Hot water heaters/ OWB... electrode's???

Arborist Forum

Help Support Arborist Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

HawkenGlobalYUK

ArboristSite Lurker
Joined
Aug 1, 2009
Messages
8
Reaction score
0
Location
Michigan
I've noticed a shorter life expectancy of electric hot water heaters since installing an OWB. My belief is that it may be do to shutting off the power to the hot water heater when using the heat exchanger during the cold months. Many if not all elec. hot water heaters have an electrode that helps maintain a positive (or neg.) ion to keep the units from corroding as quickly. I have two questions.

1. Does anyone have experience here and know if it would be a good idea to keep the power ON to the hot water heater during the months the OWB is doing the work so the electrode will help keep corrosion down?

2. Would this technology be useful in the OWB and help keep some of the corrosion issues at bay?

Thanks.
 
By shortened lifespan of a how water tank you mean the tank corroded faster? I'm not sure about that...I think your talking about an anode rod? They aren't powered in any way....in the winter I'm using my hot water tank as a tank only...there is water in it wether it's on or off, not sure what it matters if the circuit breaker is on off on the heater. An anode rod just sits in the water and is made to corrode faster than the tank so the water should corrode that first. Search on here for anode rod, it's been discussed before.
 
water water water

I've noticed a shorter life expectancy of electric hot water heaters since installing an OWB. My belief is that it may be do to shutting off the power to the hot water heater when using the heat exchanger during the cold months. Many if not all elec. hot water heaters have an electrode that helps maintain a positive (or neg.) ion to keep the units from corroding as quickly. I have two questions.

1. Does anyone have experience here and know if it would be a good idea to keep the power ON to the hot water heater during the months the OWB is doing the work so the electrode will help keep corrosion down?

2. Would this technology be useful in the OWB and help keep some of the corrosion issues at bay?

Thanks.



The lttle monster is referred to as a sacrificial anode rod- it is smelted and installed with the idea the the metals ores used to cast the anode rod will attract the bad minerals that would have an effect on a water storage tank rather than the water heater tank shell itself and as a result be consumed by them before it becomes posssible to eat away at the water heater or large hot water storage tank without heating elements before the life of the water heater or water tanks life is expired.

the idea being that the water is changed by the act of heating and reheating it and keeping it hot affecting its chemistry.

the water treatment chemicals added annually do the same thing.


:chainsawguy::givebeer::cheers:
 
Last edited:
Thanks

So the anode rod is to reduce the deposit's. This would explain the lack of any real rust upon inspecting the tank. It appeared that the shell was seeping (hairline crack) and not rotted around the affected area. Just had a flaw I guess, only 5 years old and still looked better than I expected. Thanks. Great information.
 
Last edited:
So the anode rod is to reduce the deposit's. This would explain the lack of any real rust upon inspecting the tank. It appeared that the shell was seeping (hairline crack) and not rotted around the affected area. Just had a flaw I guess, only 5 years old and still looked better than I expected. Thanks. Great information.
==========================================================

I have been following your OWB posting and responses- I am sorry they have been treating you so poorly.

I found the evergreen line and I was very impressed with both the construction of the boiler and the company owners willingness to chat and answer questions.

hopefully next year or sooner I will be buying an evergreen as I am really sick of bringing in wood to the house etc.
 
Thanks Leon. I'll update that thread after we reach an outcome, I've gained a ton of knowledge here and am glad that my searching brought me here.

I used to have a unit on a truck of mine that put a slight current through the body and skin to help ward off corrosion (I can't remember the name of it). I think I was applying that idea to what the anode rod might do. I do remember now that the rod is supposed to corrode faster than the tank thanks to what Slick and yourself have posted. I've read about them years ago but never took a hard look at what they really did, thanks for the info. Help's to know that a current does not run through rod. This answers my main question as to weather it would make any difference shutting current down during the off season.
The unit that made me start wondering was kind of odd in that it appeared to be "sweating" the water out of a crack just above the cut out for the upper heating element/thermometer, No heavy residue in the tank and actually pretty clean inside. I replaced with another tank model but am going to run either more power or propane into the pump house to fuel a tankless HWH. I am still comparing the differences between elec. and gas. We've had a natural gas on demand hot water heater for over 15 years in one of our houses and it still works flawlessly. Thanks again for the info.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top