Waterheater rod

cheers Bob

Yea, I read that site, I figured it was someone just trying to sell his/her wares. I did not know if it was propaganda or not.

BobK207 wrote:

Its a legit idea, but the hassle and possible damage or causing a leak isnt worth it to me.

So every 8 to 12 years I install a new tank, thats not much money in comparision with everything else it costs to live.

$2500 bucks for a lifetime...

Now compare that to likely twice as many new cars in the same time period.

Hot water tanks are cheap..........

Hi, Haven't you taken chemistry or physics class in H.S.?

Fred-

As Hallerb says ....it's a legit site but I agree with him about the hassle / savings analysis

except in my case (must be water conditions) my w/h's last even longer.

I replaced a w/h heater in 1980 & then in 2004. The 1980 unit was replacing one installed in 1963 (not my install)

So I'm getting something like ~20 years per w/h

If I "properly" maintained the w/h how much longer would it last?

So I jsut forget about it.

Of course if your live where the water chem is a problem then maybe replacing the anode might make sense.

YMMV

cheers Bob

I did just that about a year ago, on a water heater that was about 5 years old at that time. What was needed was a six pointed socket

Just remember to turn off the gas, and the incoming cold water, and to drain a few buckets of water from the unit before you start the process. Go slowly, and don't force anything.

I also checked mine recently on a a gas heater that is about 5 years old now. The rod appeared to be about half way through it's life. I'll recheck in about 2 years.

Certainly the concept behind this is sound and well known. The rod is a sacrificial anode, made of a less noble metal, (magnesium I think), which will corrode instead of the tank. It's the same principle used on every boat, where zincs are used to protect underwater metal.

I guess the remaining question is if it will in fact extend the life of the heater enough to make it worthwhile to check and replace the anode. It would seem that it should, because if it didn't significantly protect the tank, the manufacturers wouldn't install them. Plus, checking it gives some indication of how much corrosion is going on. If you see a rod decaying away rapidly, even if you choose not to replace it, you know that the heater is in an environment where it's not likely to last a long time.

A few details please. Where did you find a replacement anode? With a 4' section of pipe for extra leverage, how did you keep the tank from turning? Did you have a clearance problem from tank top to ceiling?

Bob S.

1. My hot water heater is built by AO Smith. I believe that I got the segmented replacement anode rod from them.
2. I did not have a problem with the tank turning when the 4' section of pipe was used for extra leverage. The 50 gallon tank was more than

1. I did have a ceiling clearance problem, but was able to raise the anode rod high enough to see that only the top few inches was corroded, but the remaining length of the rod was still the full diameter. Note

- the replacement anode rod was segmented - the individual sections are about 12" long, connected together by flexible braided wire.

Home Depot sells replacement anode rods.

I had to use an impact wrench on mine to break it free. With a tank full of water, its usually not a problem to keep it from turning, especially if you have a helper grabbing the tank. An impact wrench works wonders too.

Once lose, its easy to remove. Its usually so far gone that its fairly flexible and can be bent to clear the ceiling. Putting a new one in is different. HD sells flexible rods just for this purpose.

dickm

I think one of the easiest ways to get the tank to last the longest and save some energy is to set the water temperature as low as you can.... I set it so that the water is just a little hotter than I like for a shower.

Mark

anode might be under top cover

keeping temp low helps tank life a lot since it minimizes thermal shock as very cold water enters very hot tank

another issue.tanks continue to become more efficent, so a 20 year old tank can be a energy piggie