Water Softener ruining my hot water tank????

[kskier]

I was wondering if anyone has any info that a water softener caused a hot water tank to prematurely fail? I have had to replace my hot tanks (I have 2)3 times in the last 10 years. I am on normal city water. Someone told me, that if I remove the anod rod in my hot water tank, that will solve the problem. Any help??????

[Skip Wolverton]

I was wondering if anyone has any info that a water softener caused a hot water tank to prematurely fail? I have had to replace my hot tanks (I have 2)3 times in the last 10 years. I am on normal city water. Someone told me, that if I remove the anod rod in my hot water tank, that will solve the problem. Any help??????

I don not recommend you remove the anode rod. It's there to keep the water from eating the tank and causing a leak.

[Wally Hays]

What type of water heater? - gas-oil-electric-indirect-tankless
Manufactured by whom?
Reason tank failed?

[kskier]

gas fired,,,,,,,,,,,,,"State" tank started leaking...50 gallon....65,000 BTU.......someone told me that the water softener will cause the anod rod to corrode twice as fast, which will put more rust in bottom of tank, causing bottom of tank to heat up more than rest of tank causing a leak????Is this right??

[jadnashua]

First off, State is not held here as one of the better brands. Second, you mis-understand the whole purpose of the (sacrificial) anode rod in a WH. That rod is designed to be attacked IN PREFERENCE to the steel of the tank. In a normal situation, that rod often lasts the life of the heater. Checking and replacing the anode rod periodically if dissolved will potentially extend the life of the steel tank (even if it is glass lined). Sacrificial anodes are used everyday on thing like this, steel-hulled ships, buoys, etc. If they are replaced before they are totally eaten up, the ship, buoy, etc., will last a long time...same with a WH. While there may be a little debris left from the annode, it essentially gets eaten up, and there's nothing left to clutter up the bottom of the WH tank.