How To Take Out Anode Rod From Water Heater

Many people are unaware of just how much the water heater's anode rod does in social club to protect the lining of your heater'due south tank. Inside every h2o heater is a long metallic rod chosen an "Anode Rod" made of diverse metals. This rod protects the tank from corrosion by corroding starting time, before the tank. In one case the anode is gone, the tank begins to corrode. To protect your water heater tank from corroding, this very of import part of your heater may need to be replaced from time to fourth dimension. Here we will testify you how to replace your anode rod.

anode rods Dissimilar types of anodes, and a corroded anode (right)

Please notation that there are several unlike brands of water heaters that may require dissimilar or additional instructions. There are also many variables for removing and installing anode rods depending on how the heater is installed, access to the top or sides of the heater and different code requirements. Nosotros strongly recommend contacting the manufacturer of your h2o heater with whatsoever questions before get-go this project. Considering of these variables, we are offering a very basic pedagogy on how to remove and replace an anode rod.

Items and Tools needed:

Closed stop wrench or one-1/16" socket wrench and ratchet or breaker bar
Piping wrench (for hot water outlet anode rods only)
Standard garden hose
PTFE thread sealing record or quality thread sealing compound

Step 1:
Locate the anode rod. Most will be located on top of the h2o heater, though some may have the anode located on the side. On most information technology will look like a hexagonal plug screwed into the heater. Some heaters have the anode attached to the hot water outlet port and appear to exist a pipage nipple, to see what they look like click hither. See the "Hot Water Outlet Anodes" section below for data on this blazon of anode.

Stride 2:
Turn off the power supply to the heater. For an electric heater, plow off the circuit breaker for the heater. If the ability to the electric water heater is left on, and air comes in contact with the heating element, the chemical element can burn down out. For a gas heater, plough the gas control valve to the everyman setting or the "holiday" setting. Exercise non plow information technology completely off to avoid having to calorie-free the pilot light once more.

Step three:
Turn off the Common cold h2o supply to the heater.

Step 4:
Connect a regular garden hose to the drain valve at the lesser of your heater. So lead the hose to a drain or outside the house. The hose must remain lower than the water level in the tank in order for the h2o to bleed. When draining, the water volition exist hot, and then be careful when treatment the hose. Not much h2o volition period out of the bleed until Stride 5 is completed.
Note: If your anode rod is on the top of the heater, y'all will only demand to permit the tank to drain about a quart or 1/two a gallon of water. If the anode is located on the side, drain the tank until the h2o is beneath the anode rod port. So close the outlet and remove the hose.

Water Reuse Tip: Drain water into a big container, then once the water is cooled it can be recycled and used to water a establish.

Step 5:
Find a faucet close to the heater that has a hot water supply and turn on the hot side. This relieves pressure in the tank by allowing air into the tank, which breaks the vacuum and allows the water heater to bleed. If the tank is nevertheless nether force per unit area when y'all attempt to loosen the anode, it but might wing out like a rocket!

Step six:
Utilise a airtight end wrench or ane-1/16" socket wrench and ratchet or breaker bar on the hex caput to remove the anode. Anode rods are usually installed and kept in the heater for several years, then it may be a bit difficult to become loose. You can endeavour using a "breaker bar" for better leverage or you can also try tightening the rod just a picayune to loosen upward the threads. Also if your h2o heater is not strapped, to prevent moving the heater around - which could crusade damage to the pipe connections - it is a good thought to have someone hold the heater while you try to loosen the anode.
Practise NOT blindside on the anode, the tank has a glass lining that could be damaged, allowing corrosion to commencement. DO NOT use any chemicals to endeavor to loosen the threads, as they could become into the water heater contaminating the water.

Pace 7:
Once the anode is loose, lift it out from the heater. Depending on how much clearance you have above the heater, you may need to curve the anode to remove it. Generally, at that place is non much left of the anode by the fourth dimension it needs replacing since information technology is intended to corrode inside the tank. If you discover that the anode is hard to remove because it appears to be enlarged and cannot pull through the inlet hole, and then in that location is still enough of the anode material to exist working properly and it does not need to exist replaced simply notwithstanding. In this instance you can just spiral the anode dorsum in to the heater and supercede it subsequently.

Pace 8:
Wrap the threads of the new anode rod with PTFE thread sealing record, in a clockwise direction if holding the rod and looking at the threads or counter-clockwise if the rod is placed in a standing position and you are looking at the face of the nut. Simply almost v or half dozen wraps around the threads are needed. Or utilise a quality thread sealing compound.

Pace 9:
Insert the new anode rod. Most anode rods are completely directly and are difficult to bend. If your space is limited, you lot may consider using a flexible anode.

Step 10:
Tighten the new anode with your closed terminate wrench or 1-1/16" socket wrench and ratchet. Again, to prevent the heater from moving and potentially damaging the pipe connections, have someone else hold onto the heater to keep information technology in place.

Step 11:
Open the cold h2o supply to the heater to refill the tank. Go along the faucet we mentioned earlier on, in the hot position.

Pace 12:
The tank is full when water comes out of the faucet. Let the water flow from the faucet until all of the air is released from the tank. The faucet will usually spit some air out with the water until the air is expelled. The tank should be rid of any air when the water runs freely.

Pace 13:
Bank check for whatever leaks in the connections on the heater.

Step xiv:
Turn the power on for electric. For gas fix the command back to the original temperature setting.

Hot H2o Outlet Anodes

Some water heaters may have what is chosen a "Hot Water Outlet Anode" installed in the outlet side. These will usually demand to be replaced at the aforementioned fourth dimension as regular anode rods. Since these will be connected to the approachable plumbing the removal and installation is slightly different.

About oft, there will be a flexible connection from the hard plumbing to the anode's nipple. In this case, simply loosen the nut of the flex line attached to the nipple. You volition and so be able to remove this type of anode with a pipe wrench and supersede the anode as described in the to a higher place instructions.

In some rare instances, the difficult plumbing may be connected directly to the anode'south nipple instead of a flex line. This may be a chip more hard to supplant as the rigid pipage would most likely need to be cutting to free the anode. And then the pipe would need to be replaced. If this is the case nosotros highly recommend hiring, or at least consulting with, a professional person plumber before attempting to remove these.