Hot Water Heater Maintenance
 

Has anyone changed the anode rod in their hot water heater after 5-7 years? The reason i ask is once a year i drain my hot water heater and expansion tank and change the expansion tank if needed. I know after time the anode rod will dissentrigate and need to be replaced. The problem is in most of the Villages Designer homes there is not enough height above the water heater to remove the old rod if a lot remains or to install the new rod. I know they make segmented rods to help with this issue but i'm interested to know if this is normal maintenance that most villagers have done by a plumber? I get a slight rotten egg smell when i turn on the hot water occasionally which i was told is from the magnesium anode rod in the heater. With a traditional gas hot water heater you probably change it every 8 to 10 years so most might not bother changing the anode rod but i have an electric heater which is supposed to last longer so changing the rod is probably beneficial to helping the heater last longer.

The normal maintenance that most villagers do for the water heater is nothing. Many don't even know what an anode rod or expansion tank is, or how to drain the tank. And, some don't even know where the water heater is located.

There are powered anodes that are made of Titanium that provide protection longer than any other option.

That said, most water heaters I've seen in TV are in the garage. Most sit in trays with drains that let water go right outside.

The biggest failure of these heaters are the elements which can be changed by anyone with an 1 1/4 socket. Plumbers show up and say "you've got an old heater" and people just replace them. "New, efficient and only $400 more than the repair of this old, stinky rusty heater".

I know corrosion is a problem with water heaters, but I suspect most get swapped out long before the bottom rusts through which is essentially all it's doing.

Changed my HWH after 15 years, and the anode rod was like new....don't bother.

Lived in Florida 60+ years and have never "maintained" a hot water heater and never had a problem with a hot water heater. New heater cost $900 installed. Cost of doing this will far exceed potential savings to "maintain" the heater.

Noted living in Florida for 60 years because I do not know if this is performed in other areas of the country where water is different and I am not a plumber.

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been in our (new) house for 7 years. We had Mike Scott plumbing come out for some faucet issues. While the tech was here, I asked him about the water heater. Told him that I tried to drain the tank over the years, but not able to as the drain seemed blocked. I asked if I should poke something in to break up any mineral deposits etc etc. He strongly said "NO!" Do not touch anything, as that could disturb the lower area of the tank and cause failure. At this point better to not do a thing... Ours is in the garage storage area. He said WH typically last 10-15 years, so no worries. And we have a whole-home water filter, so less minerals etc going to the fill of our WH. That was all very comforting.
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Opening the drain valve on a water heater can be risky because sediment may prevent the valve from closing off water tight. If you do drain the heater, make sure you have a threaded cap and washer available to stop the leak. I would suggest leaving the water heater alone until you need a new one. By the way, the Rheem manual doesn't even recommend draining the water heater.

Rotten eggs!
 

While the smell could be in the water, it may also be eminating from the drain when you first turn the water on. Baking soda and white vinegar down the drain my b the simple solution to your problem.

I thought the same, I replaced mine with a aluminum anode segmented rod. It did successfully eliminate the rotten egg smell. I used a a pair of vice grips on the rod, I pulled 2’ out attached the vice grips at the base and used a hack saw to cut then pulled the remaining out. By the way completely corroded (5 years old) Good luck trying to break it loose.

What's a water heater?

FYI my water heater has lasted the 11 years since I've bought my house and it was probably there for 9 years before that. Please don't jinx me

I never heard any of this!!!

Buy a Ring flood and freeze sensor alarm for $35
 

I would not bother with it either. BUT- a failed WT can be very costly - don’t ask me how I know:) I would install a water sensor/alarm to avoid this problem. If you already have a Ring system, just buy a sensor for $35. It’s wireless and easy to install.

Another option is to install a tankless water heater. They’re a little more expensive at the front end, but they last 15-20 years. I just replaced one in our home up north that lasted 21 years. Lower gas bills too.

I understand that tankless water heaters actually do need maintenance. They need to be descaled every 1-2 years, or they will stop working. With a tank type water heater, you can leave it alone and it will provide hot water for 15 years or so.