Water Heater Anode Rod Location
Your water quality the location of the anode rod and how easy it is to access the installation point.
Water heater anode rod location. What rod you choose will depend on three things. However if you replace your water heater anode rod before it fails about every five years you can double the life of your water heater. Anode rods help prevent corrosion of the hot water heater s glass lined tank. 3 locate the anode rod on the water heater.
Refer to your water heater s user guide for more information. Rods are made from magnesium aluminum or aluminum zinc alloy. If the anode rod is corroded with sediment and is too large to lift out of the tank it means that the component is still functioning. Ph level 7 is neutral and ideal.
Locate the anode rod position on the top of the tank. Aluminum replacement rods are sold at home centers. Replace the anode rod s with a less reactive material magnesium to aluminum or aluminum to aluminum alloy water chemistry frequently changes be sure to understand current water conditions. 5 if the anode rod won t budge slip a steel pipe onto ratchet wrench handle for extra leverage.
Step 5 install the new anode rod. Remove the plastic cap to expose the anode rod. In this situation reinstall the existing anode rod. Never bang on components of a water heater as the tank liner is easily damaged.
If necessary unscrew and lift off the cover from the top of the heater. Unless your water is exceptionally iron laden you should be fine with an aluminum or magnesium rod. Open the water heater s drain valve and drain approximately two gallons of water from the tank. Overly softened water will increase conductivity.
The anode rod in your rheem water heater is located on top of your tank. More precisely your magnesium or aluminum sacrificial anode is visible through a hexagonal head located in the center of your tank under a plastic cover. It will be underneath one of the plastic caps. How to replace the anode rod in a gas or electric water heater.
4 use a ratchet wrench and 1 1 16 inch deep socket to unscrew the anode rod from the heater. On older models the anode rod may be exposed. How to remove an anode rod from an a o. In most cases the hexagonal head of the rod is visible on the top of the water heater.