Effect of Bad softener on Water Heater( Gas)

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Asker123

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Hello,
This is not directly a softener question but just wanted to check.
My current softener is bad. In and out both hardness is 987.14 mg/L or 57.7 grains/gallon
I have bought a new new softener but getting the connection parts, fittings and the fact I am doing DIY all this is taking time and in the meanwhile the current softener is sending hard water to my whole house including my Hot water Tank which is run on natural gas.
Indeed there was a sacrificial Anode magnesium rod which might have been protecting the internals of the hot water tank but because it was causing the foul sulfur smell that I had to get that rod taken out so not I have a hot water heater ( Bradford white) without a sacrificial rod running on hard water for about a month.
As I knew that softener is bad, I even stopped its regeneration.

Am I ruining my water heater everyday that I am not installing this new softener? How bad are the ill effect of hard water on the tank's functioning in long run?
I am not worried about any other thing other than water heater because this is a country residence and bathroom fittings and bathtubs and sinks are bad anyways which will require replacing sooner or later but hot water tank is installed in 2020 and I just wanted to gauge how much damage I am causing to it.
 

Reach4

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The hard water can cause hard water deposits. The main effect is to insulate the water from the flame heat.

When you fix the softener, the deposits will slowly dissolve away.

Consider a powered anode. I like the Ceranode unit, because the electrode is longer, but the stubby ones are made in Canada and will be much cheaper. They are still going to protect much better than no anode.

Also, sanitizing your well and plumbing and WH will help with your H2S at least for a while. How long? I don't know, but the more rigorous the sanitizing the longer I expect the effect to last. https://terrylove.com/forums/index....izing-extra-attention-to-4-inch-casing.65845/ is my sanitizing procedure. For SRB to generate H2S, you need SRB, sulfate, and the metal ions. They say SRB is slow-growing, it may take a while for them to come back in force. Also, if the WH is turned up hot, that is not good for the SRB to grow.
 
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