help with a well/pressure tank

[Steve S.]

Also water heaters need maintenance. I flush mine about once a year. Just drain it... Also there is an anode rod in there that is supposed to rust out before the tank. It's the big hex head on top of the water heater. You can try taking that out and see how it looks and if that is rusting out maybe try replacing that every year. The come in magnesium and aluminum and are about 10-20 bucks. A lot cheaper then a new water heater.

I've tried removing my anode in the past but the nut won't budge...I fear damaging the tank by applying too much force...so I left it alone. In my case, a simple flushing of the tank every year has lengthened the life of my tank. My tank (Rheem) was constructed in 1988...so that makes it over 25 years old. Still have plenty of hot water and the tank never makes a sound. I don't know how I've managed to get that many years out of it...lucky, I guess. I don't use that much hot water, tank is fully insulated, thermostats are set pretty low. And I have very hard water with plenty of sediment in it. I just wish I had a pan underneath it for when it finally rusts out. The next water heater will have one for sure!