Electric Water Heater Anode Rod

An anode rod will corrode and deteriorate over time until it s no longer capable of functioning and has to be replaced.

Electric water heater anode rod. Removed the anode rod from my hot water tank and it was totally dissolved after 3 5 years of service using city water and water softener. When your water gets a sulfur smell it often involves the anode rod in your hot water heater. If necessary unscrew and lift off the cover from the top of the heater. When the anode rod is depleted it no longer offers corrosion protection for the tank.

3 locate the anode rod on the water heater. Determined the problem could be due to a worn out anode rod in my hot water heater. Find anode rod water heater parts at lowe s today. Since most water heaters use a standard 3 4 npt connection you simply need to choose the type of installation you have.

This is a common problem with older water heaters and in certain parts of the country. Rods are made from magnesium aluminum or aluminum zinc alloy. Water heaters use an anode rod to attract and remove sediments from the water being heated. As long as the anode in the system is working the metal of the rod wears away rather than the hot water heater lining.

However if you replace your water heater anode rod before it fails about every five years you can double the life of your water heater. Amazed that the. 5 if the anode rod won t budge slip a steel pipe onto ratchet wrench handle for extra leverage. An anode rod is a special metal element that s meant to slowly dissolve so that the tank itself doesn t corrode.

Changing the anode rod every four years is a great way to extend the life of your water heater. 4 use a ratchet wrench and 1 1 16 inch deep socket to unscrew the anode rod from the heater. This rod is designed to attract corrosive elements extending the life of your heater. In most cases the hexagonal head of the rod is visible on the top of the water heater.

As mentioned above you might have a water heater with a separate inlet for the anode rod or your anode rod might be installed on the hot water outlet. Anode rods are usually found near the outlet pipes on the inside of the heating tank and are connected with a hex head screw. A water heater anode is used in most hot water tanks in order to prevent the corrosion of the tank s metal lining. Replaced the original aluminum anode rod with a magnesium anode rod at a cost of approximately 24.