Problems with the water heater
Without the anode rod, the hard water minerals will corrode the new tank
We’ve had some trouble with our water heater. Although the tank was not all that old, it ruptured. I discovered the problem when I turned on the kitchen faucet to wash dishes. The water temperature was so extremely hot that steam rose up out of the sink. I opened the door to the basement and heard the water running. When I got to the bottom of the stairs, I found several inches of water on the floor. It’s fortunate I caught the issue when I did, because the leaking tank could have easily caught fire. It was continuing to heat with very little water inside. I immediately shut off the water pump completely. My husband is quite handy, so we didn’t need to call a plumber. We purchased a new tank-style water heater and he installed it. For a couple of months, everything was fine. We had a plentiful supply of hot water. However, because of an excessive amount of iron and minerals in the water, the anode rod went bad. It’s a long metal rod that extends down into the tank’s interior. It attracts particles of limestone, iron and all sorts of minerals. It uses an electrochemical process. Instead of the tank corroding, the anode rod corrodes. In our situation, the deterioration was accelerated. It caused a rotten egg smell and discoloration. Our water turned almost black. We had no choice but to remove the anode rod, which voids the warranty. Without the anode rod, the hard water minerals will corrode the new tank. It will shorten its service life.