Stats and Facts | replacethatrod

Water heaters are the hardest working units in our homes, yet one of the most neglected. They perform diligently under high heat and pressure 24 hours a day, 365 days per year to supply us with a constant supply of comforting hot water, yet many of us never give them a second thought.

Internal corrosion is the leading cause of premature water heater failure. In North America alone, millions of water heaters fail well before their time each year due to rust through - about one every 6 seconds! Leakage as a result of corrosion is the only reason to discard a tank – everything else can be repaired or replaced to keep the heater operational.

Routine preventive maintenance including sacrificial anode rod inspection and replacement, tank draining and flushing as well as temperature and pressure (T&P) relief valve testing are specified by ALL MANUFACTURERS – this is an invaluable practice to ensure the safety, efficiency and durability of your tank. Please check with your owner’s manual as it will outline the necessary activities and the manufacturer’s recommended service intervals.

Draining and flushing must be performed regularly to remove the sediment that builds within your water heater. This accumulation consists of dirt, sand, corrosion and scale that forms a sludge blanketing the bottom of the tank, promoting corrosion of the floor and insulating it from the water above. This reduces the efficient transfer of heat to the water resulting in greater energy consumption and increased wear on the tank floor on gas fired models. In all cases, it is a potential breeding ground for bacteria, depending on the particular conditions.

The Temperature and Pressure Valve must be checked routinely to ensure proper operation and proper flow. It is a safety device installed on all residential water heaters as a relief valve in case of a tank over-pressurization to prevent a possible explosion. In time, it can become plugged with calcium deposits and become inoperative and useless, no longer affording any protection as originally intended.

The water supply shut-off valve should be functioned routinely to ensure smooth operation with no leaks. In the event of a failure or for routine servicing, it must function properly to allow disruption of water flow.

A sacrificial anode rod is installed in almost all steel water heaters to protect them from the devastating effects of internal corrosion and help prevent premature failure. Most homeowners have never even heard of them or are aware their water heaters contain this replaceable component designed to safeguard their tank and ensure it has a long operating life, even though they've been an industry standard for decades.

The sacrificial anode rod is depleted as it protects the inside of your tank from corrosion. Once all the sacrificial material is used up, any exposed steel inside the tank starts corroding immediately. Depending on several factors, it usually takes anywhere from 1 to 10 years for the anode to wear out and then another several years before the tank rusts through and springs a leak. This is why most tanks on average, last about 12 to 14 years. Without an active anode in place, they will usually fail in a fraction of the time.

Virtually ALL residential steel water heater tanks have at least one sacrificial anode rod installed at the factory. They can vary in size, configuration and sacrificial metal used. Some tanks have larger rods with more sacrificial material than others do, while some even have two anodes installed or may be upgraded with a second anode during water heater installation to increase their warranty and service life.

Sacrificial anode rods have a significant impact on your water heater longevity - they are largely responsible for the difference in most traditional water heater warranties. Tanks with a single anode will generally provide at least a 6 year warranty, tanks with a larger anode may have a 9 year warranty while units with two anodes may have up to 12 years of warranty.

The sacrificial anode rod is such an important component in your water heater that all manufacturers state you will VOID your warranty should it be removed permanently from the tank. Without a properly functioning rod in place, any of the exposed metal surfaces will start corroding immediately - this will dramatically shorten the life of your water heater. Once again, please refer to your owner’s manual for exact stipulations.

Proper flushing and maintaining a viable sacrificial anode rod provide an inexpensive form of insurance for your water heater. Routine preventive maintenance will significantly affect the longevity of your tank, prolonging it greatly, up to double or more in many cases. Armed with this knowledge, and knowing the fact that your water heater's manufacturer considers proper maintenance and a robust anode rod to be so important, don’t you think it is time to give your water heater some attention and replacethatrod!