Think Twice Before Fixing Water Heater

QUESTION: I wanted to examine, and possibly change, the anode on my 7-year-old water heater. It wouldn’t budge, at least not without rocking the heater. How can you get enough leverage on the plug to open it?

ANSWER: First, here’s some background on water heater anodes for readers who are unfamiliar with them. The anode is suspended in the water heater tank to control corrosion. The anode corrodes and, in doing so, prevents the water heater tank from corroding. The anode consists of a magnesium or aluminum sheath extruded around a steel core called a stay rod. Although the anode starts out at three-quarter-inch diameter, within three years it’s reduced to the diameter of a pencil.

Installing a new anode is often difficult. Its hex-shaped top, sometimes called a spud, is often inaccessible or difficult to turn. Usually you need a pipe installed over the wrench handle to provide enough leverage to free it. Also, depending on the heater’s location, headroom clearance may prevent you from installing a rigid anode rod without disconnecting the heater from its plumbing and tipping it sideways. Flexible anode rods are available for these situations. If your local plumbing supply house doesn’t stock these, contact Gull Industries, 2127 S. 1st St., San Jose, CA 95112; (800) 748-6286.

In some cases, the anode is installed as part of the hot-water outlet. Replacing these anodes means removing the hot-water connection. But sometimes it’s easier to switch to one of these than it is to replace the other type.

A new anode may extend the life of the tank, but you still have to determine if this is cost-effective. This depends on the age of the appliance and other factors. Keep in mind that water heaters have a variety of parts that wear out, aside from the anode, and you have to judge whether it’s better to prolong the life of the appliance or replace it. Most homeowners never replace the anode and get seven to 15 years of life from the appliance, although some heaters last 20 to 25 years.

Finally, bear in mind that except with artificially softened water, all water heaters will get a slight lime scale buildup inside the tank that provides some protection.

Does Garage Door Need to Be Replaced?

Q: My single-car garage has a heavy wood garage door that wobbles when it is opened or closed using the door’s automatic opener. Is there a simple remedy, or do I need a new door?

A: Several things can cause a garage door to wobble when opening or closing. The tracks could be out of alignment, or the rollers may have flat spots. If the door has springs, they may have uneven tension.

A door is assembled in sections, and if it’s not assembled correctly, then joints between the sections are not parallel. This can also cause wobble. I doubt that you need a new door. However, you could use the services of a garage door mechanic.

If the garage door has springs, have the mechanic install a restraining cable inside each spring after the wobble is corrected. The cable restrains the spring in case the spring breaks while under tension.