How Anode Rods Can Extend The Life Of Your Water Heater 

What are anode rods? How can anode rods extend the life of your water heater? Water heaters are an investment and there are options on the market that are better than others. But the question to ask is how can you make the most of your water heater?  Just like maintenance on your car can prevent new transmissions and engines, the same holds true for your water heater.  None of us really expect our water heater to start leaking or completely fail. When your water heater does fail, it is far more than just a hassle to deal with.

To be blunt, cold showers and floods suck! Your water heater is one of the larger regular investments in your home. Most people are not aware of the maintenance required to extend the life of their investment when it concerns their water heater. With proper maintenance, pressure and water quality you can extend your investment by double the lifespan, or more! 

What are Anode Rods  

 Before we care about an anode rod we first must understand that a tank style water heater is made from a steel tank lined with porcelain also known as a glass lined steel tank.  Minerals in water along with constant expansion and contraction from the tank heating and cooling. This constant heating and cooling can weaken and/or crack  the porcelain/glass lining and then destroy the steel tank.  So here is how anode rods can extend the life of your water heater. Anode rods are placed in water heaters to attract the minerals in water, even softened water. The anode rods act as a sacrificial lamb for your water heater’s porcelain lining and the steel tank.

Anode rods are made from one of three metals: magnesium, aluminum or zinc. Whether you have a gas or electric water heater, your water heater contains an anode rod as long as you have a tank style water heater that is not plastic. Many water heater leaks occur from bad water quality. To remedy this issue, anode rods are put inside of water heaters. The anode rods attract all of the minerals in your water, so that the hard water, or salt water in your tank doesn’t eat away the porcelain lining and the steel encasing your water heater.  Imagine…..what could it mean to the lifespan of your water heater by changing out the single thing protecting it from the biggest thing trying to destroy it…..water!  

 Water Heater Maintenance

It is generally recommended that you change your anode rods every 3-5 years. The length of time between changing your anode rode will really depend on the quality of your water.  It is very important to check your anode rods annually. When your water heater is flushed annually it is always important to check the health of your anode rod.  This isn’t always easily done.  Sometimes your anode rod can seize into the tank of your water heater and is not easily removed.  If you have an electric water heater, often the top element will have to be removed for a visual inspection of your anode rod.  The first 2 years of maintenance on your water heater might feel like the most frivolous but they are often the most important.  Those are the years where your anode rod can be removed and can prevent your anode rod from seizing to the tank of your water heater.  You may find YouTube videos showing that anode rods are easy to replace. Well, plumbers nationwide curse those videos because it simply isn’t true.  Once the anode rod has seized to the tank of your water heater they are all but impossible to remove without cracking the lining of the tank. Also more commonly the nut used to remove the anode rod will strip out making it impossible to remove. 

Once the minerals in your water heater have eaten away all of the metal on your anode rods the porcelain lining and the steel that encases your water heater will surely be next. By surely, I mean they are.  By annually checking your anode rods and flushing your water heater you can nearly triple the life expectancy of your water heater!  Let’s keep our water heaters alive and kicking!  Scheduled your annual maintenance and anode rod inspection with our team today!   

Services in Phoenix & Beyond

When you’ve found yourself in need of plumbing services in the Phoenix, Glendale, Scottsdale, or Chandler area, you can trust Robins Plumbing to provide you with prompt and expert care, contact our team today! In addition to our toilet services, we also offer a variety of residential and commercial plumbing services, including: drain cleaning, water heater repair and replacement, sewer camera inspection and locating, backflow prevention, commercial and residential jetting, water treatments, and more. Visit our reviews online to see what others have to say about our local plumbing company!