How I Removed and Replaced Hot Water Tank Anode Rod with a Walmart $40 Impact Wrench
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- Опубликовано: 23 июн 2019
- How I removed and replaced a Hot Water Tank Anode Rod with a $40 impact wrench from Walmart.
Note - before attempting to remove the anode rod, be sure to shut off the water intake valve to the Hot Water tank and drain a couple gallons of water out of the Hot Water tank first! Draining a couple gallons of water will help to relieve the internal water pressure inside the tank but at the same time maintaining as much weight as possible in the tank to try to minimize the possibility of the tank from turning in the process of trying to remove the anode rod. Especially important if you do not have an assistant with you to help hold the tank from turning or spinning.
Impact Wrench - www.walmart.com/ip/Hyper-Toug...
Socket used: 1 1/16" 6 point 1/2" drive impact socket - available at hardware stores or online.
** STANDARD RUclips DISCLAIMER ** I am not a professional mechanic or handyman. Methods or suggestions described herein this video may not be the only solution or methods that may be applicable to similar situations. I take no responsibility if anyone should attempt the described methods herein. Any and all actions you may take are at your own risk. As always, you are strongly recommended to be sure to use all safety protocols and wear all appropriate safety gear when performing any repairs and working with tools and equipment. In addition, I am not a paid actor and I do not employ a professional video production company to produce my videos. So please do not comment on the quality or production of any of these videos. RUclips is a global resource that provides a free forum to the general public to share ideas and information to help one another. So if you have a better idea or a better way to do something, rather than leave negative comments on other peoples videos, please upload your own video showing your better way - and that will help everybody out. Thank you! ** 
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I hate those videos where they remove one from a new tank instead of one that has been in use for at least several years! Your video reveals all the real life frustrations and the final solution. Well done!!!
With the help of your video and others, I replaced two anode rods today. I have two 50 gal. gas water tanks that are plumbed together, though I've cut the flow to one of them since one tank is enough for us. The main tank is use is newer and was built in March 2018 and probably installed that same year. I ordered the Capri 30" breaker bar with the 1/2" anvil along with the standard Capri 1/2" drive 1-1/16" impact socket hoping to get by with the breaker bar alone (the bar is really closer to 28" with the head at 90 degrees like you would use it- anyway, that's what she said!) I also ordered a Husky 3/8" female to 1/2 male drive adapter for my 3/8" ratchet and two straight 44" magnesium anode rods. Nearly every day over the 10 days I waited for everything to arrive, I sprayed a shallow moat of Liquid Wrench (ruclips.net/video/dObEK7V-TFU/видео.html) around each hex bolt and tapped the bolt lightly with a hammer. (No, I'm not worried about contaminating our water since we don't drink from the hot water tap.) As soon as I got up this morning, I set the tank on pilot. After a shower and a shave, the tank refilled with cold water and I reduced my chance of getting scalded. Later I cut off the cold water supply, drained a little water out, and opened a hot water tap at the sink. I'm not very strong, yet I had no difficulty unscrewing the anode rods. I didn't have to use the rubber mallet I had on hand to supply impact blows to the breaker bar if needed. By pretending to screw the rod in while I held the teflon tape next to it, I made sure that I applied the tape in the correct direction. So everything went according to plan and I didn't require an electric impact wrench. Here are the money shots: imgur.com/a/qW6fzKu
Some people state it isn't wise to use a power saw on Magnesium. Flammable.
I thought of a completely different way of getting the stuck anode rod out. I’m a little old lady with not much power so had to think outside the box. I used a car jack wedged horizontally on a wall stud to slowly apply torque to the breaker bar. At first there wasn’t enough room to fit the jack so I took a long 2×4 and started farther away from the breaker bar. I wedged in pieces of wood as needed and moved the jack closer and closer to the bar, always putting it on a stud. Finally I had the jack on the breaker bar itself and it came loose!! The whole process took me about 15 minutes of patient work.
Brilliant! I haven't tackled my anode rod yet. But I badly need to. I'm quite alarmed hearing about these difficulties. What has me worried is that my water heater is quite small, so the weight of the water won't do much to hold the unit down if I need to apply a lot of force. Yikes! I wonder what I'm in for? Fingers crossed I guess!
@@mrq6270 Start with a decent sized impact wrench after soaking the top of the anode with penetrating oil. You don’t want the oil getting into the heater though, so after you’ve given it a few days to soak, dry the excess off with a rag.
If you are old don't do it hire someone to do it.
This video gave me the solution I was looking for. I bought the exact same wrench for $40 and it worked like a charm to remove my water heater's anode rod. The video was very helpful to me and is much appreciated. Thank you.
If you have no helper(s) to hold your tank while breaking anode bar off the socket NEVER use breaker bar/cheater pipe or you'll severely damage plumbing and gas connections to your heater. ALWAYS use impact driver with 1 1/16 in socket wrench ( even if you have helpers on hand...) and the guy showed us exactly how it needs to be done. Thanks !
NOT the way to use impact driver!
@@gman302 can you explain what the rihtg way is plaeas
@@gman302 what are you talking about.
@@gman302 how else do you use an impact? Lol
Always is not always the correct word do use. Some might be a able to do what you could not do. For me, my Hitachi impact does the job and believe me, it cost more than $40
Thanks for your video. I couldn't get the heater elements of my water header to unscrew because of corrosion so I decided to use your method. Worked like a charm.
Sir thank you for taking the time to do the video and demonstrate your success....! I broke my breaker bar the other day attempting to remove the anode rod and will now try this solution. I'm lucky that I was able to borrow a 1/2" 20v impact driver so I'll see how it goes later. It was encouraging seeing your video.
Thanks so much for this video. I did everything you did, (even brought the same impact wrench from Walmart). Didn't take long at all for it to loosen the anode rod. Had to bend the old one, but with no problem. I replaced it with segmented aluminum/zinc anode rod (for rotten egg smell). Took about 15 minutes! Don't be afraid of the impact wrench, if you have exhausted all your possibilities.
Glad it worked out for you Paul! :)
Very few videos on RUclips showing the use of this tool for this job, but it's what I use and it makes it sooooooo easy. I just use my Kobalt and hit it twice and it comes out super easy after that. Thanks for the video.
Yes! This is what i was thinking and you have done it the same way...thank you for filming and posting this! Next thing on my TO-DO list ! I have air tools already...you were smart to not spin it out fast, just loosen ...perfect.
Thanks for the video that gives me confidence to use Impact wrench with 1-1/16 in socket to loosen the old anode rod from my 14 year old 40 gal water heater. It did work like a charm.
Which brand water do you have? How did the anode rode look like after 14 years? I'm planning to change it on my 5 year old AO Smith water Heater.
My tank is five years old. A two foot breaker bar was bending and it was impossible to hold the tank still. I sprayed Liquid Wrench on the anode and left it overnight. The next day one blip with an electric impact driver loosened the anode. I wouldn't dream of trying to undo an anode any other way in future. Thanks you so much for this video. I was very surprised that the impact wrench caused no apparent tank movement. Incidentally, the old anode was down to the support wire and completely spent probably because I use a water softener.
Glad it worked for you Rod Woolley! God Bless :)
Wonder why the poster did not spray Liquid Wrench or similar liquids to loosen the head of the rod. I usually do that when I try to loosen a frozen nut. One can also use WD-40.
My hot water heater is only 6 months old and had to use a similar tool to remove it. Crazy how tight they are.
Great job ! Just what I did with my pneumatic impact wrench. Put a mark or piece of tape on socket so you can see when it starts breaking free and then use hand tools the rest of the way. Those suckers are always so tight!
That's because that use the sealant, probably a
Lock tight brand
I paid $12 to rent a torque impact wrench from one of my local tool and equipment rental shops. I got home, zipped the old anode out in less than 15 seconds and had the new one in within 5 minutes. I took the tool back an hour later. Ive never had any use for this tool before, but it worked great for this situation.
Good idea on the rental.
@@geezer2tech154, Agree
Torque wrenches are not designed for loosening
@@InCountry6970 well, they designed them with a reverse button 😆
Tried breaker bar -- no go. Used air impact wrench -- anode came out in about 30 seconds. Had seen this method mentioned elsewhere but your video gave me the courage to try it. Thanks!
Glad it worked out for you! God Bless! :)
Worked great on mine too!!!! Couldn't get it loose for the last five years. This loosened it in minutes. Thanks!!!
I saw ur video 4 years ago and u gave me hope just by watching ur video . I bought the same drill u have and it works. Thank u
for anyone reading this later, i wanted to share what finally broke mine free. the task was made much more difficult due to the mfg (Rheem) burying the rod access point deep within the unit's housing. after failing to budge the rod with all the normal tools, i picked up a 2 ft breaker bar which managed to break the 14" extension driving the socket but didn't move the rod. next i tried a series of progressively stronger impact wrenches, working my way up to the strongest home depot had to offer. still, it wouldn't loosen. i puddled liquid wrench over the rod head for 4 days and then made repeated attempts w/ all the various tools but still no luck. finally, i added another 3 ft onto the end of the 2 ft breaker bar and finally that worked. hoping this story helps someone down the road that is facing their own "get the anode rod out" nightmare.
So the impact wrench did not help you at all? How could you go 4 days...? How does Rheem recommend to do it? Thx.
@@jaimedpcaus1 nope, the impact wrench would not loosen it and i gave it many many chances.
it went on for 4 days cuz i kept getting my hands on more tools then breaking a couple along the way. plus the head of the rod on this particular model isn't on the surface where u have a fair crack at it. the wise man would've removed the top piece of the unit's housing to get much better access but i unwisely tackled it after it was installed so removing the top was no longer an option.
Rheem was useless when i contacted them. they wouldn't offer an excuse for why they put it on so tight nor would they offer advice on how to best loosen it. one can deduce they figured the anode rod being left in would result in less warranty claims so they want to keep as many as possible from removing it.
@@DB-xp9pxcould you share what was the highest torque of the impact wrenches that you tried?
@@pawtata i can't but i can tell u it was the highest torque impact wrench home depot had to offer
@@passurlamer that's a problem ppl run into and mine was starting to twist as i put progressively more tension on it. i think the fact it was full of water helped. also i positioned my body so that i was between it and a nearby wall to give extra support. i saw in some videos where ppl were wrapping those orange tie-down straps around their water heater and anchoring them to something sturdy nearby, such as a post. if u have a helper, maybe they could stabilize the unit when it needs it most.
I was thinking of using an impact driver and here you have already done it. Thank you for sharing.
Update: I tried wrench, didn't budge. Not space for cheater bar. Tried hammering the wrench and didn't budge either. Used impact driver (battery operated) took a while but worked. Thank you so much for this video. Gave me the courage to try it.
I just bought that impact driver for home use. Haven't tried it yet but it looks like it will do fine. Thanks for the video
Thank you Dragon!
Was rooting for that cheap impact driver. You can doooo it. And then it did. Nicely done.
Thanks for putting this video together. The impact wrench sure is the way to go.
Glad it helped you! God Bless! :)
Great help. I got that exact impulse wrench from WalMart for about 45$ and it did the trick.
Your rod didn't appear very sacrificed, probably didn't need replacement. Awhile back, my neighbor and I gave up on trying to remove my anode using a breaker bar and socket wrench (which broke!), but I've acquired an impact wrench since then and will try your method. I've a segmented magnesium replacement rod collecting dust up until now - you've given me hope!!
Thank you for this video. I ended up doing the same thing, only with a cheap impact wrench from Harbor Freight instead of Walmart.
When you need a tool, and you only need it to work once, Harbor Freight... (I say that as someone who often shops there!)
Thanks for posting this video. It was really helpful since I am interested in buying that exact tool!
Thank you Luis!
Thanks for your video suggesting using an impact. I tried it and it came right out!
Wanted to thank you for this video. The impact wrench was the "easy button" solution, thank you!
Clearly the man is a mechanical genius. All hail the hero!
Thanks for taking the time to make your video.
Same situation with 6 month old Rheem heater anode rod needing to be replaced already! It replaced water heater I installed in 1985 which I NEVER had a problem with: never replaced anode, never flushed or drained it because I didn't learn I was supposed to because it never gave me a problem.
Now, back to subject: I bought a breaker bar and pipe. That only rotated the heater. Ordered impact driver like yours and received today. Man, I sure hope after all these purchases and watching videos that I'll be able to turn that bolt for anode rod. Since the impact driver opens up full blast (can't ease up using the trigger) that it may break something important. I'll try it tomorrow morning.
Vow, your previous water heater of 1985 last for 35 years without any maintenance. What brand is it? Did you remove the anode rod with the impact driver?
@@dominictam9293 Yes, I didn't know I was supposed to do maintenance to water heater because this was my first house after living in apartments previously. House didn't have water heater, so I hired plumber to install it and that was it. I found a photo of the water heater but don't see how to copy it here but I see label on it says "Richmond Miser". I never had one problem with it and I have extreme hard water here so bad that I have to replace toilet because the scale builds up inside the loop so bad that it finally clogs and prevented flushing like plaque builds up inside veins.
On my new Water Heater I finally had to use Impact Driver to loosen the anode and it worked great. I also took the opportunity to flush Water Heater. Before I installed new Anode, I poured 32 oz of Hydrogen Peroxide in Anode hole while I refilled tank to kill bacteria in tank and in house plumbing that causes rotten egg smell. All fine now.
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.
I have the same model to remove axle nut from car that I couldn't get to budge with a breaker bar - worth the money in my opinion for small here and there jobs!
Good video, thank you. You can also try and clamp it with vise grips in 2 spots then bend it, that way if it breaks you still have the vise grips clamped on.
I tried this on my 2-year old AO Smith tank. The rod didn't budge. The impact wrench looks almost the same as yours, but it is made by Chicago Electric (Harbor freight brand). I also tried freezing the nut with dry ice, applied WD-40. No luck. I have no idea why they made this so difficult to remove. I feel it is easier to replace the whole tank than spend this much effort on removing the rod.
A day later: I did manage to get the rod out. The trick was to run the impact wrench for a very long time. I think I ran it for something like 3-5 minutes. The noise was hell, but it came out. Thanks for the suggestion!
I wouldn't use WD-40 on something that goes into your potable water system.
Never thought about an impact wrench, Great idea ! Going to give it a try. I have a manufactured house so to make it more interesting, my tank is in the closet with no room to work. Fingers crossed & Thanks for the great idea !
And . . .?
@@2old4allthis, worked like a champ !
Great Job and video. Its impact wrench is $45 at Walmart 4 years later which isn't bad with all this inflation we've had.
Nice video. Exactly what I will need to do regarding clearance. Got a corded torque wrench from Harbor Freight so hopefully that can break it free.
Good comment about Reverse/Forward Torque. I decided to use my impact wrench but 230 Ft/Lbs did not budge the 3 year old rod. So now I am going to buy a cheap 500 Ft/Lb stubby wrench and hope it will succeed. The cheater bar on ratchet would not work for me as there is no clearance in my case. Oh, I could buy a more expensive stronger Impact Wrench to be safe but I am not going to be around long enough to justify such an expense for a tool I would rarely use. Plus, it may not be good for the tank.
Like the video cause it shows a common situation in our area where the water heater doesn’t have enough head space to take off the anode rod.
This was a very helpful video, I used
Kobalt 8-Amp 1/2-in Corded Impact Wrench with 1-1/16” SAE dip socket because they have them at Lowe’s that same day, could not do this without your help! Thanks again! 👍🏻
Glad it worked out for you Billy!
Thanks for posting this. I have the same problem, and I'm hoping this will work for me.
Thanks for your advise. I also tried the breaker bar/cheater and "no go". I then used an air impact driver and after 5-10 minutes of intermittent impact driving, the anode came loose. great advise. Thanks again.
Thank you Steve! Glad it worked out for you! God Bless :)
Exactly what I will have to do . I only have 20 in clearance. Thanks.
Planning to grab this for my 24mm rear differential plugs. I'm thinking corded will be worth the hassle at $40
Best anode video on RUclips. The replacement one I have looks like I can bend it in two spots. Its skinny in two spots. I've also read that I can just cut through one section and throw it in the tank.
I put a new tank in and on the old tank the coils were smaller and only one and every six months I'd pull them out and replace them. The ne tank has the double coil and I cant get them out the white stuff has built up so much that its opened the coil up so much that it bigger than the hole.
Glad to hear that it worked out for you! God bless
@@godchaserwi1 I got to go buy a 1 1/16 socket. My set only goes up to a 1in
I can't believe how tight they put them in at the factory. Unreal. I'll have to try my air impact drill. I hope it works for me. I tried insane breaker bars so far.
They could put pipe dope or anti seize so maintenance would be a snap but they over torque it to fuck us so they can sell more tanks.
My air impact is currently doing nothing ! Soaking threads with wd40
@@cuchuloholic mine got it out. I had to use the heavy-duty lug nut impact wrench on 90psi
nice job, i like the vice grip idea, will use it
I was intending to replace the anode rod with an electric "20 year" anode unit. But it wasn't budging with a breaker bar. I was afraid I'd strip it since it is hard to keep force in the horizontal plane. Went searching the web for suggestions and found this vid. I have an old pneumatic impact wrench, but never was impressed with it, and it wasn't doing anything on this either. So I figured I'd give the Walmart unit a try. Ordered it online in Oct 2023 and it came the next day for $45, free delivery. I'd say it took maybe 2 or 3 minutes for the anode to break free. So a big win there. I also had picked up a 6 sided hex socket 1-1/16 impact style for about $6 at Menard's. I think a 12 sided socket would have stripped the anode head. Don't even try with one of those.
I was thinking of this solution before I even attempted this, and yes, it looks viable. Thanks.
Harbor freight corded impact did the trick for me! Took about 4 pulses on my Rheem tank.
Thanks for the video, I tried the way with the wrench and breaker bar first and that SOB just turns the water heater, like you said. Going to attempt the impact wrench this week.
That's great Spooke! I hope it works out for you!
How did it work out for you?
Great Video! thank you for sharing.
My anode rod was too long also. I had no problem removing it though since the last foot was nothing but wire...lol. I just bent it and pulled it out. When I moved in you could tell someone had removed the insulation and cap above the anode rod. So, I thought they had replaced it. I think what happened was they tried to remove the old one and couldn't. So, they gave up. I almost did the same thing to be honest. The cheapest impact wrench in stock in my area was $66 after taxes. Not too bad but still a lot of money to remove one bolt. Worked though. And I guess I now have the tool for future replacements.
As often with the first time we do things, “Nothing is ever simple.” 😰😰😰
Excellent video!
I used a pneumatic impact wrench with air pressure maxed out and still nearly gave up. 15 year tank, and first time removal of anode.
Other problem was installation of new unit and I X-threaded 😱😱😱. Salvaged the situation with a sealant.
Just got this done myself with the Harbor Freight impact driver. I tried getting it with just a regular chrome socket on my impact driver, but it wouldn't budge. Ran out and got an 1 1/16" impact socket and it came right off!
Glad you were able to get it off! God Bless
They get bound up by corrosion. I tried the impact method the cap on my anode rod snapped off. Thankfully for now there's quite a bit of the anode rod left in the tank, but it will never be removed. I do drain my tank a couple of times a year and clean out as much of the deposits that I can and replace the heating elements. I use the sediment resistant elements.
ALSO use extreme caution when cutting as some are made of magnesium which is EXTREMELY FLAMMABLE and requires special firefighting chemicals to extinguish it
I tried an impact wrench on ours, but never got it to budge. But now that I see your video, I think the problem was that I wasn't persistent enough with the wrench - I *thought* I saw it move a little. I just needed to be more patient and let it work the magic.
In our case, we have tons of ceiling space - that would eliminate the one step where you had to saw off the old one to get it out.
Thanks. I ordered the impact wrench just now.
Did it work.
@@eggchin9721 yes it did, like greased lightning. Thanks
@@rickmccaskill7888 I looked for this one but it seems to be discontinued.
3 years later this Hyper Tough impact wrench is now $50 at Walmart, but without fail it was able to remove a stubborn 5 y/o anode rod. 👍👍
I have 2005 gas water heater ao smith pro max 40 gallon . I don’t find an anode rod. Is there a separate anode rod or it is a combo rod that is somewhere hidden
Good video 👍. Is that anode rod little too long for your water heater? I believe it measure 54” long. I’m not sure leaving the rod on the bottom of water heater is a good idea or not.
Great video, thank you very much. my anod hex cap had been eaten up some, turned round due to couple of hours trying. Would this impact wrench still work? Thanks a lot.
Ever get it fixed?
Good video, using an impact wrench is the way to go, as in the video, make sure you use an impact rated socket (usually black). A regular socket will probably crack or break under impact.
thanks for the video. I bought the same drill (or the Harbor Freight version) and still cant get the dang thing off. Any other ideas? Heater is 20 yrs old and anode has clearly never been replaced.
I also put a white mark on the side of my black socket and when I saw it move just about 1/4" switched back to the breaker bar so that did not introduce too much vibration to the tank. Some of you may even have a socket adapter for a regular drill so once you break the seal then just switch to your drill and you don't have to keep spinning your socket around and around with a manual ratchet you can just spit it out
Just wanted to see that impact wrench in action before ordering. Thanks. Unfortunately my water heater's anode is also the fill pipe. So, hope there aren't any breaks in the glass liner.
yea Bradford White stupid design. I can't replace mine because I don't have the clearance and there isn't a segmented rod available.
@@Kinixys3 Right. It's about 35 yo and no problems yet. But I don't have the clearance either. Couldn't you just cut a solid rod for the clearance you have? Better than nothing.
@@wholeNwon Did you say 35 years old Water Heater and no problems? Wow!
@@liemnguyen5264 Yes. My parents had one that was older. Never flushed.
They use an impact wrench to install at the AO Smith, Reliance factory
One thing worth doing when replacing the anode with a segmented (flexible) one, is to compare the length of the segmented one, with the one you pull out. The segmented ones seem to be standard lengths (40-42" from what I've seen). One my g/f's water heater, when I pulled out the old anode (eroded down to just the steel support rod), it's length was longer than the segmented one. Fortunately I was able to disconnect the last segment, so it fit inside the tank. [I assume it wasn't supposed to lay flat, or even touch the bottom of the tank.]
May I ask if the water heater moves when you use the impact wrench to loosen it? Thank you so much.
do you need to close the main walve to close water? before unscrew it? do i need to drain water?
Nice video...Thanks. Couldn't you just "bend" the old rod in order to get it out, instead of cutting it? (Since its a hollow tube)
Hey buddy, great video.
A lot better than those fancy pants plumbers videos.
I had a two foot breaker bar
on mine . the water heater moves.
???? now I have to buy the
impact tool ..
I have that impact wrench! HEAVY AS HELL! But works great👍
Fluid Film worked wonders on mine. Broke free after I let it sit for a few.
What I noticed on mine after having replaced the old rusty ine, now that it's exposed to air it's prone to sweating and the nut portion will likely rust due to condensation long term. I need to have a good solution to a closed cell insulation
Could I use 3/8" Impact Wrench Ryobi P263 to break it? Or it should be 1/2" Wrench (I don't have one)
I'm trying to loosen mine with a 1/2 ' air impact . no luck. It is an ingersol rand, very powerful. I tried a 24" breaker bar, no luck. stumped
Does it matter if you use teflon tape or pipe dope?
so how does your impact wrench work as an anode since you are replacing the anode with a wrench???
Going to buy this, just tried to remove mine and it wouldn't budge!
good video , thank you.
Any drawbacks to using a impact drill?
How often do they suggest we replace the Anode Rod. That is is great idea. Most people like myself never knew.
I have a breaker bar just like that. With the slip handle. It's awesome. I don't know who made it.
I tried and the impact wrench destroyed the bolt corners and without loosening a bit lol 😆
Was the new anode rod the same length as the old anode rod that you removed or did you have to cut to the same length ?
The rods lose shape as the years go by, so do not cut your new one. They also sell bendable flex ones for tight spaces
Good job my friend. Just busting balls. BTW tools come in battery form now days. Just a heads up.
My house is about 20 years old. Never changed the rod. But will do soon. Hoping that it’s not too late. But I will change the rod with my impact.
For any future anode rod removers: I went to walmart and bought their $45 el cheapo impact wrench. It took 20 seconds and it removed the anode rod, easy peezy.
This is such a perfect video. Using an impact wrench w/o having to strap down the tank. Cutting the old one out. And replacing with a flexible. This is exactly all of what I want to attempt with my 10 y/o water heater. I don't want to have to replace this water heater in 2 years. I recently learned about anode rods, so I hope I am not to late. The water heater seems fine right now as is.. No leaks.. looks new on the outside pretty much.
I ended up buying the same Hyper Tough Impact Driver and was able to loosen the Anode, however, the water is shooting out like crazy even I already drained out at least 5 gal and used Pressure Relief Valve a few time. I had to drained more and more, why there was so much pressure in my tank?
Hi Liem. That is hard to say without seeing your situation. Were all the water supply valves fully in the "off" or "closed" position before you drained the water?
@@godchaserwi1 Yes, all of them were closed. Anyway, I was able to replace the Rod using Walmart Hyper Tough. The tank is 10 years old, hope it will last another 10 years with the new rod. Thanks,
@@liemnguyen5264 Glad it worked out for you! God Bless. :)
Thank you!
Been doing this. It’s the only way to go.
Is too much shake cause debris to fall from the rod. Maybe also damaging the glass linings of the tank?
that's what I'm thinking... Will it cause a fissure that will turn into a crack in a few years?
Looks pretty good. Unfortunately Walmart lists this impact wrench as out of stock. And they seem to be getting expensive elsewhere. Weren't you worried about stripping the bolt head?
It would pay to get the socket that fits the head exactly instead of the one that is more like a universal socket. On the one I removed, I could see the head was slightly smashed near the corners.
It helps to use pb blaster or similar to loosen the threads first
So you recommend Pb blaster in tank that holds water where you drink and bath. Sure Einstein.
Spray it with Blaster?
I thought outside the box and got a chain saw and cut a hole in the floor.....came staight out with no problem. Now im struggling with this huge hole that my dog keeps falling through......but my hot water smells good. Win Win.
I have plenty of impact tools since I live in the "RUST" belt. My only concern with this application is if I'm going to damage the glass liner. Anybody have thoughts on this? I've seen people whack on the 1/2" drive socket wrench, but you never hear if they screwed the pooch. Thanx in advance.
As I understand it, glass lined does not really mean “glass lined.” It is more of a coating that is applied to the inside of the tank.
@@ekraszewski Thanx for the feedback. I ended up using a 1/4 " drive battery operated impact that took it out pretty easy. I soaked it with PB the night before. All is well ... for the moment. I figure I'd notice something after 4 months, but MY luck, I'm not counting any poultry. PEACE
@@cornfusedatbest6693 I have the same thought on the enamel lining... Is yours all good still?