Were you aware that this existed and can extend the life of your hot water heater and get rid of that rotten egg smell? Were you aware what an anode rod is and that it needs to be replaced somewhat regularly? Most don't! For your convenience, there are links for everything in the video description!
I had corrosion problems with my water heater and I had to replace water heaters almost every five years. I replaced my water heater about ten years ago, however I installed a device similar to the one above. No more corrosion.
Very informative and helpful. Thank you. For what it's worth, when I worked in the machinery hydraulics industry (up to 3000 psi), we were taught, as did you, to wrap the tape in the direction of tightening the threads. We were also taught to leave the first 2 threads bare, so the tape does not shred and end up in the liquid, and to use just one wrap. With that one wrap, I never had a connection leak with working pressures up to 3000 psi.
I was told by the plumbing wholesaler years ago that the only difference between 5, 10 or 20 year warranties on water heaters is the length of the anode. So I used 5 year models and just change the anode every 5 years or so. They are all still going strong 25 years later. I’m going to look into these anodes, they sound great
I am on well water, and after 4 years on a new water heater we started to get a very bad sulfur smell. We had a great water treatment system but it wasn't up to the task. I installed this product and voilà it WORKS!!! Great customer service from the manufacturer and over 2 years now and working great. Great advice here as well about getting the old anode rod out, too.
Thanks so much for sharing your experience! We're thrilled to hear that the Corro-Protec anode made a difference with the sulfur smell, especially with well water. And it’s great to know our team could help along the way! Here’s to many more years of fresh-smelling water!
Did exactly this with our hot water tank and within 2 hours, all the egg smell was completely gone when running hot water, one of the first items that actually did what it was advertised to do👍👍.
and depending where you water heater is, there may NOT be an electric outlet anywhere near it. So don't see this as being "practical" for someone like me and I am sure others.
After years of trying to get rid of the sulfur smell in our well water and trying different types of anode rods, I bought this. It’s been about 5 years now and it works great….smell was eliminated.
Thanks for sharing your experience! We’re so happy to hear that Corro-Protec finally solved the sulfur smell for you after years of trying different solutions. Five years strong, that’s fantastic!
I installed a new 50 gal gas water heater and after a year I drained the tank and found no sediment when I drained it. I started thinking about the anode rod and then read on you tube about the corro-protec powered anode rod. I decided to replace the original with the corro-protec. Use a powered impact driver as shown in this video as it makes it so much easier !!!!! One thing I have wondered is do I need to still do a yearly drain of the tank for any sediment ?? This is a great product and the customer service is amazing. Great install video !!
Yes, it still makes sense to flush periodically. Also test the pressure release valve too. I had one fail via leaking but the other kind of failure can be catastrophic.
@@thomasworrell6853most people with sediment never do a flush, let alone annually. Removing sediment is the main reason for the flush so there’s no reason to do it so often when they solved the problem. Doing it once every 3 or 4 years would still be better than most people. It’s time consuming, they risk damaging the drain valve and it would waste lots of hot water for no reason.
Excellent video. I have another alternative. If you can plan ahead before you are in a crisis to get a new heater, research the stainless steel models from HTC. There is no anode rod to corrode, and since the tank is high quality stainless- your only task is to flush a couple of gallons a couple of times a year. I needed the 80 gallon unit and it's been great. One less maintenance headache
@@bobd5119 Triangle Tube Smart 30 Indirect Water Heater os what I have….going strong since 1998, stainless steel, just ordered a new thermostat for it cost $75, installing tonight 12/14/2024….hope to get the next 25years from it. No anode required, plus my water comes from the city with a pH 7.2. Best appliance ever, and my New Yorker oil furnace is just as old, I have both a Spirovent and Watts expansion tank attached which helps to keep corrosive elements limited.
I like your videos. I watched 10 common mistakes of house wiring this morning and realized I reversed polarity on a line in my basement, the also supplies current to a lot of the things for my Coral Reef Salt water tank. I had a new in box GFCI, and re wired it properly. Thanks!
have one in my RV water tank and I used to have huge amounts of sediment in the tank from well water and it smells. This past year was the trial run of the coro protect and it passed with flying colors, no smell, no sediment and no rust in the water when I drained it for winter. I am really impressed with this and will be adding it to my 2year old water tank. Yes please use a bare metal ground .
Sounds like Corro-Protec has been a game-changer in your RV water tank! No smell, no sediment, and no rust-it’s awesome to hear it made such a difference. Adding it to your home tank sounds like a great plan.
I JUST had this done this week. My water heater is only 4 years old and the anode rod was TOAST. I was amazed as we have pretty decent water here in North Dakota. Tested my expansion tank found out that was shot also.
Great video! I installed one of these 5 years ago on a existing 6 year old tank at my cottage. The water had so much of a egg smell my wife would not shower in the hot water. From what i read online the hydrogen sulfide smell comes from the reaction of irons in water and magnesium/aluminum anode. So removing old anode would likely get rid of that smell at cost of your tank rusting out. So by replacing with the corotec within a full flush of tank there was no smell. 5 years later my tank is still running with no smell. Hopefully doing something inside and not rusting away. No evidence of rust in water flow so think it works and my wife uses the hotwater at cottage because of it. 👍
Hi Gary here from the UK here grate video very interesting and informative keep them coming, by the way I'm an old heating engineer of 55 year's experience you gave a very good installation guide to the installation of the unit easy to follow and an in-depth explanation of what it does, well done
when installing the ground, you need to remove the paint so your connection will give definite contact to bare metal. Also, you can cut a slit in the rubber cover and slide the wire through and then connect to the anode. Then put the rubber cap in place.
@@chrisforker7487 I'm no electrician, but if that was the case then house building code would allow you to ground to a plastic box since you'll be using a metal screw. But that's not the case, you can not simply ground to something with a metal screw.
@@chrisforker7487 - Garbage! Most screws are made of nonferrous or coated metals and do NOT ground well, that is why it is important for the wire to have immediate contact with the bare metal of the chassis of the water heater.
The manufacturer obviously isn't too concerned with a high amperage ground connection. I agree that most of the connections you guys are referring to need a clean and solid bond, but this doesn't appear to that kind of circuit. In fact, I'm willing to bet that if you go look at your water heater, you will find that all of its screws were installed through and into painted panels. Even though those screws and panels are used to carry the water heaters protective electrical ground connections.
I self installed two gas water heaters in two different houses. Now in a townhouse with an electric water heater. Thanks for the reminder on what I need to do.
This thing works. I have well water and always had problems with water smell and tank buildup. I installed a new tank and put this in with it. It works. I highly recommend this rod.
Thank you for the awesome feedback! We're so glad the Corro-Protec anode is making a difference with the smell and buildup in your tank. Enjoy the fresh water, and thanks for recommending us!
Agreed; these are fantastic! My current heater, which is a heat pump unit, is eleven years old now (purchased/installed 12/2013), and I replaced the anode rod once every two years. The used rods looked very similar to the one in this video after that time. Sadly, when I went to remove my fifth rod, which was after nine total years on the heater, I found that it was unwilling to come out. I tried EVERYTHING to get it out, which was much more challenging than a typical direct electric, and finally the hex head on the anode failed, so there was simply no way to get it out. I ended up going with one of these Corro-Protec units instead, which I installed (early in 2024) inside the hot water output pipe using a 'Y' fitting (provided by the company). While challenging to install this unit due to the type of heater I have, I was able to design a compatible output pipe solution and get the new anode up and running. It did not resolve all instances of sulfur smell in the hot water, but it is far less frequent or intense than it once was (and possibly is due to the fact that the last aluminum anode rod is still present in the tank). The heat pump water heater has paid for itself more than three times over (just in terms of electricity saved versus direct electric heating) at this point, and I am hopeful it will continue to provide reliable hot water for years to come.
My mechanic told me about these last year when he was helping me install a tankless system in a building. He highly recommended them over traditional anode rods. I may switch to one after the current rod in our house water heater starts to wear out. Thanks for the tips. I've been using a massive breaker bar and all my strength to loosen those damned things.
You need to heat the bolt head on the top of the anode rod to soften the Gorilla Lock that is used as a thread sealant first and the anode rod will thread right out.
@@BackyardBeeKeepingNuevo These are rods I've already replaced before. I wrap the threads in Teflon tape to prevent leakage. Do you think heating the heads will help loosen them even if no Loctite has been used?
Installed the Corro-Protec today on an 8 YO Rheem Performance Platinum 50 gal tank. Pretty easy. Impact wrench loosened the old anode rod in seconds. Hardest part was lifting the old rod out of the tank. It was crusty and the encrusted rod diameter was larger than the tank hole in some spots. So had to twist and lift. Took some effort. My heater is mounted on a box so I wasn’t able to extract the rod in one go. Lifted it until I met overhead resistance. Then used vice grips near the tank top to secure the rod. Used a reciprocating saw to cut the rod a few inches above the vice grips. Second part of the rod lifted out easily. Used wet then dry paper towels to clean the tank threads of the debris left from removing the old rod. Installed the Corro-Protec in minutes. Now just have to get used to that insanely bright green LED. Or maybe mask it with a Post-It note. Thanks for the step-by-step instructions. Easy DIY job.
This is great! Thank you for creating the video and bringing this tremendous improvement to our attention. I immediately went up in my attic to look at a power cord routing to the nearest outlet and then I checked the access port for the anode and quickly discovered that there are two pipe lines routed directly over the anode access port with two other lines in close proximity. Talk about a buzz kill!
I had a similar situation when I replaced my water heater. I replaced and rerouted the pipes. I had so little space to work with, that I had to rotate the heater several degrees to avoid conflict with the drain valve. The old heater had the valve about 30° offset from the front. The new one sticks straight out the front. The cost of some pipe and fittings is much less than a new heater in ten years. I installed a Corro-Protec anode.
I installed a Corro-Protec anode in my Bradford White water heater last year, and I'm very happy with it so far. I do want to mention that the Corro-Protec 20-year warranty covers only the anode, and they do not make any specific claims regarding how long a water heater will last with their anode installed. It is obviously a vast improvement over standard anodes, but viewers should not be given the impression that their water tanks will last 20 years with a Corro-Protec anode.
Good point. My thought is that the longer a rod lasts, the harder it is and less it protects by not self sacrificing quick enough. Not sure how an electrical current will affect/remove the chemical reactions between the water and minerals.
Exactly! Our warranty is for the Corro-Protec anode rod itself. While it offers top-notch protection against corrosion and odors, we can't cover the entire water heater since we don’t make it. Water heaters sometimes need other parts replaced over time, but we're here to make sure our anode does its part for years to come. Thanks for your comment!
@@eugene188 My hot water does not have any odor now, and I will not have any need to inspect or replace the anode during the useful life of my tank. In my book, that is a vast improvement over the stock magnesium anode that came with the tank.
Perfect timing for this. My house is being rebuilt after a pretty bad fire. The new water heater was installed 7 days ago but never fired up. The original I installed myself back in 99 and while I was familiar with the anode rods from my work on commercial boilers I never thought about my own water heater. Next time I go by my house I'm going to check.
Two suggestions: ditch the cheap teflon tape and get the thicker tape. If the anode rod won’t come out because it’s too long for your ceiling simply lift the rod up as far as it will go. Place a pair of vise grips and tighten them on the rod near where it comes out to the tank. Take a sawzall and cut rod carefully as to not loosen your vice grips and cut about 3 inches above the vice grips. Then once it’s cut just lift the rest of the rod out. Edit: don’t be like my dumbass and use your impact gun to tighten too much. I ended up stripping the head on an anode rod. Fortunately it didn’t leak or break but it now a permanent resident on my hot water tank.
You can also pull out the old rod 18" or so, secure with vise grips, and pull the top to bend it, pull out another 18" and repeat. I will come out as a curved "C" shape. The core of the rod around which the magnesium is cast, is pretty thin steel. It bends easily.
Came here just for that, thanks for this answer. I guess it doesn’t matter that this new rod is so short compared to the old rod or you wouldn’t have installed it.
A couple of comments based on my own experience: If you have the (now pretty much obsolete) CPVC off-white plastic piping, as illustrated in your video, be aware that this product is very brittle and prone to cracking. In addition, the plastic shutoff valves commonly found used with this pipe (as shown in your video) have the nasty habit of not fully closing, even with extreme force applied. You may find that you must actually turn off the water supply at the water meter to fully stop water flow. Some water heaters do not have an opening in their sheet metal covers above the anode. With such heaters, you would need to remove the electrical connection or gas vent and the water inlet and outlet piping, and then remove the sheet metal tank cover, in order to access the anode. This could be beyond the casual DIY person's ability and comfort zone. Check your tank before taking on this project.
So true about the cpvc ball valves. As stated, shut at water meter or main shut off, and while doing all this, it's a good time to install new ball valve. Shark bite or brass with cpvc male adaptors.
I think all modern water heaters have anode rod access from the top. If you can't find the an anode rod cap you should consider what is not referenced in this video and that is there are two styles of anode rod placement. One, as depicted here, is under its own dedicated cap, and separate position. The other is an anode rod that is inside the intake or outlet port such as in Bradford and White, and State water heaters. In the latter case, the supply or outlet port (depending on your brand) must be removed to get at the anode rod, which has a hollow top to accommodate the water flow. Corro Protect sells a different design powered anode rod for this type of application.
Very good video. I had replaced my 12 year old anodes before seeing this video. Forget the cheater bar like he said. I struggled with a cheater bar and never could get the old anode broken out until I came up with the brilliant idea to use an impact wrench which worked perfectly, as in the video. I shut the water off but forgot to drain some water out. I got a nice hot water shower as a result. My old anode looked just like his. I had to cutoff part of the new anode because it wouldn’t fit with the roof clearance. I do not have a sulfur smell and did not use a powered anode.
Definitely knew of the anode rod but its been an "Out of sight, out of mind" kind of thing, till now. Thanks for the reminder on how to get the best bang my buck on my water heater.
Thanks for the kind words! We’re glad you found the video helpful. Even with a 10-year-old water heater, installing a Corro-Protec anode can help prevent further corrosion, eliminate odors, and extend its life. If you have any questions about installation or compatibility, feel free to ask!
Great video! Easy install. Only issue I had is that the 1 3/16 socket didn't quite fit on the Corro-Protec. Not sure if I received a batch that was slightly out of spec, or what. That said, since the Corro-Protec isn't recessed, I was able to use an open-ended wrench to tighten it down. Everything seems to work perfectly. Thank you for this how-to!
I have one of these and it has been working for two years just fine. I used a pneumatic impact wrench to remove the anode rod. Used a ratchet wrench to install the Corro-protect. It was an easy installation. I drain my hot water tank every year to make sure that there is nothing in the bottom of the tank. Also, I hope the piping on this hot water tank in the video is stainless and not galvanized. Galvanized pipe and fittings don't work very good with water.
My water heater was installed in 1961, and needed a new element a few years ago. It's a cassette-style element, so it was a simple fix, when I eventually found the replacement. Don't know if it has an anode, but whatever, it's a damn good unit!
Hey bud , you want to know why yours is consumed just like mine after 2 years??? The problem is the temp, turn your temp up to 139 -140 degrees , THAT will kill the bacteria that's killing your anode, 120 degrees isn't enough
Yep, at 3 years my anode rod is typically almost totally depleted. Turns out that softened water typically depletes the rod quicker and I do have softened water. I could go every two years but I now replace my anode rod every year and my water heater is now a little over 10 years old where previously my water heaters failed at 5 or 6 years.
I pulled my anode after 3 yrs and it was a 6 inch nub. I replaced it with a power anode rod. Just be aware the factory rod is very tight so an impact wrench for car wheels is very helpful
When I decided to replace the anode rod in my Bradford White water heater, the OEM unit (the only one I could find that was guaranteed to fit) was just $30 less than the cost of the Corro-Protec, so going active was a no-brainer.
Best thing I ever bought. My mother in law ADU had sulpher smell (well water filtered ) and this immediate stoped the smell. Small power requirement but beats the alternative! Easy install and I’m a caveman!
Thanks for the awesome feedback! So glad it stopped the sulfur smell in your mother-in-law's, nothing beats a simple fix that works! And yes, low power and easy install make it even better!
At my previous house I had some sort of galvanic issue and water heater tanks started leaking after 4 years. After the third one I educated myself on them and discovered anode rods. After that I bought 1 water heater and checked anode rods quarterly and wound up replacing rods about every 3 years and it lasted 20 years at the time I sold the house. First thing I did with THIS house is chisel out the cover over the anode rod but it simply will not come out, tried a 6' breaker bar and rounded the head! Apparently Rheem friction-stir welded it in place. They said they would replace it under warranty but I could not bring the old one in myself, it had to be a licensed plumber. The plumbers who advertised Rheem that I talked to all wanted $300-500 to Uber a water heater here from their shop (not _install_ it, just haul it here!) so Rheem warranty is a fake. Im on a well and I have smelly hot water. H2O2 stops it for a month or two. I bought an active anode rod (a Corro-Protec actually) to try, but without being able to get the old one out I havent been able to use it. I may try welding something to the head to try to turn it with.
I had a 82 gallon electric hot water heater years ago that lasted 37 years on softened well water and never replaced the anode. Kept water temp at 120. What made it last so long?
Thank you for doing a video on this subject! I bought one but have yet to install it. Having your faith and trust in this is very helpful for me to get going. I'm also adding a receptacle and using the tips and tools you've shared on how to piggyback from a nearby receptacle. You're my guy! :)
Thanks for the kind words! Glad the video helped build your confidence to get it installed. Adding the receptacle and using those tips should make it a smooth setup-you're all set for success! Let us know how it goes!
after 5 years, I removed the anode. found it almost untouched, due to a coating of calcium ? in from our town water. this coating blocks the anode from functioning. I changed to the electric anode, and will now benefit from being able to easily remove it to clean off any buildup, on an annual basis. the short length and teflon tape will ensure easy removal in a very tight space.
Ground Wire: sand that spot with sandpaper get a good ground; or clean that really well and solder (with flux) to that shell; do not use the cap of the water heater, use the body of the water heater or go to one of the copper pipes with a strap, even better; the painted metal shell is not that connected electrically to the tank as you might think!
Yes, this is the very basic flaw in the design of the product. For impressed cathodic protection to work, you need to ground the inner liner of the tank, not the outside shell.
Holy moly! Even though our water quality around our area is much better than most, I still need the peace of mind that my water heater will last as long as possible!!
What makes you think you have clean water or better water then most? If you haven't already tested it with a TDS meter (total dissolved solids- $12 on amazon) I highly recommend it. My friend was boasting of her water quality and was shocked how dirty it when I tested it. Clean pure water has zero parts per million dissolved. My friends town water measured at 170 ppm of dissolved solids. Weather it's well water, bottled (spring) or publicly supplied water they both usually disturbingly dirty. My rain water measures at zero parts per million. Distilled water is always zero parts per million. Rain is distilled water. Nature runs on distilled water and so should people. I do. Good luck
If you unwind the Teflon tape from the opposite side, you can hold tension on the tape without having to hod the tape. If you think about it from an adhesive tape perspective, it would be as if you are putting the non-adhesive side to the threads. I learned this years ago from a skilled machinist.
I’m surprised this hasn’t been integrated into water heaters already. The prospect of turning it into a maintenance-free appliance (or at least heavily reduced maintenance) for only $3 of electricity a year seems well worth it to me. Having a water heater that is less likely to corrode (and leak) after 20-30 years also seems to be a win for home insurance providers too, so it’s just more surprising that they haven’t mandated this in plumbing code already given the fact that nobody maintains their water heaters like they are supposed to to begin with!
There's no incentive for the manufacturers of water heaters to do this. This is just like the difference between a refrigerator that one would have purchased in the 1970s versus the ones sold today. When someone invented the compressor that was integrated with its motor and all sealed, with the moving parts and motor immersed in oil and the coolant, the compressors began lasting for 50 years plus. We have two refrigerators that we bought back in the 1970s that are still working fine. But new refrigerators will last, perhaps, 10 years max. The manufacturers have done their market research and design their products to last long enough to avoid customer complaints, but not much longer than that. That way, they can sell us 5 refrigerators in the time that one of the 1970s units would have lasted. I'm sure the same logic goes into the design of water heaters and many products. But, I will say that newer refrigerators do use less electricity than the older ones, so that can make it worthwhile to replace older, less efficient units. Just don't be surprised when they fail a lot sooner than your ones from the '70s. As long as people are conditioned to "know" that water heaters only last 10 years or so, then customers keep buying them as they fail, and don't question why it happens or complain.
I guess we have to take their word for it like most things. How do you know what chickens eat even though they told you that it's organic? How do you know all the ingredients in a pill or sauce? You trust the label of what the ingredients are.
Great question! It’s all about the science. Powered anode technology is widely used to protect underground gas pipelines, ships, and other large structures from corrosion. This proven method provides continuous, active protection, unlike standard rods, which degrade over time.
You got that off very quickly. My water storage tank is 1.5 years old and used a 3ft breaker bar and an air impact gun and would not budge. I gave up before I broke some thing. Not sure why anode rod is so tight but was not able to install it. My old 50gal water storage tank lasted 27years and never even knew there was an anode rod in there. I say if I get another 27 years I got my money's worth. I do drain out the tank once a year when I tune my oil burner. Perhaps that extended my storage tank beyond it's life span. If there are any other tricks I can try I will make another attempt.
I probably shouldn't be saying this because you know what happens as soon as you mention something but the water heater in our house was installed in March of 1978. That's three months shy of 47 years and to my knowledge, the anode rod has never been replaced and truth is, I don't want to attempt it. I'm afraid that it will just open up a can of worms. I think that the reason of it's long service life comes down to the quality of manufacture. Planned obsolescence or planned self destruction, whatever you want to call it. Can't sell 'em if they don't fail.
Our water heater is 26 years old, and our plumber said "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." I installed an active anode in it when it was 4 years old after we moved into the house. I have installed them in 2 friend's tanks as well, both times to get rid of their hydrogen sulfide smelling water. Once asked a plumber "fixing" another friend's anode "How often do you replace them?" and he replied "Oh we don't replace them, we just cut them off and drop the piece back into the tank and screw back the nut." Haven't trusted plumbers ever since.
Thanks for sharing your story! It’s impressive your water heater has lasted 26 years with an active anode in place. Sounds like it’s been a game-changer for the sulfur smell, too. And that plumber story... yikes! Taking matters into your own hands was definitely the right call!
@pixels303at-odysee9 oh there's no doubt there's bad plumbers but throwing everyone into mass groups is a dumb take. There's alot of dumb Republicans and Liberals. But to say all liberals or all Republicans are dumb is a stupid take.
Oh gosh he's one of those if it ain't broke!! Well I can tell you your water heater that old is full of sediment, mud , rust and calcium , please replace
Thank you for this reminder! My electric HWH is in my garage and now 20 years old. I have flushed it twice (years ago) and changed the anode twice (along with changing one element - can't the other off!). It is still working. Many others in my neighborhood have had theirs leak after 10-15 years. I need to change the anode again or get a new heater....debating!
Installed my present water heater in june of 2011. Seemed like it was maybe 3 yrs that the water began to stink so I removed the anode rod and never put one back in its place. That was over 13 yrs ago and no problems yet.
After I moved into a new house with well water it was clear there were water problems that had been left untreated. One problem was the strong sulfur smell. We solved the other water issues but the sulfur smell remained. After the water system was sanitized it went away and came back. I found that flushing the water heater every week or two was enough to get rid of the sulfur smell but if I didn't do that often it would come back quickly. But at least it narrowed the problem down to the water heater. I put this anode rod in and never a problem since. Really was a miracle cure for our water problems. Cannot speak to corrosion resistance as it can take a while for the tank to corrode but no issues so far.
I'm just one of those ocd people ... I would want to reposition the plastic cover over the anode rod hole. A little snip into the center, maybe round out the center to allow roon for the electrical connection. It would just keep out dirt, bugs, mice, etc. Would that affect the electrical connection at all? Retain heat to wear out delicate parts? Thanks! Love your content!
Installed a rooftop Solahart 80gal solar/electric hwh in 1984. Lost the glycol jacket and demoed the panels in 2005, so its been a plain 'ol hwh on a timer for 19 years. Replaced the 6ft anode and cleaned out the tank every 2 years over its lifetime. On its 3rd heating element and 2nd thermostat. Finally end of life after 40 years since I can no longer find the weird-arse Robert Shaw Aussie thermostat anywhere... Not a bad run though.
Does the green light on tow power supply glow just because it's plugged into AC (ie would it glow if the terminal was disconnected)? Or, does it indicate that it's properly connected to the anode terminal, and the ground wire is properly grounded?
For our Corro-Protec anodes, the green light only turns on if there’s a specific amount of current flowing inside the tank. This ensures it's properly connected and actively protecting against corrosion.
Good point! With a 20+ year lifespan, it’s a one-time investment that saves on replacements, especially with water heaters getting pricier. Thanks for considering it!
@@bigd3104 It’s simple logic : we only vouch for what we create. While we’re proud of Corro-Protec system’s top-tier quality, we can’t guarantee the entire water heater since we don’t manufacture it. Just as you wouldn’t warranty something you didn’t craft, neither can we.
Great question! The powered anode sends a small current through the tank, actively preventing corrosion without degrading. And no worries, Teflon tape won’t interfere since the circuit is completed through the power supply. Hope this helps!
I saw this anode rod when looking on Amazon a few months ago when my water heater stopped working. It was 13 years old and never changed the anode rod. Ended up doing some maintenance like cleaning the burner, air passages etc. But lasted only another month before the thermostat started leaking water drip by drip and received an error code that pointed to replacing that. Which then I just decided to buy a new water heater which as you know in the moment you don't have hot water, don't really have the time to wait long for parts or things to be delivered. I'm not sure if this anode is sold in stores, I can't say I even thought to check. But I installed the new tank and very much think I should have looked to get one of these powered anode rods as it would be easier to replace it while the tank was not installed and deal with the piping and vent, gas line. But when you don't have hot water, that's easier said than done to think about it. Thanks for the info and video. I do think I'll get this at some point, the added cost with the tank would also be a factor at the time. When i can save up some money after the holidays I may get one now that I know more info about the electric anode rods. Thanks again.
Thanks for sharing your story! It’s so true... when the hot water’s out, time is of the essence, and decisions have to be quick. Adding a powered anode to a new tank would definitely make maintenance easier down the road. Glad the video helped give you more insight, and we’re here whenever you’re ready to make the switch.
Agreed, when the hot water goes out, speed is of the essence!! LoL. I did however have the presence of mind, last time my water heater went out, due to many times of having to deal with trying to drain a sediment clogged factory drain, to replace the factory drain with a 3/4 in ball valve on my new heater. Problem solved!
I had an 8 foot breaker and still couldn't budge the original anode on a strapped down hot water heater. I bought an inexpensive impact wrench which easily loosened the anode rod.
It depends, because you don't know what the inside of an older water heater looks like. Meaning, the shape that it's in, matters to how much longer it will keep working. Also, if you've filtered your water -- at the main, then the hot water heater should last longer and not get as much sediment. But, it still will, because sediment is just a part of the HWH's issues.
That’s a good point to keep in mind. If the old tank goes out before the 20 year warranty for this titanium anode which it probably will then tell the plumber you hire for the new tank install that you want it placed on the new tank rather than discarding it. Or remove it off the old tank yourself before the installer arrives.
Great question! While the powered anode rod can’t reverse existing corrosion, it will help prevent any further damage. Plus, if you ever upgrade to a new tank, you can reinstall the rod there too.
Hi Gary. Do I have to extinguish the pilot light on a gas water heat when doing this replacement? I also need to drain my water heater, not done in 9 years. Can this be done at the same time?
Believe he said in the video to turn the pilot control to "Pilot" setting, which is what I would do. Personally, I wouldn't see why you couldn't drain the water heater at the same time if you needed to. Just my opinion.
You’re lucky to be able to get the rod out with such a small impact gun. I’ve bought a couple new impact guns with around 1500 ft/lb breakaway torque and still cannot get the rod to break loose. Also attempted strapping the tank and using a breaker bar with a pipe extension and only managed to move the tank and not the rod. Not sure where to go from here with this one…
Were you aware that this existed and can extend the life of your hot water heater and get rid of that rotten egg smell? Were you aware what an anode rod is and that it needs to be replaced somewhat regularly? Most don't! For your convenience, there are links for everything in the video description!
Where is the link to buy it?
Do any brands of water heater already have come with this A-rod in them ?
How often should I drain the water heater ?
I had corrosion problems with my water heater and I had to replace water heaters almost every five years. I replaced my water heater about ten years ago, however I installed a device similar to the one above. No more corrosion.
Doesn't work if you have a water softner.
Very informative and helpful. Thank you. For what it's worth, when I worked in the machinery hydraulics industry (up to 3000 psi), we were taught, as did you, to wrap the tape in the direction of tightening the threads. We were also taught to leave the first 2 threads bare, so the tape does not shred and end up in the liquid, and to use just one wrap. With that one wrap, I never had a connection leak with working pressures up to 3000 psi.
Correct, also look to see if the threads are tapered, many connections are designed without the need for tape at all.
I was told by the plumbing wholesaler years ago that the only difference between 5, 10 or 20 year warranties on water heaters is the length of the anode. So I used 5 year models and just change the anode every 5 years or so. They are all still going strong 25 years later.
I’m going to look into these anodes, they sound great
I am on well water, and after 4 years on a new water heater we started to get a very bad sulfur smell. We had a great water treatment system but it wasn't up to the task. I installed this product and voilà it WORKS!!! Great customer service from the manufacturer and over 2 years now and working great. Great advice here as well about getting the old anode rod out, too.
Was the sulfer smell isolated to your hot water?
@@tjburr1968 Yes
Thanks so much for sharing your experience! We're thrilled to hear that the Corro-Protec anode made a difference with the sulfur smell, especially with well water. And it’s great to know our team could help along the way! Here’s to many more years of fresh-smelling water!
Did exactly this with our hot water tank and within 2 hours, all the egg smell was completely gone when running hot water, one of the first items that actually did what it was advertised to do👍👍.
and depending where you water heater is, there may NOT be an electric outlet anywhere near it. So don't see this as being "practical" for someone like me and I am sure others.
@ honestly, for the benefit of never smelling foul again, I would run an extension cord.
After years of trying to get rid of the sulfur smell in our well water and trying different types of anode rods, I bought this. It’s been about 5 years now and it works great….smell was eliminated.
Thanks for sharing your experience! We’re so happy to hear that Corro-Protec finally solved the sulfur smell for you after years of trying different solutions. Five years strong, that’s fantastic!
It worked for me too. Great product! No more sulfur smell
I installed a new 50 gal gas water heater and after a year I drained the tank and found no sediment when I drained it. I started thinking about the anode rod and then read on you tube about the corro-protec powered anode rod. I decided to replace the original with the corro-protec. Use a powered impact driver as shown in this video as it makes it so much easier !!!!! One thing I have wondered is do I need to still do a yearly drain of the tank for any sediment ?? This is a great product and the customer service is amazing. Great install video !!
It never hurts to do an annual drain down/flush.
When you remove your hose, be sure to put a cap with a washer over your drain.
Yes, it still makes sense to flush periodically. Also test the pressure release valve too. I had one fail via leaking but the other kind of failure can be catastrophic.
@@thomasworrell6853most people with sediment never do a flush, let alone annually. Removing sediment is the main reason for the flush so there’s no reason to do it so often when they solved the problem. Doing it once every 3 or 4 years would still be better than most people. It’s time consuming, they risk damaging the drain valve and it would waste lots of hot water for no reason.
12:31
Don't forget to first turn off your drain valve if you haven't already done that.
Great video!
Excellent video. I have another alternative. If you can plan ahead before you are in a crisis to get a new heater, research the stainless steel models from HTC. There is no anode rod to corrode, and since the tank is high quality stainless- your only task is to flush a couple of gallons a couple of times a year. I needed the 80 gallon unit and it's been great. One less maintenance headache
I couldn't find HTC. Did you mean HTP?
I have a SMART stainless hot water tank by Triangle Tube, no issues and no maintenance since 1998, still going strong.
@@SHW5010 WOW !
@@janneyovertheocean9558 have you heard of Triangle Tube before?
@@bobd5119 Triangle Tube Smart 30 Indirect Water Heater os what I have….going strong since 1998, stainless steel, just ordered a new thermostat for it cost $75, installing tonight 12/14/2024….hope to get the next 25years from it. No anode required, plus my water comes from the city with a pH 7.2. Best appliance ever, and my New Yorker oil furnace is just as old, I have both a Spirovent and Watts expansion tank attached which helps to keep corrosive elements limited.
I like your videos. I watched 10 common mistakes of house wiring this morning and realized I reversed polarity on a line in my basement, the also supplies current to a lot of the things for my Coral Reef Salt water tank. I had a new in box GFCI, and re wired it properly. Thanks!
have one in my RV water tank and I used to have huge amounts of sediment in the tank from well water and it smells. This past year was the trial run of the coro protect and it passed with flying colors, no smell, no sediment and no rust in the water when I drained it for winter. I am really impressed with this and will be adding it to my 2year old water tank. Yes please use a bare metal ground .
Sounds like Corro-Protec has been a game-changer in your RV water tank! No smell, no sediment, and no rust-it’s awesome to hear it made such a difference. Adding it to your home tank sounds like a great plan.
You can’t teach an old dog a new trick. You proved this to be wrong today. I lord something new. Always have an open mind to learn new things.
I JUST had this done this week. My water heater is only 4 years old and the anode rod was TOAST. I was amazed as we have pretty decent water here in North Dakota. Tested my expansion tank found out that was shot also.
Great video! I installed one of these 5 years ago on a existing 6 year old tank at my cottage. The water had so much of a egg smell my wife would not shower in the hot water. From what i read online the hydrogen sulfide smell comes from the reaction of irons in water and magnesium/aluminum anode. So removing old anode would likely get rid of that smell at cost of your tank rusting out. So by replacing with the corotec within a full flush of tank there was no smell.
5 years later my tank is still running with no smell. Hopefully doing something inside and not rusting away. No evidence of rust in water flow so think it works and my wife uses the hotwater at cottage because of it. 👍
Hi Gary here from the UK here grate video very interesting and informative keep them coming, by the way I'm an old heating engineer of 55 year's experience you gave a very good installation guide to the installation of the unit easy to follow and an in-depth explanation of what it does, well done
Yes, grate video.
The word is spelled "great".
when installing the ground, you need to remove the paint so your connection will give definite contact to bare metal. Also, you can cut a slit in the rubber cover and slide the wire through and then connect to the anode. Then put the rubber cap in place.
Came here to say this. I use to work car audio and always had to make sure ground was to bare metal and not paint.
The ground actually comes from the threads in the metal.
@@chrisforker7487 I'm no electrician, but if that was the case then house building code would allow you to ground to a plastic box since you'll be using a metal screw. But that's not the case, you can not simply ground to something with a metal screw.
@@chrisforker7487 - Garbage! Most screws are made of nonferrous or coated metals and do NOT ground well, that is why it is important for the wire to have immediate contact with the bare metal of the chassis of the water heater.
The manufacturer obviously isn't too concerned with a high amperage ground connection. I agree that most of the connections you guys are referring to need a clean and solid bond, but this doesn't appear to that kind of circuit. In fact, I'm willing to bet that if you go look at your water heater, you will find that all of its screws were installed through and into painted panels. Even though those screws and panels are used to carry the water heaters protective electrical ground connections.
I self installed two gas water heaters in two different houses. Now in a townhouse with an electric water heater. Thanks for the reminder on what I need to do.
This thing works. I have well water and always had problems with water smell and tank buildup. I installed a new tank and put this in with it. It works. I highly recommend this rod.
Thank you for the awesome feedback! We're so glad the Corro-Protec anode is making a difference with the smell and buildup in your tank. Enjoy the fresh water, and thanks for recommending us!
how long have you had the new tank in?
@@eugene188 about a year now
Agreed; these are fantastic! My current heater, which is a heat pump unit, is eleven years old now (purchased/installed 12/2013), and I replaced the anode rod once every two years. The used rods looked very similar to the one in this video after that time. Sadly, when I went to remove my fifth rod, which was after nine total years on the heater, I found that it was unwilling to come out. I tried EVERYTHING to get it out, which was much more challenging than a typical direct electric, and finally the hex head on the anode failed, so there was simply no way to get it out.
I ended up going with one of these Corro-Protec units instead, which I installed (early in 2024) inside the hot water output pipe using a 'Y' fitting (provided by the company). While challenging to install this unit due to the type of heater I have, I was able to design a compatible output pipe solution and get the new anode up and running. It did not resolve all instances of sulfur smell in the hot water, but it is far less frequent or intense than it once was (and possibly is due to the fact that the last aluminum anode rod is still present in the tank).
The heat pump water heater has paid for itself more than three times over (just in terms of electricity saved versus direct electric heating) at this point, and I am hopeful it will continue to provide reliable hot water for years to come.
Use an impact gun
My mechanic told me about these last year when he was helping me install a tankless system in a building. He highly recommended them over traditional anode rods. I may switch to one after the current rod in our house water heater starts to wear out. Thanks for the tips. I've been using a massive breaker bar and all my strength to loosen those damned things.
You need to heat the bolt head on the top of the anode rod to soften the Gorilla Lock that is used as a thread sealant first and the anode rod will thread right out.
@@BackyardBeeKeepingNuevo These are rods I've already replaced before. I wrap the threads in Teflon tape to prevent leakage. Do you think heating the heads will help loosen them even if no Loctite has been used?
My impact ripped the anode right out no issue. Use the correct tools
I'm living in Florida with well water. This is just what I need! Thank you so much!
thank you for this knowledge. Its been 5 years since my water heater has been replaced. I guess I will be doing this before the end of this year
Installed the Corro-Protec today on an 8 YO Rheem Performance Platinum 50 gal tank.
Pretty easy. Impact wrench loosened the old anode rod in seconds. Hardest part was lifting the old rod out of the tank. It was crusty and the encrusted rod diameter was larger than the tank hole in some spots. So had to twist and lift. Took some effort. My heater is mounted on a box so I wasn’t able to extract the rod in one go. Lifted it until I met overhead resistance. Then used vice grips near the tank top to secure the rod. Used a reciprocating saw to cut the rod a few inches above the vice grips. Second part of the rod lifted out easily.
Used wet then dry paper towels to clean the tank threads of the debris left from removing the old rod. Installed the Corro-Protec in minutes.
Now just have to get used to that insanely bright green LED. Or maybe mask it with a Post-It note.
Thanks for the step-by-step instructions. Easy DIY job.
This is great! Thank you for creating the video and bringing this tremendous improvement to our attention.
I immediately went up in my attic to look at a power cord routing to the nearest outlet and then I checked the access port for the anode and quickly discovered that there are two pipe lines routed directly over the anode access port with two other lines in close proximity.
Talk about a buzz kill!
I had a similar situation when I replaced my water heater. I replaced and rerouted the pipes. I had so little space to work with, that I had to rotate the heater several degrees to avoid conflict with the drain valve. The old heater had the valve about 30° offset from the front. The new one sticks straight out the front. The cost of some pipe and fittings is much less than a new heater in ten years. I installed a Corro-Protec anode.
I installed a Corro-Protec anode in my Bradford White water heater last year, and I'm very happy with it so far.
I do want to mention that the Corro-Protec 20-year warranty covers only the anode, and they do not make any specific claims regarding how long a water heater will last with their anode installed. It is obviously a vast improvement over standard anodes, but viewers should not be given the impression that their water tanks will last 20 years with a Corro-Protec anode.
Good point. My thought is that the longer a rod lasts, the harder it is and less it protects by not self sacrificing quick enough. Not sure how an electrical current will affect/remove the chemical reactions between the water and minerals.
Exactly! Our warranty is for the Corro-Protec anode rod itself. While it offers top-notch protection against corrosion and odors, we can't cover the entire water heater since we don’t make it. Water heaters sometimes need other parts replaced over time, but we're here to make sure our anode does its part for years to come. Thanks for your comment!
I was wondering about the warranty and seeing if anybody did a test on it. How do you even know that it is "a vast improvement over standard anodes".
@@eugene188 My hot water does not have any odor now, and I will not have any need to inspect or replace the anode during the useful life of my tank. In my book, that is a vast improvement over the stock magnesium anode that came with the tank.
@@corro-protec I say this a great opportunity to either make your own or team up with a manufacturer to produce the best water heater on the market.
Thank you for the excellent presentation. You covered all the details necessary to make this install a success.
Perfect timing for this. My house is being rebuilt after a pretty bad fire. The new water heater was installed 7 days ago but never fired up. The original I installed myself back in 99 and while I was familiar with the anode rods from my work on commercial boilers I never thought about my own water heater. Next time I go by my house I'm going to check.
I'm so sorry you had a house fire
How tragic 😢
@@stbam1965 Thanks Should be back in by mid January. 90% complete and looks like a brand new home inside and out. 😁
Two suggestions: ditch the cheap teflon tape and get the thicker tape. If the anode rod won’t come out because it’s too long for your ceiling simply lift the rod up as far as it will go. Place a pair of vise grips and tighten them on the rod near where it comes out to the tank. Take a sawzall and cut rod carefully as to not loosen your vice grips and cut about 3 inches above the vice grips. Then once it’s cut just lift the rest of the rod out.
Edit: don’t be like my dumbass and use your impact gun to tighten too much. I ended up stripping the head on an anode rod. Fortunately it didn’t leak or break but it now a permanent resident on my hot water tank.
Thx That was my concern !
You can also pull out the old rod 18" or so, secure with vise grips, and pull the top to bend it, pull out another 18" and repeat. I will come out as a curved "C" shape. The core of the rod around which the magnesium is cast, is pretty thin steel. It bends easily.
Came here just for that, thanks for this answer. I guess it doesn’t matter that this new rod is so short compared to the old rod or you wouldn’t have installed it.
Does it matter if the old rod is three times longer than this new rod? Thanks
great idea, i was wondering how i was going to do it ")
Powered anode rod. A brilliant idea!
A couple of comments based on my own experience:
If you have the (now pretty much obsolete) CPVC off-white plastic piping, as illustrated in your video, be aware that this product is very brittle and prone to cracking. In addition, the plastic shutoff valves commonly found used with this pipe (as shown in your video) have the nasty habit of not fully closing, even with extreme force applied. You may find that you must actually turn off the water supply at the water meter to fully stop water flow.
Some water heaters do not have an opening in their sheet metal covers above the anode. With such heaters, you would need to remove the electrical connection or gas vent and the water inlet and outlet piping, and then remove the sheet metal tank cover, in order to access the anode. This could be beyond the casual DIY person's ability and comfort zone. Check your tank before taking on this project.
Thank you for the insight. I will check if I can easily remove my rod but my home is almost 10 years old, fingers crossed 🤞.
Anode rod usually has a rubber plug that needs to be removed for access.
@@buckshot8393 That;s correct, but not all tanks have an access hole in the sheet metal top cover. I know, I just replaced such a tank.
So true about the cpvc ball valves. As stated, shut at water meter or main shut off, and while doing all this, it's a good time to install new ball valve. Shark bite or brass with cpvc male adaptors.
I think all modern water heaters have anode rod access from the top. If you can't find the an anode rod cap you should consider what is not referenced in this video and that is there are two styles of anode rod placement. One, as depicted here, is under its own dedicated cap, and separate position. The other is an anode rod that is inside the intake or outlet port such as in Bradford and White, and State water heaters. In the latter case, the supply or outlet port (depending on your brand) must be removed to get at the anode rod, which has a hollow top to accommodate the water flow. Corro Protect sells a different design powered anode rod for this type of application.
Very good video. I had replaced my 12 year old anodes before seeing this video. Forget the cheater bar like he said. I struggled with a cheater bar and never could get the old anode broken out until I came up with the brilliant idea to use an impact wrench which worked perfectly, as in the video. I shut the water off but forgot to drain some water out. I got a nice hot water shower as a result. My old anode looked just like his. I had to cutoff part of the new anode because it wouldn’t fit with the roof clearance. I do not have a sulfur smell and did not use a powered anode.
Definitely knew of the anode rod but its been an "Out of sight, out of mind" kind of thing, till now. Thanks for the reminder on how to get the best bang my buck on my water heater.
Thanks for the comment! Easy to overlook, but taking care of the anode rod is key to getting the most from your water heater!
This! And doing a full draining (and sludge removal)
Excellent tutorial. Thank you!
So glad this popped up on my feed. Definitely had no idea about this and my heater is already 10yrs old. Thanks for the valuable insight brother!
Thanks for the kind words! We’re glad you found the video helpful. Even with a 10-year-old water heater, installing a Corro-Protec anode can help prevent further corrosion, eliminate odors, and extend its life. If you have any questions about installation or compatibility, feel free to ask!
@MarilouQuirionCorro-Protec thanks! Much appreciated!
Great video! Easy install. Only issue I had is that the 1 3/16 socket didn't quite fit on the Corro-Protec. Not sure if I received a batch that was slightly out of spec, or what. That said, since the Corro-Protec isn't recessed, I was able to use an open-ended wrench to tighten it down. Everything seems to work perfectly. Thank you for this how-to!
I’ve never heard of this product and will definitely check it out! One tip: Run a faucet to bleed the air out before turning it back on.
I have one of these and it has been working for two years just fine. I used a pneumatic impact wrench to remove the anode rod. Used a ratchet wrench to install the Corro-protect.
It was an easy installation. I drain my hot water tank every year to make sure that there is nothing in the bottom of the tank. Also, I hope the piping on this hot water tank in the video is stainless and not galvanized. Galvanized pipe and fittings don't work very good with water.
My water heater was installed in 1961, and needed a new element a few years ago. It's a cassette-style element, so it was a simple fix, when I eventually found the replacement. Don't know if it has an anode, but whatever, it's a damn good unit!
My old anode was 5 years old. Totally consumed. Glad I found this
Thanks for sharing! It’s great you found Corro-Protec just in time. Enjoy the lasting protection!
Hey bud , you want to know why yours is consumed just like mine after 2 years??? The problem is the temp, turn your temp up to 139 -140 degrees , THAT will kill the bacteria that's killing your anode, 120 degrees isn't enough
Yep, at 3 years my anode rod is typically almost totally depleted. Turns out that softened water typically depletes the rod quicker and I do have softened water. I could go every two years but I now replace my anode rod every year and my water heater is now a little over 10 years old where previously my water heaters failed at 5 or 6 years.
@@machughes3369 120° ain’t even enough to kill legionella either.
I pulled my anode after 3 yrs and it was a 6 inch nub. I replaced it with a power anode rod. Just be aware the factory rod is very tight so an impact wrench for car wheels is very helpful
when I tried to get the anode rod out of my 9 year old tank it sheared the insert off of the breaker bar .
@@tedmed7349 the correct six-point impact socket with a half inch Milwaukee impact shouldn’t have any problem with these.
When I decided to replace the anode rod in my Bradford White water heater, the OEM unit (the only one I could find that was guaranteed to fit) was just $30 less than the cost of the Corro-Protec, so going active was a no-brainer.
Best thing I ever bought. My mother in law ADU had sulpher smell (well water filtered ) and this immediate stoped the smell. Small power requirement but beats the alternative! Easy install and I’m a caveman!
Thanks for the awesome feedback! So glad it stopped the sulfur smell in your mother-in-law's, nothing beats a simple fix that works! And yes, low power and easy install make it even better!
At my previous house I had some sort of galvanic issue and water heater tanks started leaking after 4 years. After the third one I educated myself on them and discovered anode rods. After that I bought 1 water heater and checked anode rods quarterly and wound up replacing rods about every 3 years and it lasted 20 years at the time I sold the house.
First thing I did with THIS house is chisel out the cover over the anode rod but it simply will not come out, tried a 6' breaker bar and rounded the head! Apparently Rheem friction-stir welded it in place. They said they would replace it under warranty but I could not bring the old one in myself, it had to be a licensed plumber. The plumbers who advertised Rheem that I talked to all wanted $300-500 to Uber a water heater here from their shop (not _install_ it, just haul it here!) so Rheem warranty is a fake.
Im on a well and I have smelly hot water. H2O2 stops it for a month or two. I bought an active anode rod (a Corro-Protec actually) to try, but without being able to get the old one out I havent been able to use it. I may try welding something to the head to try to turn it with.
I have a new project to add to the list. Installed a new HWH last December. I’ll get a jump and do this soon.
Great Video Adam. You are a pro..
OK-It works,my wife is happy . We have well water and strong smell in hot water,not any more -Thanks
🤩🤩🤩
I had a 82 gallon electric hot water heater years ago that lasted 37 years on softened well water and never replaced the anode. Kept water temp at 120. What made it last so long?
Most older tanks were lined with a coating of glass.
Good job, as usual, thank you
Thank you for doing a video on this subject! I bought one but have yet to install it. Having your faith and trust in this is very helpful for me to get going. I'm also adding a receptacle and using the tips and tools you've shared on how to piggyback from a nearby receptacle. You're my guy! :)
Thanks for the kind words! Glad the video helped build your confidence to get it installed. Adding the receptacle and using those tips should make it a smooth setup-you're all set for success! Let us know how it goes!
What a good water heater to install
after 5 years, I removed the anode. found it almost untouched, due to a coating of calcium ? in from our town water. this coating blocks the anode from functioning. I changed to the electric anode, and will now benefit from being able to easily remove it to clean off any buildup, on an annual basis. the short length and teflon tape will ensure easy removal in a very tight space.
Ground Wire: sand that spot with sandpaper get a good ground; or clean that really well and solder (with flux) to that shell; do not use the cap of the water heater, use the body of the water heater or go to one of the copper pipes with a strap, even better; the painted metal shell is not that connected electrically to the tank as you might think!
Yes, this is the very basic flaw in the design of the product. For impressed cathodic protection to work, you need to ground the inner liner of the tank, not the outside shell.
Holy moly! Even though our water quality around our area is much better than most, I still need the peace of mind that my water heater will last as long as possible!!
What makes you think you have clean water or better water then most? If you haven't already tested it with a TDS meter (total dissolved solids- $12 on amazon) I highly recommend it. My friend was boasting of her water quality and was shocked how dirty it when I tested it. Clean pure water has zero parts per million dissolved. My friends town water measured at 170 ppm of dissolved solids. Weather it's well water, bottled (spring) or publicly supplied water they both usually disturbingly dirty. My rain water measures at zero parts per million. Distilled water is always zero parts per million. Rain is distilled water. Nature runs on distilled water and so should people. I do. Good luck
Thanks for showing us this. I do think that this would save the hot water heater for a few more years. Great idea.
I put one on 10 years ago.its perfect I am on well water it's perfect and does what it says it does
If you unwind the Teflon tape from the opposite side, you can hold tension on the tape without having to hod the tape. If you think about it from an adhesive tape perspective, it would be as if you are putting the non-adhesive side to the threads. I learned this years ago from a skilled machinist.
I don't understand what you're saying here?
Excellent, thanks. My water heater is 6 years old & definitely need a new anode rod, I will check this one out.
I’m surprised this hasn’t been integrated into water heaters already. The prospect of turning it into a maintenance-free appliance (or at least heavily reduced maintenance) for only $3 of electricity a year seems well worth it to me. Having a water heater that is less likely to corrode (and leak) after 20-30 years also seems to be a win for home insurance providers too, so it’s just more surprising that they haven’t mandated this in plumbing code already given the fact that nobody maintains their water heaters like they are supposed to to begin with!
One of the most legitimate ideas I've heard lately 😮😊
There's no incentive for the manufacturers of water heaters to do this. This is just like the difference between a refrigerator that one would have purchased in the 1970s versus the ones sold today. When someone invented the compressor that was integrated with its motor and all sealed, with the moving parts and motor immersed in oil and the coolant, the compressors began lasting for 50 years plus. We have two refrigerators that we bought back in the 1970s that are still working fine. But new refrigerators will last, perhaps, 10 years max.
The manufacturers have done their market research and design their products to last long enough to avoid customer complaints, but not much longer than that. That way, they can sell us 5 refrigerators in the time that one of the 1970s units would have lasted. I'm sure the same logic goes into the design of water heaters and many products.
But, I will say that newer refrigerators do use less electricity than the older ones, so that can make it worthwhile to replace older, less efficient units. Just don't be surprised when they fail a lot sooner than your ones from the '70s.
As long as people are conditioned to "know" that water heaters only last 10 years or so, then customers keep buying them as they fail, and don't question why it happens or complain.
@@jsigmoYes. Planned obsolescence.
Very informative 😊thx
How are you actually verifying that it will work better than a standard replacement rod? What's your tests and findings?
I guess we have to take their word for it like most things. How do you know what chickens eat even though they told you that it's organic? How do you know all the ingredients in a pill or sauce? You trust the label of what the ingredients are.
@@im4udevco Trust. But verify.
Since it's an affiliate link in the description, the money he makes off of the product is the proof.
Great question! It’s all about the science. Powered anode technology is widely used to protect underground gas pipelines, ships, and other large structures from corrosion. This proven method provides continuous, active protection, unlike standard rods, which degrade over time.
I've had many of these in rental properties for years now. You can test the current flowing through the tank with a good quality multi meter.
You got that off very quickly. My water storage tank is 1.5 years old and used a 3ft breaker bar and an air impact gun and would not budge. I gave up before I broke some thing. Not sure why anode rod is so tight but was not able to install it. My old 50gal water storage tank lasted 27years and never even knew there was an anode rod in there. I say if I get another 27 years I got my money's worth. I do drain out the tank once a year when I tune my oil burner. Perhaps that extended my storage tank beyond it's life span. If there are any other tricks I can try I will make another attempt.
I probably shouldn't be saying this because you know what happens as soon as you mention something but the water heater in our house was installed in March of 1978.
That's three months shy of 47 years and to my knowledge, the anode rod has never been replaced and truth is, I don't want to attempt it. I'm afraid that it will just open up a can of worms.
I think that the reason of it's long service life comes down to the quality of manufacture. Planned obsolescence or planned self destruction, whatever you want to call it. Can't sell 'em if they don't fail.
Our water heater is 26 years old, and our plumber said "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." I installed an active anode in it when it was 4 years old after we moved into the house. I have installed them in 2 friend's tanks as well, both times to get rid of their hydrogen sulfide smelling water. Once asked a plumber "fixing" another friend's anode "How often do you replace them?" and he replied "Oh we don't replace them, we just cut them off and drop the piece back into the tank and screw back the nut." Haven't trusted plumbers ever since.
Thanks for sharing your story! It’s impressive your water heater has lasted 26 years with an active anode in place. Sounds like it’s been a game-changer for the sulfur smell, too. And that plumber story... yikes! Taking matters into your own hands was definitely the right call!
Yeah, if one crappy plumber says something bad, they're all bad. Haha what a dumb take.
@@wellardo8833I could tell stories, but my comment would be a fart in the wind. Censorship stinks.
@pixels303at-odysee9 oh there's no doubt there's bad plumbers but throwing everyone into mass groups is a dumb take. There's alot of dumb Republicans and Liberals. But to say all liberals or all Republicans are dumb is a stupid take.
Oh gosh he's one of those if it ain't broke!! Well I can tell you your water heater that old is full of sediment, mud , rust and calcium , please replace
Thank you for this reminder! My electric HWH is in my garage and now 20 years old. I have flushed it twice (years ago) and changed the anode twice (along with changing one element - can't the other off!). It is still working. Many others in my neighborhood have had theirs leak after 10-15 years. I need to change the anode again or get a new heater....debating!
Nice. I learned something today.
Great job thanks for the tip 👍
!!! Outstanding !!! G.B.Y. (God Bless You). . .
Installed my present water heater in june of 2011. Seemed like it was maybe 3 yrs that the water began to stink so I removed the anode rod and never put one back in its place. That was over 13 yrs ago and no problems yet.
Nice tutorial. Not too long, like some DIY videos. Subscribed. 👍
I have a SMART stainless hot water tank by Triangle Tube, no issues and no maintenance since 1998, still going strong.
Very well explained, thank you very much. May the living God in heaven bless you Sir.
What is the byproduct of the chemical reaction from the new rod and where does it go?
After I moved into a new house with well water it was clear there were water problems that had been left untreated. One problem was the strong sulfur smell. We solved the other water issues but the sulfur smell remained. After the water system was sanitized it went away and came back. I found that flushing the water heater every week or two was enough to get rid of the sulfur smell but if I didn't do that often it would come back quickly. But at least it narrowed the problem down to the water heater. I put this anode rod in and never a problem since. Really was a miracle cure for our water problems. Cannot speak to corrosion resistance as it can take a while for the tank to corrode but no issues so far.
I'm just one of those ocd people ... I would want to reposition the plastic cover over the anode rod hole. A little snip into the center, maybe round out the center to allow roon for the electrical connection. It would just keep out dirt, bugs, mice, etc. Would that affect the electrical connection at all? Retain heat to wear out delicate parts? Thanks! Love your content!
Installed a rooftop Solahart 80gal solar/electric hwh in 1984. Lost the glycol jacket and demoed the panels in 2005, so its been a plain 'ol hwh on a timer for 19 years. Replaced the 6ft anode and cleaned out the tank every 2 years over its lifetime. On its 3rd heating element and 2nd thermostat. Finally end of life after 40 years since I can no longer find the weird-arse Robert Shaw Aussie thermostat anywhere... Not a bad run though.
Does the green light on tow power supply glow just because it's plugged into AC (ie would it glow if the terminal was disconnected)? Or, does it indicate that it's properly connected to the anode terminal, and the ground wire is properly grounded?
For our Corro-Protec anodes, the green light only turns on if there’s a specific amount of current flowing inside the tank. This ensures it's properly connected and actively protecting against corrosion.
I have a new uninstalled water heater. I am going to do this before I install it. Great tip.
Pricey for sure. Ouch! Will definitely consider this option though. Thanks for sharing.
Good point! With a 20+ year lifespan, it’s a one-time investment that saves on replacements, especially with water heaters getting pricier. Thanks for considering it!
@@corro-protecIs that a 20 year warranty on the water heater tank? Or just the powered anode rod itself?
@@bigd3104 It’s simple logic : we only vouch for what we create. While we’re proud of Corro-Protec system’s top-tier quality, we can’t guarantee the entire water heater since we don’t manufacture it. Just as you wouldn’t warranty something you didn’t craft, neither can we.
Adam, you are the best!!
Nice product & good vid ... Thx
Could someone explain how this device is able to prevent corrosion in the tank and would the Teflon tape insulate the rod from the tank?
Great question! The powered anode sends a small current through the tank, actively preventing corrosion without degrading. And no worries, Teflon tape won’t interfere since the circuit is completed through the power supply. Hope this helps!
Always leave the first two threads clear of tape. This prevents pieces of tape from entering the system no matter what the application.
You make great videos. Thank you!
Excellent tip--thank you very much👍
I saw this anode rod when looking on Amazon a few months ago when my water heater stopped working. It was 13 years old and never changed the anode rod.
Ended up doing some maintenance like cleaning the burner, air passages etc. But lasted only another month before the thermostat started leaking water drip by drip and received an error code that pointed to replacing that.
Which then I just decided to buy a new water heater which as you know in the moment you don't have hot water, don't really have the time to wait long for parts or things to be delivered. I'm not sure if this anode is sold in stores, I can't say I even thought to check. But I installed the new tank and very much think I should have looked to get one of these powered anode rods as it would be easier to replace it while the tank was not installed and deal with the piping and vent, gas line.
But when you don't have hot water, that's easier said than done to think about it.
Thanks for the info and video. I do think I'll get this at some point, the added cost with the tank would also be a factor at the time. When i can save up some money after the holidays I may get one now that I know more info about the electric anode rods. Thanks again.
Thanks for sharing your story! It’s so true... when the hot water’s out, time is of the essence, and decisions have to be quick. Adding a powered anode to a new tank would definitely make maintenance easier down the road. Glad the video helped give you more insight, and we’re here whenever you’re ready to make the switch.
Agreed, when the hot water goes out, speed is of the essence!! LoL. I did however have the presence of mind, last time my water heater went out, due to many times of having to deal with trying to drain a sediment clogged factory drain, to replace the factory drain with a 3/4 in ball valve on my new heater. Problem solved!
Wow - great video! I'm doing this! Thank You.
Had a tankless water heater for 30 years and still going strong.
More expensive up front but far better and cheaper than tanks in the long term.
However no hot water if the power goes out…
@dirkfromhein not a problem at my house.
Thank you Sir for the VIDEO.
Is the electric coil, substitute for a water softener, the same?
Thank you. I really enjoy your channel.
Appreciate that! Glad you’re enjoying it!
I had an 8 foot breaker and still couldn't budge the original anode on a strapped down hot water heater. I bought an inexpensive impact wrench which easily loosened the anode rod.
Thank you for this awesome information. Do you think the new anode rod will last the duration listed when installing it to an old water heater?
It depends, because you don't know what the inside of an older water heater looks like. Meaning, the shape that it's in, matters to how much longer it will keep working. Also, if you've filtered your water -- at the main, then the hot water heater should last longer and not get as much sediment. But, it still will, because sediment is just a part of the HWH's issues.
That’s a good point to keep in mind. If the old tank goes out before the 20 year warranty for this titanium anode which it probably will then tell the plumber you hire for the new tank install that you want it placed on the new tank rather than discarding it. Or remove it off the old tank yourself before the installer arrives.
Great question! While the powered anode rod can’t reverse existing corrosion, it will help prevent any further damage. Plus, if you ever upgrade to a new tank, you can reinstall the rod there too.
Do I still need an Anode rod if my tank is glass lined? I have a Rheem tank.
Just ordered one!
Thank you so much for such a very informative video.
Great info Rand instruction, thank you very much.
Can we use impact driver or should we use impact wrench absolutely
Good information
Hi Gary. Do I have to extinguish the pilot light on a gas water heat when doing this replacement? I also need to drain my water heater, not done in 9 years. Can this be done at the same time?
Believe he said in the video to turn the pilot control to "Pilot" setting, which is what I would do. Personally, I wouldn't see why you couldn't drain the water heater at the same time if you needed to. Just my opinion.
@@bigd3104 That makes sense. I'll have to watch again. Thanks for the reply.
You’re lucky to be able to get the rod out with such a small impact gun. I’ve bought a couple new impact guns with around 1500 ft/lb breakaway torque and still cannot get the rod to break loose. Also attempted strapping the tank and using a breaker bar with a pipe extension and only managed to move the tank and not the rod. Not sure where to go from here with this one…