Remove anode rod with impact wrench

Not to mention its under around 6 inches of insulation. Sometimes it is easier to turn the threaded part tighter since the last strain was in the tightening phase.

Anode rod impact socket impact wrench - YouTube.

Remove anode rod with impact wrench. How I Removed and Replaced Hot Water Tank Anode Rod with a Walmart 40 Impact Wrench - YouTube. Is it Ok to use an impact wrench to remove the anod rod from a water heater in the case that its really tight to remove - Answered by a verified Plumber. Roughly how long should it take to remove an anode Rod using an Impact Wrench.

Shouldnt take much my last one was 3-5 seconds with an impact driver. Be sure to use a 6-point socket magnesium and aluminium are pretty soft so. I suspect the mineral content of the water makes a big difference in how long the anode rod lasts and how corroded it becomes where it threads into the water heater.

The water dissolved minerals serve as the electrolyte of a battery. You must have very benign water. I have an Ingersoll Rand 231G impact wrench.

Heres an image showing the rod removal using this impact wrench. Once the rod has been loosened by the impact wrench unscrew the rest of it by hand until you can pull it out. Here is an image of the old and new rod side by side.

Here is a closer view showing the corrosion on the existing rod. Next put some teflon tape on the threads of the new rod to create a better. The rod can sometimes be removed with a 1-116 socket on a long breaker bar but if it is difficult to remove the tank can rotate before the rod breaks loose.

The easiest way to remove a tight rod is to use an impact wrench. Ive found that a good electric impact wrench is the only way to remove an anode rod. Using a cheater bar is dangerous usually doesnt work and you end up breaking other parts of the heater.

Remove the rod while the tank is. Lone Wrencher RI I had to remove the factory rods in this case because I needed to replace them with aluminum rods. The customer has well water and bacteria in the water was reacting with the factory magnesium rods to produce a strong and I do mean strong rotten egg smell.

I would remove the dielectric union and cut the copper so that its out of your way. Treat the fitting with Kroil oil and use an offset pipe wrench with a cheater. A three foot piece of 1½ steel pipe will do.

It helps to have another person there because the water heater will want to turn with you when you start wrenching. Have them back you up. I emptied a few gallons of hot water and put ice cubes on top of the bolt head and drew off the water.

In 10 minutes and after 4 or 5 cubes the head was VERY cold. Quickly before heat could conduct thru the anode rod to the bolt head I grabbed the socket with the cheater bar and the anode rod came right out. Its currently making our hot water smell like sulfur.

Unfortunately I completely stripped the bolt for the anode rod. A 600-lb torque power wrench couldnt remove it and the bolt stripped because the bolt wasnt that tall. Not to mention its under around 6 inches of insulation.

The other thing to consider is to turn off any power to the water heater and allow everything to cool before trying to trying to loosen the anode. The anode is a solid rod that could allow the plug to expand with heat tightly into the surrounding bung. Allowing everything to cool and equalize might make the anode easier to remove.

As mentioned there removing a water heater anode rod generally requires considerable umm persuasion. I used a 12-point socket wrench as I didnt have a 1-116 impact wrench on hand. The first pic shows the head in front of the two sockets.

The 6-point socket on the right will do a much better job of not ruining the anode rod bolt. An impact wrench now the rod is openly mocking me. You have certainly given it the effort to remove that stubborn anode rod.

More intensive effort could very well damage the unit. With a water heater that sounds like it is over 20 years old it might make sense to simply replace it. You have gone to all the.

As a last resort before the tank makes a fool of you try to tighten the anode rod just a hair. If it moves tighter then reverse the effort and remove the rod. Sometimes it is easier to turn the threaded part tighter since the last strain was in the tightening phase.

If it works you can laugh at the tank and smile. My anode rod is stuck. Ive used a wrench an 1in pipe to extend the handle and used my impact driver to no avail.

My next step is to use an impact wrench 450 ft-lbs to break it open. Is this going to damage my water heater. Theres nothing wrong with it right now.

The anode rod is basically an aluminum cylinder around a steel-wire core attached to a steel bolt that screws into the top of the water heater. It has a 1-116 hex head that calls for a rather large socket. You can see one problem right away.

The anode rods head is offset in its opening atop the water heater making it essentially impossible to get an ordinary 1-116. Even with a breaker bar it can be nearly impossible to break the anode rod free. Turn off the power or gas.

Then close the cold-water valve at the top of the tank and drain off several gallons. Loosen the hex head with the impact wrench but unscrew it the rest of the way by hand. Click to see full answer.

Anode rod impact socket impact wrench - YouTube. 20130124 This video shows a flexible-type anode rod a 6-point 1-116 impact socket an impact. Replacing anode rod in hot water tank.

Yes you will have to turn the water supply off to the tank first. Then drain off the pressure at the drain valve at the bottom of the tank. Generally a 14 pipe wrench or larger cresent wrench is all you should need.

I tried to remove the anode rod in the water heater and the hex was so hard to turn that the socket rounded off the - Answered by a verified Plumber. Then we bought in the impact wrench and it completely rounded it to the point we could spin the socket with our hand. The metal is just too soft.

The grip on the nut is only 316. It should not be any problem. However when installing the new anode rod I recommend using a regular ratchet and socket or a wrench.

It does not have to be super tight. It only has to be tight enough so it wont leak. Be sure to use some teflon tape on the threads.