OT: How's your Anode?

In our part of the country it is common practice to remove and discard the anodes from new heaters. I know their purpose is to prevent corrosion to the tank...but their result is very undesirable. The rotten egg smell they cause is enough to gag a maggot. I can't imagine anyone who has any sulfur in their water knowingly tolerating them. My present heater was installed when the house was built in 1991. I don't expect to ever replace it.

Water quality varies widely depending on location.

George Willer

When I bought this house in '84, I had the rented electric tank replaced by a rented gas unit. The only service it has had was replacement of the drain valve (which had been delivered in damaged condition) by the gas tech who came to service the meter. He agreed to replace the valve but suggested that I not worry about the recommended periodic draining of a pail of water and accumulated sediment. Since it is their tank, I have followed their instructions. I just wish other items would last as well. Gerry :-)} London, Canada

Here is a site I book marked on water heaters, some other interesting info there also. I suspect their prices might be on the high side however so you might want to do a little shopping.

Removing the rod will kill the tank, replacing the magnesium rod with a zinc rod might solve your problem.

Roger,

That's a blanket statement that isn't true everywhere. I solved the problem by removing the sacrificial anode and not replacing it with anything but a plug. My last home had a water heater in each end because of the long runs. They were both more than 20 years old when I sold the home 12 years ago. Maybe they are still in service. The only problem with them was with the lower heating elements. I know how to deal with that.

George Willer

Well George I suppose that you might have water chemistry that will not rust steel but something ate your element.

Roger,

Don't you know what damages the element?

The deposits dissolved in the water collect on the element and then fall off. The deposits accumulate in the bottom of the tank until the resulting build-up covers the lower element. When that happens the heat can't get away fast enough from a 4500 watt element and the resulting overheating destroys the element. Part of replacing the element involves removing the build-up. Another part involves bending the replacement element upward so it is farther from the bottom of the tank. These deposits cannot be removed through the drain valve, but require the element to be removed to gain access. The ideal time to do so is when the element stops working.

Softening the water substitutes sodium compounds for calcium compounds in an ion exchange. The sodium compounds seem to collect less. Neither seems to be very corrosive.

As I said before, water varies greatly according to area. I'm pleased we don't have your water.

Anodes are not useful here. The anodes are a nuisance because of the bad small they cause and are usually removed. If doing so shortens the life of the heater, it is a good trade.

George Willer

Remove the cheap valve that came with the heater and replace it with a full port ball valve. Now you can flush the tank and get rid of the stelagtites.

Actually I have a tankless, but when I had the tank style electric I didn't have stinky water. In my rentals I have some 20 year old heaters and when I checked the anodes they were fine.

My point was if the chemistry of your water caused the magnesium anode to give you stinky water then perhaps a zinc electrode would not yet still protect your tank.

Roger,

Yes, as I've said...water varies greatly in different areas. Your comment about changing the valve suggests you have absolutely no idea about the water in this area. The pieces of accumulated mineral deposits are much too large to pass through a drain valve of any kind. They are difficult to rake out through the opening for the element and must broken up some. We know how to handle it here. I removed the cruddy anodes from all 25 of my rentals to solve the odor problem caused by a little sulfur in the water.

The accumulated deposits and the rotten egg odor are two entirely separate issues.

Neither your solution nor mine applies to all conditions. Let's leave it at that.

George Willer

stelagtites.

In article , George Willer wrote: :That's a blanket statement that isn't true everywhere. I solved the problem :by removing the sacrificial anode and not replacing it with anything but a :plug. My last home had a water heater in each end because of the long runs. :They were both more than 20 years old when I sold the home 12 years ago. :Maybe they are still in service. The only problem with them was with the :lower heating elements. I know how to deal with that.

After installing a water softener I had a similar situation here -- rotten egg smell plus a lot of small black particles in the hot water. At the recommendation of the water softener maker, I removed the anode rod in the heater and replaced it with a plug. The heater (natural gas) has been that way since 1988 with no problems.