Sacrificial Rod In Your Water Heater

Aluminum replacement rods are sold at home centers.

Sacrificial rod in your water heater.

By replacing your anode rod every 3 5 years your water heater can last well over 20 years without any risk of leaks and resulting water damage. Old anode rods increase the sediment at the bottom of the tank which inhibits heat transfer. Protect your water heater from corrosion by learning how to replace the anode rod. Tankless water heaters do not contain an anode rod however standard tank style water heaters do.

How to replace a sacrificial anode rod. To prevent the tank from rusting or your heater element from corroding the brilliant plumbers and chemists of long ago created a sacrificial rod for the water heater tank. Tank style water heaters come under a lot of pressure from the acidity of the water and heat produced in. How an anode rod protects your water heater water heaters in general are vulnerable to rusting and corroding simply because of the composition of water and the process of how the materials that manufacturers use to make water heaters such as steel.

If you have a user s manual it s best to consult the diagrams in it. Your next step is to drain the water from your water heater tank. Water rusts metal and your water heater would be a crumbling mess without a small rod inserted into the top of the tank. This procedure is essentially the same for most if no.

Bucket or hose to remove a couple gallons of water. A high quality 6 point 1 1 16 impact socket. The idea was that the anode rod would corrode first leaving the metal of the tank and element if you have an electric water heater alone saving you from dealing with a. A quick video showing how to replace the sacrificial anode rod inside a typical hot water heating tank.

This rod is called an anode rod or sometimes a sacrificial anode rod and it is the only reason your water heater hasn t left you bathing in rusty water. Rods are made from magnesium aluminum or aluminum zinc alloy. Many hot water heaters have the anode rode positioned on the top of the unit and connected to the hot water line. In most cases the hexagonal head of the rod is visible on the top of the water heater.

Get free shipping on qualified anode rod water heater accessories or buy online pick up in store today in the plumbing department. An anode rod helps prevent corrosion of a water tank and its elements and is often referred to as the sacrificial anode by experts. High water heater bills. Identify the anode rods located on the top portion of your unit.