when to change anode

[T1 Terry]

Set the vice and work bench on fire back in Day St Lake Illawarra when I cut a magnesium alloy anode with the angle grinder. All the swarf from the previous hacksaw cut and all the aluminium and metal fillings along with the oil etc that had built up of the yrs, all went up. Hard to put out a manganese fire because it creates its own oxygen

[Dot]

I wagged it that day Bruce .
Bernie .

You as well!!

[supersparky]

Set the vice and work bench on fire back in Day St Lake Illawarra when I cut a magnesium alloy anode with the angle grinder. All the swarf from the previous hacksaw cut and all the aluminium and metal fillings along with the oil etc that had built up of the yrs, all went up. Hard to put out a manganese fire because it creates its own oxygen

T1, I have a mental picture of you trying to put that one out. Sorry for laughing so hard.
Almost did the same thing myself. Putting it out is fun isn't it!

[Craig]

Do not replace it evety 6 months Dot. It is an inspection replace it when you have about 25% of anode remaining. Also don't go overboard with teflon tape when reinstalling the old anode. If you use too much you will isolate the anode from the tank and the anode won't do its job and the tank will rot away rather than the anode.

[Craig]

Also I only ever use the genuine suburban anode. It is a magnesium anode. There were some cheap brand anodes available several years ago that were very slow to sacrifice themself. And if the anode isn't wasting away then your water heater is.

[supersparky]

I have a spare in the cupboard somewhere. Another big thanks to the members of this forum for reminding me to get of my butt and do something.

[Greynomad]

Dot,
We do a remove-and-check system.
When we can see bits of the central spine rod, we replace it.

Bruce,
In high school, our science teacher lit a piece of Magnesium wire (wearing welders gloves & using a looong pair of pliers) ...
He then dropped it into a bucket of water!
It kept burning & boiled the water.

Warned us all not to try this at home... and that even a CO2 extinguisher wouldn’t put it out.

And in 1955 I remember a Mercedes race-car crashed & burned at Le Mans, killing 80-odd spectators. It had a body made entirely of Magnesium alloy... to save weight.
Mercedes dropped out of motor racing after that. Only resumed about 1989.

[SteveW]

When your hot water comes out milky you should have done it months ago! Does that help?

[T1 Terry]

Dot,
We do a remove-and-check system.
When we can see bits of the central spine rod, we replace it.

Bruce,
In high school, our science teacher lit a piece of Magnesium wire (wearing welders gloves & using a looong pair of pliers) ...
He then dropped it into a bucket of water!
It kept burning & boiled the water.

Warned us all not to try this at home... and that even a CO2 extinguisher wouldn’t put it out.

And in 1955 I remember a Mercedes race-car crashed & burned at Le Mans, killing 80-odd spectators. It had a body made entirely of Magnesium alloy... to save weight.
Mercedes dropped out of motor racing after that. Only resumed about 1989.

That is why the older air cooled VW rear engine fires were a total vehicle destruction thing. The cases are a high percentage manganese alloy along with the gearbox and would you believe, the fuel tank is right over the gearbox with a bit of body sheet metal separating the two. The fire usually starts with a fuel fitting coming out of the carby and sprays petrol over the distributor cap and that is the end of the VW. Usually kombi's that go up this way because the majority were twin carb.

T1 Terry

[supersparky]

20190923_154213.jpg

Big test here. Posting a pic from my phone.
Replaced our anode today.
This is the old one.
Yeah. It worked. Who needs Facebook!!!