Removing Anode from Hot Water Tank causes buildup in bottom?

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GarytheWaterGuy

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A customer who was getting sulphur smell from their (rental) hot water tank and had their anode replaced with an Aluminum anode (instead of zinc, which I recommended) and ended up getting discoloration from their water. So they complained and the company that rented them the hot water tank removed the anode altogether. Now a plumbing supply business told them they would get significant buildup in the bottom of the hot water tank because the anode has been removed. Does anyone have experience with the negative side effects of removing the anode and if it did cause a buildup inside the hot water tank or not. I have never heard of this mysterious buildup. The customer has a water softener.
 

Reach4

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The negative effect of removing the anode is that the tank will rust through quicker wherever there is a crack in the glass lining. My comment is not based on experience.

I wonder if the rod swap had stirred up the debris that was on the bottom of tank.
 

Terry

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I think regardless you wind up with buildup. I've pulled some tanks that were very heavy even after draining because of all the deposits at the bottom. With some water, maybe ten years is plenty. The lower end of the tank starts to fill and there is less volumne.
 

Jadnashua

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With properly softened water, you should not get lots of deposits in the bottom of the tank, course, everything is relative, and a softener does not remove everything. If you get some sand or silt in the water, that could easily deposit there. Some of an anode dissolves, but there may be bits and pieces of it that could eventually litter the bottom of the tank.
 

GarytheWaterGuy

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With properly softened water, you should not get lots of deposits in the bottom of the tank, course, everything is relative, and a softener does not remove everything. If you get some sand or silt in the water, that could easily deposit there. Some of an anode dissolves, but there may be bits and pieces of it that could eventually litter the bottom of the tank.
|I understand that there may be some flakes of rust from the inside of the tank and maybe some sediment but since there is a water softener in use I cannot see how there would be any significant deposits on the heating element as a result of only removing the anode.
 

hj

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My "repair" of an anode rod has always been a 3/4" brass plug in the opening. Once the heater is a few years old, any "cracks" in the glass lining should be coated over by the original anode rod, so a new one may not do anything to increase the life of the heater. Pulling the anode out usually "scrapes" the material off the anode and it falls to the bottom of the heater. The anode has absolutely nothing to do with accumulations on the bottom of the heater.
 

Master Plumber Mark

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My "repair" of an anode rod has always been a 3/4" brass plug in the opening. Once the heater is a few years old, any "cracks" in the glass lining should be coated over by the original anode rod, so a new one may not do anything to increase the life of the heater. Pulling the anode out usually "scrapes" the material off the anode and it falls to the bottom of the heater. The anode has absolutely nothing to do with accumulations on the bottom of the heater.

Hj is totally correct about this whole thing.....

someone is just blowing smoke up your ass about this sediment build up

.. Just take out the rod and dont worry
about the sediment build up or the warranty on the heater..
That is how the cookie crumbles sometimes......
 
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