a Suburban owner decides he or she wants a drain-cock and removes the anode rod even though that wouldn't be the manufacturer's recommendation.
Hallmark's Service Page shows manuals for both Suburban and Atwood water heaters. And I see the winterization videos in the Videos section show a Suburban water heater in part 1 (for LaVeta, Raton, Guanella, K2, Nepal, and Milner) while Part II shows an Atwood water heater (for Ute, Everest, and Cuchara).
My water heater is a Suburban SW4D installed in a 2015 K2. The plug is steel and has a bore hole on the inside (about 1/2" diameter) with a short piece or rod that appears to be steel welded from the outside.Old Crow said:
By the way, thanks for all the attention. This is my first camper of any kind and I am still kind of a novice.
enelson
Senior Member
Our 2014 K2 didn't have an anode. I don't remember which brand though. At least Hallmark puts winterizing valves for the water tank so the main water system can still be used a bit longer into winter.
Old Crow
Searching....
Thanks, GT-Jim!
The plot thickens......
Well, according to the Service and Training Manual for an SW4D, page 31, the part number for its anode is 232767. Here's one on Amazon. Now of course that's a new one.
I found this photo showing what the anode rods can look like as they deteriorate....
(That's from this very nice blog post on how to change out the anode.)
How does your SW4D's anode compare?
Also- you indicate it looks like it's welded from the outside. I happened upon this RV.net thread which tells us (in the 6th post) that the head of an aluminum one will be flat and a magnesium one will have a bump. The 232767 one is magnesium so I'm wondering if that's the explanation for the bump you see.
The plot thickens......
Well, according to the Service and Training Manual for an SW4D, page 31, the part number for its anode is 232767. Here's one on Amazon. Now of course that's a new one.
I found this photo showing what the anode rods can look like as they deteriorate....
(That's from this very nice blog post on how to change out the anode.)
How does your SW4D's anode compare?
Also- you indicate it looks like it's welded from the outside. I happened upon this RV.net thread which tells us (in the 6th post) that the head of an aluminum one will be flat and a magnesium one will have a bump. The 232767 one is magnesium so I'm wondering if that's the explanation for the bump you see.
CougarCouple
Senior Member
Hi all been following this thread and have been wondering about the lack of anode rod. I have only seen the suburban heaters, so that would answer the question I had. GT- Jim look up a replacment and you should see a much larger piece of metal attached to the wire rod you described.
Smlobx pvc is not rated for the temperature a water heater can generate, cpvc is used for hot water.
Russ
Smlobx pvc is not rated for the temperature a water heater can generate, cpvc is used for hot water.
Russ
smlobx
Lost again
Well I have definitely learned something new today and I have the good folks on WTW to thank for it...
When I took the lower drain plug off my Suburban water heater I didn't realize that it was also the anode rod. The remaining rod on my anode was only about 1/2" long!! I went back and read the owner's manual and they suggested replacing it yearly (or more if your water warrants it). Mine has been on for about 18 months!
So I went to Amazon (thanks Old Crow) and ordered two of them along with a nifty tank flushing device.
I will not be using the pvc plug although it is rated to 140 degrees and most water heaters heat to 120 degrees. I obviously need an anode.
Thanks everyone!
When I took the lower drain plug off my Suburban water heater I didn't realize that it was also the anode rod. The remaining rod on my anode was only about 1/2" long!! I went back and read the owner's manual and they suggested replacing it yearly (or more if your water warrants it). Mine has been on for about 18 months!
So I went to Amazon (thanks Old Crow) and ordered two of them along with a nifty tank flushing device.
I will not be using the pvc plug although it is rated to 140 degrees and most water heaters heat to 120 degrees. I obviously need an anode.
Thanks everyone!
CougarCouple
Senior Member
Hi smlobx
Did a little search check out the second table, I know it's threaded in and might never be a problem, but thought I'd throw it out there. I think there was mention from previous post that there was a nylon plug.
Glad you were to get the info you needed, this site is awesome.
Russ
http://www.charlottepipe.com/Documents/PL_Tech_Man/Temp_DeRating.pdf
Edit- link
Did a little search check out the second table, I know it's threaded in and might never be a problem, but thought I'd throw it out there. I think there was mention from previous post that there was a nylon plug.
Glad you were to get the info you needed, this site is awesome.
Russ
http://www.charlottepipe.com/Documents/PL_Tech_Man/Temp_DeRating.pdf
Edit- link
Thanks all.
The first time I winterized my camper I didn't think about it and then somewhere I read a discussion about the difference between Attwood and Suburban and one needing an anode and one not. This year when I drained the heater I noticed the "nub" of the anode in the plug so I thought I was ask if there was a reason for this. When I took delivery I vaguely remember being told something about the anode rod but don't remember what it was. I was just curious as to why it would have been removed, I know there was nothing there since new.
I'm going to flush it out real good in the spring and install a new plug/anode rod.
The first time I winterized my camper I didn't think about it and then somewhere I read a discussion about the difference between Attwood and Suburban and one needing an anode and one not. This year when I drained the heater I noticed the "nub" of the anode in the plug so I thought I was ask if there was a reason for this. When I took delivery I vaguely remember being told something about the anode rod but don't remember what it was. I was just curious as to why it would have been removed, I know there was nothing there since new.
I'm going to flush it out real good in the spring and install a new plug/anode rod.
smlobx
Lost again
Well I received my tank flushing device that I ordered from Amazon...
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002XL2IBS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
and it looks like it will do the trick!
For just a few dollars I figured it was worth the risk. Going to try it out this weekend if it's not too cold.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002XL2IBS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
and it looks like it will do the trick!
For just a few dollars I figured it was worth the risk. Going to try it out this weekend if it's not too cold.
Mine is a very mellow yellowsmlobx said:
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