This morning I am replacing the plastic drain valve on my water heater with a brass unit. While I have the tank drained I was looking for other maintenance items. I found reference online to a sacrificial anode that helps prevent the tank from rusting. It looks like it is just a big bolt that goes into the top of the water heater. Anyone swapped one out? Anything to be wary of? I figured I'd need to use an impact to get it loose since it will probably be corroded as hell.
We go through water heaters like candy - in theory that will rust away rather than the tank. I once planned on it but it was so corroded and I figured I would rip the pipe out of the house.
They can be hard to remove. Sometimes the rod gets so crusty that you can't get pull it out of the hole.
insert sophomoric joke here
I did it once, along with the tube. It wasn't bad, though that bolt thing was tight, and the tube did fall into the tank. The big issue was getting the right size tube.
Read this for details:
http://www.waterheaterrescue.com/Longevity/water-heater-anodes.html
Did ours a few years back. Wasn't hard.
Check/replace the temperature/pressure safety valve.
Just changed mine last week (first one I have ever done)
You need a giant socket, I had a Jack handle on a 2' breaker bar and lots of penetrating oil.
I bought the socket and anode on Amazon: the bot suggested I buy a new pressure bypass valve, I didn't, so now mine is leaking.....
Al vs mg for the type of water you have: the old one on mine wasn't corroded, but encrusted in calcium. I have since added a water softener, so I hope to allow the anode to work now.
I had to tighten it a suprising amount to prevent leaks: thread sealant is not recommended as it electrically isolates the anode making it useless.
Good lazy day project that makes you feel better about preventative maintenance.
The trick to remove anything in plumbing is impact. Never just use a breaker bar and lean on it. Get the tool firmly on what you are trying to unscrew and whack the tool. The replacement anodes come either in a long rod or in sausage links. If the top off the tank is within 3' of the ceiling, make sure you get the replacement that looks like a string with metal sausages on it. If you have well water and get a sulphur rotten egg smell, switch to aluminum. Socket you need is 1 1/16 or 1 1/8. with a good 1/2" drive. I have had ones that just won't come out, so if it really is being stubborn, just walk away.
That reminds me... just how old is my tank now??
I had a water heater tank fail about a year ago. Three weeks after i looked at the mfgr date and realized it was fifteen years old and I told my self I should replace it.
I spec heaters and it is accepted by many installers that modern heaters are really only ten year items. Kind of sad. Tge water Hester in my folks house was the original 1965 unit tgat was iatrical to tge oil fired boiler. It was working fine and passed an internal inspection when they sold the place in 2012.
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