Hot Water System sacrificial anodes

Hi Fred123, my Rheem was installed before I purchased the property so no owners manual, haven’t checked their website yet but rest assured I will be.
Thanks again for raising my awareness, well done.

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http://www.rheem.com.au/Rheem-Stellar-Stainless-Steel

Rheem coming clean, sort of.
You can now purchase a domestic rated and sized HW service with a Stainless Steel tank. Ten year warranty and wait for it - no need for expensive maintenance and anode replacement compared to vitreous enameled steel tanks Aka - glass tanks.

The common past usage of the term “ glass tank” is deceptive and misleading. It gives the impression that that the tank cannot corrode. Glass does not rust! Clever and compelling marketing in the past but far from honest. Have we moved on?

Having built new in 1997 and bought again direct from the builder in 2001 neither properties came with a HW system manual. The unit in the first property failed after 3 years and was replaced under warranty. Still no booklet. The second property HW service failed after 10 years. The licensed contractor doing that replacement said we had done well to get ten years. Not one mention of the anode by the contractor re the old or new unit. Perhaps if I’d not been working away at the time? Ignorance is not a legal excuse, however failure to ensure a purchaser is properly informed should not be acceptable either. That the anodes typically outlast a warranty is no doubt why it is not a bigger issue?

P.s. stainless steel while less prone to corrosion may still fail, depending on water quality and other environmental factors.

And there are other suppliers of SS tanks for HW service. Rheem is not alone in the market.

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i have a Quantum Heat Pump Water Heater which is13 years old and its service manual recommended every 5 years to replace the anode which I have done and you can see the corrosive damage to the anode. The Rheem Heat Pump Heater is the MK1 version of the Quantum as someone defected to Rheem and gave them the info. The newer Quantums are the MK2 versions and so are more efficient. I actually lucked out as I had ordered a 250 lt and they accidentally sent me the next size up and I got to keep it at no extra cost.

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Many years ago, we replaced our old hot water system, which was heated only through the water jacket in our wood fired combustion stove, with a similar setup which included an electric element as a booster for when the stove wasn’t being used in the hot weather. That system corroded in only a few years (it was copper) and we were told it was caused by a chemical reaction between the electric element and our spring-fed water supply. When we replaced the cylinder, it was recommended we insert sacrificial anodes to overcome this problem and it has worked. At least once per year, we have to part empty the cylinder to check the top anode and replace them all (there is three) if the anode has worn away. The present copper cylinder has been in place more than twenty-five years and is now wholly electric - the wood stove was retired in 2002.

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A post was split to a new topic: NJR Plumbing review

An article regarding hot water systems with some input from Choice.

And the linked Choice article.

However, as usual, no mention of sacrifical anodes as per my original warning.

A $50-100 part at your local plumbing store. Pay less for trade. :rage:

While many home owners will have trade skills or similar equipping them to DIY, it may not be legal under state regulation - prescribed work.

One way to get it done for a fair price is to add it to the work list next time a plumber is required. Either have a spare anode at home ready, (a 5 minute job) or notify the plumber in advance with your HWS brand and model/serial no.

P.S.
The Choice guide and review suggests LPG is an expensive option for energy. This needs to be reconsidered, depending on where you might live if you use gas only for cooking and hot water. Our experience says reticulated gas is a very expensive option compared to bottled gas, (SE Qld).

Origin Brisbane $0.77528 per day or $292.88 pa for the base supply charge Gst included. IE before any usage charges. With usage charges for storage HWS, gas cooking and oven approx $600 pa, one + occupant (family not tenant).

Our bottled 45kg LPG delivered rural in Qld is $120 per bottle plus an annual rental of $30. We consume a bottle every 5-6 months, or approx $300pa.

That’s for a family of two plus guests, for all HW (Bosch instantaneous) gas cook top and gas oven.

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I received this in the mail today. Does anyone know anything about it and what type of heaters they are?
Sorry it would not let me copy it properly over. But it is advertising that you cna get a replacement Hot Water System for $33 installed.

Moderators Edit: The member’s insertion was scrambled; the solicitation appears to have possibly come from a company regarding a state government program. I have contacted @hmpk12 to see if we can get the offer displayed as was intended.

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Some state governments have programs that enable one to replace certain hot water services for a nominal cost. There are a number of qualifications. In Victoria there are many programs subsidising new hot water services, LED lights, water saving shower heads, some solar products, and many companies are promoting them to the point of spamming everyone by text and phone to get their business.

@hmpk12’s post, edited for now, appears to reflect one of those programs being ‘sold’ by one of the very enthusiastic companies that can make a few dollars from such a program. The post will be updated/clarified when possible.

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I am looking to buy a replacement close coupled solar HWS for a house in WA (hard water in WA) - the old system is Solar Edwards and I never heard of a sacrificial anode until I started researching for a replacement. Was thinking of going with an Envirosun TS Plus however the final line under ‘system maintenance’ that I got from the internet, says - under the heading of Anode - the TS plus system does not require an anode. The installer recommended a whole of house water purifier, so that the water that went into the system was already purified, and I was wondering why you would need impurities taken out of water which is to be used for washing. The system uses 444 steel for the tank, which is ceramic lined. The warranty is 7 years. Any thoughts please - I need to replace the old system soon as it is obviously rusting.

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Welcome to the community @Ann2.

Some systems that utilise a high grade Stainless Steel tank are supplied without a sacrificial anode. IE not required. The common and lower cost alternative is a ceramic lined tank made from mild steel. A sacrificial anode is essential to minimise the corrosion of the tank resulting from microscopic defects that exist or develop in the ceramic (glass enamel) lining.

It’s best to always purchase through a well established local supplier and installer. Independently verifying their reputation word of mouth with longstanding customers is the gold standard.

The mineral deposits associated with hard water will accumulate in your solar HW system. With good water quality close coupled HWS can last a long time (20-25years). You might like to share further details of the product brand/model recommended by the installer. How essential or effective it is for your location? Hopefully there are others in the community able to relate their experiences for your consideration. Not something I can relate to directly.

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