Extending the Life of your Water Heater: Anode Rods

Many homeowners and property managers may find themselves wondering HOW IN THE WORLD their water heater needs to be replaced AGAIN! Unfortunately, that old saying “They don’t make ’em like they used to” is the perfect description of a modern water heater. The warranties often only cover a few years and we at Brandt Plumbing are seeing a trend towards many heaters being replaced within 10 years of installation.

Even though that isn’t the best news, there are a few things you can do to extend the life of your water heater. Firstly, you can add an expansion tank. An expansion tank absorbs differences in water pressure due to temperature fluctuations in your water heater. This causes less stress on the heater over time.

Another way to extend the life of your water heater is to have it regularly flushed, and to occasionally replace the anode rods within the tank. An anode rod is a magnesium or aluminum rod that is inserted into the water heater tank. This material corrodes easier than the tank material, and for that reason, they serve as a “sacrifice” for your tank, allowing the rods to be eaten away and keeping your tank from rusting out. Often, when you purchase a water heater with an extended warranty, you are  just receiving an extra anode rod in the water heater tank.

This photo shows a new Anode Rod next to a depleted Anode Rod. Can you believe the difference? Something so simple can really effect the life of your heater.  Brandt Plumbing offers special pricing  for anode replacement and water heater flushing, based on how many rods are in your tank:

Anode Rod Price List 2017

1 Rod $250

2 Rods $350

3 Rods $450

4 Rods $550

Magnesium Brick: Call for Pricing

These prices include flushing your water heater, which is recommended semi-annually.

Call today to set up an appointment: (650) 444-3598 or Contact Us