Uploaded December 2024 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Water heater manufacturers tell you to remove and inspect the anode rod yearly, but seriously, who does this? Nobody! An anode rod is big stick of aluminum, magnesium, or zinc that comes with your water heater. It's there to prevent the tank from corroding away. The less noble metal corrodes, thereby saving your tank. Once the rod has completely corroded away, all you're left with is a piece of wire, and the water heater tank will likely fail soon afterward.
After discovering the anode rod on my little point-of-use water heater was completely gone in a year, I got concerned about my whole-house water heater. I know from experience that water heaters in my city, Maple Grove, last about seven years. It's a water chemistry thing. I figured it has to be related to the anode rod corroding away, so I decided to get whatever tool is needed to access my anode rod on my four-year-old water heater.
I asked my plumber friend Tim at Paul Bunyan Plumbing about this on a recent podcast about water heater maintenance, and he told me they use an impact wrench. So I bought one, even though I hate buying new toys... er, I mean tools ;-). I picked up the Milwaukee M18 1/2" Mid-torque Impact Wrench, which easily loosened the anode rod. You can see it in the video clip above.
I wasn't entirely surprised to find my anode rod completely gone. All that remained was the wire stick in the middle.
Milwaukee M18 1/2" Impact Wrench: amzn.to/49vEwDG
Corro-Protect powered anode rod: amzn.to/4ij63Mv
Water heater manufacturers tell you to remove and inspect the anode rod yearly, but seriously, who does this? Nobody! An anode rod is big stick of aluminum, magnesium, or zinc that comes with your water heater. It's there to prevent the tank from corroding away. The less noble metal corrodes, thereby saving your tank. Once the rod has completely corroded away, all you're left with is a piece of wire, and the water heater tank will likely fail soon afterward.
After discovering the anode rod on my little point-of-use water heater was completely gone in a year, I got concerned about my whole-house water heater. I know from experience that water heaters in my city, Maple Grove, last about seven years. It's a water chemistry thing. I figured it has to be related to the anode rod corroding away, so I decided to get whatever tool is needed to access my anode rod on my four-year-old water heater.
I asked my plumber friend Tim at Paul Bunyan Plumbing about this on a recent podcast about water heater maintenance, and he told me they use an impact wrench. So I bought one, even though I hate buying new toys... er, I mean tools ;-). I picked up the Milwaukee M18 1/2" Mid-torque Impact Wrench, which easily loosened the anode rod. You can see it in the video clip above.
I wasn't entirely surprised to find my anode rod completely gone. All that remained was the wire stick in the middle.
Milwaukee M18 1/2" Impact Wrench: amzn.to/49vEwDG
Corro-Protect powered anode rod: amzn.to/4ij63Mv
