Roo Warmers, also known as Shamrock Water Heaters, are a type of water heater that can be retrofitted into RVs and travel trailers. They’re easy to install because they don’t require any plumbing or electrical work. When you replace the anode rod in your RV with a roo warmer, it extends the life of your existing unit by about ten years…
The “rv hot water heater anode socket size” is a very important part of your RV. If you’re looking to replace it, you’ll need to know how long the rod should be.
It’s possible that some of the links in this article are affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking on an affiliate link, I may get a commission. In addition, I receive money on qualifying purchases as an Amazon Associate. —
It’s springtime in Michigan, which means it’s time to drag the Shamrock / Roo camper out of the garage, de-winterize it, and get it ready for another wonderful camping season! In this post, we’ll go through how to inspect and replace the anode rod in a travel trailer’s water heater.
How Often Should an Anode Rod in an RV Water Heater Be Replaced?
The anode rod in your camper’s water heater should be updated on a regular basis. This is because of the hardness of the water in your travel trailer. It’s a good idea to inspect it every 6 to 12 months.
When the anode is around 50% pitted and gone, experts suggest replacing it. An anode rod is used to protect the components of the RV’s water heater from harm.
The majority of anode rods are constructed of magnesium and are intended to extend the life of your water heater. Water naturally corrodes the water heater, but the anode is meant to prevent this by corroding itself rather than the hot water heater. This is referred to as cathodic protection.
Because a new water heater costs roughly $1,000, this $15-40 preventative technique is suggested.
To replace the anode in the RV’s water heater, you’ll need the following tools.
How to Replace the Anode Rod in a Travel Trailer or RV’s Water Heater
Always ensure sure the water heater’s propane and electricity are switched off. Unless the tank is empty from being winterized, run hot water via a faucet until the water is cold.
Anode rod replacement.
To relieve the pressure in the tank, open the pressure relief value.
Allow the water to drain after removing the anode rod from the tank using a 1 1/16′′ socket wrench.
The anode rod that is being changed looks like this. I probably might have gotten another year out of it, but I already had a replacement, so I chose to replace it to safeguard my investment in the water heater.
Wrap the Teflon plumbers tape around the anode in a counterclockwise orientation (opposite direction it gets screwed back into the water heater).
Replace the anode in the water heater and tighten it with your fingers (clockwise).
DO NOT TIGHTEN IT TOO MUCH; it should just be snug enough to keep water out. You don’t want the threads to be stripped.
To get any air bubbles out of the system, run the hot water.
That’s all there is to it when it comes to changing a Shamrock / Roo / RV / Travel Trailers water heater anode and extending the unit’s life. Close the lid, and now you may either switch on the electricity or the gas to get the tank to heat up again.
The “are all rv anode rods the same size” is a question that is asked by many people. The answer to this question is yes, all RV anode rods are the same size.
Related Tags
- rv anode rod replacement
- when to replace rv anode rod
- no anode rod in rv water heater
- best anode rod for rv water heater
- changing anode rod in water heater
