Camco Aluminum Anode Rod- Extends the Life of Water Heaters by Attracting Corrosive Elements, Tank Corrosion Protection (11563), Silver

Safety for hot water tank!

Used this in my 2005 Fleetwood Highlander Niagra and so far everything seems to be working as expected. Seemed to be well made and should do the job without issue.

Aluminum anode rods are recommended for hard water applications and magnesium anode rods for water with little or no mineral content.

Can be a little to remove if you havent done it before but, lessons learned and works great.

I now keep a spare on hand. The first time I checked the water heater anode (never knew about them before) I pulled out a rusty steel rod core. NO anode! Most RV campgrounds do not stock this part (and there are two different sizes) which means you have to try to track down a parts center. Pain! Camco is as good as any other brand out there.

This rod is super short. It replaced a rod that was the length of my entire water heater, about 4 feet. I dont know if this will hold up as well but it went in easy and looks like a fine quality. I will update this review in a year when I replace it.

I had no idea that travel trailer heaters required the periodic replacement of these aluminum anodes until a friend told me. My trailer was five years old already, and the original anode was still in the heater. When I took the old anode out to put in this new one, I almost could not get it out. It had partially disintegrated while doing its work. The only problem with these anodes is the difficulty of installation. The round tip that goes back into the heater is long enough and heavy enough that holding it horizontal while you start to screw it in requires a bit of hand and wrench skills. I finally inserted the hex head into a hex socket and used my ratchet wrench to screw it in. Be sure to use plumbers pipe tape on the threads before you screw the unit in to prevent water leaks around the threads.

Exactly like the one that came in our Camper!

Difficult to screw in! It wasnt just me, my plumber couldnt insert it all the way either. Maybe the diameter of the screw part is just a little too big? (My 5th wheel is a 2012.) Good enough, though, its not leaking.

Ordered the Camco 11563 Anode to replace the original in out 5th wheel. Owners manual said to check/replace every 12 months. I let mine go just over 12 months thinking we had not camped that many times. I was so suprised when I removed the original and found it almost gone. Wont make that mistake again as now I will check/replace every six months. Oh yes, this was a perfect fit.