Water Heater Elements

[thatguy]

I want to buy two extra water heater elements to have on hand incase they go out at an inconvenient time..

Are their generic elements I can buy at Lowes/home depot? its 240V - 4500 Watts screw in type..

My water heater is an AO Smith "low-boy 50 gallon tank.. I have a parts number that crossed referenced to another part number from the AO Smith parts site. I googled the second number and it pretty much refers me to online stores that only sell AO Smith heater parts.. Part number is 9000095015

Just wondering..

Brian

 

[Inspector507]

I want to buy two extra water heater elements to have on hand incase they go out at an inconvenient time..

Are their generic elements I can buy at Lowes/home depot? its 240V - 4500 Watts screw in type..

My water heater is an AO Smith "low-boy 50 gallon tank.. I have a parts number that crossed referenced to another part number from the AO Smith parts site. I googled the second number and it pretty much refers me to online stores that only sell AO Smith heater parts.. Part number is 9000095015

Just wondering..

Brian

The ones I had to replace were generic screw in type elements. Sure is nice to have an element wrench to do it too.

 

[SARG]

Your post caught my eye because I replaced mine today ....... just as we do every six months. My heater uses the same rods as yours and I keep them stocked ahead ......... I get them at the local Ace Hardware because they are better than what I saw at Lowes or Home Depot.

 

[thatguy]

Educate me how to tell the 'better' element..

did the store cross reference the element for you OR are they an AO Smith dealer?

What did you pay for them?

brian

Your post caught my eye because I replaced mine today ....... just as we do every six months. My heater uses the same rods as yours and I keep them stocked ahead ......... I get them at the local Ace Hardware because they are better than what I saw at Lowes or Home Depot.

 

[20 20]

Your post caught my eye because I replaced mine today ....... just as we do every six months. .

every 6mths mine as been going for 3+ yrs now. I have been planing to change them, or atleast have them on hand. Why such a short time between replace?

 

[SARG]

thatguy : Elements are pretty much standardized within several configurations. I'm too lazy to walk out to the garage and look at the "brand" but they were between $11-$12 each and I have been using the same ones for a couple decades. They are chromed (or plated) and the thread machining appears to be superior to those I looked at from the box stores.
All you need to be concerned about is the type i.e. screw in or bolt on ... the wattage ...the voltage and the length.

20-20 : We have hard well water .... and if I do not clean the tank about every six months the white mineral deposits will be over the bottom rod.... so while I'm in there I just replace the rods.

 

[Kays Supply]

State Industrys makes an element called a " Sand Hog", it will outlast your heater. They are made from the same material as your cook top element, a black tint. It will burn out of water and not burn out. A standard element will blow like a light bulb if powered up out of water. There a many other brands that are like the Sand Hog, but under different labels. I only use the Sand Hog type elements when replacing . AO Smith has their version available in the heater ,new out of the box, for few bucks more.

 

[20 20]

Sarg; I also have hard water and usually flush the tank twice a yr{every 6mths} I quess it's time to get some elements, those sand hogs sound like they'd be tougher then others???

 

[SARG]

The crap that gets in our tank would definitely not "flush" out through the bottom. Gotta pull the rod and use a wet vac with a length of heater hose attached to get the deposits out.

I have no opinion on the sand hog rods. Never heard anything about them.

Why would you care if the rod "burns out of water" when the only way that could happen is called a "screw up".

But I do know that there are folks that sell solutions to problems that you didn't even know you had......... They sorta create their own market.

 

[hawkeye08]

Often, the anode rod is gone (sacrificial rod that usually screws into top of water heater). When this rod is gone, the water heater life is shortened.

Here is an article about it (google water heater anode rod).

Sacrificial Anodes: What keeps water heaters from rusting out

 

[kenmac]

Often, the anode rod is gone (sacrificial rod that usually screws into top of water heater). When this rod is gone, the water heater life is shortened.

Here is an article about it (google water heater anode rod).

Sacrificial Anodes: What keeps water heaters from rusting out

That also determines the tank warranty. The size & or how many anode rods are installed.

 

[SARG]

I have never replaced one of those rods but have been told replacements can be purchased. Usually by the time the anode rod is used up ... I just replace the heater because all the fittings.. the check valve ... the water tank etc is due for a change. Historically our heaters have been replaced about every ten years.

Messing with this sort of stuff in February here in the northeast is not on my fun list.

 

[Paystar]

Sarge, I know what you're saying. I know when mine goes.....you'll be taking a shower and run out of hot water way sooner than normal. Take the bottom element out, and sure enough it is buried in white sediment. And like you say, no amount of flushing gets it out. I do the same as you....shop vac with various homemade ends to get in the tank and all kinds of scraping devises to dig the tank out. It's a pain in the but, but I prefer to do this over getting a water softener. Everytime I shower somewhere that has a water softener it feels like you can't rinse the soap off. I hate that.

 

[Gator6x4]

I like the Plumber Pack at Home Depot. The pack contains the upper and lower elements as well as the upper and lower thermostats. The pack was cheaper cost wise than purchasing the two elements seperately.

 

[CurlyDave]

At my home in the SF Bay Area, I kept a gas fired hot water tank going for 20 years by changing the sacrificial anode every 5 years.

The only reason the tank quit working was that the house burned down (not from a problem with the water heater).

 

[thatguy]

I picked up 2 elements tonite at Lowes - These were stainless steel ($20 each) and the packaging said they handled deposits and burning out better than the others ones ($10 each).. The $20 were definately heavier than the other ones..

Did I waste my money on the $20 ones?

I also got a wrench..

I figured it was cheap insurance - I remember my parents water heater going out only twice - both times was on a holiday when the stores were closed

Brian

 

[Travelover]

At my home in the SF Bay Area, I kept a gas fired hot water tank going for 20 years by changing the sacrificial anode every 5 years.

The only reason the tank quit working was that the house burned down (not from a problem with the water heater).

My hot water started to stink , so I removed my anode. That was 20 years ago and the gas water heater still works fine.

 

[timswi]

I picked up 2 elements tonite at Lowes - These were stainless steel ($20 each) and the packaging said they handled deposits and burning out better than the others ones ($10 each).. The $20 were definately heavier than the other ones..

Did I waste my money on the $20 ones?

I also got a wrench..

I figured it was cheap insurance - I remember my parents water heater going out only twice - both times was on a holiday when the stores were closed

Brian

I've used the stainless ones and they do seem to last much longer. Money NOT wasted IMHO.

 

[SARG]

No waste if you feel better about it. Kinda like buying a "better" oil filter for your tractor.

Preventative maintenance is a good thing. Water heaters work ..... "Until they don't" .... and I prefer mine doesn't croak in February.

A friend advised once that water treatment systems i.e. water softeners ..and anode rods don't work well together. He was told to remove it. I don't recall what the chemistry was........ but there was a negative reaction.

THATGUY: Just a suggestion ... I've found that when reassembling the rods into the heater after wiping the thread area good and making sure that the area where the gasket seats is clean ..... just a dab of vaseline on the gaskets allows them to seat better. And make sure the original gaskets come off with the old rods.

 

[buntrock]

Just a note I live in an area that has really hard water!I used to replace my water heater elements more often than I wanted, water heater in kitchen very inconvient.My brother and neighbor swore by Sand Hog elements.I bought a couple and although they cost a little more they last a long time.I haven't changed them in over five years!