Menu

Sharing Knowledge About Residential Plumbing


About Me

Sharing Knowledge About Residential Plumbing

Hey everyone, I am Tina. I would like to welcome you to my site about plumbing. At my old house, the plumbing for the kitchen sink started to fail. The pipe outside simply disintegrated from old age. As a result, my yard started flooding with water whenever I turned on the sink. After this experience, I decided to learn all I can about residential plumbing problems and repairs. On this site, I will share all of that knowledge with you all. I hope to help everyone better understand the problems they may face with their plumbing and how a professional plumber can help.

Tags

Latest Posts

How To Listen To Your Air Conditioner: A Guide To Understanding AC Noises
25 March 2024

When your air conditioner is running, you're proba

Why You Should Choose Emergency Plumbing Services
27 February 2024

Dealing with plumbing issues can be a nightmare, e

How Do Tankless Water Heaters Work?
8 February 2024

We rely on water heaters to provide hot water for

Don't Let Plumbing Leaks Get You Down: Expert Tips for Repairing Them
30 January 2024

Plumbing leaks can be frustrating, time-consuming,

The Benefits of Replacing Your Old Plumbing Materials
16 January 2024

Your home is a valuable investment, and the plumbi

What Is A Water Heater Anode Rod And How Can It Impair Your System?

A tanked water heater is designed to safely hold water, but minerals within that water can start to cause erosion over time. The tank contains an anode rod that can minimize the onset of this damage and extend the life of your water heater unit.

What is an anode rod, how does it work, and how can its failure impair your water heater system?

Anode Rod Defined

The anode rod is a long, thin piece of metal that hangs down inside the water tank. The rod has chemical properties that cause the metal to attract the potentially harmful mineralization in the water. Minerals that stick to the rod can't stick to the sides of the tank and cause erosion.

Mineral buildup can start to degrade the anode rod, which leaves some of those minerals free to float around in the water and then to stick to the inside of the tank. You need to perform regular maintenance on the tank, including yearly drains and checks of the rod, to prevent the rod from becoming overwhelmed and ineffectual.

Faulty Anode Rod Signs

How can you know that the anode rod might need to be cleaned or replaced? Has your tap water suddenly become harder or more mineralized? When you stand next to the water heater tank, can you hear slight sounds of pinging or clinking? These symptoms can both indicate that your anode rod has become faulty, most likely due to excess mineralization.

Think your water heater is acting up but aren't sure of the cause? Call in a plumber or water heater service tech from a company like Alexander's Plumbing And Pumps for a check-up and any necessary repairs.

Replacing the Rod

The anode rod isn't difficult to replace if you have some basic appliance repair experience. You will want to drain the tank completely first, which you can do by turning off the electricity and water supplies to the unit, hooking a hose up to the drain valve, and then using a screwdriver to open the drain valve. Wait until no more water comes out of the hose before checking on the anode rod.

Use the owner's manual for your water heater to learn the exact way to access and remove the anode rod on your unit. In general, you will likely need to look for the mounting screws or fasteners that hold the extending arm of the rod to the top of the water heater. Loosen the screws or fasteners and then pull the rod up and out of the water heater.

Slide the new anode rod into the vacated slot, attach its fasteners, and then you can work on refilling the tank. Remove the hose from the drain valve, close the valve, and then restore the electric and water supplies to the unit.