Does It Affair?
An anode rod is a critical piece of equipment with the power to significantly increase the longevity of your water heater. Additionally, an anode rod has the ability to meliorate your water character as well as eliminate that unpleasant rotten egg scent.
All things considered, you lot tin can’t get incorrect investing inward an anode rod. However, it’second of import to farther sympathise how certain factors, such equally rod length, touch on the functioning of your anode rod as well as water heater.
Anode rods should be about ii" shorter than the H2O heater tank. This ensures that it is large plenty to provide sufficient protection to the tank and too means that it volition terminal as long every bit possible. This is not a strict dominion just it is a skilful guideline. Length is less of import alongside powered anode rods.
Different Lengths Fit Different Water Heaters
Water heaters come inward various sizes to be suitable according to your living situation.
Typically, water heaters increment inward acme when they increment in book. This way that larger H2O heaters are taller too demand a longer anode rod to ensure that there are no areas of the tank that will corrode every bit a outcome of being likewise far away from the anode rod.
On the other mitt, smaller water heaters tend to be shorter, then the anode rod won’t necessitate to be every bit long.
Essentially, the about of import thing to call up is that the length of the anode rod volition ultimately be determined by the water heater’s size. A proficient dominion of pollex to proceed in listen is that y'all desire your anode rod to function from the bottom of the tank all the fashion to the meridian.
Length Is More Important for Sacrificial Rods
There are 2 basic types of anode rods: sacrificial anode rods too non-sacrificial powered anode rods. Sacrificial anode rods rely on their textile to degrade inwards order to protect the inner lining of the water heater. In comparison, powered anode rods do non call for to degrade to make their chore.
Powered anode rods do non degrade because they apply electric pulses to take the corrosive minerals from the interior of the H2O tank. This type of anode rod is not-sacrificial, pregnant it does non take replacement. Additionally, the use of electrical pulses makes the length less crucial to the anode’sec proficiency.
Sacrificial anode rods are typically made of magnesium, aluminum, or zinc. The length of these rods is real of import because the more than of this metal that is introduce, the more metallic is available to react amongst the corrosive elements inwards water (instead of them reacting alongside the H2O heater tank).
Short Anodes Won’t Last equally Long
Since sacrificial anode rods, like their mention implies, degrade in social club to protect the inner lining of the H2O heater, a shorter anode rod will non concluding as long. The longer the anode rod, the more textile there is to degrade together with the longer it will last.
It’second as well inwards your best involvement to become a longer anode rod then that you don’t have to bank check and supervene upon them every bit frequently. In a properly operation H2O heater, it’s typical to swap out anode rods every 3 to five years.
There are too a few other factors that influence the lifespan of an anode rod too. For case, the type of water inwards your surface area. Anode rods tend to degrade faster in areas alongside difficult water, peculiarly anode rods made of magnesium.
Rod That Is Too Long Can Damage the Tank’s Lining
As discussed to a higher place, a longer anode rod generally speaking is amend than a shorter i because it lasts longer. However, y'all’ll want to live careful not to use an anode rod that is besides long inward the water heater. The anode rod should non impact the bottom of the tank.
An anode rod that is too long will nigh likely touch the bottom of your water heater tank. This is a problem because it will vesture down the inner layer of the tank also every bit decrease the lifespan of the anode rod.
While you want to go an anode rod that is every bit long as possible, it’second practical to go out near a two″ gap between the bottom of the tank as well as the bottom of the rod.
If the rod you lot buy doesn’t match, don’t worry, it tin can be cut.
Anode Rods Can Be Cut
If you’ve purchased a sacrificial anode rod that doesn’t jibe your H2O tank perfectly, yous can cut it down. The process is relatively uncomplicated and can live done without the help of a licensed plumber. However, in that location are close to cardinal steps as well as details to pay close attention to inward social club to be rubber.
When cut an anode rod, y'all want to make sure the rod is of adequate length for the water heater. One way to approach this is to use the size of the onetime rod yous’re replacing every bit a bespeak of reference. Of grade, you lot desire to continue equally much length as possible simply this is sometimes a adept starting bespeak.
Another manner to determine how much length to cut off is to follow these guidelines:
- Place the anode rod into the water heater to judge how much length sticks out of the pinnacle. Don’t screw the rod inward but nonetheless because you lot notwithstanding accept to cut it.
- Measure the length that extends out of the superlative of the heater. Once you lot’ve got that measuring, add an extra inch or 2 so that the anode rod doesn’t reach all the manner to the bottom of the tank.
- Finally, role a hacksaw to cutting the measured excess length. It’second of import for your safe to avoid using a ability saw because close to anode rods, such equally those made of magnesium, are flammable.
Below is a tabular array of the tools required for this project:
| Item | View On Amazon |
| Hacksaw | View |
| Tape Measure | View |
| Work Gloves | View |
| Metal File | View |
| Replacement Anode Rods | View |
The metal file is not completely necessary simply is recommended and then that the edge of the anode rod that gets cutting tin live shaved downward too decreases the chance of cutting yourself or others.
How to Find the Right Length Anode Rod?
Finding the correct length anode rod tin can be a fleck tricky because it actually comes downwards to the size of your H2O heater. Taller H2O heaters tin can reach anywhere from 46 to sixty or more inches inwards peak, whereas shorter water heaters are about thirty to 49 inches in summit.
Anode rods tin can vary inward their lengths too merely for the nigh part, are sold inward these lengths:
- Magnesium: 33″
- Aluminum: 33″
- Zinc: 44″
With that beingness said, the virtually of import thing to go along in listen when purchasing an anode rod is to always buy a longer one over a shorter ane. Although it may not perfectly correspond your H2O heater, you’ll be able to cut it down equally needed.
Option for Low Overhead Clearance: Flexible Rods
Oftentimes the difficulty of replacing an anode rod is pulling it out of the tank. The rods are usually exclusively slightly shorter than the H2O tank, and then at that place oft isn’t enough overhead clearance higher up the H2O heater to pull the rod direct out.
You volition have to brand a plan to become the sometime one out, possibly even having to cut it, just instead of going alongside a shorter (besides curt) anode rod replacement, y'all tin proceed the necessary length as well as eliminate the hassle of insertion together with removal past opting for a flexible anode rod.
Flexible anode rods function similarly to regular anode rods solely they’re made in such a mode that allows them to live separate into sections, and so inserting them into as well as taking them out of the tank industrial plant perfectly for depression overhead clearance scenarios.
Flexible anode rods are typically made of aluminum/zinc (amazon link) or magnesium (amazon link). The pricing of flexible anode rods, more often than not speaking, is not much unlike than a regular i. In fact, a flexible aluminum anode rod’sec price may be less than a regular sacrificial aluminum anode rod (amazon link).
The flexible magnesium anode rod on the other manus is typically more costly than a regular sacrificial magnesium anode rod (amazon link). However, go on inwards listen that the length of the anode rod volition impact the toll significantly. To discover the best bargain, live certain to check multiple sites too learn more than nearly what type of anode rod suits your H2O heater’s needs.
Sources
https://www.plumbingsupply.com/understanding-water-heater-anode-rods.html
https://www.plumbingsupply.com/anoderods.html
https://www.hunker.com/12003128/tall-vs-brusque-hot-H2O-heaters
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