How to Replace a Water Heater Anode Rod
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- Опубликовано: 26 авг 2024
- This video will demonstrate how to replace a water heater anode rod, an essential component in tank water heaters that prevents corrosion. We recommend checking the anode rod annually and replacing when there is 6 inches or more of the core wire exposed. This will help extend the life of your tank.
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You're wrapping the threads tape the wrong direction this will cause edges or end of tape come lose during tightening in hole will cause water leaks.
Yes I noticed it too... Teflon tape is wrapped the wrong direction.
You're wrapping the thread tape the wrong direction
Funny, I recently watched about six of these anode rod videos, and I have seen three people wrap the Teflon tape backwards and one person tightening the rod (turning clockwise) while trying to remove one!😮
Does the Teflon tape affect the electrical properties with the tank? I’ve seen other videos that say use a conductive sealant.
@@jeffreyhearn8404absolutely no difference
Cool the comment’s already here
😂
He also didn't mention to close the valve by the hose to drain the water before refilling the tank.
I just did this on my 5-year-old Performance 50 gallon electric. Tips:
- Forget the cheater bar--you'll just move the water heater. I beat on a breaker bar with a deadblow hammer to get it off.
- If you soften your water, check it after maybe two years, not four. At five years, my unit's original anode was completely gone. Oops.
My cordless impact couldn't budge the factory original one loose. I managed to get it started by beating on my breaker bar with a deadblow hammer and then leaned on my impact at maximum power for 40 seconds to remove it.
Also, new units have the anode buried under 3 inches of foam that you must dig out and remove with a screwdriver and shop vac. You must be able to position your head over the unit to see down into the hole. Plan on half an hour just to get all the foam out.
The access port is infuriatingly small. I could grab the old anode fitting between two fingers but couldn't pull it out because of the size of the hole. Ended up getting it out, but it was needlessly challenging.
Rheem, engineers, if you're listening: Make the access hole 1/4" to 1/2" wider. Put a plastic insert in there down to the tank so customers don't have to waste time digging through three inches of spray foam.
Uhmm, Rheem engineered it this way on purpose, to make it too difficult to change. Hence you'll buy a new water heater when it fails prematurely. Seriously why else would they torque the hell outta that bolt so it's nearly impossible to get off!!!
exactly, those fkers!@@BestoftheBest-oz4ei
Why do you say to check it soon if using water softener? Shouldn’t it last longer with soft water? I plan on checking my 7 year old water heater. Was going to leave it almost full when trying to break loose the bolt so the heater doesn’t move on me. I have a Rheem professional I think
@SATXDONKEY the way that yhe softener works is it adds sodium to create that ion exchange, removing the calcium and magnesium minerals that cause the hard water. However, it doesn't remove the other contaminants like bacteria or heavy metals. So now the water becomes corrosive/conductive and volatile since it's now essentially saline water, since it only exchanges ions and doesnt filter the water. The harsh metals and other contaminants is from the salt dissolving it from the pipes and other materials. This would result in faster deterioration of the anode rod since the calcium is referenced as a protective layer.
Howeverrrrrr, with other research articles, it says the opposite. NATURALLY occurring soft water has a low pH (6-7) but this cation exchange soft water system causes the pH to be the same. Mineral (hard) water makes the pH more alkaline (7-8). Another recommendation is to have a carbon filter along with the salt water system to remove contaminants. The saline plus carbon filter would result in a much longer lasting, energy efficient, pipes with nearly no timescale buildup, and other benefits. However, i wouldn't recommend drinking it all the time. It's best to have some hard water for the health from minerals, plus too much sodium isn't good for health, specifically concerning blood pressure.
At the end of the day, to each their own. If it's been 7 years without changing the anode rod, I'd recommend at least checking it out to see if theires any life left in it lol
Sorry for for long reply!
Thank you so much. Me, my wife and daughter replaced old anode rod as a team within 1 hour, including the time of buying Teflon and new rod 😂 at Kent.
I just replaced my anode rod and thank you for your detail instruction. However, I had my neighbor to help me to unscrew the old anode rod, which was physical challenge. I'm very satisfied and happy!
For anyone prepping to do this and reading all of the comments... be aware that the insulation on top of the anode can be much thicker. Have vacuum ready to suck out the foam bits. My 80gal Rheem tank had at least 2 inches of foam to dig out (now i know why the "tank" is so huge for only 80 gallons... I guess that's a good thing). And as others have commented, put the teflon tape on counter clockwise.
I just followed these steps. Took me about 15 minutes. Longest part was getting the tools out and putting them back away. For a second. I thought I had the wrong type of rod because mine was as thin as a wire and the new one was probably as thick as a penny. Turns out my old one was just completely depleted. My recommendation is to get yourself one of those flexible ones for your replacement. It comes in four segments. It looks like silver connected. Nunchucks. If you don't have the ceiling space, this will save you from having to tip your hot water heater
Thank you! I've recently got a Rheem water heater. My PG&E water lasted 20 YEARS, and I didn't even need to replace the anode rod! Could have lasted longer if I did! Regardless, I really hope Rheem water heaters will last longer, as they have only 5-to-7-year warrantee!
I bought this water heater ruclips.net/user/postUgkx8G49mV71sAzUl9shXyLW-r3XgHH9EVh1 for use in my bus conversion. I installed it under my kitchen sink and it is fed by a high efficiency on-demand LP water heater. It is both a backup hot water source as well as a water saving device since we have hot water on demand rather than having to wait for the gas on demand water heater to finish its ignition cycle. I decided on this water heater due to the fact that it only draws 1300watts when it's ON instead of the 1500 watts that most Water heaters this size draw. In an RV a couple hundred watts can be a big deal. With very low standby losses, I don't have to worry about excessive power consumption. When propane is not available for our gas water heater, in conjunction with our low flow shower head there is enough hot water available to shower, albeit we won't be taking "hotel showers." Also very happy with the recovery rate of this water heater. Granted, it is quite small, but it does exactly what we need it to do.
We just replaced our Rheem Rudd gas water heater - 21 years. Do believe power flushing once a year helped too.
Fine video. 🙂
They winded the teflon tape clockwise instead of counter-clockwise
Are anode rods standardized across brands? Or will any replacement fit?
Damn good video, ladies and gentlemen. This helped me a great deal when I relplaced my anode rod with a powered titanium rod for a well system.
Top-notch, Rheem. Many thanks
Thank you for your informative video. My Rheem water heater anode rod (~ 7 y old) was stuck & wouldn't budge a hair! I used 25 % w/w acetic acid in the well and soaked for 15 min. I was then able to unscrew the rod with the breaker bar. The Mg rod is itself partially the source of deposits. It corrodes releasing Mg2+ that combines with dissolved CO2 precipitating as MgCO3 on the rod & elsewhere. The worst pitting corrosion was at the water-air interface (highest O2 conc) but surprisingly besides that, the rod was fairly intact! I guess partly because water heaters are glass-lined. Since the deposits are mostly carbonates, I am considering acid washing the heater tank. Now it should be good for at least 4 more years. The powered titanium rods are the ideal way to go!
Gammadas, you seem to know a thing or two about chemistry. That said, what's your opinion on the teflon tape? Wouldn't that "break" the necessary circuit connection required for the galvanic corrosion of the sacrificial rod to work? Thanks.
@@stevenmarcus64 You are absolutely right!-- the teflon tape being a nonconductor would prevent the Mg/Zn rod from completing the circuit and fully protecting the steel heater body from corrosion. However, the resulting Mg2+ and Zn2+ will combine with the dissolved CO2 and form MgCO3 & ZnCO3 deposits. The powered titanium electrodes are ideal because electrons released from the cathode would reduce the dissolved O2 to form OH- as long as the electrodes are powered! There will be a small amount of continuous electricity consumption but well worth it! A tightly adhering film of TiO would prevent the Ti rod from further corroding. Unfortunately the heating would promote the dissolved Ca2+ (from hardness) to still precipitate as CaCO3--there is no way avoiding getting deposits other than using a whole home water softener (cation exchange resin) system. By the way, you guessed correctly--I am a chemist!
@@gammadasI have two pre filters that the city water hits before entering my house (50 micron and 20 micron after that). Then water hits my softener. Then hits another 50 micron filter. Then hits my three whole house 5 micron water filter system. Then hits the uv light before going to the main line. Shouldn’t I just remove my rod and leave it out? Water heater is 7 years old so not sure condition of rod. I just flush the heater and at the very end was the minimal brownish color water with flakes in it. Maybe last 10 seconds before turning clear. Wondering if that was the rod deterioration
If space above the water heater is a problem, how do you get the old long one out before replacing it with the flexible one?
This was very informative and professional. I think that I can do this now.
Good video, but you have us opening a hot water faucet twice, with no info as to when to close it after first or second opening. Also, when to remove the garden hose. I assume after we drain the 2 gal, of water.
agree. I don't like the ambiguity of not saying either shut off or leave on...
Wow, contractors would have us believe that this is rocket science.
You're right, because plumbing contractors want you to believe that the job is too difficult for the homeowner so they can get the job.
@@terrymccoy7334 Nobody is forcing you to hire a contractor.
Is there a big push of contractors at your door telling you not to do something?
I get why you open the valve for the faucet (pressure release?), but why do you have to drain it? Is the rod way down in there under the water or something?
Yeah I don't get it either
Yeah that's the whole purpose of the rod. To sit in water. Water looks for metal to eat. By using an anode rod, you will make the water focus on eating the rod and not the sides of the tank.
After we dug out the foam and replaced the anode on our Rheem gladiator we noticed there were actually wires in the foam in the anode hole. Anyone ever seen that before. One was cut like maybe I did it digging out the foam. But didn't effect the function of anything.
couldn't get it out, tried a breaker bar and an impact wrench.
dang that sounds frustrating. sounds like they welded it in place. time to break out the dynamite
Help!! A chunk of my old rod fell inside. How can i get it out?
Google it. Sorry that happened
Was the Teflon tape put on the wrong way ?
Yes, but great video otherwise.
haha, wrong way? yes, ideally it would be better the other way. I have done it hundreds of times the wrong way (and a few dozen times the right way), as long as you keep the tape snug on the beginning thread it works with no problem.
It is only wrong when it is leaking 🙂
In the instructions on replacing the anode rod, the man that was doing the video wrapped the teflon tape in the wrong direction. It should have been wrapped counter clockwise. If you wrap the teflon tape in the wrong direction it may not seal properly when you screw it back in. I am surprised nobody else commented on this.
My 6 year old Rheem Pro 50 gallon heater has thick gray plastic plugs on the openings for the cold and hot nipple connections and the anode. Not like the thin clear ones you showed. The anode hex head is exposed but the gray plastic plug will not allow my thick walled 27mm impact socket to reach the hex head. I can't get the gray plug out prying with a screw driver, even after cutting it with a knife. It is in there permanently I think. Is there a trick to removing it or is it permanent? I went ahead and ordered a regular 27 mm hand wrench socket that has thinner walls and hopefully it will go in. Maybe it will stand up to the impact wrench long enough.
did it go in? have the same proble with the little hole
Can't remove anode on either of my 3 year old Rheem water heaters. Used 6 point impact socket and just rounded the corners off. Don't waste your money on this, Rheem must use blue locktite and about 600 ft. lbs. of torque.
Nope, they're all like that. You need a breaker bar. Maybe even a metal pipe for added leverage to go along with the breaker bar. And blue locktite isn't the tough one. You're thinking of red
Yeah right... you just magically got it to loosen up.
I wanna meet the bastard who's installing these things. The whole water heater turned before the anode did. 😆
@@Calliber50 Here I am, STILL trying to get my anode rod out. The WH is only about 3 months old. I'm trying to replace the factory OA Smith anode rod with an electric one. No rotten egg smell from my well water before this water heater. These Corro-Protec electronic rods are supposed to solve that problem. Still trying to get the original one off though!
@@stevesmith6983Lots of people recommend an impact drive to break them free. Probably worth a try since yours is only a few months old. Older water heaters the impact gun might cause the rod to break off into the tank.
Exactly. Looks easy but have a breaker bar ready.
For people who's water heater doesn't have enough vertical ceiling clearance to insert a new full length rod, they now make "collapsible" rods that look like sausage links.
The video says to drain 2 gallons. The checklist says to drain the tank. Even if you are going to drain the tank to flush it (regular flushing whether it is every 6 months, annually, etc). I suggest you don't drain the tank!!! (except for the 2 gallons) until after you loosen the rod. The mass of the water will help when you are attempt to break-loose the rod. Once loose, drain the rest of the water if you are flushing the tank. Speaking of the socket, many of you will need a thin-wall socket. Huskey makes a thin-walled 1 1/16 inch socket. I don't remember where I got it. I got the rod from Home Depot for $20 in 2021. I haven't tried this DIY thing yet. This afternoon I'll try to loosen the 3 year old rod and check the condition. I promise to wrap the teflon tape the correct way which I now understand is counter clockwise.
So.....one size fits all, except for the length?
This whole process would be so much easier if the water heater manufacturers would design this rod to be replaced regularly. Just simply adding a Teflon seal on the threads would make a difference not to mention a collapsable rod so it didn't need to be cut to remove it when there isn't enough ceiling clearance. It seems as if the manufacturers don't want it to be replaced and that's why most people don't do it. Too much of a hassle for the average homeowner.
do the same video for the hybrid system.
Thank you for this suggestion! I have sent it to the training team.
U r the best sir
You said one of the tools we would need is a hacksaw, but you didn’t use one. What do we need it for?
Just in case the replacement rod is too long. You can cut it to fit.
If the clearance above the water heater is too small for the old rod, to pull it out, you will also need a couple of clamps. ie vice grip pliers to hold it while you saw it in two to get it out.
Thank you
I can't get the old rod out, spins the whole heater when I try to twist
A cordless impact will break it loose.
very good video, my old water heater tank is leaking and im looking for a new one, i think i will buy this because i can replace the anode rod, does all Rheem water Gas Heater comes with Magnesium Anode rod? i plan to buy the 40gal. model # XG40T06EC36U1 from homedepot. Again thank you for a very informative video. maybe next video is how to flush the water heater. thanks Alot.
This water heater does have an anode rod. Please contact our Technical Support Team at 800-432-8373 for more details.
Hi. When I removed the magnesium anode 5 years after tank purchase. The anode was barely depleted, but entirely crusted with calcium/magnesium carbonate. I cleaned it back to bare metal and re-installed it. Now, 2-3 years later I pulled the anode, same thing. I replaced it with new anyway. Can the anode even be working when entirely crusted with hard minerals? Looks to me like the deposits are actually preventing any electrolytic action. Why next to no depletion of the metal? Any ideas? Thanks.
Your tanks is properly glassed so steel is not exposed, so your anode rod does not to be scarified until steel or iron is exposed.
Please contact our Technical Support Team at 800-432-8373.
so if you open the faucet to relieve pressure, I assume you turn it off after 10 seconds or so?
When you’re turning the water back on, it can help to avoid water hammer.
@@halo9lady I guess the only aspect of the vid that wasn't clear is when turning on certain faucets, if you should leave it open or shut it off after a bit.
@@monkeyb1820 leave the faucets open until the main water is all the way open and water is flowing smoothly. Then turn them off.
I have a three-year-old 75-gallon tank would you think this just takes the aluminum rod?
We recommend using magnesium anode rods instead of aluminum because they last longer.
LOL on the Teflon tape! I'm hoping that was a joke.
no joke
Excellent presentation !
You mean the presentation where they wrap the Teflon tape the wrong way on the threads of the anode.
I believe the anode rod on Bradford and White water heaters is not under one of the plastic caps, but it's actually attached to the hot water union outlet. I was fooled by this video, since my Bradford and white does have a plastic seal/cap on the edge.
Damn, my heater was made 22 years ago and leaking from the annode.. so I guess it's gone and probably wasn't replaced recently.
My 6-gal has no opening on top.
How tight should the new anode rod be tightened?
Please tighten to a snug fit, if you have any additional questions, please call our Technical Support Team at 800-432-8373 between the hours of 7 A.M. and 7 P.M. CST and one of our experienced analysts will be happy to assist you.
2:10 -- What does this mean ?
A cheater bar or extension bar is just an extension to the socket wrench arm to allow you to have more leverage.
How tight in foot pounds?
Please tighten to a snug fit, if you have any additional questions, please call our Technical Support Team at 800-432-8373 between the hours of 7 A.M. and 7 P.M. CST and one of our experienced analysts will be happy to assist you.
I have a 6 year warranty on my new Rheem where do I buy a new anode rod at
grainger, probably will be around 22 bucks
You could purchase one wherever you bought your water heater from, or you could purchase a replacement from Home Depot.
LET ME ASK, When I take the old anode rod out, can I pour vinegar in the same port, let it set for a few hours than drain, put the new anode rod in, and do all the returns bk?
Please contact our Technical Support Team at 800-432-8373 for assistance.
informative video but you wrapped the teflon tape the wrong way.
Hi, thanks for the video , I have a 2019 rheem water heater model # PROG40S-34N RH62 , I can’t find what size anode rod it takes anywhere , I don’t want to buy one that’s too short, and I’d rather not cut it if I don’t have to , can you recommend a site I can go to to get the proper size,… thank you
On our website at parts.rheem.com, you can type your serial number in the search box to find the parts or you can email store@rheemconnections.com or call Rheem Customer Service at 1-800-621-5622.
This is probably far too late, but a good approach is to dig out all the foam first and measure down to the top of the fitting, or stick a screwdriver through the foam to determine depth. Make a mark on the side of the tank at that distance from the top and measure down to the tank drain.
My 50 gallon "medium" water heater with a 48" tank actually required more like a 39" anode. I used a flexible one and had to cut.
I watch another video and they just said to turn the gas to pilot. You don't have to shut off all the gas supply.
We just changed our took about 15 minutes.
Can an impact gun be used?
You mean impact wrench? I did as I was having a tough time getting my old anode out.
Yes, you can use one to remove an anode rod if necessary.
yes use it all the time
1:33 you forgot to say to turn the drain valve off, and to turn off the hot water faucet in the house.
1 1/16 socket does not work, could not get in
Husky makes a thin-walled socket that fits. (no item number visible) I haven't tried removing the rod yet. I just bought it at the same time as the back-up rod and Reem water heater.
You forgot to turn off the drain and removed the hose. 😎
Watch it again
I think you wrap the tape thew wrong direction indeed.
You can’t put that much Teflon tape on. There must be a metal to metal contact with the tank or the anode is completely useless. Too much tape will insulate that contact from occurring.
You're right that not that much tape can be applied to the treads, especially if the thicker blue tape is used. The tape will just be pushed out instead of going between the male and female threads. The video also should the wrong direction in applying the tape.
The threads will bite through the Teflon tape. Check with ohm meter. There will be a good electrical contact. The Teflon tape clogs the channel between the treads. Pipe dope with Teflon is messier and can give a bad smell and taste in the water, but works better on clogging the leaks from the threads. Teflon taped pipe seems easier to remove than just pipe dope threads. Thus I have one to 2 layer of thin Teflon on all threads, use fingernail to push down tape to surface and then pipe dope all but the first thread.
Or just use pipe dope. I haven't used Teflon tape in years.
Oh no! He put the teflon tape on the wrong way!
Why cant you just run the hot water at the sink to drain a couple of gallons after shutting off the cold water inlet, instead of dealing with a hose from the bottom drain outlet? Inquiring minds want to know...
The water heater relies on water pressure introduced from the cold water intake from the supply line which enters near the bottom of the tank to force hot water stored at the top of the tank through the exit at the top outlet. When you turn off the water intake valve and open the hot water from a faucet, you may drain some of the water but that's only from residual pressure in the lines. You need to use gravity to drain water once that water pressure is removed. If you don't close the cold water intake, the water you drain is replaced with cold, so you won't lower the pressure in the tank. You can measure how much water is released if you open a tub faucet and collect the water in a bucket and measure to see how much you get out. It probably won't be 2 gallons worth.
If you have sediment in your water heater, you may need to open the drain valve first with the cold water intake open first to blow out the sediment before you can drain the 2 gallons of water after closing the cold water intake valve.
@@johndill6594 Thanks for the civilized and professional response; although I realized the answer to my own question right after I posted this. I guess old age can bring on a bout of Brain Farting, resulting in something we used to call, "The Learning Loop"!
Rheem anode rods are way overtightened making them almost impossible for a Do-It-Yourselfer to get the rod out. What is the point of doing that? The thin hex head makes it easy for the socket to slip off. A BIG impact wrench is required to remove the anode rod. You may need to grind off the bevel (chamfer), on the front of the socket to get a good grip on the shallow hex head. Also, the bracket holding the sparker, pilot light gas tube, and Thermopile is made of POT METAL rather than steel. That is almost beyond belief. Very poor quality.
I also have a Rheem water heater and have to change the original 6.5 year old anode rod. So...I'm not looking forward to the difficulty you mentioned with loosening the hex head. My Rheem model is XE40M12EC55U1. What model do you have and how old is it?
@@terrymccoy7334 All water heaters have an anode rod with a shallow hex head, and they require a lot of torque to remove them. The torque with a cheater bar will just spin the water heater, even if it’s full of water. Am impact wrench will not spin the water heater. It may be difficult to use pneumatic impact wrench, because it’s not feasible to move a big air compressor to the water heater. Hence, the tool of choice may be a BIG electric impact wrench. Most sockets have a chamfer that will allow the socket to skip off the shallow head of the anode rod. I grind the front of the socket down with a bench grinder to remove the chamfer. Go slow with grinding and quench often in water to avoid altering the hardness of the socket. The socket is probably heat treated to a particular hardness. You want to maintain that. Finally, use a 6 point socket that fits well. Not a 12 point socket. Use an impact socket (black), rather than a regular socket. You may have to “rattle” on it for awhile.
@@akzoc Thank you so much for the detailed advice and information. I just received my new anode rod from Amazon today and have not yet removed the insulation seal from the top of my Rheem water heater. My anode rod kit came with a black deep socket that looks REALLY sturdy. Unfortunately, I do not own an impact wrench of any kind so I'll have to give it a go with a cheater bar and if that doesn't budge it then see if my neighbor has an impact wrench, which I'm pretty sure he does. I'm hoping I won't have to cut off the beveled camber of the hardened socket since that sounds fairly difficult to do on hardened steel. Next week I'm to give it a go. Thanks again for your great information and advice.
@@terrymccoy7334 A bench grinder easy grinds down hardened steel. Go very slow and keep it cool by quenching even every few seconds in water to avoid screwing up any heat treatment of the socket. Maybe you won’t have to grind through the bevel.
Great video, but what a stupid design for the water heater. The anode rod is buried under insulation? This was purely a manufacturing consideration, with no thought for the end user. And I would highly recommend replacing your anode more frequently than every four years. And check it annually. I don't know why water heaters don't last long today, but they simply don't.
You don't have a heat trap on the hot water line out! The outlet should dip 12 to 16 inches below the top of the tank
Here i am messing with a 300 dollar electric anode my wife bought instead of putting that money towards a new hot water tank. If it needed an electric titanium anode the tank would come with it. FML
It's supposed to be life time rod at least you shouldn't have to mess with it again. Ever.
@garofalo1707 that would be great. Every year I will take it out and post my progress
Why did you cover and spray insulation over a part that HAS to be replaced!
User friendly.