Electric Water Heater Anode Rod Replacement

This old house plumbing and heating contractor richard trethewey shows a simple way to add years to your water heater by swapping out the sacrificial metal.

Electric water heater anode rod replacement.

A few newer plastic lined tanks have no anode rods to replace before you get started close the shutoff valve turn on the hot water at a faucet to relieve pressure and turn off the electricity or gas to the heater. Natural micro organisms and sulfates that exist in some water can react to the aluminum or magnesium anode rods in the hot water tank creating a rotten egg smell. The anode rod helps prevent tank corrosion. When the anode rod is depleted it no longer offers corrosion protection for the tank.

This diy repair guide explains how to replace the anode rod in an electric water heater. Water heaters use an anode rod to attract and remove sediments from the water being heated. An anode rod will corrode and deteriorate over time until it s no longer capable of functioning and has to be replaced. 3 locate the anode rod on the water heater.

4 use a ratchet wrench and 1 1 16 inch deep socket to unscrew the anode rod from the heater. Find anode rod water heater parts at lowe s today. This is a common problem with older water heaters and in certain parts of the country. The rod may be under the water heater s sheet metal top or connected to the hot water outlet nipple.

Open the drain valve. 2 partially drain the water heater. 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.

How to remove an anode rod from an a o. 5 if the anode rod won t budge slip a steel pipe onto ratchet wrench handle for extra leverage. Anode rods help prevent corrosion of the hot water heater s glass lined tank. The rod is made from either aluminum or magnesium and.