Electric Impact Wrench to remove Anode Rod

[Clarence Martinn]

Roughly how long should it take to remove an anode Rod using an Impact Wrench?

[Tom M King]

three seconds

[Todd Mason-Darnell]

Or 3 years if the nut snaps off of the rod and just spins

[Clarence Martinn]

Or 3 years if the nut snaps off of the rod and just spins

What's the odds of that happening ?

[lowell holmes]

Sometimes a bit of gentle heat helps. You only want to warm up the outside, not the rod.

[Roger Feeley]

My water heater is an AOSmith so the anode rod is part of one of the water connections. Grrr...
What’s the consensus on those permanent electric anodes?

[Scott T Smith]

The last one that I did took about 10 seconds. 9 seconds of that was alternating between tightening for a second and then loosening for a second.

Alternating directions helps them to break free.

[Donald G. Burns]

Just replaced my "builder special comes with" 85 gal tank on Friday after finding an increasing in size puddle of water on the basement floor. Replaced like for like due to SWMBO wanting hot water ASAP and so both old and new tanks do not have a replaceable anode rod. One more way of insuring the need to replace the whole darn thing more often. OBTW, the concrete floor was poured so the water runs away from the sump and the sump pump and into my shop. At least the new tank has a pan under it. Just have to remember to flush the new tank once a year.

[Josh Belleville]

Hit mine with a little penetrating oil the day before, came right loose.

Just remember to turn off the water, and hope you can get the rod in without cutting it, like mine. The jointed ones are ridiculously expensive.

[Tom M King]

I asked my plumbing supply house once if they sold segmented anode rods. The answer was, "We sell the water heaters."

[Peter Kelly]

Roughly how long should it take to remove an anode Rod using an Impact Wrench?

Shouldn't take much, my last one was 3-5 seconds with an impact driver. Be sure to use a 6-point socket, magnesium and aluminium are pretty soft so a 12-point one can strip the head pretty easily. If you have the space, a 1/2" drive breaker bar is probably the safest route.

[Mike Henderson]

A bit off topic but my tankless water heater has been a wonderful replacement for my tank heater.

Mike

[Roger Feeley]

+1 on tankless. We had one for years on our previous house. The only bother is cleaning it once a year. But a cheap HF garden hose pump and about 4 gallons of white vinegar and it’s easy.

when we built our current house on our daughters land, running natural gas to it would have been $10K. An electric would have required a beefed up service. So our house is all electric and we have a tank heater. Sigh...

[Bruce Wrenn]

Been in our house forty years next month. We are on second water heater (propane gas.) First ( expensive brand from plumbing supply house) failed after only eighteen years. Gas valve started to malfunction. Cheap (6 year) from Lowes has now been in for 22 years. In the past, RUUD water came with either a six, or nine year warranty. To get nine year warranty, installer had to add second anode to tank. About ten years ago, I replaced a WH for a customer. House was built in 1959, which meant WH had been in for over 50 years. It was a "Glass Lined" from Sears. Empty, it weighed over 400#, till we got it outside and flushed the sand from inside tank Yes, it was still making hot water. Only replaced as part of a remodel project.

[Robert D Evans]

Or 3 years if the nut snaps off of the rod and just spins

You'll either fix it or fix it where nobody can fix it.