Anode rod replacement

[Wuplur]

Since replacing my water heater about 5 years ago I have been paranoid that my new one will leak on me soon since I have a softener and heard that can eat up the rod sooner. I have an American brand water heater and was looking for the anode on top. There was an empty cap that I pulled off and dug up some of the foam and it wasn’t in there so I assumed I had a nipple/combo style rod with the hot water line. I purchased a segmented magnesium blue lighting rod and was able to remove the hot water nipple but there was no rod in there! Where could it be? I decided to install it there anyways as an extra one but as soon as I got the third rod in the tank, it separated/slipped out of the cable and all 3 rods fell to the bottom of the tank. I still installed it and was only left with the 1 rod that connects to the nipple. Will the other rods still work as designed? Do I need to fish those things outta there? Should I replace it again? Any thoughts on where the original anode would be?

 

[Geofd]

Since replacing my water heater about 5 years ago I have been paranoid that my new one will leak on me soon since I have a softener and heard that can eat up the rod sooner. I have an American brand water heater and was looking for the anode on top. There was an empty cap that I pulled off and dug up some of the foam and it wasn’t in there so I assumed I had a nipple/combo style rod with the hot water line. I purchased a segmented magnesium blue lighting rod and was able to remove the hot water nipple but there was no rod in there! Where could it be? I decided to install it there anyways as an extra one but as soon as I got the third rod in the tank, it separated/slipped out of the cable and all 3 rods fell to the bottom of the tank. I still installed it and was only left with the 1 rod that connects to the nipple. Will the other rods still work as designed? Do I need to fish those things outta there? Should I replace it again? Any thoughts on where the original anode would be?

it will still work because the pieces re still in in the tank but you should keep an eye on itperiodically

 

[Wuplur]

it will still work because the pieces re still in in the tank but you should keep an eye on itperiodically

That’s what I was thinking to but I’ve read in a few different places that if the segmented rod is too long then you can cut it because you don’t want it to touch the bottom but I can’t find why you wouldn’t want more in there. I told the vendor I purchased the rod from and they said since it’s separated then it will not work because it’s not grounded to the case anymore and they refunded my money. Has anyone ran into a heater that didn’t have the rod in the hot line or on a separate port on top? Do they ever put it on the cold line?

 

[voletl]

No the cold line would be your dip tube. Honestly if you don't check your anode rod every year it's pointless to replace after 5 years.

 

[Wuplur]

No the cold line would be your dip tube. Honestly if you don't check your anode rod every year it's pointless to replace after 5 years.

Yea, but if it’s not leaking now then the new rod should help right? Plus, I still don’t know the condition of the original rod, wherever it is. I know the softener can speed up the process of the corrosion but I don’t think the softener is set correctly because it seems like when we have soft water, it’s not for very long. But that’s a whole other issue I’ll have to look into.