Broken off anode blues!

You might also try vinegar to really clean the scale from inside the tank:

Fill the tank with a 1:4 or 1:2 mix of white or pickling vinegar and water. You could turn the heater on for a while, the reaction is faster if the solution is hot. Leave it sit for 6 to 12 hours, flush and rinse well. You may need to do this once more. We have a water distiller for drinking water in the stick house and have to descale it this way every two weeks or so.

Sorry about the last post. I don't know where my answer went????

I'm sure you can make something. I made one from some small dia copper tubing and a mess of fittings from the junk box.

I got it out. . .wimpy force, not brute force required. It just pulled out with a little pulling.
Yes, lots of sediment and a bunch of it inside the thank.
I think I can fashion a clean out wand using drip irrigation tubing with a hose adapter.
This thing might turn out alright.I'm sure you can. I made one out of some small dia copper tubing and a mess of fittings from the junk box.

j-d wrote:
Our first anode replace job looked like downtheroad's picture above. There was white deposit keeping the old anode from coming out. I think that white ring just inside from the threads will chip away. Once it does, the rest of the rod should wiggle out. Then make or buy a tank flush wand. Just a small-sized tube that attached to a hose so the water it jets into your tank can get behind the debris and wash it toward the anode hole. This is the common one, CAMCO from Amazon

I got it out. . .wimpy force, not brute force required. It just pulled out with a little pulling.
Yes, lots of sediment and a bunch of it inside the thank.
I think I can fashion a clean out wand using drip irrigation tubing with a hose adapter.
This thing might turn out alright.

Our first anode replace job looked like downtheroad's picture above. There was white deposit keeping the old anode from coming out. I think that white ring just inside from the threads will chip away. Once it does, the rest of the rod should wiggle out. Then make or buy a tank flush wand. Just a small-sized tube that attached to a hose so the water it jets into your tank can get behind the debris and wash it toward the anode hole. This is the common one, CAMCO from Amazon

bighatnohorse wrote:
Part of the anode is still stuck to the rod at the rod tip.
It won't come out which is why the photo shows the nut and rod still inserted.
So. . .just brute force the thing out?

Yes, but keep in mind all that stuff inside the water tank should be flaky, and break up easily. It's sacrificial material.

pigman1 wrote:
It's sort of hard to tell if the light ring you can see in the pic is, sediment or part of the old anode. I'd take a small flat blade screwdriver and see if I can tap the stuff loose. If it shatters, it's scale and the center rod on your nut is just stuck in the same scale. After you get it out, you might have to go in the hole with a long drill rod to brake up scale. Crunch it up, flush, crunch it up, flush...till it's as clean as you can make it. With that much scale and corrosion, you have probably got a few weak spots in the tank. I'd just keep it in mind that you might need a new water heater tank soon.

/\ This. Break loose all that you can, be careful of the threads on the fitting while doing this, don't damage them, and flush out all that you can. You might be able to mix some "lime away" with some water and fill up the lower portion of water heater with that and let it do it's magic. That water heater won't last forever, with that kind of abuse, and lack of maintenance.

It's sort of hard to tell if the light ring you can see in the pic is, sediment or part of the old anode. I'd take a small flat blade screwdriver and see if I can tap the stuff loose. If it shatters, it's scale and the center rod on your nut is just stuck in the same scale. After you get it out, you might have to go in the hole with a long drill rod to brake up scale. Crunch it up, flush, crunch it up, flush...till it's as clean as you can make it. With that much scale and corrosion, you have probably got a few weak spots in the tank. I'd just keep it in mind that you might need a new water heater tank soon.

Part of the anode is still stuck to the rod at the rod tip.
It won't come out which is why the photo shows the nut and rod still inserted.
So. . .just brute force the thing out?

Tank is full of scale, may be beyond flushing. Might have to replace whole water heater.