Paul's Travel Pictures

Bradford White Water Heater Anode Rod Replacement Guide
How to change the sacrificial magnesium anode rod in a Bradford White residential natural gas water heater.

Main Menu            Home           Digital Cameras

Misc. Pictures            Articles            My Blog

Bradford-White-Water-Heater-Anode-Rod-Replacement-Guide-001
2015 Bradford White
Bradford-White-Water-Heater-Anode-Rod-Replacement-Guide-002
Model #: M45036FBN
Bradford-White-Water-Heater-Anode-Rod-Replacement-Guide-003
Hot - Vent - Cold
This home maintenance tutorial was specifically written to assist owners of Bradford White brand natural gas or electric powered water heaters in checking or changing the sacrificial magnesium anode rod.

This Bradford White 50 gallon natural gas water heater is a 2015 model year and the model number is M45036FBN. The anode rod has never been changed so I decided to tackle this project in February of 2021. The anode rod should be changed about every 5 to 7 years to extend the life of your water heater to prevent it from rusting and developing leaks. If your home has a water softener system, the rod may need to be changed more frequently such as every 3 years.

The OEM (original equipment manufacturer) part number for the magnesium anode rod is Bradford White 224-47776-12.

Since there is only about 30 inches of headroom above our water heater and the OEM rod is about 47" long, I decided to buy an aftermarket brand flexible segmented anode rod (also known as a "sausage link" or "nunchucks" style rod).

The magnesium rod that I bought is the Water Connection AR109 (48" long).

The plastic "heat trap" should also be replaced. For our water heater the part number is Bradford White 239-45167-00.

Please be sure to check your owners manual for the correct part numbers before purchasing a new anode rod and heat trap.

The other items needed for this procedure include some plumber's tape (PTFE teflon tape), thread sealant (or "pipe dope"), a large 18" or 24" pipe wrench and large adjustable v-jaw pliers (groove joint / tongue & groove / Channellock brand).

From what I've read, the anode rod on all or at least most Bradford White water heaters is attached to the bottom of the hot water outlet nipple.

Other water heater brands such as A.O. Smith, Rheem, Kenmore, American Standard, Westinghouse, GE (General Electric) and Whirlpool generally have the anode rod as an individual component installed into a separate opening on the top of the water heater.

Attention: Please proceed with caution and at your own risk!



 

Bradford-White-Water-Heater-Anode-Rod-Replacement-Guide-004
Honeywell Control
Bradford-White-Water-Heater-Anode-Rod-Replacement-Guide-005
Turn Down, Low or Pilot
Bradford-White-Water-Heater-Anode-Rod-Replacement-Guide-006
Cold Water Valve On
The first step is to turn the thermostat dial on the Honeywell gas control valve down to either the "Low" or "Pilot" setting.

For extra safety, it would be best to let the water heater cool off for at least a few hours.

Next, rotate the cold water valve to the "Off" position.

In most homes, the valve is "on" when the handle is parallel (lined up in the same direction) as the pipe.

Bradford-White-Water-Heater-Anode-Rod-Replacement-Guide-007
Turn Off Cold Water
Bradford-White-Water-Heater-Anode-Rod-Replacement-Guide-008
New Parts & Supplies
Bradford-White-Water-Heater-Anode-Rod-Replacement-Guide-009
Teflon Tape & Sealant
The cold water valve handle should be in the perpendicular position (at a 90 degree angle to the pipe) when it is on the "Off" position.

(Your water heater might also be equipped with a thermal expansion tank attached to the cold water line.)

Gather together the new parts, tools and thread sealing tape or liquid sealant (pipe dope).

Bradford-White-Water-Heater-Anode-Rod-Replacement-Guide-010
Flexible Anode Rod
Bradford-White-Water-Heater-Anode-Rod-Replacement-Guide-011
New Plastic Heat Trap
Bradford-White-Water-Heater-Anode-Rod-Replacement-Guide-012
Pliers & Pipe Wrench
If you plan on checking the condition of your old anode rod after just a few years, I recommend using v-jaw groove joint pliers to loosen the old rod.

If you use a large pipe wrench to loosen the rod, you'll probably damage the threads on the old hot water nipple and will not be able to re-install it with out having it leak in the future.

Bradford-White-Water-Heater-Anode-Rod-Replacement-Guide-013
Main Water Shut-Off
Bradford-White-Water-Heater-Anode-Rod-Replacement-Guide-014
Turn Off House Water
Bradford-White-Water-Heater-Anode-Rod-Replacement-Guide-015
Drain Hot Water In Pipes
Since the whole house main water shut-off valve is inside the garage right next to the water heater, I also turned off the water for the entire house as an extra precaution.

You do not have to turn off the water to your entire home, but it may be a good idea just for extra safety.

Move to a bath tub inside the house and turn on both the cold water and hot water to drain the pipes.

Leave the bath tub faucets open to help avoid creating a vacuum so that the water heater can be partially drained.

Bradford-White-Water-Heater-Anode-Rod-Replacement-Guide-016
Water Heater Drain Valve
Bradford-White-Water-Heater-Anode-Rod-Replacement-Guide-017
Attach Garden Hose
Bradford-White-Water-Heater-Anode-Rod-Replacement-Guide-018
Hose Outside of Garage
Carefully attach a sturdy garden hose to the drain valve near the bottom of the water heater.

Route the hose outside of your home or garage.

Attention: Make sure that children, pets and other people are not near the hose when the hot water starts to spray out!

I used a very heavy socket set carrying case to hold the garden hose in place.

Bradford-White-Water-Heater-Anode-Rod-Replacement-Guide-019
Open Drain Valve
Bradford-White-Water-Heater-Anode-Rod-Replacement-Guide-020
Drain Out a Few Gallons
Bradford-White-Water-Heater-Anode-Rod-Replacement-Guide-021
Close Valve 1/4 Turn
Use a flat head screwdriver to rotate the drain valve 1/4 turn to open it.

Allow a few gallons of water to drain out from the tank.

Do NOT fully drain the tank at this time. You will need the weight of about 45 gallons of water to hold the tank in place when loosening a stubborn or stuck anode rod due to corrosion (rust).

After you have drained out a few gallons for about a minute, close the drain valve.

Turn the drain valve 1/4 turn in either direction with the flat head screwdriver to close it.

If you did not turn off the water to your entire home, go back to the bath tub and turn off at least the cold water faucet to avoid wasting water.

Bradford-White-Water-Heater-Anode-Rod-Replacement-Guide-022
Clean Off Top Heater
Bradford-White-Water-Heater-Anode-Rod-Replacement-Guide-023
Detach Exhaust Vent
Bradford-White-Water-Heater-Anode-Rod-Replacement-Guide-024
Push Vent Back
To help prevent from having dirt, dust, rust, insects or other debris fall down into your family's water heater, be sure to clean off the top with a wet/dry shop vacuum.

I also wiped the top of the water heater with a moistened paper towel.

To make room for the pliers and pipe wrench, carefully detach the exhaust vent from the top of the water heater.

Your vent might be attached by small screws or bolts.

This water heater just had metal pegs popped into holes on the top of the heater.

Bradford-White-Water-Heater-Anode-Rod-Replacement-Guide-025
V-Jaw Groove Joint Pliers
Bradford-White-Water-Heater-Anode-Rod-Replacement-Guide-026
Loosen Counterclockwise
Bradford-White-Water-Heater-Anode-Rod-Replacement-Guide-027
Spin Off Hot Water Hose
Have an old towel nearby just in case some water leaks out of the flexible hot water hose or the hot water outlet nipple.

Attention: Please proceed with caution and at your own risk!

Use the v-jaw groove joint pliers to carefully loosen the hot water supply flex hose in the counterclockwise direction.

If water sprays out forcefully, double check that the cold water valve is off and that you have the valves open in a bath tub or a sink inside the home.

Once the nut is loose, spin it off the rest of the way by hand.

If the pipe is still very hot, be sure to wear gloves.

Bradford-White-Water-Heater-Anode-Rod-Replacement-Guide-028
Turn Up Flex Hose
Bradford-White-Water-Heater-Anode-Rod-Replacement-Guide-029
Hot Water Nipple
Bradford-White-Water-Heater-Anode-Rod-Replacement-Guide-030
Pull Out Old Heat Trap
Rotate the hose up to help keep any residual water from dripping out.

If your old anode rod is equipped with a white plastic heat trap, pull it straight out with a pair of needle nose pliers.

Bradford-White-Water-Heater-Anode-Rod-Replacement-Guide-031
Tap To Loosen Threads
Bradford-White-Water-Heater-Anode-Rod-Replacement-Guide-032
Insert Socket / Bolt / Etc
Bradford-White-Water-Heater-Anode-Rod-Replacement-Guide-033
Prevent Nipple Collapse
There are a few tips for making it easier to remove a stubborn or stuck anode rod.

They include the following: 1. Very gently tap the top of the hot water nipple with a hammer to loosen the threads and break up any rust or debris. 2. Carefully tighten the old anode rod in the clockwise direction a small fraction of a turn to help break up any corrosion. 3. A last resort is to use a small amount of penetrating oil sprayed around the threads.

If possible, avoid using penetrating oil since it might contaminate the inside of your water heater and need to be flushed out.

To help avoid having the old nipple collapse when you are attempting to loosen it, insert a large round metal object such as a bolt, socket or ratchet handle.

I chose to lower in one of my torque sticks that I use to tighten automotive lug nuts with an electric impact wrench into the nipple opening.

If the nipple happens to deform while you are loosening it, the bolt or socket should help keep it from fully collapsing and greatly increase your chances of successfully removing the old anode rod.

Bradford-White-Water-Heater-Anode-Rod-Replacement-Guide-034
Attach Pipe Wrench
Bradford-White-Water-Heater-Anode-Rod-Replacement-Guide-035
Loosen Counterclockwise
Bradford-White-Water-Heater-Anode-Rod-Replacement-Guide-036
Spin Out By Hand
If your water heater is only a few years old and you just want to check the condition of the anode rod, you can try using narrow nose v-jaw pliers to loosen the old hot water nipple with out damaging the threads.

Attach the pipe wrench to the exposed threads on the top of the hot water outlet.

Carefully loosen the nipple in the counterclockwise direction (lefty-loosey).

Since this water heater is only 6 years old and the climate is dry, there was no rust and it was very easy to loosen the nipple with this 24" pipe wrench.

If you need more leverage, attach a metal pipe (cheater bar) over the end of the pipe wrench.

Once the old nipple is loose, spin it out the rest of the way by hand.

Bradford-White-Water-Heater-Anode-Rod-Replacement-Guide-037
Lift Out Old Anode Rod
Bradford-White-Water-Heater-Anode-Rod-Replacement-Guide-038
Check Condition - Pitting
Bradford-White-Water-Heater-Anode-Rod-Replacement-Guide-039
Bend Old Anode Rod
Carefully lift the old anode rod straight out of the water heater.

If you have limited headroom above your water heater, you can bend the old magnesium rod in order to remove it.

Bradford-White-Water-Heater-Anode-Rod-Replacement-Guide-040
Old Rod Vs. New Rod
Bradford-White-Water-Heater-Anode-Rod-Replacement-Guide-041 Bradford-White-Water-Heater-Anode-Rod-Replacement-Guide-042
Side By Side
The old rod wasn't in terrible condition for having been in use for about 6 years.

It was a bit thinner than the new rod and slightly pitted but the stainless steel cable was not exposed.

Since the threads were damaged when removing the old rod, I knew I would have to install the new rod.

Bradford-White-Water-Heater-Anode-Rod-Replacement-Guide-043
New Rod Slightly Longer
Bradford-White-Water-Heater-Anode-Rod-Replacement-Guide-044
Check New Rod Length
Bradford-White-Water-Heater-Anode-Rod-Replacement-Guide-045
Trim If Necessary
The new segmented rod was a bit longer than the old one.

I held up the new rod to the water heater to make sure it wouldn't be long enough to cause a problem.

There seemed to be at least an inch or two of clearance between the end of the new rod and the bottom of the tank.

If necessary, you can trim the last segment of the rod by using a hack saw or just cut off the last segment by snipping the braided stainless steel wire to make it short enough for your water heater.

Bradford-White-Water-Heater-Anode-Rod-Replacement-Guide-046
Cut Out Plastic Insert
Bradford-White-Water-Heater-Anode-Rod-Replacement-Guide-047
Leatherman Saw Blade
Bradford-White-Water-Heater-Anode-Rod-Replacement-Guide-048
Pull Out Plastic Sleeve
The new anode rod from "The Water Connection" came with a white plastic sleeve inserted into the nipple.

This plastic sleeve prevented me from being able to install the new heat trap piece.

So I used the saw blade in my Leatherman multi tool to cut the plastic sleeve into pieces until it could be pulled out with a pair of needle nose pliers.

This is an optional step but if the new heat trap is not installed the water heater will be less efficient at retaining heat.

Bradford-White-Water-Heater-Anode-Rod-Replacement-Guide-049
Wrap Teflon Tape
Bradford-White-Water-Heater-Anode-Rod-Replacement-Guide-050
Apply Thread Sealant
Bradford-White-Water-Heater-Anode-Rod-Replacement-Guide-051
Hot Water Nipple Hole
Wrap a few layers of plumbers tape (also known as PTFE tape or Teflon tape) around the threads at the bottom of the nipple that will be inserted into the water heater.

Make sure you apply the Teflon tape in the correct direction so that when you tighten the nipple, the tape will tighten rather than unravel.

There is lots of debate about whether to use just Teflon tape, just thread sealant (pipe dope) or both.

I did lots of research and discovered that many professional plumbers choose to first apply Teflon tape and then thread sealant (pipe dope).

So I applied some thread sealant on top of the plumbers tape.

Bradford-White-Water-Heater-Anode-Rod-Replacement-Guide-052
Lower In Rod Links
Bradford-White-Water-Heater-Anode-Rod-Replacement-Guide-053
New Rod Fully Inserted
Bradford-White-Water-Heater-Anode-Rod-Replacement-Guide-054
Spin In By Hand
Carefully lower the segments of the new anode rod into the opening in the top of the water heater.

Spin in the new rod at least a few turns by hand in the clockwise direction to make sure it doesn't become cross threaded.

If the new rod is very difficult to turn, remove it and try to properly line up the threads again.

Bradford-White-Water-Heater-Anode-Rod-Replacement-Guide-055
Tighten Clockwise
Bradford-White-Water-Heater-Anode-Rod-Replacement-Guide-056
New Heat Trap
Bradford-White-Water-Heater-Anode-Rod-Replacement-Guide-057
Lower In Heat Trap
Continue tightening the new hot water nipple with the narrow jaw v-jaw pliers until it is snug.

Try to avoid damaging the threads.

Do not use the pipe wrench to tighten the nipple since it will damage the threads and lead to water leaks.

Double check that the new nipple is tight before moving on to the next steps.

Insert the new heat trap into the opening.

The new heat trap part number for our water heater is Bradford White 239-45167-00.

Bradford-White-Water-Heater-Anode-Rod-Replacement-Guide-058
Line Up Hot Water Hose
Bradford-White-Water-Heater-Anode-Rod-Replacement-Guide-059
Spin On By Hand
Bradford-White-Water-Heater-Anode-Rod-Replacement-Guide-060
Tighten Nut Clockwise
Line up the hot water flex hose with the top of the nipple.

Carefully spin on the nut a few turns by hand in the clockwise direction to make sure it doesn't become cross threaded.

Tighten the nut in the clockwise direction with the v-jaw pliers until it is snug.

Bradford-White-Water-Heater-Anode-Rod-Replacement-Guide-061
Cold Water Valve
Bradford-White-Water-Heater-Anode-Rod-Replacement-Guide-062
Turn On Cold Water
Bradford-White-Water-Heater-Anode-Rod-Replacement-Guide-063
Replace Exhaust Vent
If you turned off the main water shut-off valve for the house, turn it back to the "on" position.

Turn on the cold water supply valve for the water heater.

Move the exhaust vent back into position.

If your exhaust vent is held in place by bolts, screws or nuts, re-attach them.

Bradford-White-Water-Heater-Anode-Rod-Replacement-Guide-064
Detach Garden Hose
Bradford-White-Water-Heater-Anode-Rod-Replacement-Guide-065
Bath Tub - Drain Debris
Bradford-White-Water-Heater-Anode-Rod-Replacement-Guide-066
Drain Valve Closed
If you haven't performed a complete water heater flush to remove any sediment in over a year, now would be a good time to complete that procedure while you have the garden hose attached.

Carefully detach the garden hose from the drain valve.

Open the cold and hot water valves in a bath tub to flush out any debris or sediment from the pipes and water heater.

Do NOT open the faucets at a sink since the fine mesh aerator screen could become clogged by debris or sediment.

Make sure the drain valve is closed and not leaking.

Bradford-White-Water-Heater-Anode-Rod-Replacement-Guide-067
Check For Leaks
Bradford-White-Water-Heater-Anode-Rod-Replacement-Guide-068
Turn Up Thermostat
Bradford-White-Water-Heater-Anode-Rod-Replacement-Guide-069
Rod Change Complete
After running the hot water and cold water in a tub for a minute or two, go back to the top of the water heater and check for leaks.

If you see a leak bubbling up from the top of the water heater, tighten the hot water nipple an extra 1/8th to 1/4 turn at a time until it stops.

If you see a leak coming from the flex hose, tighten the nut a bit.

Turn the thermostat dial on the control until back up to your desired setting.

Don't forget to write down the date the anode rod was changed in your home's service records.

I chose to use a marker to write the date the rod was replaced on the top of the water heater behind the hot water nipple.

It would also be a good idea to check the top of the water heater for leaks during the next few days.

If your hot water has been smelling like sulfur or rotten eggs, you could chlorinate your water heater and pipes to kill bacteria by pouring bleach into the water heater, distribute it through the pipes in the home, allow it to sit for a few hours and then flush it out. Please research the procedure before attempting it.

Another option is to install an aluminum and zinc anode rod that will help reduce the odor. Although keep in mind that aluminum and zinc anode rods do not work as well at being sacrificial rods as magnesium rods so they last longer but your water heater may need to be replaced sooner.

Update - It has been a week since I changed the anode rod and so far there are no water leaks and the hot water coming out of the shower heads and faucets smells normal.

Please check out my other Home DIY Repair & Maintenance Guides.
 

If you found this guide to be helpful, please consider making a small donation by clicking on the PayPal.com "Donate" button located to the right of this paragraph. Thank you!
(Note: I am not a registered charity. Donations are not tax deductible.)


Main Menu       Home       Digital Cameras

Misc. Pictures       Articles       My Blog

 

Copyright 2024 © PaulsTravelPictures.com
 All Rights Reserved ®

Paul's Travel Pictures is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Privacy Policy     About Paul & Author Contact Info