Resistance of thermal switch in thermocouple - does it matter - hot water heater - generic replacement

*If* you can remove it; there's very little of the aluminum or magnesium rod still left, and you can see the supporting wires.

You should be checking the anode every year or two, this also keeps it from corroding in place, so you *can* check it.

Reply to
Jerry Peters
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Also, IIRC, it uses a large socket (1-1/8"?) and a long 1/2 drive breaker bar . They are usually very very tight. Just drain a little water out (gallon or so) and still you may need an extra hand to hold on to the tank. You will need some clearance above the tank to put the rod in.

Reply to
tom

They sell new ones that are in sections for people who have that problem.

Reply to
trader_4

Me? heh... I replece my anode every time I replace the H/W heater. :-)

Jonesy

Reply to
Allodoxaphobia

Thank you for bringing the vertical space up as a problem, as I might have that problem since the hot water heater is in a relatively small closet, and it's on a pedestal off the ground.

I never thought of that problem until you mentioned it.

Reply to
Danny D.

This makes a lot of sense to remove the anode yearly so that you can remove it before it corrodes in place.

Unfortunately for me, the AO Smith anode (PN 9009148005) comes with the hot-water nipple, so, they have it inline (somehow) with the hot water pipe.

Seems silly to me that I have to basically disconnect the water pipes just to check the anode.

Reply to
Danny D.

You have a point on the shipping, as the anode is long I presume. Mine has the hot-water nipple on the end also.

I checked three parts stores. None had it in stock while most had the pilot assembly in stock.

So, people replace the AO Smith pilot assembly more so than they do the anode (or they use a different anode part number).

- pilot assembly 9003455005 $88

- anode with nipple 9009148005 $38

Reply to
Danny D.

Between that thermal fuse at the burner and the screwy anode that's part of the water pipe connection, I've heard enough to stay away from AO Smith. It looks to me that they are doing things in a way to force you into parts that you can only get from them. Bad for two reasons. Your thermocouple goes from a $15 part that you can easily get many places, including locally, to a special part that costs $130.

Reply to
trader_4

I took apart another water heater today, and found interesting thigns.

The anode was white and mostly gone.

It took an 8-foot long pipe to get the 27mm plug out (but the water heater was spinning which made it harder).

Both the hot and cold water nipples have some kind of plastic restrictor in them (why?).

The flue had a spiral pipe going through it.

The safety valve has a spring inside and was gunked up. The output valve was all gunked up with white creamy stuff.

The thermostat screws off (using a hammer!) and it had a six inch or so long tube going into the water tank which was all gunked up.

Rust is everywhere.

But I was easily able to remove the thermocouple from this water heater (but not from the AO Smith water heater).

Reply to
Danny D.

I removed mine when the tank was about 5 years old. It took a large pipe wrench (the hex top of the rod was above the tank) and a 3 foot or so section of galvanized pipe on the wrench handle and lots of effort to remove it.

Reply to
Jerry Peters

Are you sure it's the hot water side? Usually if it's not a separate rod, it's part of the cold water inlet tube which introduces the cold water at the bottom of the tank.

Reply to
Jerry Peters

I'm not sure of anything but that's what the AO Smith technical support told me on the phone.

Taking the suggestion from others, I measured the headroom to only be about

10 inches above the water heater - so I don't really think I can get the old anode out without removing the entire water heater, which I don't really want to do.
Reply to
Danny D.

I had a spare hot water tank to practice on and it was 27mm and it took a very long pipe (about 8 feet) to twist it off.

So, those things are in there rather well if they're not removed every once in a while!

Reply to
Danny D.

Doesn't seem like it, especially if it's part of the water inlet tube. For low clearance separate anode rod applications there's a special replacement rod that has periodic narrow sections, so you can bend it to get it to fit.

Reply to
Jerry Peters

replying to Danny D., Will wrote: I went to Lowes and picked up their $8.50 thermocouple and replaced the AO Smith thermocouple. I used force and twisting with pliers to remove the AO Smith thermocouple. I used a drill bit to ever so slightly enlarge the whole to fit the new thermocouple. I bent one of the brackets slightly to secure the new thermocouple in place. My unit has been working fine ever since. I am losing that added protection, but I think it's a very small risk seeing that in 12 years the thermocouple resistor has never popped. $8 vs $88 is not a big jump if you're concerned about your home, but if you feel that it's an extremely low risk replacement, then $8 becomes a big savings over the $88.

Reply to
Will

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