Why does nobody talk about water heater anode rods before it's too late

I ignored the rattling in my 6 year old water heater for like 3 months thinking it was nothing. When it finally started leaking last week I opened it up and the anode rod was completely gone, just a pile of dust at the bottom. Took me 10 hours of draining, hauling, and installing a new one plus $900 I didn't have. Has anyone else dealt with this silent killer in their own home?

3 comments

3 Comments

milarodriguez8d ago

Haven't you heard that some guys argue you should actually drain and inspect the rod yearly instead of waiting for a problem? I used to think the rattling was a minor issue until my neighbor explained how checking the rod every spring could prevent the whole replacement fiasco. It's annoying extra work but beats dropping nearly a grand and losing a whole Saturday to water heater chaos.

wren6388d ago

Respectfully, you've got to be kidding me. Yearly draining and inspecting? That's like changing your oil every week because a guy on YouTube said so. Most of these rods last years without ANY maintenance, and the water heater itself chews through them slowly. The REAL issue is that people panic over a little rattling when what they really need to do is just shut it up and wait until the end of the heater's life. Dropping a grand and losing a Saturday is a hassle, sure, but so is dragging a hose out every spring, dealing with sediment, and praying you don't crack a drain valve. I'd rather just replace the whole unit every 10-12 years and be done with it. Extra work is extra work, and I've got better things to do.

cora5187d ago

Oh boy, here we go again. @wren638, I feel like you and my dad would either be best friends or mortal enemies. He used to drain our water heater every single spring without fail, hose hooked up to the spigot in the basement, bucket ready for the gunk. One year he got distracted by a Cardinals game and forgot to close the valve, flooded half the laundry room. Neighbor came over to help with the cleanup and that's how we found out the relief valve was busted anyway. So much for preventative maintenance.