Aluminum vs magnesium september 11 2019 january 3 2020 versus home before diving into the details of anode rods it s important to note that they are only found in tank based water heaters.
Rv water heater anode rod aluminum vs magnesium.
But first let s compare the two most common types of anode rods you ll find in water heaters today.
Tankless water heaters do not contain an anode rod however standard tank style water heaters do.
Aluminum vs magnesium our review.
Aluminum and magnesium rods.
An anode rod helps prevent corrosion of a water tank.
Water heater anode rod.
So you suspect your water heater s current anode rod needs replacing so you re figuring out which type you ought to purchase as a replacement.
I replace my anode rod every year.
Either will work but if you review your handy nobility chart it shows that magnesium is the less noble metal so theoretically magnesium will perform better at protecting the water heater than an aluminum rod would.
Before we get into the water heater anode rod aluminum vs magnesium argument it s important to take a look at what an anode rod does in your water heater.
Water heater anode rod guide.
Water heater anode rod aluminum vs magnesium aluminum anode rods.
This rod has been in about 8 months and is much worse than the others i have replaced at 1 year.
We specify commercial water heaters for projects and the heaters we utilize are always magnesium and i don t believe that.
This anode for my suburban water heater is a magnesium version not the aluminum kind and should last much longer.
But last time we were out i noticed a smell and taste in the water.
The aluminum rods are the slowest performing anode rods built from aluminum.
In the same way that ships use sacrificial rods to protect the metal of the hull an anode rod attracts the corrosion and keep the rust and corroding elements away from the water tank itself.
Water heater anode rods.
I just pulled the anode rod and it is almost totally gone not 10 of it is left and the water smelled when it came out of heater.
To be fair this type of rod is much less expensive when you compare it with the magnesium or any other type of rods.