(to review: before the new water heater & geo install, I had no water heater timer, heating rod temperatures were both set at 130f, and there were no problems with smell.) The water heater timer has been set for 2 sessions a day for about 90 minutes twice each weekday and 2.5 hours twice each weekend day. Cold water is still fine and does not smell. However, 3 weeks after the removal of the rod, I still have stinky hot water.
I also turned my water softener down from 42 to 30 because the brine tank was now free of 3 or 4 years of mush (my ignorance led to that).Īt the end of those three weeks I again turned it down to 25 (a lot of rain has occurred and everything is super-saturated which seems to dilute the amount of hard elements in my water.) Water is soft and does not appear to become hard before regeneration. (I did see and feel stuff flush out of the bottom of the tank.) I also cleaned out the mush in the water softener and replaced the regular salt pellets with iron-reducing salt pellets. The tech cut the rod off about 1 inch below the bolt head and put re-used the plug (he said most tanks had oddly sized plugs).Īfter he left, I flushed the water heater & geo HWG lines (as before, I did not use any chemicals like bleach or peroxide). When the rod was removed, I saw that it was really nasty looking and covered with white sludge (mostly soft, but some partly crystal-like) with small black spots. Most of the reason I posted here is because it's on-topic! (although it has taken me a bit to get used to seeing the most recent post at the top of page 1.)Īfter talking with the installer, they agreed to remove the anode rod and continue (in writing) the 6 year tank warranty. Thanks everyone for answering this post after such a long time. Seems like a match made in energy-efficient heaven. So, if I do pull the anode and cap it, perhaps I should ask what I should do to improve the quality of water before it goes into the water heater? (you know, besides setting the water softener setting correctly, replacing/cleaning the resin bed, using rust-buster salt pellets.) The cold water doesn't stink at all but softened has rust visiblly settling in drinking water cups or cat water dishes.Īnd to geome: I'm not sure why more people don't get water heater timers with geothermal installs.
(we've been in the house for 3 years i know the resin needs refreshed.) At last check (about a year ago), water that bypassed the softener was between 42 & 47 for hardness and 2.2 to 2.5 for iron. Based on what I know now (after some serious researh into anodes, chemical reactions, and water softener/filter systems), I am thinking about taking out the anode and getting my (one-tank) water softener checked up and maybe upgrading it to something better that's more compatible with well water. Perhaps the rod was removed or was never replaced? I wouldn't be surprised at either.Īs I mentioned, I am on well water and have a basic water softener. The contractor said don't bother putting nuts between the concrete slabs of walkways that are suspended by a large steel rod in a hotel lobby as called for by the design engineer, just put a nut at the bottom of the rod, when the nut failed I think about 100 people lost their lives under the falling concrete slabs, but it was cheaper and easier for the smart contractor.Īs a life long boater I know the value of sacrificial anodes, but I hate the smell of sulfur in my home water, so in this case I will leave the part out.Ĭlick to expand.The previous tank was literally date stamped from 1986 (put in the same time as the previous furnace and AC unit). Joe that "lambaster" would be me, sorry! That said my fur will stand up fast when I read or here someone say "you do not need that part", the part that was designed into a product by engineers that are using good proven engineering practices to build and insure a products performance and safety.Įxamples of "YOU DON"T NEED THAT PART" would be.Įngineers desighned in a rubber safety bladder to be installed in every Ford Pinto gas tank, a group of bean counters and sales executives saved money by removing this feature from the car, Worked out well! "For the wrong answer on what anodes to use and should you use them see Joe's answer above". Yes I remember this topic popping up from time to time and being lambasted for my responses: