Will an aluminum anode deteriorate faster than a aluminum/zinc anode? I recently replaced the anode in my 14 year old water heater. We are on a well with a green sand filtration and a water softener. After changing the anode we have developed a slight odor in the hot water but of most concern is when I flushed the tank two weeks ago there was a lot of pieces of white chalky debris that came out. I flushed the tank again last Friday and again a lot of debris. I did not have this problem prior so I am suspecting that it is related to the anode. It could be that the original anode was aluminum/zinc. I am sure the replacement anode is aluminum. The amount of debris in the tank has me worried about the quality/safety of the water from the water heater.
Anode Deterioation
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hj
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Normally the original anode would have been magnesium.
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DonL
Jack of all trades Master of one
You should plan on getting a new water heater Soon.
Good Luck on your project.
Good Luck on your project.
solalo
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Anode that comes with a water heater is usually magnesium so I assume that was what your original anode was made of. Magnesium has a greater galvanic difference with regards to steel than aluminium has. That means it will corrode itself faster and get consumed in a shorter time. Aluminium should last longer than magnesium in most cases. But the same difference also means magnesium provides more protection than aluminium. There is a possibility that the new anode is not protecting the tank as well as the old anode.
That said, there are countless factors that could be causing your problem.
That said, there are countless factors that could be causing your problem.
Master Plumber Mark
Sensitivity trainer and plumber of mens souls
If your water heater is 14 years old why do you want to fool with replaceing the anode rod in it..???
if you just take it out and let the heater run its normal course you will probably get a few more
years out of it ......maybe... Are you hoping to stretch it out to 20 years??
if you just take it out and let the heater run its normal course you will probably get a few more
years out of it ......maybe... Are you hoping to stretch it out to 20 years??
hj
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quote;
if you just take it out and let the heater run its normal course you will probably get a few more
years out of it
IF I "change" and anode rod, and that is very, very, seldom, I replace it with a brass plug. After a couple of years, the anode rod should have done everything it could to protect the heater.
if you just take it out and let the heater run its normal course you will probably get a few more
years out of it
IF I "change" and anode rod, and that is very, very, seldom, I replace it with a brass plug. After a couple of years, the anode rod should have done everything it could to protect the heater.
I would like to stretch it to 30 years or so. Galvanic protection is used to protect pipelines for maybe a hundred years. Yes, it is easier to replace a water heater than a pipeline. But why not make it last while it can?
hj
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The quality of your water has a LOT more to do with the life of the water heater, than the anode rod does.
Sounds like you have some anaerobic bacteria. You probably need a powered anode rod. See: water heater rescue dot com
Master Plumber Mark
Sensitivity trainer and plumber of mens souls
You sir ......are a cheap ass....
a water heater will normally begin to corrode up with minerals after about 10 years...
and the efficeincy begins to dramatically crash on them ... perhaps you can get 30 years out of a water
heater but in the real world you might be paying up to 3 times more to heat your water per year..
so have you actually really saved anything>>>>???....
Yeah, sometimes. I try to be balanced in that regard. I did pay about $244 for a powered anode. I did get a backwashing iron+sulfur filter put in. A 10-year payoff works for me, if I can predict it.
When I do replace the water heater, I will consider one that uses outside combustion air. I am pretty sure I will not go to a tankless, since those seem to be less robust.
3 times sounds hard to believe. I may not have saved anything. However gas is cheap recently. I think my filters will keep new debris out, and I think the softener will prevent new mineral deposits. I did flush my water heater out after the new filters. I got a significant amount out, but not the impressive amounts discussed on this thread: https://terrylove.com/forums/index.php?threads/old-dog-new-trick.59605/
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