Electric Anode rod- worth it?

[Kwhit]

Electric anode rods are guaranteed for 20 years- this is much longer than a brand new water heater‘s suggested life. Why don’t all water heaters come with one? Is there a downside to installing one? Is it all hype? What am I missing about this? I have a gas water heater. Thanks

 

[GReynolds929]

Money, the answer is almost always money. Why would manufacturers make a tank last that long when they can sell you two tanks in the same time frame.

 

[Kwhit]

Will plumbing companies put one in or will adding one have to be a diy?

 

[Kwhit]

Money, the answer is almost always money. Why would manufacturers make a tank last that long when they can sell you two tanks in the same time frame.

Will plumbing companies put one in or will adding one have to be a diy?

 

[GReynolds929]

Depends on the company. Save money by DIY if you can.

 

[GymBag]

Electric anode rods are guaranteed for 20 years- this is much longer than a brand new water heater‘s suggested life. Why don’t all water heaters come with one? Is there a downside to installing one? Is it all hype? What am I missing about this? I have a gas water heater. Thanks

How much does the new anode cost, just for the part and how old is the water heater?

 

[wpns]

How does an electric anode work? I know how a sacrificial anode works, so I imagine it applies some voltage so that current is flowing in such a way that it’s not stripping atoms off of the tank? How would that prevent material loss from the electric anode?

 

[GymBag]

How does an electric anode work? I know how a sacrificial anode works, so I imagine it applies some voltage so that current is flowing in such a way that it’s not stripping atoms off of the tank? How would that prevent material loss from the electric anode?

Same- the anode in these tanks and on boats is sacrificial through electrolysis. The Zinc (or Magnesium, depending on the application) is called 'less noble' than the metals being saved by the loss of metal in the anode. You want the anode to erode but if it goes too fast, the cause needs to be found.

 

[Bird Doo Head]

Not a physicist, but it seems that if the existing rod's threads are grounded, no matter how weakly, the electron exchange will continue along at 100% capacity. Adding more electrical current doesn't seem like it will enhance anything. The water in the tank alone is probably sufficient as the ground.

Even bridge and exposed-steel design skyscraper frameworks often have strips of zinc screwed on in places. The anodes are not electrical, but they are grounded.
Paul

 

[GymBag]

Not a physicist, but it seems that if the existing rod's threads are grounded, no matter how weakly, the electron exchange will continue along at 100% capacity. Adding more electrical current doesn't seem like it will enhance anything. The water in the tank alone is probably sufficient as the ground.

Even bridge and exposed-steel design skyscraper frameworks often have strips of zinc screwed on in places. The anodes are not electrical, but they are grounded.
Paul

Metal structures are grounded and they need to be bonded, which is a bit different- it maintains an equipotential state in the structure and boats, houses, etc are bonded, too. Even ground wires connected to the stakes outside were connected to the cold water pipe as close to the electrical service panel until plastic pipe entered the picture. Communications cabling from phone, internet and cable/satellite TV providers is also supposed to be connected to the fuse/breaker panel or a cold water pipe as close as possible to their entrance into the building and is required by a couple of NEC articles.

An anode shouldn't be conducting a lot of current- if it does, it will erode very quickly, the building should be considered dangerous and metal pipes will erode faster. It can also indicate electrical wiring problems.

WRT safety, imagine a plumbing problem where the water supply pipes have been used for grounding the electrical service and the main drain pipe has been replaced with PVC or ABS between the lowest floor and the foundation, so the water is the conductor and the PVC acts as an insulator. Until someone is in the shower while the water is draining and they grab the metal pipe with the shower head. The water completes the ground, but the problem is that the person becomes the load.

 

[Bird Doo Head]

Metal structures are grounded and they need to be bonded, which is a bit different- it maintains an equipotential state in the structure and boats, houses, etc are bonded, too. Even ground wires connected to the stakes outside were connected to the cold water pipe as close to the electrical service panel until plastic pipe entered the picture. Communications cabling from phone, internet and cable/satellite TV providers is also supposed to be connected to the fuse/breaker panel or a cold water pipe as close as possible to their entrance into the building and is required by a couple of NEC articles.

An anode shouldn't be conducting a lot of current- if it does, it will erode very quickly, the building should be considered dangerous and metal pipes will erode faster. It can also indicate electrical wiring problems.

WRT safety, imagine a plumbing problem where the water supply pipes have been used for grounding the electrical service and the main drain pipe has been replaced with PVC or ABS between the lowest floor and the foundation, so the water is the conductor and the PVC acts as an insulator. Until someone is in the shower while the water is draining and they grab the metal pipe with the shower head. The water completes the ground, but the problem is that the person becomes the load.

I super-simplified my post, but thanks for more details, GymBag. People will appreciate it.
Paul
PS: We now must bond all communications equipment grounding conductors at the same point as the electrical service's grounding point- including building steel. I don't work residential, but I think those guys usually bond all onto the meter cabinet. (At least that's where I've noticed several)

 

[GymBag]

I super-simplified my post, but thanks for more details, GymBag. People will appreciate it.
Paul
PS: We now must bond all communications equipment grounding conductors at the same point as the electrical service's grounding point- including building steel. I don't work residential, but I think those guys usually bond all onto the meter cabinet. (At least that's where I've noticed several)

The requirement for communications cable bonding isn't new- the first time I got a copy of Articles 725 and 800 were in 2005, when I worked for a custom AV/Network contractor after they hired an electrician, so we could install outlets and do other electrical work as needed, if we knew how to do it. We didn't need to wait for permits because he could deal with that and it prevented work stoppages. We needed to comply to code and for insurance reasons.

 

[Bird Doo Head]

The requirement for communications cable bonding isn't new - the first time I got a copy of Articles 725 and 800 were in 2005,

I did not mean to imply that this is brand new & spiffy. Actually, common point bonding far predates the 2005 edition of NFPA-70.

I was a master in the 1970's so saying "we now must..." means "we used to didn't have to... " Could be last week, could be 40 years ago.

 

[GymBag]

I did not mean to imply that this is brand new & spiffy. Actually, common point bonding far predates the 2005 edition of NFPA-70.

I was a master in the 1970's so saying "we now must..." means "we used to didn't have to... " Could be last week, could be 40 years ago.

You should have seen the garage service that my parents' friend did for them. He was an EE and offered his services, but wow. A light at the alley with three way switches was installed and metal J-boxes used. The lawn care guys refused to use the outlet on the West wall because they were usually shocked but whenever I would check it, I couldn't measure any voltage to a ground reference but I should have flipped one of the switches. After my dad passed and my brother was there to help with the estate sale, I went out to close the Aluminum Jalousy windows on the same wall. The garage has Aluminum siding and I went out barefoot which was OK, but standing on bare concrete, I found out that the lawn care guys were right......

When I had a chance to check it out, it turned out that the EE with the big brain had wired it so the neutral was being switched..... I removed the switch in the garage and wired it so the one in the house controlled the light because there was no reason for the switch anyway and I put a blank plate on the box.

 

[Bird Doo Head]

You should have seen the garage service that my parents' friend did for them. He was an EE and offered his services, but wow. A light at the alley with three way switches was installed and metal J-boxes used. The lawn care guys refused to use the outlet on the West wall because they were usually shocked but whenever I would check it, I couldn't measure any voltage to a ground reference but I should have flipped one of the switches. After my dad passed and my brother was there to help with the estate sale, I went out to close the Aluminum Jalousy windows on the same wall. The garage has Aluminum siding and I went out barefoot which was OK, but standing on bare concrete, I found out that the lawn care guys were right......

When I had a chance to check it out, it turned out that the EE with the big brain had wired it so the neutral was being switched..... I removed the switch in the garage and wired it so the one in the house controlled the light because there was no reason for the switch anyway and I put a blank plate on the box.

Sometimes "Book Smart" and "Life Smart" are 180 degrees apart, as you and the gardeners found out.
Both are good to have, but one must always respect the other.

When I was in a "leave me alone" mood & the Book Smart Squad would show up on the project site; sooner or later one or more genius would start giving me grief about how one of my skilled & experienced trades-people was doing something.

I'd take one of their brainiac hands and look at the palm. The person would invariably ask what I was doing.
My Reply: "If I see no calluses, I hear no words."

Paul
PS: No offense is intended toward educated people. I'm a college boy and also a tradesperson. My father was the king of such with 2 Ph.D's, 4 Masters Degrees, yet a skilled journeyman toolmaker with callused hands.

 

[GymBag]

Sometimes "Book Smart" and "Life Smart" are 180 degrees apart, as you and the gardeners found out.
Both are good to have, but one must always respect the other.

When I was in a "leave me alone" mood & the Book Smart Squad would show up on the project site; sooner or later one or more genius would start giving me grief about how one of my skilled & experienced trades-people was doing something.

I'd take one of their brainiac hands and look at the palm. The person would invariably ask what I was doing.
My Reply: "If I see no calluses, I hear no words."

Paul
PS: No offense is intended toward educated people. I'm a college boy and also a tradesperson. My father was the king of such with 2 Ph.D's, 4 Masters Degrees, yet a skilled journeyman toolmaker with callused hands.

I don't remember if his hat had blue & white stripes or a propeller. I also know people who shouldn't even try to use tools because someone's getting hurt- others don't know which end of a screwdriver to pound on.

The high school I attended had a great shop program until they forced the drafting teacher into early retirement and as soon as that happened, the rest of the shop teachers quit, en mass because they had been there since the school opened in 1954 and because they didn't need to replace him. If the replacement was going to be the other drafting teacher, it's better that the department closed because that guy was an idiot. Four years of drafting, at least one year of metal shop and a couple of years of woodworking- it has all served me well.

I often wonder how someone can go through life without a sense of curiosity or thinking about how things go together, how they work and how they can be repaired or improved but obviously, some just aren't interested. The ones I don't like have a bad attitude about manual labor, until they need someone to do it and then, they complain about the cost.

Laughing all the way to the bank.....

 

[Twowaxhack]

I don't remember if his hat had blue & white stripes or a propeller. I also know people who shouldn't even try to use tools because someone's getting hurt- others don't know which end of a screwdriver to pound on.

The high school I attended had a great shop program until they forced the drafting teacher into early retirement and as soon as that happened, the rest of the shop teachers quit, en mass because they had been there since the school opened in 1954 and because they didn't need to replace him. If the replacement was going to be the other drafting teacher, it's better that the department closed because that guy was an idiot. Four years of drafting, at least one year of metal shop and a couple of years of woodworking- it has all served me well.

I often wonder how someone can go through life without a sense of curiosity or thinking about how things go together, how they work and how they can be repaired or improved but obviously, some just aren't interested. The ones I don't like have a bad attitude about manual labor, until they need someone to do it and then, they complain about the cost.

Laughing all the way to the bank.....

I’d rather work for people who have no clue, don’t want a clue, leaves a key for me to enter and leaves a check for Me to fill in on the kitchen counter.

They get the best price and the best service from me and the price ends up being less expensive because they’re so convenient and easy to work for. The best customers on earth.

 

[GymBag]

I’d rather work for people who have no clue, don’t want a clue, leaves a key for me to enter and leaves a check for Me to fill in on the kitchen counter.

They get the best price and the best service from me and the price ends up being less expensive because they’re so convenient and easy to work for. The best customers on earth.

Some of mine have said "Do you want a check? I feel like I owe you some money". I don't usually fill out the amount because I gave them an invoice or a number that's close, but because all of my leads come from referrals, all of my customers are long-term. Sometimes, they call to ask how much if I'm not done but have spent some time on it.

It sure beats trying to squeeze it out of them. I have alarm entry codes for several homes and they're all large & filled with antiques, original artwork and they trust me, even with the kids at home when they're gone. One of the kids gave me a nickname and that's how several people referred to me the first time they called, so it was easy to know who referred them.