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The Camco Aluminum Anode Rod is a sacrificial rod that extends the life of your water heater tank by absorbing the corrosion causing particles in the water. As a result, the water corrodes the rod rather than your steel tank. The ¾-inch OD aluminum anode rod measures 42-inches long and has ¾-inch – 14NPT threads. It is constructed of plated hex bushing.
From the Manufacturer
The Camco Aluminum Anode Rod is a sacrificial rod that extends the life of your water heater tank by absorbing the corrosion causing particles in the water. As a result, the water corrodes the rod rather than your steel tank. The ¾-inch OD aluminum anode rod measures 42-inches long and has ¾-inch – 14NPT threads. It is constructed of plated hex bushing.
Doug Cruickshank
2025-08-08 13:50:37
I only became properly aware of the presence and purpose of the water heater anode recently. I figured mine would be toast given that my heater is 17 years old. The old one was effectively welded in place and my 14" pipe wrench wasn't cutting it. I bought a 27mm socket (which is equivalent to 1 1/16") and an 18" breaker bar to remove the old one.I even had to use a makeshift harness using a clamping tie-down looped round the base of the safety valve to counter the force of the breaker bar. Without the counter force, I could easily have fractured the water pipes at the top of the heater. I was working in a confined space so it was really tough to crack it. It took several sessions over the course of a day before I worked up to maximum force and resolve and cracked it.There was nothing left of the old anode at all - just the copper wire core. The water that came out of the drain valve was a heavy opaque brown and the draining under gravity was extremely slow. It did speed up a bit as I drained out several gallons but it remained heavily discolored.The anode threads were heavily caked with oxidation deposits. I cleaned the threads with stiff nylon brushes and wire brushes.I had to cut 6" off the length of the anode because of the lack of ceiling clearance, which still left a healthy 35".I was still concerned about the discolored water in the tank and decided that I would flush water through the drain valve at mains pressure. You don't have to shut off anything to do this. I drew water off in 5 gallon amounts into a bucket so I could monitor the progress. I did a few buckets at a time over 2 or 3 days. I probably flushed at least 80 gallons in the end. To start with the water would sputter due to larger chunks of hard sediment but that cleared as I progressed. The water contained a sandy sediment and some calcium deposits. The brown coloration was presumably iron oxide. I stopped when I wasn't getting any further improvement, although the water still slightly discolored.On the plus side, I had been experiencing major skin irritation after showering for several years and it had been getting worse in recent times. I'd been researching water filters and had experimented with filter showerheads to resolve the issue, but after this tank flushing, my skin irritation has all but disappeared.As a result of this exercise, I will periodically flush out a few gallons from the tank and check the water clarity and flush out more as needs be. I will also check the anode after 7 years or so.
Kevin K
2025-07-30 10:15:05
Installed a new water heater (Rheem Heat Pump) and immediately noticed a sulphur smell from the hot water. After some research, found that the magnesium alloy rods can react and cause sulphur eating bacteria to thrive. Not dangerous, but stinky. Replacing the stock anode rod with this one was a bit of a chore because of how tightly installed the existing anode rod was, but as soon as the old one was out this dropped in and replaced it in less than a minute. Also easy to cut to length if it’s too long for your tank. I used a sawzall, but a hack saw would work just as well on the soft aluminum.
Randie Adams
2025-07-15 14:16:13
We live in New Orleans where the water is EXTREMELY hard. Water no longer smells of sulfur & seems to be softer.It was not difficult to install by myself. The adnoe is of high quality. Did the trick.
Jeff
2025-07-04 17:33:37
This is just what it says, a replacement anode rod. Since the screw size (3/4") is standard among American hot water heaters the only variable is the rod length. Mine, at 42 inches, happened to fit without cutting. I also had enough head room above the unit so I did not have to use a segmented rod. Shortening the anode would be no problem as it is just an aluminum rod and can easily be cut with a hacksaw. Everything I read said a 1-1/16 inch socket would fit the head. However, I had to substitute a 27 mm socket as my 1-1/16" socket turned out to be a tad too small. ( A 1-1/16" open end wrench did fit so the problem was my socket.)Removal of the old anode rod is said to be difficult according to Ask This Old House and various YouTube videos. Usually they are frozen/corroded in place. However, mine came out easily with an electric 1/2" impact wrench. That was nice since my heater is in a very small closet and there is no room to hold or brace it for a difficult removal. I've attached a photo of the old and new anode rods. There wasn't much left of the old rod after 14 years.I recommend draining and cleaning the water heater afterwards. I did mine beforehand and had to fish several pieces of the old rod out through the lower element hole. (That's when I noticed the rod needed replacement.) You can rig a piece of garden hose to a shop vac and clean out the sediment. Its a bit of a pain, but a whole lot easier and cheaper than replacing the water heater.
Jeff
2025-06-07 12:33:58
Installed it in my hot water heater. I'll let you know if it works when I remove it in a couple of years. Make sure you have ceiling clearance above the heater before ordering.
Sher
2025-05-22 11:16:38
Rod was fine, but the labels stuck on it were difficult to remove. Had to use nail polish remover to rub it off. There was also sticky packaging goo on it too. Besides that the rod is fine.
Customer
2025-04-19 17:04:32
Very easy to install. I have to cut it down to 36 inched. same as my old one.It needs impact socket to remove the old one. The old one turns all white and thin to 3/8 diameter.15 minutes job. change the next 5 year.
Happy Customer
2025-04-13 16:30:13
Was watching a video of how to replace a water heater on YouTube. Ran across a video explaining what generally goes wrong with them; this sacrificial anode rod. It looked easy enough to replace, ( I needed an impact drill to remove the old one as it was locked in). Apparently, I was right on time as the old one was nothing but the tightening hex head and a thin wire about 1/8" in diameter. A little Teflon tape on the new anode rods threads and the replacement was in. I was fortunate, as I had just enough headroom to fit the new rod in. Tightened it up and turned the water back on. Not a drip. Check how much room you have above the heater, as a finished ceiling would have stopped the operation. If space is an issue, they sell ones that are multi sectioned, (looks like a string of sausage links) that would be ideal in close quarters. Good luck and hopefully you can save the big money required to replace your entire water heater.
BartWeekendDIY
2025-04-02 10:52:53
I did alot of research and this rod is good for hard water in the city, consider too grabbing right socket to remove the old rod, princess auto 27 mm socket SKU: 8919797 is a perfect job, fits perfectly on the anode rod slot.
Rayezor
2025-03-02 14:18:58
Great product, the dimensions are exactly as described and pictured. Replaced the hot water tank's old anode with this new one, 1 1/16" socket, breaker bar and short cheater. Watch for overhead clearance, I had to insert the new anode at an angle otherwise I would have had to cut the bottom off the new one. I have hard water so I opted for this aluminum anode instead of the magnesium.
P&J
2025-02-19 10:30:01
Went in easy, need clearance above to get it in. Put two wraps of teflon tape near top plus a light film of silicon on top of tape and went in easy with no leaks.
Jay
2025-02-14 11:14:17
The package wasn't secured, a 42"x1 3/4" rod was in a 6" x 6" x 48" cardboard box with one piece of wrapping paper. It was bended! Screwed the rod into the hole, every full turn had at least 1/6 was scratching on the center stack/pipe. Other than that, the price was decent, the rod looks shiny.
EFTC
2025-01-28 16:08:56
It came a little bit long for my father in law's water heater. We ended up having to cut it to length. Overall he is happy which is good.
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