Anode Rods are an incredible component in water heaters. They are made with special reactive "sacrificial" components, such as zinc, aluminium, or magnesium. They are designed to be installed within the water tank, when water passes through, materials such as sediment or limescale will be attracted to the metals in the rod, in essence degrading the sacrificial rod instead of damaging the tank or speeding up rusting and corrosion. Anode rods are a great component for extending the lifespan of a water heater, most modern water heaters come with these equipped as standard, but due to their nature, these will degrade over time.

Anode Rods Function

Time to get a bit scientific, but to best explain what's actually going on, we might have to! So. When an anode rod is installed and powered up, the water tank it's designed to service acts as the cathode (positive to the anode's positive, much like with magnets) Whent he water heater is powered, the sediment or undesirables within the average water flow generally display a positive charge, when entering the water tank, they would be electrically attracted to the anode rod, to neutralise any positively charged components. In real-world translation, limescale enters mixed within the water, finds the anode rod, and is drawn to it, meaning the water that passes through has disposed of particles using the rod.

 

 

 

The image to the left serves to highlight the difference between a new anode (bottom) and a used anode (top), highlighting the effect of mineral erosion over time

Do Anode Rods Stop Limescale?

In practice, this procedure helps ensure the water tank does not rust or corrode in the same manner that it would without the rod. Anode rods are a very commonplace means for the manufacturer to be able to offer longer-lasting products, but given the especially hard nature of the UK water, for the average UK household we could also recommend a limescale defender such as the McAlpine, which should reduce not just the speed that your anode rod would degrade, but could also improve the lifetime of your other household appliances such as showers or washing machines.

Please get in touch or call 01934 253600 if you need any further information on Anode Rods or just to have a chat about anything water heating.