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How Do Anode Rods Work in a Water Heater? According to electrochemical principles, when two different metals are immersed in water the active one will corrode away to protect the less active metal. The anode rod is made from metal with a more active voltage and higher electrochemical potential than the metal of the tank, which is typically made from steel. This means the anode rod’s metal will give up electrons and corrode before the tougher steel metal of the tank will. As this lesser metal corrodes, electrons are distribute

When to Replace the Anode Rod in A Water Heater? All water heaters have solid rods, usually in magnesium, aluminum, or zinc material suspended in the tank. This kind of sacrificial anode rod is to keep the steel tank away from corrosion. The working principle is simple. When two metals are in contact in a water solution, the more reactive metal will corrode completely before the less active metal begins to rust. Since magnesium, aluminum, and zinc anode are far more reactive compared to the steel in the water heater tank so that th

Why is the Hot Water Smelly Like Rotten Eggs? Some consumers have submitted comments about unpleasant odors similar to rotten eggs that seemed to come especially from the hot water. The rotten egg odor is caused by hydrogen sulfide (H2S) gas. The environment in water heater tanks provides an ideal environment for the production of hydrogen sulfide gas,since modern steel water heaters mainly are glass-lined to prevent corrosion. When a water heater tank is filled with water, an electrolytic reaction begins in areas that have e

Why MMO Tubular Anodes are Mostly Used for Groundbed Cathodic Protection? MMO tubular anode is an efficient choice for many underground cathodic protection applications. The mixed metal oxide (MMO) coated titanium tubular with a center connection was shown to be the most economical for this application. These types of electrodes were used in both surface and deep anode configurations. Since the anodic reactions are anticipated to be both oxygen evolution and chlorine evolution, it is important that the coating be a combination of i