How to check your water heater’s sacrificial anode

Does your house have smelly water? You can’t seem to find the source of the issue? Well, you could call a plumber for $300 however, they’re probably going to check the sacrificial anode first.
If you have a water softener, the first step is to make sure that that is operating properly. If you don’t, or you know, it’s working correctly, then the next step is to check your water heaters sacrificial anode. This is a large metal rod internal to the water heater which acts as a chemical corrosion control. They need to be changed every 3 to 5 years, to maintain the health of your water heater, and to prevent smelly water.
The tools you’ll need is a sacrificial from a hardware store and a one and 1-1/16 inch socket. The total cost estimate is $40. However, if you call a plumber, this will easily be $300.