Gold Coast Hot Water Sacrificial Anode Replacement Is Recommended Servicing By All Hot Water Tank Manufacturers
All hot water storage tank systems have a sacrificial anode, so don’t sacrifice your expensive hot water tank! You can increase the working life of your storage tank by up to 15 years plus with a simple sacrificial anode replacement.
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Gold Coast Hot Water Sacrificial Anode Replacement Is Recommended Servicing By All Hot Water Tank Manufacturers
All hot water storage tank systems have a sacrificial anode, so don’t sacrifice your expensive hot water tank! You can increase the working life of your storage tank by up to 15 years plus with a simple sacrificial anode replacement.
What is a sacrificial anode in a hot water storage tank?
We all know that our home has a hot water service somewhere. So we turn on the hot water tap in the shower or sink, and in a short time, we have hot water flowing.
We take very little notice of the hot water service unless we have no hot water. That is, until the hot water tank leaks and requires significant repairs or replacing.
On average, your hot water tank will have a working life expectancy of 7 to 12 years. Yet with some simple maintenance, the functional life expectancy can be doubled to 15 years plus. Recommended maintenance tasks by all hot water tank manufacturers, such as flushing the system and undertaking a sacrificial anode replacement, make a massive difference to working life expectancy.
Every type of mains pressure hot water storage tank manufactured from 2mm to 3mm mild steel with a vitreous enamel lining comes complete with a sacrificial anode installed. These hot water tanks are electric, gas, solar and heat pump hot water storage systems not manufactured with stainless steel storage tanks. They include hot water tanks manufactured by Rheem, Dux, Vulcan, Bosch, Thermann, Quantum, Solahart, Aquamax, Everhot, Rinnai, Radiant, Stiebel Eltron, Saxon, Beasley, Conergy, plus many other tanks that are privately labelled.
Nathan removed a sacrificial anode that is pitted in multiple areas plus is coated in calcium carbonate, which means it is no longer proving corrosion protection.
Why is a sacrificial anode needed to protect a hot water tank?
Apart from stainless steel tanks, all mains pressure hot water storage tanks are manufactured from 2mm to 3 mm thick mild steel. In addition, the tank is coated inside with vitreous enamel, not with glass, despite the common misconception that they are glass-lined internally.
This vitreous enamel coating is subject to temperature and pressure extremes multiple times daily, depending on hot water consumption. This causes the vitreous enamel coating to degrade and break down over time.
Therefore all mild steel tanks with vitreous enamel coating are also manufactured with one or more sacrificial anodes to protect them against corrosion as the vitreous enamel coating loses effectiveness.
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How does a sacrificial anode work?
Hot water sacrificial anodes are manufactured from magnesium and protect your mild steel tank by sacrificial electrochemical action. Magnesium is used as it is electro-negative in relation to steel. When the magnesium rod or sacrificial anode is installed inside a mild steel tank filled with water, an electric current or electrolytic circuit will continuously flow through the water between the sacrificial anode and any exposed mild steel on the internal tank wall.
The vitreous enamel coating separates the water from the mild steel hot water tank, preventing the electrolytic circuit from being complete.
The circuit is completed through the tank back to the magnesium sacrificial anode. This creates a protective current in the magnesium-releasing ions which creates corrosion in the magnesium anode, which is why it is referred to as a sacrificial anode. So, the magnesium anode corrodes instead of the mild steel tank, which remains a cathode, not an anode, as long as there is a functioning sacrificial anode.
This process of electrolytic corrosion control is referred to as cathodic protection. Your mild steel hot water storage tank is protected because cathodic surfaces cannot rust.
If any small areas of the mild steel become exposed as the vitreous enamel breaks down, protection is given by the sacrificial anode. The anode essentially protects by forming a protective coating over the exposed areas of mild steel, extending the life of your hot water tank.
This is why you need a sacrificial anode replacement for your hot water tank, as it is much cheaper to replace a sacrificial anode than your entire hot water system.
When should a sacrificial anode be replaced?
The Sacrificial Anode installed in your hot water tank tends to have a working life expectancy equal to the warranty period of your hot water storage tank.
The photo below illustrates a brand new sacrificial anode at the top perfectly. Unfortunately, after nine years inside a leaking hot water tank, the sacrificial anode at the bottom of the image was removed and required replacing. The advanced deterioration of the bottom anode indicated it had not functioned for at least 3-years in providing protection.
Our long experience in maintaining your hot water service is why we recommend a primary service on your hot water tank every five years, which includes sacrificial anode replacement.
Every manufacturer of hot water tanks in Australia recommends that sacrificial anodes be replaced to maximise their hot water tanks’ useful working life.
After removing a sacrificial anode, the pitting in multiple areas is evident, along with all of the corroded pieces falling onto the top of the tank plus the calcium carbonate coating, which means the anode is no longer providing corrosion protection.
The working life of your sacrificial anode has multiple variables. From experience, we know it is better to undertake sacrificial anode replacement while it is still functional as an anode. This ensures your hot water tank continues to function as a cathode.
AS/NZS 3500.4-2021 Heated Water Services – operation & maintenance guidelines
From a legal perspective, the property owner must ensure routine maintenance is undertaken on their hot water service.
AS/NZS 3500.4-2021 Heated Water Services provides guidelines for operating and maintaining all hot water systems. Like all Australian Standards, it sets out conformance to ensure that your entire hot water installation is:
i) the material or product is fit for the application;
(ii) the performance of the system is not degraded;
(iii) the durability of the material or product is not impaired; and
(iv) the manufacturer’s warranty remains valid.
APPENDIX M
OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE
(Informative)
M1 SCOPE
This Appendix provides guidelines for the operation and maintenance of a heated water system.
M2 GENERAL
In order to ensure maximum performance and length of operation, water heaters should be inspected periodically.
M3 MAINTENANCE OF HEATED WATER SERVICES
Heated water services should be maintained in accordance with the following:
(a) Water treatment units Where installed, water treatment units should be inspected periodically to ensure proper operation.
(b) Water vessels and tanks All vessels and tanks should be inspected and cleaned periodically, and in accordance with any requirements of the regulatory authority.
NOTE: The frequency of periodic cleaning depends upon the quality of the supply water, design, materials of construction and the pipe system. Combinations of materials giving rise to corrosion should be avoided.
(c) Valves The following valves should be inspected periodically to ensure proper operation:
(i) Temperature/pressure-relief valves.
(ii) Expansion control valves.
(iii) Thermostatic mixing valves.
(iv) Tempering valves.
(v) Other associated valves/devices.
(d) The requirements of AS/NZS 3666.2, where applicable.
Your Hot Water Service – Installed, Maintained & Serviced With Care…By Whywait Plumbing.
We don’t just install hot water systems. We know them inside and out. This means we can help them run better, last longer, and provide you with the ultimate energy savings with routine maintenance and repairs when you need them.
To extend the life of your hot water storage tank, you need to undertake sacrificial anode replacement before it stops protecting your hot water tank.
If your hot water storage tank is over five years old, the wise and efficient option is to get it completely serviced. We’ll be happy to answer all your questions to help you understand how easy it is to double the life of your tank with sacrificial anode replacement.
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