Eau 44 Inch Flexible Magnesium Water Heater Anode Rod with Install Kit

if only people knew that changing out this rod could save a water heater. teflon tape that is included is very very thin so either use other tape or wrap twice as much. my original rod was totally gone but after 18 years it should have been changed sooner. change the rod ever 5 years and the water heater could last forever.

The 27mm socket actually came in handy, the rod seems fine and worked great for my tight space. My water heater had a very right space with like a rubber fitting that I had to dig out. I couldn't originally fit the 27mm black deep impact socket I wanted to use. So it was very helpful in at least getting it started. Eventually was able to fit the deep socket with a long breaker bar and get it loose. Not an easy job if its the first time doing it on your water hater. Had to remove the gas flume venting and the cold water line (be sure gas if off if you do this). Unlike some of YouTube videos if you have a gas unit I highly suggest turning off the gas completely. Probably even better if you do it the night before you do the work to give the water time cool and if for some reason you have to remove any venting. The more water you can leave in the tank the better because the weight helps keep it from moving; so if its cool you can get away with only draining a couple gallons. With space I have there was no way to use an impact gun, so breaker bar and socket was only option. Go slow and take your time, it took me about 2 hours from starting to finally get the old rod out. Few moments I thought it wasn't going to happen because of my struggles get a socket on the old rod and the odd angle and space I had to work with. Only suggestion is on top of the plumbing tape add some pipe dope to the threads we putting the new one in.

After watching some videos on increasing the longevity of my water heater, replacing the anode rod was the number one suggestion. To that end, I embarked on removal of the rod in my 3-year-old A.O. Smith water heater. This proved more daunting than I anticipated. The rod is secured by a large nut. First, I tried a regular socket, next a breaker bar, then a cheater bar attached to the breaker bar. The nut would not budge. I called A.O. Smith and the technician said the rod is tightened to 150 psi at the factory and I would need an impact wrench to remove. I purchased an impact wrench and that did the trick. However, since my original bar was not articulated, I had to hacksaw the bar to remove it as it was hitting my duct work halfway out of the tank. That took about a half hour as I did it manually to avoid sparks around a gas appliance. Turned out the original rod was in pretty good shape and required a lot of cutting. However, at this point, I was committed to installing the new rod because it was articulated, and I spent so much time and money to remove the old rod. The new rod was easy to install. I like the fact they included the proper socket and plumber's tape. I manually secured the rod with a breaker bar. Although this project turned out more complicated than anticipated, I will now be able to check the rod annually per the maintenance schedule in the owner's manual for my water heater. I can also remove this rod without cutting the rod. My hope is that I can significantly extend the life of my water heater. If I accomplish that goal this was all worth it.

The rod is flexible enough to insert into tank with limited overhead clearance. The socket is of good quality and fits old rod also. The teflon tape came smashed and unusable so I used regular pipe dope for sealing.

I am pleased with this product. Having the socket and teflon tape included was very nice. One thing, the part that screws in is painted pretty heavily. You want to ensure that when it screws in, it is grounded to the tank. I used a multimeter to ensure that the resistance between the cap and the tank was nearly zero Ohms after installation. I would purchase this again!

Fit my old 50 gallon GE water heater. I decided to swap the old original in my 14 year old water heater. Unlike all the other Anode rod swaps I've seen, my original was still in pretty good shape. It was pretty easy to install with the 3 sections. Getting the old one out was a bit of a challenge, needed a pretty strong impact gun.

Had everything I needed, and it worked very well.

Update March 30, 2026 - I strongly advise you to look elsewhere -- POOR THREAD QUALITY CONTROL Problem #1: First one of these I bought Jan 2024, checked on it two years later (2026) and already used up. Granted it is only a 0.75" dia mag rod, but that;s too fast. Problem #2: The BIGGER ISSUE is the the thread fitment. On the most recent one I bought had the same problem as the one I bought in 2024. There is something wrong with the threads on these units. I even took the rod to a Home Depot to test it on new 3/4" pipe connectors at the store just to confirm I wasn't losing my mind. It will not thread more than about 1 turn before jamming up -- you should be able to get a few or several turns on a pipe threaded unit before needing a wrench. See my original review below =========================== Had a bizarre episode. Done many of these over the years, never an issue. This one did not like the threads in my 1987 AO Amith 50 gallon HW heater. Had another new anode from different vendor that threaded perfect, old anode also threaded perfect. But this anode did thread just fine on a standalone 3/4" union I put in a vise. So -- a mystery. Key words of advise: you should be able to thread the anode about 3 full rotations by hand (meaning fingers) before needing to use a socket wrench to snug it up. If you're only getting like one turn by hand, and decide to use the socket to drive it home, don't be surprised if you strip out the threads and have to buy a new HW heater. In my case I just added a 1" nipple and then a union to the HW heater anode outlet -- basically a extension -- where all the threads played well together. I'll lose an inch or two of submerged anode, but not the end of the world.

hope it extends lifffe of tank