How to use water heater with electric, not propane

[ParkIt]

Our last trailer(2001) had a switch inside for both propane and electric, none on the outside. Also, the water heater didn't need an anode rod. I personaly thought they were ancient technology in 2010.

I was surprised when I opened the cover to see the 'old' style panel, last unit I had I upgrade it to a circuit board which eliminates the need for the anode rode. That was 1996!
This is on my growing list of "gonna replace that!" of things to do on the new unit

 

[Bob&Patty]

Question, by replacing the anode rod with a circuit board.....just how does the circuit board remove the crud from the water in the tank?? Circuit boards normally don't work well around water. Just asking

 

[GOTTOYS]

I was surprised when I opened the cover to see the 'old' style panel, last unit I had I upgrade it to a circuit board which eliminates the need for the anode rode. That was 1996!
This is on my growing list of "gonna replace that!" of things to do on the new unit

How do you replace a anode rod with a circuit board? The anode rod screws into the tank and also plugs the drain hole....Sacrificial anode rod is only used on the water heater with an aluminum tank. If it has the glass lined type of tank no anode rod is needed...Don

 

[Bighurt]

I just replaced our anode rod. It was just about to break into. It was in there for 2 years. I now have every little thing fixed and ready for a trip to AK this summer, pulling out about June 15.

I replace ours annually...

 

[JohnDar]

The need to replace the anode rod is dependent on the incoming water quality. If you're getting hard, mineral water into the tank, then the rod will sacrifice itself faster. We've been using CG well water for the past two seasons (now the third) and still have the original rod in almost new condition. I think it's because of the two-stage filtration system I put in our water line. The first is a sediment filter and the second a carbon block.

The other possibility may be how the CG cleans its water. I'll have to ask the owner what they do or don't do to it before pumping it around the CG.

 

[Willym]

How do you replace a anode rod with a circuit board? The anode rod screws into the tank and also plugs the drain hole....Sacrificial anode rod is only used on the water heater with an aluminum tank. If it has the glass lined type of tank no anode rod is needed...Don

You have it backwards,. Atwood, aluminum heater tanks, need no anode rod. Surburban heaters (most Heartland units seem to have them) are lined steel and need an anode rod to protect any exposed steel.
Maybe the circuit board referenced above is similar to those devices that are advertised to provide rust protection on cars and trucks.

 

[JohnDar]

I hope we're not confusing the circuit board for the water heater, which is taped to the back side of the tank, as being an anode device. If there's a 1 1/16" nut on the outer lower face of the water heater panel, you've got an anode rod attached to it.

Perhaps you could contact Heartland with your VIN to determine exactly which water heater you have, although the name and model should be visible somewhere on the outside face.