The Smell of Molten Projects in the Morning

Ed Nisley's Blog: Shop notes, electronics, firmware, machinery, 3D printing, laser cuttery, and curiosities. Contents: 100% human thinking, 0% AI slop.

The New Hotness

  • Water Heater Anode Rod Access Done Right

    For reasons I won’t go into, I just installed another water heater. This one, nominally a GE that’s made by Rheem, has a perfectly aligned anode rod access port. This view shows the insulation filling the port, after removing the plastic cap:

    GE Water Heater Anode Rod - as shipped
    GE Water Heater Anode Rod – as shipped

    A bit of excavation reveals the top of the rod:

    GE Water Heater Anode Rod - excavated
    GE Water Heater Anode Rod – excavated

    And the 1-1/16 six-point socket fits exactly through the port and mates perfectly with the rod:

    GE Water Heater Anode Rod - socket in place
    GE Water Heater Anode Rod – socket in place

    Unlike the never-sufficiently-to-be-damned Whirlpool, no metalwork is required.

    Oh, and they have a very nice drain valve at the bottom, with wide opening that shouldn’t clog with the slightest trace of sediment:

    GE Water Heater Anode Rod - drain valve
    GE Water Heater Anode Rod – drain valve

    Overall, it looks like a definite win.