As houses start to age, there are certain maintenance issues that need to be attended to. Examples include air conditioners, window seals breaking, garden repairs with weeds growing and more. It is very common that people ignore maintenance on their hot water system. This can result in replacement of the system every 5-7 years.
There is a solution to extend the life of your hot water system. By replacing the anode every 2 years or so you could almost double the life span of the system. The best part of all this is that you don’t need a plumber to replace an anode. You can do it yourself. I know what you are thinking… what is an anode? An anode is the long metal rod that runs from the top of the how water system to the bottom.
There are huge savings to be made by replacing the anode every two years. To put this into a simple equation, if we say that on average a hot water heater is replaced every five years and we can double that to ten years by replacing the anode every two years:
- The anodes cost about $50
- Four anodes will cost about $200
- The approx cost to install a hot water system $500
Using this method, you will save about $400 + the cost of a new hot water system every 10 years + a whole lot of headache. Not a bad saving!
To replace an anode is no big job. Anodes are available to purchase from most hardware stores. Follow the simple steps below to replace your hot water systems anode:
- Turn off the water going into the tank and also turn off the power supply for the tank.
- You need to drain approx 12-15 liters of water from the tank
- Use a strong socket wrench to remove the existing anode.
- Install the new anode. Its recommended to wrap Teflon tape around the threads of the new anode. Be sure to tighten it very tight with the socket wrench.
In four easy steps, you have just saved yourself hundreds of dollars for not much fuss or work. Be sure to tell your friends and family about this little trick so they too can save money!
For more information and other articles, please look at the Manly Emergency Plumber Blog.
If you have an issue with a blocked drain Manly or hot water system Manly, then you need a 24 hour plumber Manly or an emergency plumber Manly to service you. You might also reach out to a gas plumber Manly to help you. Its important that you have a plumber Manly or Manly Plumber you can trust.
