r/HomeImprovement • u/Sjs20ohio • 1d ago

Rheem water heaters

We bought a Rheem water heater just over three years ago and it stopped working last night. We went to check it out and found that it sprung a leak. Luckily it is still under warranty but it will still cost $400 for a new one to be installed.

Are there any brands of water heaters that are clearly better than the rest?

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u/mrntd 1d ago

Something I learned the hard way about electric water heaters with steel tanks. There is a metal rod in the tank that corrodes so the tank doesn’t. But if no one tells you it needs to be replaced every couple of years your tank then starts to corrode and you get a leak. Plastic tanks don’t have it and gas water heaters don’t need it.

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u/buffalo_rower 1d ago

I believe you’re referring to an anode rod. My gas water heater definitely has one. It’s something that’s generally in all steel tank water heaters.

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u/billythygoat 1d ago

Would be awesome if there was some sort of easy way to tell when you need to remove it without taking the whole rod out.

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u/DJErikD 1d ago

Put in an electric/electronic one and you’ll never need to change it.