There is a big sense of excitement the day you take ownership of the keys to your first home. Now that you have moved in, however, you also get the joy of dealing with problems in the home when things break down. Take your hot water tank for example. There is one vital part of the tank that needs replacing every five years if you don't want to have to buy a new tank regularly. The following are the two main points you need to know about hot water anodes.
How Hot Water Anodes Work
You are probably surprised to learn that there is one part of the water heater that controls the quality of hot water and how long the heater lasts for. This part is called the anode. The anode is a rod that is made out of aluminium or magnesium and is wrapped in a steel wire. You can find the anode at the top of the hot water tank.
The reason why your hot water tank has an anode in it is it is being sacrificed to protect the structural integrity of your tank. A hot water tank is filled with water, and when water surrounds metal for a long period of time, it starts to rust. The anode attracts the impurities in the water so they eat away at the anode instead of the inside of your tank. This prevents rust from taking hold inside your hot water tank.
Replacing a Hot Water Anode
Look on your hot water tank to see when it was manufactured. This date should be listed on the sticker that shows the serial and model numbers of your tank. If there is no manufacture date showing and your home is more than five years old, arrange for the tank to be inspected by a plumber.
Replacing the hot water anode is not a difficult task, but because the tank contains hot water, it is not a job that an inexperienced person should attempt themselves. It is important to get this inspection done though as it is cheaper to replace a hot water anode that is at the end of its life than it is to replace the hot water tank when it becomes corroded.
Don't let your hot water tank become rusted inside, because once it starts leaking, you will need to pay for a new tank to be installed. Get your anode checked out now, and then you can be confident about the performance of your tank for the next five years.
