Anyone know a place (or better yet, a hardware store chain) that carries magnesium water heater anodes? Only places I've found them were online from Rheem/Ruud (almost $100 each!) and waterheaterrescue.com. Only other ones I've found have been aluminum (which I understand does not protect the tank as well as magnesium) and/or very short, intended for RV water heaters. Oddly, there's plenty of the latter available.
I already placed an order with waterheaterrescue.com for two, but still the bill was about $130. It's almost not worth keeping an old water heater going at that price; one part fails in the next 6-7 years and I'll be kicking myself for not just buying a new heater, even though the old one is kicking out plenty of BTUs. I can get a GE 40 gal. gas heater from Home Despot for under $400; I'm sure there are better deals out there from better stores.
nate