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Thread: Water heater anode school please

  1. #16
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    May 2005
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    Highland MI
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    Reading up on how best to seal NPT pipe on a 1" commercial toilet inlet. Apparently everyone has a favorite technique: dope, tape, dope/tape, tape/dope, dope/tape/dope. One lab study found most can seal adequately, but they always used "industry standard" 4 wraps of tape (in the direction of the threads so as to not unwind the wraps) and 1 1/2 turns after hand tight. I went with tape/dope and the leaky connection no longer leaked.

    Never heard of a 1 1/16" socket referred to as a 17/16".

    Then there is the magnesium vs aluminum issue. MG tends to cause rotten egg smell more than AL or AL/ZN rods in certain types of water. Or so they say.

    And the recommendation to not use Teflon tape on the anode rods is not unanimous. Many say the threads will cut the tape and provide electrical continuity.
    Last edited by Ole Anderson; 05-22-2022 at 8:19 AM.
    NOW you tell me...

  2. #17
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    Sep 2016
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    Modesto, CA, USA
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    Most high temperature antisieze has copper or nickel so it is electrically conductive. Not sure about the Oxygen sensor safe stuff.
    Bill D

  3. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bill Dufour View Post
    Most high temperature antisieze has copper or nickel so it is electrically conductive. Not sure about the Oxygen sensor safe stuff.
    Bill D
    Not sure anti-seize qualifies as legit pipe dope. I wouldn't trust it to seal a joint.
    NOW you tell me...

  4. #19
    Join Date
    Apr 2018
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    Cambridge Vermont
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    2,282
    I have both a corded (Dewalt), cordless (Milwaukee 18v), and an air impact wrench (aircat). The corded one is the weakest by far. It'll barely loosen lugnuts on a car. The Milwaukee gets most of the use and when it's met it's match I break out the air. Personally if you hvae cordless tools I would see if your brand sells a cordless impact over buying a corded one.

    My boiler tank mfg has a test with a multi meter to check to see how much life is left on the annode. You might want to look into it vs just going through the messy work of replacing them before their time.

  5. #20
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    Sep 2016
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    Good idea after installing the new anode to check with a meter for zero resistance between the anode and the tank boss. That will tell you if they thread goop conducts or not.
    BILL D.

  6. #21
    Join Date
    Jan 2019
    Location
    Fairbanks AK
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    Depending on the hardness of your water the ions in the water in the tank may (often likely do) provide adequate electrical connection between the steel tank and the sacrificial zinc anode. There are powered anodes out there for water heaters, I saw them on Amazon, glad I don't need one.

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