U.S. Solid Anode Rod- 9'' Long Magnesium Anode Rod for Hot Water Heaters,3/4'' NPT Thread Prevent Corrosion Within Your Water Heater, Sacrificial Anode Rod for Suburban Hot Water Heaters, a Product

Most water heater tanks are steel with a thin porcelain lining to protect the metal from corrosion. Since the lining eventually cracks, tanks have a second line of defense against rust, a long metal anode rod that attracts corrosive elements in the water. Water is naturally corrosive and becomes even more corrosive when it is heated. Protect your water heater from rust with the U.S. Solid Anode Rod, which is threaded to match all suburban model water heaters.
An anode rod also known in the industry as the “sacrificial lamb” is made of magnesium. Due to the position of magnesium to steel in the electromotive series of metals, the magnesium will corrode, producing an abundance of electrons which flow to the exposed steel surface and maintaining it in the electro-negative state. As current flow takes place, the anode rod reacts chemically to corrode at a rate faster than the steel inner tank. In less technical terms, the magnesium anode rod will corrode faster than the steel hot water tank. The anode rod corrodes faster than the steel in the tank, prolonging the life of your hot water heater.