Received this by email , thought I would pass it on.
Cheers
Mick
Dear Valued Customers
It has come to our attention that an increasing number of Suburban Hot Water Systems are being fitted with anode rods that are not genuine Suburban products.
Did you know that there are many anode rods on the market? Cheaper imitations may not always be the best fit for a Suburban HWS. Not only are some imitations the incorrect length which could crush the cold water inlet collet, you also need to be wary of the thread type (at the head of the rod).
The Suburban range of HWSs are made in the USA and they use the NPT style thread for the anode. Most other parts of the world use a BSP style thread. If a BSP threaded anode rod is fitted into a Suburban HWS it will do irreversible damage to the pitch on the internal thread of the tank and cause future leaks.
The best way to ensure you dont damage your Suburban HWS is to only use Genuine Suburban Anode Rods.
I have like Dick0 purchase mine on Ebay and have done so ever since we bought the van and yes they are longer than the original but no damage, I also use plumbers tape on the thread and have never had a leak
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Just for the hell of it I check mine every 6 months. Got a cheapy from ebay I believe aluminium. They look like they sacrifice so I guess no problems to the liners. Then again I could be wrong.
Cheers
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Just for the hell of it I check mine every 6 months. Got a cheapy from ebay I believe aluminium. They look like they sacrifice so I guess no problems to the liners. Then again I could be wrong.
Cheers
Hi Phil
Aluminium will certainly be cheap & last a long time on other than highly mineralises water
But it may not doing much to prevent corrosion in side the heater [unless you are on bore or very mineralised water
If mainly on town water, I suggest you stick with the recommended anode type
Get mine on Ebay, Australian supplier, generic product, half "genuine" cost.
Change rod once a year. About 75% corroded. Free camp mostly.
Have no problem.
I do wonder, however, how long does a GENUINE rod last?
As a point of interest, the above anodes are Magnesium Alloy. These "generic" low cost non-genuine anodes have been replaced annually for 12 years with no adverse effect to the HWS.
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Cheers, Richard (Dick0)
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I believe the statement by coast to coast to be incorrect. At least for the cheap anodes I use from ebay. I bought a pack of two for 17.95 they were delivered in two days! free freight. Coast to coast state they are a different thread on the fitting....incorrect they screw straight in. They also state they are too long, I measured the inside of the tanks and there is 50mm clearance.... as for the composition being different I don't know , but I do know they are wrong about the others being different so my guess is they are guessing here too. Sorry coast to coast but this seems like a post to drum up business. I change anodes twice a year so I have plenty of experience to see if they perform like the genuine article.... I will report back in 6 months to let you know if there is a bad smell or green gunk in my tank. But I think not.
-- Edited by Greig on Thursday 19th of September 2019 03:12:49 PM
Get mine on Ebay, Australian supplier, generic product, half "genuine" cost.
Change rod once a year. About 75% corroded. Free camp mostly.
Have no problem.
I do wonder, however, how long does a GENUINE rod last?
As a point of interest, the above anodes are Magnesium Alloy. These "generic" low cost non-genuine anodes have been replaced annually for 12 years with no adverse effect to the HWS.
Made the mistake of cutting one of the magnesium alloy anodes with an angle grinder rather than the hacksaw, not advisable, took ages to put out the fire on the bench top out when the bits scattered across the vice and lit up all the oil and metal fillings and ...... knowledge is understanding just how stupid you were just after you do something dumb
T1 Terry
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Get mine on Ebay, Australian supplier, generic product, half "genuine" cost.
Change rod once a year. About 75% corroded. Free camp mostly.
Have no problem.
I do wonder, however, how long does a GENUINE rod last?
As a point of interest, the above anodes are Magnesium Alloy. These "generic" low cost non-genuine anodes have been replaced annually for 12 years with no adverse effect to the HWS.
Made the mistake of cutting one of the magnesium alloy anodes with an angle grinder rather than the hacksaw, not advisable, took ages to put out the fire on the bench top out when the bits scattered across the vice and lit up all the oil and metal fillings and ...... knowledge is understanding just how stupid you were just after you do something dumb
T1 Terry
Good one Terry,,, advice on solar good,, plumbing?????? lol
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I had a friend pick up an anode from RTM Bundaberg last week the suites a "Suburban SW6DEA" hot water system. Cost $19.95. I have only just read this and was not aware that their are different anodes with different threads.
I phoned RTM and they could not tell me what thread is on the anodo, only that it fits the above system. The fellow told me that they sell a lot of these anodes and have not had any complaints.
My hot water system is a SW6DEA. I have not received it yet, so I hope it is the correct anode.