Stripped Anode Rod
Hey, y'all.
Alright... I'm in a pickle...
Long story made relatively short, my element went out in my Suburban sw6de water heater. No big deal. I figured I'd drain the tank via the anode rod and give it a look. (My trailer has another drain for the hot water heater...) The trailer is only one year old and I pulled the anode rod last winter when winterizing and put it back in this spring. I'll be totally honest and own my first mistake... This is my first trailer so I'm making a few as I go. When I reinstalled it, I believe I torqued it in there a little too tight. I did use teflon tape in hopes it would come out easier. It was a bear to get out the first time.
Fast forward to today... I've tried everything to get this anode rod out. I started with a 1-1/16" 6 point socket and a breaker bar. Nothing. Not even a little budge. I moved on to my impact wrench. I hit it for a solid minute at 300 ft/lb and nothing...
At this point, I've committed the cardinal sin and rounded off the hex head. I tried getting a pipe wrench on it as a last effort, but there just isn't enough room.
So, I think I'm down to a couple of options:
1. Leave it in there 'cause it ain't coming out. The tank will rust out a lot quicker, but I don't exactly have an option...
2. Drill it. I'm hesitant on this one, and thus the purpose of this post. I'm wondering if anyone has ever gone this extreme and been successful?
I suppose option 3 is get a new water heater, but I don't particularly care for option 3. I thought about a socket for rounded bolts. I have some that I got years ago at Sears. They only go up to 3/4" though. I haven't seen one big enough for a 1-1/16".
Thought I'd check with you smart folks to see if you had any sage advice?
I appreciate it.
Alright... I'm in a pickle...
Long story made relatively short, my element went out in my Suburban sw6de water heater. No big deal. I figured I'd drain the tank via the anode rod and give it a look. (My trailer has another drain for the hot water heater...) The trailer is only one year old and I pulled the anode rod last winter when winterizing and put it back in this spring. I'll be totally honest and own my first mistake... This is my first trailer so I'm making a few as I go. When I reinstalled it, I believe I torqued it in there a little too tight. I did use teflon tape in hopes it would come out easier. It was a bear to get out the first time.
Fast forward to today... I've tried everything to get this anode rod out. I started with a 1-1/16" 6 point socket and a breaker bar. Nothing. Not even a little budge. I moved on to my impact wrench. I hit it for a solid minute at 300 ft/lb and nothing...
At this point, I've committed the cardinal sin and rounded off the hex head. I tried getting a pipe wrench on it as a last effort, but there just isn't enough room.
So, I think I'm down to a couple of options:
1. Leave it in there 'cause it ain't coming out. The tank will rust out a lot quicker, but I don't exactly have an option...
2. Drill it. I'm hesitant on this one, and thus the purpose of this post. I'm wondering if anyone has ever gone this extreme and been successful?
I suppose option 3 is get a new water heater, but I don't particularly care for option 3. I thought about a socket for rounded bolts. I have some that I got years ago at Sears. They only go up to 3/4" though. I haven't seen one big enough for a 1-1/16".
Thought I'd check with you smart folks to see if you had any sage advice?
I appreciate it.
