Mike Frerichs wrote:
>
> I was wondering if anyone could explain to me what the anode is for on
> my water heater. I've also heard it referred to as a "sacrificial
> anode" which leads me to believe it might be something that needs to be
> replaced once in a while. My water heater is about five years old and
> there's quite a bit of what appears to be some type of corrosion around
> the anode on the top of the unit. I just bought the house a year ago
> and there was no documentation for the water heater, so I'm hoping
> someone here can tell me what a good homeowner should know.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Mike Frerichs
> frerichs@tconl.com
My understanding is that the anode is there to
"sacrifice" itself to the corrosive chemicals in
your water in order to prolong the life of the
tank lining (i.e., to let the chemicals attack and
destroy it instead of attacking and destroying the
tank).
Often times, they are very difficult to remove,
but if you can break it loose, you can see how
much of it is left. I have heard that a
replacement anode may cost $25, so if a new heater
is $125, it might not make much sense to replace
it even if it is consumed.
regards,
doug
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