my last one ate up the rod in 5 years.I cant get this rod out,thinkong about hiring a plumber,let him break something,Any thoughts?
They do come out hard, but save yourself a bit of money if you are willing. First thing is soak it with a penetrating spray for a few days [I like Blaster but there are other good pruducts out there]. Make sure you have the right size Deepwell socket [I believe it is 1 1/16” six point ] a impact socket is best. If you don’t have an 1/2 electric impact wrench either buy one [very inexpensive at Harbor Freight online] or rent one from Home Depot. They are very handy to have for changing tires and whatnot. It is very difficult to use a breaker bar and socket because the water tank wants to move when you apply leverage to the anode and the tank is hard to hold still. That is why the impact wrench is the best tool, all the force of the hammering action is directly on the socket. It may take a few minutes of hammering but it will eventually break the anode free.Make sure you get a six not twelve point socket they won’t strip out. Here is a utube vid from This Old House Good luck.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IUNIUZz4Os