Quote:
Originally Posted by omega50
Is there anything to be gained in this case in terms of tank longevity by changing anode rods for the first time at 11 years in?
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A lot depends on your water. I owned a house in Wetaskiwin many years ago. When I bought it the hot water tanks was a few years old, I'm not sure how many. I lived in the house for 14 years and never flushed the tank or changed an anode. It was still working fine when I sold the house.
When I lived in High Level, even with flushing the tank twice a year the best one could hope for was five to six years before the tank would start leaking. I never got around to changing an anode there.
All the neighbors I talked to about this told of similar experiences.
We've lived in this place for eight years. This tank was two years old when we bought the place. We flush the tank at least once a year but have not change a anode yet. This tank is now ten years old. NO issues yet.
I plan on changing the anodes next year. That will tell me how long they will last, by seeing how much the present anodes are eroded.
I can't answer your question. I don't know what the water is like there.
What I would do is talk to folks in the district who are on the same water supply. If I could get a handle on how long tanks last there, I'd change the anode at half the expected life.
There is nothing to be gained changing an anode before it's due, but there sure is if it's badly eroded.
I don't know if you understand what an anode does.
If you do fine, if not, for you and those who don't I'll try to explain it.
Your anode attracts electrolysis that would otherwise erode other parts of the tank. As it does this it erodes so that your tank does not.
So long as there is sufficient surface left for the anode to preform it's work, you are protected.
On our Ocean boat we change them out when they get down to 25 percent left. I expect that would work with a water tank since it's the same issue but to be safe (because you can't visually inspect them without taking them out) I'd change them at what I believed to be half life for the anode.
Reason being, anode are a lot less expensive then a tank.
Edit to add;
The parts of your tank most likely to be damaged by electrolysis are the heating elements, pipe fittings and welds. The rest of any good tank is protected by a anti corrosion coating.
I know this because I've cut old leaky tanks apart to make stock watering tanks out of them.