Gas Water Heater

[edcmaak11]

I just read the A.O. Smith service handbook , and they said something about Anode Rod.  The Anode Rod satify itself to protect the water tank????(dont know how).  The normal size is 3/4" and damage one is 1/8". 

Here are my questions:

How long the water heater lasts?  ( I got 3 different homes(all 2nd hand home), I bought my home 3 years ago.  My sister's bought her's about 5 years ago.  I have to relight the pilot of my sister's home every 1/2 year. My brother bought his house 7 years ago and just got so mad at his old pilot went off all the time, so he changed to a new one---I suggested him to change the pilot asembly, but he refused.  lol. He said the water heater is more than 10 years...)

How long should I change the Anode Rod?  Should I change myself and siblings Anode Rod every few years? (I remember one of a service man changed our old home about 15 years ago, like a 2 feet U shape from the side of the boiler.)

What does the Anode Rod do? Is it like a neutralizer, that neutralized the water from damage the linen(glass) of the water tank?

Thank you for reading!

[Cactus Bob]

" how long does a water heater last "  : i guess i would be how good is the water heater and where in the country or the world you are ?   when i lived in new jersey USA  water heaters offten lasted 30+ years  but now i am in Arizona USA  and water heaters last only 6-8 years  . so i has to do with the water that runs through them  ... some plumbers like to sell rods , we never did . i dont see our water heaters going bad and theres not  . all last about the same time .... some reem heaters dont have a rod anymore and theres no place to put one ..... so i would talk to frends , co workers ect , people around your area and ask " have you ever replaced your water heater and how long did it last " if you in an area that it might last 30 + years   then change out the rod every 5 years or so .   but  if you area is like here  6-8 years  dont even bother with it  , changeing it will not change anything 

[RegUS_PatOff]

they used to last 30 years, but 

manufacturers have figued out just how thick to make the walls, ect...

A 6 yr water heater may last 6 yrs,

an 8 yr water heater may last 8 yrs.

It's not only water heaters... everthing now days doesn't last as long...

fridge, dish washer, clothes washer, ect.....

 

[Cactus Bob]

THATS TRUE TO A POINT  here in arizona some of the old timers that have lived in phoenix all there life  say that the way its allways been "WATER HEATERS DONT LAST HERE "  " 10 YEARS IS ALL YOU GET "   is what i was told  . so now its down to 8   i am not saying anything made today is like it was 30 years ago . but for here anyway  water has something to do with it

[edcmaak11]

I guess then, if you live in the city where the water is treated your boiler last longer vs suburban.  To make the boiler last longer you need to change the anode rod every few years and inspect other parts for damages. 

Where do you get this supplys online? 

[flyer]

Perhaps this thread could be titled "Gas Hot Water Heater Life Expectancy", a subject I have been interested in since first told 20 years ago to expect a replacement "soon".  Ours is 40 years old this year and keeps on ticking.   Made by (or for) American Standard, "Glass Lined" and "Signet" are emblazoned on the tank.  Model G50-S2. 

Our use can't be considered light.  The heater has gone through periods of heating well water, runoff water, and now city water in a larger home that at times housed 12 persons (currently 6), though the water here is low in mineral content.  (Drawn from below a large rock formation in Central Wisconsin it makes a great brew with the right combination of malt and hops.)

Two questions for you who are often the last to see morgue-bound expired heaters:

1.  Should I be doing any preventive maintenance?  Anodes?  Never been changed if there are any.  I only flush it out once a year by running water from the drain spigot for 15 or 20 min.  No other maintenance in all the years.

2.  Where do I get another one like it?  I know American Standard is out of that business, but would sure like to know where I should go looking when the enevitable does happen.  After watching an enlightening History Channel show on landfills, I'd rather spend a bit more to avoid putting 4 in a landfill over the next 40 years.  Expect 6-12 years if that, I'm told, but some manufacturer must be tuning into the market of like minded conservationists and just plain cheap guys like me.

Any enlightenment, O Collegium of Masters?