Finally got around to installing a new water heater anode.

[HoosierBuddy]

Back in the day, I could get a 40 Gallon NG water heater for $150 and it would last 8 or 10 years, and I was fine with that.

Then I did an upstairs remodel that took out my flue space for the water heater, so I had to switch to a power vent model. So, now replacement is going to be a bigger hit to the old wallet.

6 years in I decided to replace the anode rod, which is something I have never bothered to do before.

1. Total job was about 15 minutes. First step was turn the gas valve to pilot, shut off the water and drain about a gallon into a bucket.
2. If I wouldn't have used my cordless 1/2" impact, I don't think I'd have gotten the old one out. I spent a minute with a breaker bar and made zero progress. Problem is the water heater spins, so a cheater wouldn't help. Makita 1/2" 18V impact with 1-1/16" socket had it out in about 3 seconds.
3. The old anode rod was 99% gone. Should have replaced this a year ago.
4. I bought a magnesium anode from Amazon that is 4 1-foot sections that can be fed in from the top with low clearance. With a single 4-foot rod I would have had to drain and disconnect the water heater and lay it on it's side, because I only had about 20 inches clearance above in my low-ceiling basement.
5. LOTS of brown water created when I put the thing back in service. Assume that was rust and bits of the old anode rod that got stirred into the water when I refilled /repressurized the tank. I made sure to run hot water into the washing machine (empty) until it ran clear and then hit "cancel" to hopefully keep the wife happy next time she does whites.

Final step was to write when I changed it on the side of the heater in sharpie and "Change next in 2028" on it too.

Years ago I was told that the main difference in the more expensive water heaters, with a longer tank warranty, is they come with a larger anode. Not 100% sure that is true, but the failure mode of every water heater I've ever replaced is "Tank started leaking"....so you know....15 minutes. $29.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B082VG7TVR/?tag=atomicindus08-20

BTW...I THINK (not 100% sure) this is universal. 3/4" NPT threads and 1 -1/16" wrench required. My water heater is an AO Smith.

 

[dcg9381]

BTW...I THINK (not 100% sure) this is universal. 3/4" NPT threads and 1 -1/16" wrench required. My water heater is an AO Smith.

I think that's right also.

I just replaced the anode in my RV, at 3 years, limited use, it was completely gone. You can switch anode materials in addition to varying the size of the anode if you want. I went to an aluminum anode this time.

I've never had a residential water heater tank fail, but most of mine have been under 10 years old. I have seen quite a few with a ton of sediment in them. Probably depends on the "quality" of your water (dissolved solids). We've moved to tankless in the house and our water currently has near-zero dissolved solids.

 

[vavet]

I was thinking it was 1-1/16". The last one i ordered from amazon came with a 27mm socket. 1-1/16 works out to 26.9875mm, so that tends to confirm my memory.

We bought a 1994 house in 2006. The water heater was original, confirmed by sticker with manufacture date on the side. The home inspector noted that in his report and advised we budget for replacement sooner rather than later. It lasted until 2016, shortly after we turned in into a rental property. That was the point at which I became aware that anode rods were a thing and needed to be replaced. I wonder if the PO or original owner kept up with that, hence why we got such a long life out of that tank. it just took 10 years into my ownership for those chickens to come home to roost.

I replaced the anode rod in that rental house water heater a few months ago at 8 years old. I've also replaced the anode water in the water heater of my residence at 5 years old (COVID project). Both of them could have lasted a bit longer and now that I know that, I will probably let them go a bit longer next time. I also try to flush the tank once a year, which I've heard conflicting opinions on whether it's valuable/harmful.

 

[HoosierBuddy]

I was thinking it was 1-1/16". The last one i ordered from amazon came with a 27mm socket. 1-1/16 works out to 26.9875mm, so that tends to confirm my memory.

You are correct. I will edit my post.

 

[brianpgriset]

I had two 40 gal hot water heaters in the attic of my two story home go bad in under 4 years (both). After replacing them, both got Corro-protect electrically powered anodes. I pulled one of the magnesium rods out of one before taking it to the dump and the magnesium portion was 100% gone.

 

[PossumDog]

I tried with a breaker bar and gave up.
I considered impact but was hesitant to break what wasn't broken.
I did notice while shopping that at lowe's or home depot only one of the two stores had the segmented anode rod, which certainly makes a difference. I can't imagine most hot water heaters have 4+ feet of overhead clearance.

 

[rlitman]

...6 years in I decided to replace the anode rod, which is something I have never bothered to do before.
3. The old anode rod was 99% gone. Should have replaced this a year ago.
4. I bought a magnesium anode
Final step was to write when I changed it on the side of the heater in sharpie and "Change next in 2028" on it too...

Was your old anode magnesium? If so, great! If not, remember that a magnesium rod will corrode faster than anything else, so if aluminum came out, your 5 year reminder may be too late. Look at the top of the hex head. An aluminum anode will be flat. Magnesium will have a welded dot.

...
2. If I wouldn't have used my cordless 1/2" impact, I don't think I'd have gotten the old one out. I spent a minute with a breaker bar and made zero progress. Problem is the water heater spins, so a cheater wouldn't help. Makita 1/2" 18V impact with 1-1/16" socket had it out in about 3 seconds.
BTW...I THINK (not 100% sure) this is universal. 3/4" NPT threads and 1 -1/16" wrench required. My water heater is an AO Smith.

Yep, impact FTW. Works every time. Not 100% universal, but all of the hex head anodes will be that size. There are also anode fittings that can go on the water connection (outlet side IIRC, because the inlet has the dip tube). Those require a pipe wrench and totally ****.

Years ago I was told that the main difference in the more expensive water heaters, with a longer tank warranty, is they come with a larger anode. ...

Basically, yes. Could either be a bigger anode, or perhaps even two anodes instead of one.

 

[mbutler]

Have you folks looked at using a powered anode rather than a sacrificial one?

 

[Sumboodie]

I had to replace in a 6 month water heater. It was making gas and would cause the water to act like there was air in the lines.

 

[nadogail]

My water heaters use zinc anodes (I think).

 

[pcmeiners]

From my research I did not see zinc anodes, closet would be aluminum/zinc anodes as used in the Rheem heat pump hybrids. Basically two choices Magnesium or Aluminum/zinc.

With the talk of the difficulty of removing OEM anodes, I think I will remove the anode, Teflon the anode's threads on my new Rheem and reinstall before putting the Rheem in service.

"Back in the day, I could get a 40 Gallon NG water heater for $150 and it would last 8 or 10 years, and I was fine with that."

Was that the Neanderthal period, or latter ?

 

[mike93lx]

Mine is only 2 years old and took a concerning amount of effort from my Dewalt high torque impact. Felt like I was going to break something but it finally came out.

 

[pcmeiners]

Must be the HotWater Heater Installers Association dictating the torque used by the manufacturers to discourage home owners DIY.

 

[duneslider]

Anyone used those electronic "anode" rods. Here is a link to the first one that popped up when I searched I have wondered if this would be worth doing? There are a bunch of brands of this so I am not trying to promote anything. Just curious if these really work, they claim 20 years worth of protection.

THis all reminds me that I should flush my heaters and check the anode rods.

 

[rlitman]

Anyone used those electronic "anode" rods. Here is a link to the first one that popped up when I searched I have wondered if this would be worth doing? There are a bunch of brands of this so I am not trying to promote anything. Just curious if these really work, they claim 20 years worth of protection.

THis all reminds me that I should flush my heaters and check the anode rods.

My office water heater has a titanium powered rod. It's been fine since 2009, so I guess it works. They do require power (not all that much though), but they also supposedly help in situations where bacteria grow on your anode and cause smells (this depends on your water chemistry).

 

[duneslider]

I have power near my water heaters, maybe it is worth trying. I don't have smelly water where I am but I guess that is a nice feature if its an issue where someone is.

 

[rwa2004]

The powered anode rod was a big help for the water quality in my house. We have high iron, which means that iron bacteria like to live in the hot water heater. There is no getting away from the fact that if you have high iron in your ground water you will have iron bacteria in the system. Iron bacteria are completely harmless, but anode rod is where they live and as they eat iron they produce air bubbles and make the water smell like sulfur. For me, the cold water was just fine but the hot water smelled bad. I pulled the magnesium anode (was mostly gone), flushed the tank, and installed the (expensive) powered anode I got off of Amazon. Made a big difference. Now I feel like I have better water and better protection. One think I like about the protection in is that the protection will travel and help all plumbing between the tank and the ground.

 

[pcmeiners]

"One think I like about the protection in is that the protection will travel and help all plumbing between the tank and the ground."

Anodes do the same with copper pipe plumbing, with modern plumbing there is not much past the water heater which needs protection, copper (generally) and stainless do not need protection.

 

[Zeus36]

Back in the day, I could get a 40 Gallon NG water heater for $150 and it would last 8 or 10 years, and I was fine with that.

Then I did an upstairs remodel that took out my flue space for the water heater, so I had to switch to a power vent model. So, now replacement is going to be a bigger hit to the old wallet.

6 years in I decided to replace the anode rod, which is something I have never bothered to do before.

1. Total job was about 15 minutes. First step was turn the gas valve to pilot, shut off the water and drain about a gallon into a bucket.
2. If I wouldn't have used my cordless 1/2" impact, I don't think I'd have gotten the old one out. I spent a minute with a breaker bar and made zero progress. Problem is the water heater spins, so a cheater wouldn't help. Makita 1/2" 18V impact with 1-1/16" socket had it out in about 3 seconds.
3. The old anode rod was 99% gone. Should have replaced this a year ago.
4. I bought a magnesium anode from Amazon that is 4 1-foot sections that can be fed in from the top with low clearance. With a single 4-foot rod I would have had to drain and disconnect the water heater and lay it on it's side, because I only had about 20 inches clearance above in my low-ceiling basement.
5. LOTS of brown water created when I put the thing back in service. Assume that was rust and bits of the old anode rod that got stirred into the water when I refilled /repressurized the tank. I made sure to run hot water into the washing machine (empty) until it ran clear and then hit "cancel" to hopefully keep the wife happy next time she does whites.

Final step was to write when I changed it on the side of the heater in sharpie and "Change next in 2028" on it too.

Years ago I was told that the main difference in the more expensive water heaters, with a longer tank warranty, is they come with a larger anode. Not 100% sure that is true, but the failure mode of every water heater I've ever replaced is "Tank started leaking"....so you know....15 minutes. $29.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B082VG7TVR/?tag=atomicindus08-20

BTW...I THINK (not 100% sure) this is universal. 3/4" NPT threads and 1 -1/16" wrench required. My water heater is an AO Smith.

1. As you used a multi-part anode, no need to drain the tank unless you want to remove the sediment.
2. You could remove sediment from the old anode by connecting a shop vac to the Temperature Pressure Relief valve.
3. Recommend Nickle or Copper Never-Seize for the threads on the anode. You won't need to use an impact next time.
4. Flushing the tank will not remove the sediment. To vacuum out the sediment:
Close the hot water tank’s drain valve and all hot water faucets. Get a wrench and loosen and remove the water heater’s temperature and pressure (T&P) release valve. Use a wrench to secure a shop vacuum adapter into the T&P Relief port.
Connect the shop vacuum’s hose to the adapter and turn on the machine. This step will **** up almost everything inside the hot water tank, including sediment.

 

[Malibu Mac]

Anyone used those electronic "anode" rods. Here is a link to the first one that popped up when I searched I have wondered if this would be worth doing? There are a bunch of brands of this so I am not trying to promote anything. Just curious if these really work, they claim 20 years worth of protection.

THis all reminds me that I should flush my heaters and check the anode rods.

I installed that exact brand in my water heater when installed new a few years ago. All indications so far so good, time will tell.

 

[Malibu Mac]

The powered anode rod was a big help for the water quality in my house. We have high iron, which means that iron bacteria like to live in the hot water heater. There is no getting away from the fact that if you have high iron in your ground water you will have iron bacteria in the system. Iron bacteria are completely harmless, but anode rod is where they live and as they eat iron they produce air bubbles and make the water smell like sulfur. For me, the cold water was just fine but the hot water smelled bad. I pulled the magnesium anode (was mostly gone), flushed the tank, and installed the (expensive) powered anode I got off of Amazon. Made a big difference. Now I feel like I have better water and better protection. One think I like about the protection in is that the protection will travel and help all plumbing between the tank and the ground.

Agree with this! Same reasons I switched to the powered anode rod and it does help with the rotten egg smell.

 

[duneslider]

I installed that exact brand in my water heater when installed new a few years ago. All indications so far so good, time will tell.

Good to hear, maybe I will put them in both my water heaters.

 

[RonRock]

So I am on a well. No chlorine, no sulfur smell. But we do have relatively "hard" water. Is there a best choice anode rod for me?

 

[HoosierBuddy]

So I am on a well. No chlorine, no sulfur smell. But we do have relatively "hard" water. Is there a best choice anode rod for me?

Hard water shouldn't affect the anode. Magnesium has a higher anodic potential than zinc, and will produce more protection voltage to protect the inside of your water heater's tank compared to a zinc anode. Because of this it will "sacrifice" itself quicker and will not last as long as a zinc anode.

I'd recommend magnesium. I don't hate the idea of the powered anode either, but they are quite a bit more expensive, and I have no personal experience with them. But I trust the guys above that like them....so if that's in your budget, it would be a solid choice too.

 

[budget76]

1. As you used a multi-part anode, no need to drain the tank unless you want to remove the sediment.
2. You could remove sediment from the old anode by connecting a shop vac to the Temperature Pressure Relief valve.
3. Recommend Nickle or Copper Never-Seize for the threads on the anode. You won't need to use an impact next time.
4. Flushing the tank will not remove the sediment. To vacuum out the sediment:
Close the hot water tank’s drain valve and all hot water faucets. Get a wrench and loosen and remove the water heater’s temperature and pressure (T&P) release valve. Use a wrench to secure a shop vacuum adapter into the T&P Relief port.
Connect the shop vacuum’s hose to the adapter and turn on the machine. This step will **** up almost everything inside the hot water tank, including sediment.

dealing with sediment this weekend so appreciate input

the pressure valve sits well above the drain valve, at least on mine - how would it **** up the sediment that high? I planned to pull the drain valve out, drain all water out of the tank, then stick the shop vac with a smaller hose taped on the end into the tank to **** up as much sediment as possible. please explain the benefit to using the pressure valve over this plan, appreciate it

 

[Zeus36]

I posted from an article:

How to Remove Sediment from Water Heater? 10 Easy Steps

Maintaining your water heater is easy if you know how to remove sediment from water heater. Find out how here.

www.usawaterquality.org

 

[pcmeiners]

To clean sediment if changing the anode......

Most anodes are on the top, when changing the anode, drain the tank, connect a hose to the drain spigot, open the drain valve, spray a forceful stream of water through the anode NPT fitting in a rotating fashion until the drain water runs clear .

 

[budget76]

I posted from an article:

How to Remove Sediment from Water Heater? 10 Easy Steps

Maintaining your water heater is easy if you know how to remove sediment from water heater. Find out how here.

www.usawaterquality.org

i think this article is poorly written, at least for the water heaters I've seen. I cannot imagine how going thru the pressure valve port would get ANY sediment out, it's 2ft above the bottom of the tank. Going thru the drain port makes sense, but vacuum still didn't really work. I even went thru the anode port with a skinny hose on a stick, but it choked down the vacuum too much and didn't **** up anything


i spent 2hrs yesterday draining, flushing, etc to get all the crud out of my tank. It looks good inside with no rust, but the anodes were 100% gone and I'd estimate I had 1/2" of sand-like sediment on the bottom. it was clearly neglected before we bought the house, and when I tried to service it 2ish years ago the anodes were so full of crud I couldn't pull them thru the port and I gave up and forgot about it. the last straw was the wife noticing the hot water was tinged yellow


after draining, it took an hour+ of scraping the sediment with a long piece of wood thru the anode port to soften it up, flush in half a gallon, push it towards the drain, rinse and repeat. MAYBE could have flushed it a little quicker if I had a way to point a jet of water at the sediment piles vs just dumping in thru the cold water feed. The sediment in my tank would NEVER have come out without a simple drain of the tank, it was almost like a layer of clay in some spots it was so thick. I had to "drill" into it with the wood to break it loose. I'd say I got 90% of it out, and the remainder may come out with a simple drain/flush next time I have time

 

[pcmeiners]

Garden hose sprayer for forceful water stream or pressure washer if practical.