Raritan Water Heater Maintenance

[NancyD]

How do you check and/or replace the zinc anode in a Raritan 6 gallon water heater (model 170611)? The maintenance instructions state "a removable magnesium Anode is integral with the hot water discharge fitting" but don't tell how to remove or reinstall it.

Thanks,
Nancy

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

It's easy...

The anode is integral to hot water discharge fitting, so you'd have to remove the discharge fitting--which requires a a pipe wrench, btw--to inspect it. Wrap the threads in Teflon tape to put it back. Best time to check it is when you disconnect the hoses to bypass the water heater to winterize the system.

Granted, the instructions are NOT good, but once you see it, it really does become pretty obvious.

 

[NancyD]

Re: It's easy...

No-go. My husband wrapped tape around the threads of the discharge fitting and locked onto it with vice grips. The fitting won't budge and we are afraid of stripping the threads. The water heater was installed 4 years ago but the only maintenance so far has been annual winterizing and commissioning and changing the electric heating element one time.

It looks like there is a plastic piece surrounding the discharge fitting, so we haven't tried to loosen it by heating with a propane torch. Is there anything else we can try?