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Author:
loop1 (MD)
We pass our well water through a 1-micron pleated filter and a UV sterilizer, but get a bad odor from the hot water only. I pulled the anode rod from our 15 month old electric hot water tank, and it was completely covered by a thin coating of a matte, dark brown material. This coating is electrically non-conductive and scrapes off fairly easily. Any thoughts of what this coating is, and how to stop it from coating the aluminum anode and killing its protective ability?
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Author:
bernabeu (SC)
from [www.plumbingsupply.com]:
Quote
How Do I Choose the Right Replacement Anode Rod?
There are several options for replacing your anode rod, with magnesium, aluminum, or a combination of aluminum, zinc and tin being the most common anode rod materials. (Most water heaters come with an aluminum rod as standard equipment.) What rod you choose will depend on three things: your water quality, the location of the anode rod, and how easy it is to access the installation point.
Unless your water is exceptionally iron-laden, you should be fine with an aluminum or magnesium rod. Aluminum is the longest-lasting and least expensive option. Magnesium will corrode slightly faster than aluminum, but there are health benefits to drinking water with dissolved magnesium. If you do have water with a lot of iron bacteria that causes a "rotten egg" smell, we recommend choosing an aluminum/zinc/tin rod as it can help to control the growth of the iron bacteria.
As mentioned above, you might have a water heater with a separate inlet for the anode rod or your anode rod might be installed on the hot water outlet. Since most water heaters use a standard 3/4" NPT connection, you simply need to choose the type of installation you have. If you have a separate inlet for the anode rod, but can't get the old one out or the connections are too corroded to install the new one, you can always install the new on the hot water outlet.
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"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638
Edited 1 times.
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