Replacing anode rods in water heaters?

[Salmon Egg]

Does it make practical sense to preemptively replace anodes in working water heaters in order to extend their lives? Is it better to just wait until leaking begins?

Bill

[charlie]

if it's leaking, it's too late. at that time, it's garbage. it makes sense to look at the anodes and replace if they're >75% used up.

[Paul Franklin]

Changing it after it starts leaking is not going to help.

Changing it before it is all used up can certainly extend the life. The trick is knowing when. The second trick is actually changing it. Can be a real job to break it loose without damaging anything, and you need a lot of clearance above to replace, although you can find chain type and/or segmented ones that work for low clearance.

Some manufacturers are using a combination inlet/dip tube/anode that require disconnecting the supply piping to remove.

HTH,

Paul F.

[Salmon Egg]

Thank you both for the quick reply. I had asked a plumber and he seemed to think that I should just wait until a leak develops. That is why I posted.

While I do believe that a new anode could greatly extend life. As was mentioned removal could be difficult. I once tried to remove an anode from a used up heater. I was totally unsuccessful. I would be even less ready now even if the heater were not in a confined space. I have a sneaking suspicion, that the cost of a new heater will be relatively low compared to what it would take to get a plumber to inspect the anode.

Is a job like that one that requires an impact wrench?

Any thoughts on the economics?

Bill

[SteveB]

Look at it this way. Which way is the plumber going to make more money? Changing the anode or changing the hot water heater?

Wait, wait. I know the answer to this one.

Cost of a new heater relatively low? You haven't bought, priced, or changed a water heater in a LONG time, right?

Steve

[Ed Pawlowski]

You'd really be PO'd to pull the anode rod, find it is only about half gone, but the water heater is now damaged from the removal and has to be replaced.

[Bob F]

How exactly is the water heater damaged?

How many have you damaged doing this?

[LouB]

Note earlier posts on difficulty of getting old anode out.

[Ed Pawlowski]

Anyone that has ever pulled anything out of anything old and untouched has risked or done damage and has a surprise or two. Broken bolts, stripped thread, twisted connections valves that leak by, and on and on.

Example: I helped my maintenance guys today. Last Thursday the were going to pull a basin pan out of a water cooling tower and replace it with the new one. Figured they would do one side in a day, the second side in less time. They are on day 5 and were fabricating more parts this morning. Side two will go easier since we know what parts will fall apart.

I've been working around mechanical things for the past 50+ years. Shit happens.

[Red Green]

"Ed Pawlowski" wrote in news:NK2dnZkXFN5YMhHXnZ2dnUVZ [e-mail]:

Brings to mind EFI fuel pumps in northern vehicles (road salt). Pickup #1 - removal resulted in destruction of some other costly gizmo in there as well as connections/tubing. Pickup #2 - Above plus rim where it mounts therefore gas tank NFG.

Both done by shops and not a vehicle hack.

[Bob F]

The result seems to be anode not out. I saw nothing about damage that in any way would affect the functionality.

[SteveB]

Always listen to your gut, Eggie. I'd be reluctant to pull it, as right now it doesn't leak, but you don't know it's condition. You pull it, but booger a thread or something, and the anode is still in decent shape, now you have to replace. I agree with Ed.

Let sleeping dogs lie. If you do not have a pan under it now, you MAY be able to cobble something together to protect yourself. They always go out at 3AM, and usually when someone's out of town. When and if you DO replace it, do NOT cheap out and not put a pan under it with a good drain. BTDT with two heaters I inherited. Well, I didn't cheap out, but the previous owners did, and that much water plus a lot that comes in to fill the leak wets a lot even if you find it quick. Can lead to mold, too.

Steve

[Tony Hwang]

Hmmm, Ditto here. In my local area, I never saw a worn out(disappeared) anode.

[Salmon Egg]

It is experiences like these that make me wary of inspecting and replacing the anode. I am pretty sure I will get another few years out of the heater. In the back of my mind is the thought of the effort of taking out the anode only to find out everything was ok until I screwed things up.

Bill

[Percival P. Cassidy]

But wouldn't removal be more difficult the longer it is left? I need to check, but I'm almost sure that the instructions for the water heater I installed earlier this year say to check the anode every six months.

Perce

[Winston]

(...)

Nonsense.

Measure the flats of the existing anode and pick up a matching socket for your breaker bar.

Using a Q-tip, daub under the head of the anode with Kroil.

Do not spray directly on to your water heater!

Keep the Kroil away from hot parts, like the exhaust stack! Use with adequate ventilation and keep Kroil away from open flame.

Repeat the application every day for a week.

Shut off the water to the house; turn off the gas to the heater. Open a hose bib in the front yard to relieve pressure in the lines.

Use a couple damp rags to clean the dust and Kroil off the anode cap and surrounding area.

Snap your socket on to your breaker bar and spin the old anode out of the tank. It will still be hot!

Inspect the anode. Replace if unduly worn. Decalcify if necessary.

Apply a THIN coating of graphite to the anode threads using a pencil.

Spin the new anode back into the tank and tighten.

Shut off the hose bib in the front yard.

Turn on the water and check for leaks.

No leaks? Turn the gas back on and light the pilot.

Bob's your uncle.

--Winston

[Roger Shoaf]

Yes check the anode! To simplify the removal use a 6 point socket and a breaker bar. I have found that heating the head of the anode with a propane torch softens the pipe dope thy use at the factory to facilitate removal.

Check out this web site for the anode tutorial:

You can probably find the anodes cheaper if you hunt a bit.

[Salmon Egg]

If it were an easy job, I would have no problem. It is not. Typical instruction also tell you to drain your heater a bit every few months. That is relatively easy with just the presence of a hose bib and a valve. Who does even that?

So after all that, I decided to not worry about the and and let the corrosion do what is natural.

Bill

[trader4]

I've checked mine a couple times so far with no problems. I think folks here are looking at it from two very different perspectives:

1 - Checking it every couple years from the time the heater was new. I'd start at about year 3. If you do that, the fitting will remain easy to unscrew in the future and the risk of causing problems is low. 2 - Waiting until it's 10+ years old, approaching it's end of life, and then doing it for the first time. In that case, I'd agree it may be not worth it, as it could be very difficult to remove and could result in more problems, eg leaking.

Regarding the advice to check it every 6 months, that seems very excessive to me and I doubt any water heater company would recommend doing it. The last tank I installed had no mention of checking the anode at all. I think the position of many of the tank manufacturers is that it should last about the life of the tank and doesn't need checking.

And regarding that point, there are two schools of thought on the whole issue of whether it makes sense to replace the anode or not. It depends on whether you believe it really will extend the life of the tank significantly or not. It's also possible that other failure mechanisms will ultimately cause the tank to fail at about the same time whether you replace the anode or not. In other words, the original anode may be sufficient to prevent galvanic corrosion long enough that it gets the tank to the time zone when other failure modes unrelated to the anode are likely going to get it soon anyway.

[bob haller]

new heater will be more efficent and cut future energy costs:)

DONT open plastic tank drain valves, they have ONLY one purpose to drain tank atr end of life!!