Rheem Marathon, no anode rod

**Woodenshoe** · 04-22-2009, 05:56 AM

I am almost positive that my hot water heater is going south(12+yrs old) and it is the culprit of creating H2S on the hot water side that damage my copper coils in my A/C unit.

I have extrmely hard water and no softener yet, working on it.

I looked at the rheem marathon hot water heater that is made from a blow molded,polybuthene tank that is corrosion free and because it is plastic it als o eliminates the need of an anode rod.

These units are pricey and I was wondering if anybody had any experience with these hot water heaters before I buy and install one

Ron

**Cass** · 04-22-2009, 06:05 AM

All I know about them is the replacement elements are very expensive...unless you are planning on staying there another 10 years it may not be worth the added expense...

Also you will need a softner or the unit will fill with sedement...

**Woodenshoe** · 04-22-2009, 07:02 AM

Thanks for the quick reply Cas.
I will probably get a softener from Gary and install that first before the new waterheater.
I'm planning on staying here forever

so it might be worth the expense.I will research a little more or maybe someone else has more experiences with them.
Also my neighbour is a retired Rheem HVAC installer, maybe I can order through him for wholesale

Although it probably won't give you warranty if you installed it yourself

Ron

hj · 04-24-2009, 06:45 AM

How would H2S in the hot water affect your AC coils? The Marathon heater will not last a lifetime, they will just keep giving you new heaters every time it goes bad. The tank may not fail, but the connections into the tank usually go bad, and they are not repairable.

**Woodenshoe** · 04-27-2009, 05:04 AM

Originally Posted by hj

How would H2S in the hot water affect your AC coils? The Marathon heater will not last a lifetime, they will just keep giving you new heaters every time it goes bad. The tank may not fail, but the connections into the tank usually go bad, and they are not repairable.

The old A/C unit was replaced and the installer informed me that the coils where probably eaten up by the sulphur(gasses) in the well water

**Cass** · 04-27-2009, 05:11 AM

How was well water getting to your A/C coils ????????????

hj · 04-27-2009, 06:34 AM

And what did that have to do with the water heater? Just washing the coils with hot water would not have damaged them.

**Woodenshoe** · 04-27-2009, 11:17 AM

I am not exactly sure but I assume that he ment when taking showers or baths the gasses would go through the ac vent back into the unit when running

Doe that make any sense or was he just talking out of his ass?
He installer is a neighbour down the street and he has been in the business for a long time in the area.

**jadnashua** · 04-27-2009, 11:48 AM

In theory, it's not a good idea to have things that output clorine or probably multiple other gasses present in either air-handling or burning devices. In the presence of moisture and heat, they can create acids. Just like you really don't want your dryer vent exhausting near your heater air inlet. Probably not a big deal, but under just the right circumstances, could lead to early failure.

**Woodenshoe** · 04-27-2009, 11:58 AM

My AC/inlet is right there where the washer/dryer/HWH and a bathroom is

**master plumber mark** · 04-27-2009, 06:26 PM

the are not worth the money..

I cant sell them for cost to my customers...
..

and they will still fill up with sediment and still need service

just get a normal one with heavy duty elements
for under half the price,
and it will most likely last 12 years or more

Also,
I think your furnace man is blowing smoke up your ass