01-18-2012, 06:54 PM
davester wrote:
[quote=deckeda]
Mine's as old as the house, 18 years. Looks fine but I'm afraid to do anything "preventative" such as swap out the drain valve or replace the sacrificial anode. My pessimistic side says that one or both of those wouldn't come out cleanly and I'd ruin the tank attempting to do so. Shortly following that would be, "Why the fsck did you go messing with the WH, when it was working fine??" It's not my abilities I fear, but the tank's to stand up to some simple wrench turning.
The problem with that approach is that it's doomed to failure. If you don't change the anode, the WH WILL fail, possibly catastrophically. I understand your not wanting to mess with it, but why not get a plumber out there to do the work and then if it fails at that time you'll be prepared to install another. If he pulls the anode and you still have material left on it then you'll know that you're home free for perhaps another 18 years.
I don't get the "just get a plumber out" thing-- not that easy for working people to schedule visits like this, and what is that-- $100 for a visit just for someone to tell you it's not worth replacing?