Fort Collins Heating & Air Conditioning Blog

What Is An Anode Rod?

Whatever type, size, or age of your water heater, it remains a vital component of your home. Imagine how inconvenient and uncomfortable your daily chores would be without a consistent and reliable stream of hot water. The best way to keep an eye on your water heater is with routine maintenance. There’s simply no other way to ensure that your equipment is routinely inspected, cleaned, and adjusted for excellent performance and efficiency. But a little homeowner knowledge can go a long way. Do you know what an anode rod is? Or have you ever heard of a sacrificial anode? Both of these terms describe an integral part of your tank water heater. It’s the focus of today’s blog post.

Call Fort Collins Heating & Air Conditioning for superior water heater services in Loveland, CO. We can take care of anything that needs fixing.

An anode rod is a piece of magnesium, zinc or aluminum that sits within your tank water heater. It is designed to be sacrificed. The chemical action of water on untreated steel or iron is well-known: it causes the metal to oxidize. The invention of the residential water heater was largely made possible by the ability of metal tank manufacturers to keep coat metal in enamel or glass that could resist the effects of oxidization and other chemical reactions. But no matter how well the inside of your tank is coated, it will still eventually succumb to the chemical action of the water inside. Hence, the need for the sacrificial anode.

This rod sits within the tank and is slowly eaten away by the water. Whether you have a magnesium, zinc or aluminum rod may depend on various factors, including the chemical composition and acidity of your water. Eventually, when the anode rod has been thoroughly sacrificed, the water will begin to eat away at the interior lining of the tank, and this may lead to rust in your hot water supply. So long as you keep your anode rod fresh and have a professional come take a look every once in a while, your water heater will give you years of good service.

Call Fort Collins Heating & Air Conditioning for water heaters in Loveland, CO.

Twitter

Fort Collins Heating & Air Conditioning Blog

Search

Archive

Archive

Categories

Categories

Tags