Do you use a tank water heater in order to heat a sufficient amount of hot water for use throughout your home? If so, we'd like to take a few moments to inform you about the great importance of keeping a good anode rod in your water heater tank. The anode rod may not be a component that you are even familiar with, but it is one that plays a vital role in keeping your water heater operating properly and preventing damage to your hot water tank. Without a good anode rod in place, your water heater in New Britain, CT will be in serious trouble.
What Is an Anode Rod, and What Does It Do for My System?
The anode rod in your water heater essentially helps to prevent your hot water tank from rusting out. There are a lot of problems with a tank water heater that can be resolved with quality repairs. Once the tank starts to rust, though, you are really in a bad situation. So how does the anode rod do this? The answer is very noble, for an inanimate object: self sacrifice.
Anode rods are commonly referred to as "sacrificial anodes," and with good cause. Composed of aluminum or magnesium, usually, with magnesium being preferred but also more expensive, anode rods serve to attract corrosive elements in the water stored in your hot water tank. In doing so, they ensure that they themselves rust before the tank itself will. The idea is that, by keeping your tank equipped with an anode rod, you can extend its lifespan greatly.
Your tank is lined with glass, which is the first line of defense against corrosion. Glass will crack over time, though, so it is necessary that you have a backup in place. If you have any questions, if you need a new anode rod installed, or you just want to have yours evaluated by a trained professional, give us a call.
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