How much torque can one apply to a fitting, say an anode screwed into a hot water tank, before getting into the area where one needs to be concerned about the integrity of the tank itself?
I suspect that it's new water heater time, or close to it, but I was pleasantly surprised when I removed the anode from another tank of similar age (in the same house) and found it well corroded but not so much that it would indicate that it had been without protection for any length of time. So I'd prefer to simply inspect this one, replace if indicated, and keep on using it if I can, being a cheap bas^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^Hfrugal person.
I had a 18" long, 1/2" drive breaker bar on it and it was flexing to the point where I was concerned about snapping the bar. (I may or may not have been using an unapproved extension on said bar...) I have a beefier 3/4" drive bar but I'm wondering if a person of average or slightly more than average strength can actually break the tank by doing this.
I've been pretty lucky so far, I've R&R'd two drain spigots, one T&P valve, and one anode without busting anything, as well as R&Ring the spigot and anode on a one year old tank in the garage. This is hopefully the last part I need to break loose to provide me with peace of mind, although you just know that now that I've said that the other T&P valve will fail :(
nate