A Good Anode Rod Protects Your Water Heater!
What is an Anode Rod ? What is it for? Why do I need to know about it? This page was developed with you in mind. I know that most us probably have never even heard about an Anode and possibly don’t even know what is for and why you should start learning about it now. I really understand that, but allow me to educate you a little bit about it. Anode Rod is a piece of rod commonly made of aluminum or magnesium, it measure anywhere from a foot and a half to 3.5 feet, but the average is about 42” and it measures around ¾” in diameter. Now, have you ever wondered what makes your water heater last so long or not longer at all?
Well, an
Anode Rod
is a metal bar that goes inside your water heater. What for? Well, now you will understand why you need to learn about this particular piece of metal, I will you tell everything that you need to know about it.
Also known as sacrificial anode, this particular piece has been around for about 60 years now and it is probably the single most important component in your water heater. Why? Anode was designed to protect the walls of the water heater against corrosion that is caused by water hardness and sediments. So, the Anode is called a sacrificial anode because it dissolves slowly and sacrifices itself to protect the metal tank.
As the Anode reacts with substances in the water, it undergoes an electrochemical reaction and draws corrosion to itself rather than the glass lined steel tank.
As it was mentioned before, the metal part is made out of aluminum or magnesium, however, the best kind is the magnesium. Why?Aluminum is a lower grading material when compared to the magnesium one and, it is believed by most experts that the aluminum rod won’t protect the water heater as much as the magnesium one. Among the several reasons of why aluminum rod might not be the best option to your water is because of the health factor. Aluminum as you might know can cause a lot of harm to one’s body; therefore, the magnesium rod should be the best option to your water heater. How often should you replace an anode rod from your water heater?The answer is: it’s all depends on the condition of it, it also depends on the water quality in your home and how quick the rod will deteriorate. The picture in the top of this page shows a brand new rod and a seven years old one. But results will varies depending on water quality but consider this as a guideline, you should check the rod once a year and if looks bad, it should be replaced. If you have further question concerning this topic, drop me a line. Comments and feedback are always welcomed. Thank you. |
