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Author:
cessnat37
Hello. I would like to vacuum out the mineral deposits in my 7 year old electric hot water heater tank. It is a 50 gallon GE Smartwater (manufactured by Rheem). We have hard water here in Arizona.
I'm pretty clear on the procedure for vacuuming mineral deposits from tank. My main concern is the anode rod. I think I would like to just replace the thing. I have read stories of people having extreme difficulty removing these. I can see about renting an electric impact wrench, and using the other recommended methods and tools to loosen.
I don't want to use WD40 or liquid wrench to seep into threads because I cook with hot water. Is there any food-safe penetrating substance I can use in the days before I do the task?
Also, I'm not sure I have enough space from tank top to ceiling to remove old anode rod. Could the old rod be cut in two sections, or bent to make removal easier?
Thanks,
Dave
Edited 1 times.
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Author:
North Carolina Plumber (NC)
I always use a 1/2" drive socket and ratchet to remove the anode rod, and have never ran into one I couldn't remove. Just don't drain the water before you try to take it out, the weight of the water helps hold the tank in place while you try to break it loose. If you cut the old one in half to remove, how will you get the new one in? I've heard of anode rods that were in links, kinda like a chain, that could be used in a really tight place.
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Author:
bernabeu (SC)
replacement anode rod: [www.plumbingsupply.com]
you will need: 1-1/16" socket (forget about a wrench) and (preferably) 3/4" drive breaker bar,
but 1/2" drive will do (with a cheater)
you may need a 2x4 wedged between the top connections as a 'hold-back' (CAREFULLY)
(as luck would have it, on my own heater, i needed a 6' 2x4 wedged against the wall and ALL my 'muscle' to loosen the 1-1/16" 'nut')
- - - - - - -
Measure twice, cut once.
Retired Plumbers Local Union #1
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Author:
hj
An impact wrench is the best way to remove it because it does not put any stress on the heater connections, (with a gas heater you cannot use the 2x4 thing anyway unless you remove the flue pipe). The rod may be "yucky" and if so, you do not want to bend it until it is outside the tank so the stuff does not fall back into the tank.
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Author:
cessnat37
Yeah, I heard about the articulated rods that can be inserted in sections. Is it counter-clockwise to loosen?
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Author:
hj
Yes, a standard pipe size connection. My "replacement" for an anode rod is a brass plug screwed into the tank opening. All the previous replies assume your anode rod is under a hexagonal plug on top of the heater. There are many heaters, however, which have the anode rod connected to, and part of, the hot water heater's outlet pipe.
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Author:
cvcman
HJ, my tank is an 8o gallon electric I put in in 1991, I usually clean it out every 2 years, still no leaks ( knock on wood ) I have never changed an anode rod and not even sure IF I have one, there is NO hex nut or plug on top of my unit ??
Didnt mean to hijack this thread
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Author:
hj
Sometimes it is under a "knock out" on top of the tank. If you have any kind of "opening" towards the back of the tank, on top, then it is under that, but more likely it is part of the hot water outlet and comes out when you unscrew the nipple. Unfortunately I have not seen a segmented anode rod for that type of installation. I have NEVER changed the anode rod in ANY of my water heaters, and as I stated previously, I also do NOT install new ones when I do remove one. The anode rod's function is to create a coating on any bare metal which was missed by the glass lining process. By the time the original rod is eaten away, there should not be any more uncoated metal.
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Author:
jblanche (WI)
I don't want to use WD40 or liquid wrench to seep into threads because I cook with hot water.
One should not cook with or drink domestic hot water.
[www.nytimes.com]
*******************************
Links to the State of Wisconsin Plumbing Code:
[docs.legis.wisconsin.gov]
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I am not a plumber.
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Author:
cessnat37
The anode rod on mine is definitely on top of the tank under a hex nut. A former plumber in Home Depot told me even if I loosen the hex nut, I might not be able to pull out the old rod because it will have junk stuck to it.
Come to think of it, I almost always cook with cold tap water from the sink. I never drink any kitchen sink tap water period. I agree with you, I wouldn't feel comfortable consuming kitchen water from the heater tank. I think I do this sometimes unwittingly, and I'll make sure I don't do it anymore.
Edited 1 times.
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