Anode Rod in Stick Home?

The "Hybrid" GE heater is electric only! It is either electric resistance element or electric heat pump

No Natural Gas, no propane.

westend wrote:

skipro3 wrote:
Geez! By the time you used the 3/4 air, I'd figure the threaded hole would tear out of the tank!!

Turns out I don't even have an anode. There are two holes in my water heater; one on top and one on the side near the top. The one on top is for the anode. The one on the side near the top is for the pressure relief valve. The subcontractor who installed the heater removed the anode and put the pressure relief valve there. Turned out he couldn't loosen the side plug.

My decision now, on a 9-year old heater is; do I move the valve and get a anode installed or just shotgun it and replace the heater when it decides to fail? It's likely any damage is well on it's way by now I suppose.

Also, anyone have any links, recommendations on how to bone up on hybrid water heaters? Mine is currently propane gas, but I converted the house electric to solar. It's not sized for electric water, but I would still be in the lowest tier since I do have solar now.

It would seem to me that having a fitting for a conventional sized electric heating element would be all that is necessary to hybridize it. You might check with your heater mfg and see if your gas model has the fitting blanked off and covering up an electric element fitting.

You might be able to add an element, but you would also have to add the controls. Probably cost more than a new WH.

skipro3 wrote:
Geez! By the time you used the 3/4 air, I'd figure the threaded hole would tear out of the tank!!

Turns out I don't even have an anode. There are two holes in my water heater; one on top and one on the side near the top. The one on top is for the anode. The one on the side near the top is for the pressure relief valve. The subcontractor who installed the heater removed the anode and put the pressure relief valve there. Turned out he couldn't loosen the side plug.

My decision now, on a 9-year old heater is; do I move the valve and get a anode installed or just shotgun it and replace the heater when it decides to fail? It's likely any damage is well on it's way by now I suppose.

Also, anyone have any links, recommendations on how to bone up on hybrid water heaters? Mine is currently propane gas, but I converted the house electric to solar. It's not sized for electric water, but I would still be in the lowest tier since I do have solar now.

It would seem to me that having a fitting for a conventional sized electric heating element would be all that is necessary to hybridize it. You might check with your heater mfg and see if your gas model has the fitting blanked off and covering up an electric element fitting.

I should probably change the rod in my tank since our household well water is really hard. We do run a filter and softener on the system but, occasionally, the softener runs out of salt and.....

I do drain the sediment in the heater every couple of years. The current gas heater is going on 19 years. My FIL was the record holder, having an electric heater with well water, it is still holding water after 60 years. With 14 kids, it has been well used.

skipro3 wrote:
Geez! By the time you used the 3/4 air, I'd figure the threaded hole would tear out of the tank!!



Also, anyone have any links, recommendations on how to bone up on hybrid water heaters? Mine is currently propane gas, but I converted the house electric to solar. It's not sized for electric water, but I would still be in the lowest tier since I do have solar now.

I called GE as it was still under warranty and told them about the issue first. I was kind of hoping the tank would break and then get a whole new water heater. Mine was made in China, but they have moved production back to the USA. In the future, I will never install another water heater before removing the anode and wrapping the threads with teflon tape and re-installing it with only a reasonable amount of torque.

As far as using your solar, watts are watts and you just do the math.

Geez! By the time you used the 3/4 air, I'd figure the threaded hole would tear out of the tank!!

Turns out I don't even have an anode. There are two holes in my water heater; one on top and one on the side near the top. The one on top is for the anode. The one on the side near the top is for the pressure relief valve. The subcontractor who installed the heater removed the anode and put the pressure relief valve there. Turned out he couldn't loosen the side plug.

My decision now, on a 9-year old heater is; do I move the valve and get a anode installed or just shotgun it and replace the heater when it decides to fail? It's likely any damage is well on it's way by now I suppose.

Also, anyone have any links, recommendations on how to bone up on hybrid water heaters? Mine is currently propane gas, but I converted the house electric to solar. It's not sized for electric water, but I would still be in the lowest tier since I do have solar now.

SaltiDawg wrote:

Lynnmor wrote:
...I needed a 3/4" impact wrench to get the one out of my GE hybrid water heater. ...

I absolutely love my six year old GE Hybrid Water Heater. It has paid for itself in reduced electricity usage. You've spurred me on to tackle changing the anode rod.

It is worth doing. I tried breaker bars, 1/2" electric impact wrench, a 1/2" air powered impact wrench, and finally the 3/4" air powered one that loosened it.

Lynnmor wrote:
...I needed a 3/4" impact wrench to get the one out of my GE hybrid water heater. ...

I absolutely love my six year old GE Hybrid Water Heater. It has paid for itself in reduced electricity usage. You've spurred me on to tackle changing the anode rod.

Just like Atwood water heaters not all residential heaters have an anode rod.

Some do, (Like Surburan) some do not

Mine got replaced from time to time, as did the rest of the water heater.

I replace mine. My water is hard on anode rods and they are spent in a few years. I needed a 3/4" impact wrench to get the one out of my GE hybrid water heater.

You can get anode rods that are like a string of hot dogs for low ceiling installations. Removing the old one is just bending or cutting to clear the ceiling.