2 Tips to Save Your Water Heater
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What if I told you that a simple metal rod is the single most important factor in determining the lifespan of your tanked water heater? What if I said that this rod protects the inside of your tank from rusting, and therefore leaking, and that it could prevent catastrophic failure and significant water damage?
An anode rod is a steel wire surrounded with aluminum, magnesium, or zinc. The rod is screwed into the top of your water heater and protects your water heater from rusting from the inside. You can see what an anode rod should look like in the images below, versus what we often find in our customer’s systems.
Basically, when two metals are placed together in water, the less reactive (nobler) will remain intact, while the more reactive metal of the anode rod corrodes; the chemical reaction protects your water heater against the process of oxidation by attracting elements to the anode rod rather than to any exposed bits of steel. Even though you may have never heard of an anode rod, this technology has been around for a long time. They’re widely used in the maritime industry to protect boats from rusting, for instance.
But isn’t my water heater lined?
Nearly all water heater tanks are made of steel with a glass lining to protect them from rusting, but linings eventually crack, so anode rods provide a secondary defense. Once an anode rod is corroded, it stops working, and your water heater jumps on the fast track to failure.
The anode rod, when replaced regularly per manufacturers’ specifications, slows down corrosion inside water heater tanks and significantly extends equipment lifespan. You may want to take a look at your owner’s manual to see how frequently your anode rod needs to be replaced. If you can’t find the manual or are unsure what brand of water heater you have, feel free to give Sanford Temperature Control a ring.
What else can I do to keep my water heater healthy?
Having the anode rod replaced isn’t the only thing you can do to keep your water heater operating at peak performance. Unfortunately, the water coming into your home isn’t always as pure as we’d like it to be. On average, your water heater gains about 3 pounds of sediment every year, cutting down on the efficiency and heating capacity of your water heater. Sediments such as calcium carbonate and sand buildup in your water heater and settle at the bottom of the tank, which overheats the tank bottom, weakens the steel, and damages the glass lining.
A flush and clean of your system can help avoid water heater burn out, the buildup of corrosive anaerobic bacteria in your water (yuck!), clogged lines, failing pumps and more. The flush and clean is another way to avoid catastrophic water heater failure.
So, if your anode rod looks anything like the one we recently removed from a customer’s water heater, or if this is the first time you’ve even heard of an anode rod, or if you can’t even remember the last time you had your water heater serviced, you’ll probably want to check into water heater service soon.
Adrian W.
Marketing Manager
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I thought Derek was polite. Courteous knew what he was doing. Got my furnace fixed in one day. I was very appreciative and because of his service I will now only use you guys going forward. He’s a great technician.
I'm always impressed when a service provider takes the time to educate me about the product I bought. Eddie explained the protocols for maintaining my mini-splits
, provided me with the knowledge that he brought to the inspection and showed me how to improve the longevity of the product. In the process he convinced me to extend my service.
Good job -
Eric, our Sanford tech, did wonderful as always. maintaining our beast of a heating system takes skill. He is prompt and kind gets the maintenance taken care of quickly. He doesn’t mind the annoying dogs or the beam that you have to duck under going up and down stairs.
They check in the day before coming and Eric texts when on the way. He is always on time. We have been very happy with the work and the professionalism.
This was my first time using Sanford. Derek was amazing. He diagnosed the problem quickly, showed me the problem, and then quoted me a price which was very reasonable. He had the part on the truck and had the problem fixed within a half hour. From the person I made the appointment with, Irish, to the dispatcher I spoke with for an estimated time of arrival, to Derek, my experience was nothing but positive. I had such a great experience that I will always use Sanford for my heating, cooling, and plumbing needs. Highly recommended!
After Sanford did such an impressive job installing our new Bosch furnace last winter, it was a no brainer as to who we wanted to add a central air conditioner to our house.
They gave us two options and we chose to go with a heat pump. Jason and his team did an incredible job installing the system in just a single day. The quality of their workmanship is second to none and he couldn’t be a nicer person to work with.
Another great job by Sanford !
We had Brian B come to our home to conduct a follow up visit to evaluate our Carrier AC that was installed in February. Just like the three-man crew who did the installation, Brian B did an outstanding job of making sure that everything was working just fine. He answered all our questions and made sure we were confident that our AC would be working fine this summer. Great job.
Extremely happy with the service I received. Mike did an excellent job of servicing my HVAC system. He was very efficient, knowledgeable and took the time to answer all my questions. Also, the office personnel were very helpful and responsive to all my requests and questions regarding scheduling and pricing. I will be using them again and would highly recommend Mike.
Excellent service. Arrived on time. Asked me questions to diagnose any possible issues. Explained several things I did not know about my system.
Eric was very pleasant & thoroughly cleaned & diagnosed my system. Every Sanford employee with whom I have had dealings has been pleasant, attentive, and professional. A friend recommended Sanford to me & I recommend them to you as well. I have been very happy with my equipment & service & know I can contact them anytime with questions & concerns & they will respond in a timely manner. Thank you Eric!
Our tech was great! He was respectful of the space (and rolled with the chaos of small kiddos running around like goons), knowledgeable, and efficient. We’ve used Sanford for years and will continue to do so.
Kyle G. from Sanford was awesome and super respectful. They installed furnace and AC system. He explained everything without being condescending, helped set up the wireless system, checked it and his team cleaned up everything after the job. My standards are pretty high and Kyle not only met them, he exceeded them. Thank you.
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