I have been looking into this myself. trying to decide what material I want to use.
Love your avatar, Camo! I think if I ever changed an anode, I’d have to cut it as it came out, or put a small hole in the ceiling due to height limitations. I believe some replacements are telescoping. I’m hoping I can go to a heat pump HWH (alleged efficiency), as my average electric bill is about $450 per month (mainly due to AZ heat).
Agree 100%. Our 50 gallon electric water heater has lasted us almost 15 years now with no sign of any sediment/scale piling up in the bottom. I drain it annually just to keep on top of it.
Whole house water filter at the point of entry to the house, then a water softener. We are on a well with extremely hard water so the softener is a must.
As a side note along these lines, our first RV had to have the sacrificial anode changed every year as it was almost completely dissolved. We bought a portable water softener system designed for RV's that changed everything. The anode looked brand new a year later. We sold it and bought the current RV that also uses the anode. In three years, it still looks new.
Are you on a well or city water?
Do you have a whole house water filter and change filters regularly?
Is your house plumbed in copper, pex, or poly?
Do you ever have leaks in other places?
So your tanks are rupturing due to corrosion, with a very short life span. I would have your water analyzed. Then I would call someone like AO Smith and ask to talk to an engineer. I'm not a plumber, or a water expert, or an expert at anything except getting old and cranky, but it sounds to me like you have something in your water that's eating your tanks up. The next time one goes bad get a sawzall out and cut it open, take pics, and get back to an engineer. You may need a filter that is specific to your water problem if you have one. One other thing, you could get the best plumber in your town and ask him to do a consultation on your entire plumbing system with an emphasis on your recirculation system. I worked with a guy who had a similar problem, and I always thought there was something like an electrolysis problem. Good luck.
Do you have a whole house water filter and change filters regularly?
Is your house plumbed in copper, pex, or poly?
Do you ever have leaks in other places?
So your tanks are rupturing due to corrosion, with a very short life span. I would have your water analyzed. Then I would call someone like AO Smith and ask to talk to an engineer. I'm not a plumber, or a water expert, or an expert at anything except getting old and cranky, but it sounds to me like you have something in your water that's eating your tanks up. The next time one goes bad get a sawzall out and cut it open, take pics, and get back to an engineer. You may need a filter that is specific to your water problem if you have one. One other thing, you could get the best plumber in your town and ask him to do a consultation on your entire plumbing system with an emphasis on your recirculation system. I worked with a guy who had a similar problem, and I always thought there was something like an electrolysis problem. Good luck.
Wow! Thanks for the very thoughtful reply!
City water in a fairly new neighborhood.
No house filters
Copper plumbing (that I can see)
No other leaks related to pipes
Thanks for the other great ideas.
Talk to your neighbors, and see if they are having similar problems. Then check to see if your water softener is set up right, they can be adjusted to match the hardness of your water. Take a water sample and have the hardness checked or buy some test strips. City water probably rules out water problems.
In line with the comment previous to yours above, we had in-laws that had a house south of Piedmont, OK that had plumbing problems, but theirs was more along the line of plumbing leaking. Come to find out, the guy that built the house built it for himself and decided that grounding the electric to the plumbing was sufficient for his needs. That led to the electrolysis eating at the plumbing.
I would worry that if the HWH is "eating out," the plumbing may be being affected as well.
Many replacements are short pieces linked together like a chain. As long as metal touches metal, it acts the same as a solid rod.
Tankless is the way to go.
Raised 3 teenagers and never had a need for more than 40 gal water heater.
Moved into this house, it had a 30 gal, but just 2 of us and it was sufficient. It went out earlier this year (15 years old). Replaced with a 40 gal, because that was only size in stock. Wanted a tankless but out of stock, 6 week delivery and needed water back on.
3 years out of a Smith, there is something going on, 12 - 20 years is expected life. Yes, quality has gone way down, but 3 years is ridiculous.
Raised 3 teenagers and never had a need for more than 40 gal water heater.
Moved into this house, it had a 30 gal, but just 2 of us and it was sufficient. It went out earlier this year (15 years old). Replaced with a 40 gal, because that was only size in stock. Wanted a tankless but out of stock, 6 week delivery and needed water back on.
3 years out of a Smith, there is something going on, 12 - 20 years is expected life. Yes, quality has gone way down, but 3 years is ridiculous.
There must be something in your water causing this. We have lived in this house 45 years, and are on our third water heater. The first was electric, just a builder grade, that came with the house. We replaced it in the late 80's when natural gas became available in this area, it was still working. We are on the second gas water heater, and it seems to be in good shape. I have never flushed any of these water heaters. have you had your water analyzed to see why it corrodes these water heaters so fast?
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