Jump to content

Anode Rod Broke Off


siskiou

Recommended Posts

We've had an unpleasant smell in our Odyssey, every time we use the water heater.

Rinsing it through with vinegar, and then bleach, did no good.

Today, we finally got the old anode rod (must have been in there since the beginning!) out, or so we thought.The

plug came out, but what was left of the rod was no longer attached to the plug.

We managed to pull out the inner core of the rod with pliers, but there was a little bit of "rotten looking" metal around the it at one end, and it crumbled and fell into the tank. Is this a problem? Or is it okay, since the rod is designed to dissolve over time?

Should we try to flush out the stuff somehow?

I'm going to shop for a new anode rod, and hope that the smell was related the old anode, and that we can now use our water heater again.

If it's still smelly, I guess we will have to replace the water heater.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes it is a sacrificial metal and it will eventually go away. I kind of doubt it has any thing to do with your smell. It is a common problem and bacteria related. The best trick I have heard of was hooking up to a city water supply. Pour chlorine into the supply hose then turn on the water and leave the hot water tap on. Frankly I have never seen much use of the rod the water tank rotting seems to be more of a problem with the crud that is left on the bottom when you drain the tank. They do make a wand that you attach to the water hose to flush out the tank.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm half wondering if something could have made a nest next to the water heater, because the smell does not come from the water.

That smells fine.

We just get this sickly smell, when the water heater is in use, getting worse and worse with time.

Also, I'm not sure how to rinse this water heater. The anode rod is located on the rear of it, under the sink, and I don't see anything I could remove on the front to give a large enough access to do the rinsing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...