Anode Rod Importance in Water Heaters video

Cutting out the anode rod in a warranty is not a good solution to deal with a "smelly" water situation. You'll loose the tank protection from the anode rod, and VOID the warranty. The incidence of rotten egg odor in hot water lines is due to the reaction of sulfates and micro-organisms in the water that create Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S). This is a water chemistry condition, rather than a water heater problem. See Rheem Technical Bulletin #1206 for more info.

When the WH tank's interior porcelain-glass coating wears or cracks over time, the cathodic system will take over to protect the area where the coating failed. The rod becomes the anode, and the tank is the cathode. Without the anode protection, the tank will typically fail in about 5 years. See Rheem Technical Bulletin #1201 for more info.

Richmond 9-year Essential Plus and 12-year Encore feature a heavy-duty premium anode rod (magnesium) that has about 70% more material, to protect those tanks longer.

Aluminum anode rods can reduce or eliminate the "rotten egg" smell. Another benefit of aluminum is that in very hard water environments, magnesium rods will deteriorate so quickly that they may not be practical. However, aluminum is lower on the galvanic scale than magnesium, so the result is some less protection, especially in softer water. Aluminum rods actually expand making replacement difficult, and they can create a gelatin-like substance that might float out to fixtures, potentially clogging filters and aerators.

Видео Anode Rod Importance in Water Heaters video канала SteveBadenRheem