Anode Rods: How do They Work?

Water heaters cope with faucet water on a relentless foundation, from the time they’re put in to the time they’re changed. The fixed publicity to water makes rust much less of a risk and extra of an unavoidable actuality. So, how does your water heater keep away from changing into a rusted-out shell inside a few years of set up?

The reply is a small half referred to as the anode rod. Learn on to learn the way the anode rod works, and why you want to have knowledgeable examine on it no less than yearly. When you’ve got any questions, don’t hesitate to succeed in out to our Denver water heater professionals!

The Anode Rod

An anode rod is a protracted steel rod, often fashioned of magnesium or aluminum round a metal wire core. The rod is inserted into the water heater storage tank, the place it slowly degrades. By design. So long as the anode rod is degrading within the tank, the tank lining will likely be shielded from rusting. That is completed by way of a course of referred to as electrolysis, by which the metals within the anode rod entice ions that usually trigger rust in iron and metal. These ions are what trigger the anode rod to degrade over time. The time it takes for the anode rod to degrade relies upon, partly, on the mineral content material of your water. Arduous water is hard on anode rods.

Checking the Anode Rod

Finally, the anode rod will degrade to the purpose the place it could now not entice the ions that trigger rust. At that time, the rod will should be changed with the intention to preserve safety for the water heater tank. A water heater tank with an expended anode rod isn’t any higher off than one with out an anode rod in any respect.

Schedule Upkeep with Bell

Once you schedule water heater upkeep yearly, you’ll be able to keep forward of issues. Your water heater or plumbing technician ought to examine the anode rod, and exchange it if mandatory.

If you want to schedule a water heater upkeep appointment, contact Bell Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electrical. We provide a full vary of water heater providers in Denver, CO and the encircling space!