Water Flooding from Top of Water Heater

[upstatejohn]

Please help! I have water flooding out of the top of my water heater. I turned the water off at the main, and that stopped it, but I cannot turn the water back on or it will flood out again. It is a kenmore electric water heater power miser 9. I did some research on the sears site. The water is rising out of what looks like a plastic cup where the anode is installed. Should I try replacing the anode? Also, the plastic cup in which the anode is sitting has a crack in it. Would that crack be part of the problem? Can you get these anodes or the plastic cup at a place like home depot?


Thanks, Upstate John

 

[frodo]

is it snapped off? something looks jagged in the picture

google your water heater and serial number to get part number of rod

yoy will need to take the sheet metal off the top of the heater to get to the Broken? jagged? anode

picture is not clear what is wrong.

 

[Matt30]

You can pull that plastic cup right out of the foam. It's just for looks. It needs to be outta there to get a socket on the anode rod anyways.

Be warned, the anode rod is probably going to be a bastard to get out. I have never had come come out easily. Sears should be able to sell you the anode rod, or contact Kenmore directly.

 

[upstatejohn]

you're right about how hard it is to get this anode rod out... The heater is in a tight spot and I can only get in a small breaker bar, and i cant budge this sucker... Do you think it is okay to use something like PB Penetrating Catalyst to try to loosen this up?

 

[Matt30]

It is your potable water, don't poison yourself. The last anode rod I did I got fed up dancing with a 60 gallon so I got my electric impact wrench and that spun it off eventually

 

[upstatejohn]

To answer Frodo... There is nothing jagged or anything... It's just a little water in there causing some refraction and looking funny. There is nothing about the actual anode that looks abnormal. Outside of the crack in the cup, which Matt thinks is just for looks, nothing looks out of the ordinary. (Except for the water coming through of course.)

 

[Matt30]

Outside of the crack in the cup, which Matt thinks is just for looks, nothing looks out of the ordinary. (Except for the water coming through of course.)

Thinks?

That cup doesn't seal water in any way. That's a fact. You probably have water leaking around the threads of the anode. Right from the factory they do not come with Teflon tape on the threads, just a small bead of thread sealant that ain't worth a pinch of coon crap.

There's a slight possibility it's coming from elsewhere, and that's where you're noticing it coming thru the crack of the cup. Check around the nipples of the hot/cold pipes to make sure. It's not common for water to travel far under the lid since it's mostly spray foam.

 

[upstatejohn]

Ha! No offense meant Matt! Clearly should have said "knows". Thanks for your help; it's greatly appreciated. I'm trying to get that anode out, then I plan to tape it and re-install it, and see if that stops the water. Thanks again.

 

[Matt30]

Make sure you turn water off to the tank, and I always drain a little water out so I don't get the house side coming back at me once it's loose.

 

[SHR]

Do not bother with the anode rod--waste of time. Your water heater is dead. Replace it. If it was manufactured less than nine years ago Sears should give you a free replacement WH.

 

[KULTULZ]

That cup doesn't seal water in any way. That's a fact. You probably have water leaking around the threads of the anode. Right from the factory they do not come with Teflon tape on the threads, just a small bead of thread sealant that ain't worth a pinch of coon crap.

There's a slight possibility it's coming from elsewhere, and that's where you're noticing it coming thru the crack of the cup. Check around the nipples of the hot/cold pipes to make sure.

It's not common for water to travel far under the lid since it's mostly spray foam.

I would have a replacement rod on hand as what you will pull out may scare you.

And as has been mentioned, if the WH has age, you might just consider replacement.