Anode Rod – Is it TOO Late?

Good day,

About three years ago I replaced the anode rod of my 5-7 year old oil-fired hot water heater. I was getting discoloured brown water coming out of all hot water faucets and no amount of draining/flushing would releave the problem. After replacing the anode rod (which was completely comsumed) the water discolouration did not improve, so I replaced the tank.

The problem has re-surfaced with the newer tank.

I am getting brownish water out of my hot water faucets again. I tried the drain/flush process, which yielded no positive results, so I assume that the brownish water is a result of tank rust. Would it be a waste of time and money to try and replace the anode rod again, or should I just bit the bullet and replace the tank AGAIN?

It’s my observation that the rust in the water seems to be a flag to replace the tank; that anode rod has long since been depleted and replacing the rod will serve no useful purpose. Would you agree on this observation?

I would think I should get more than 3 years out of a hot water tank? I know no one that drains/flushes their tank on a regular basis, let alone replace their anode rod?

By the way, I have no water softeners on my system that may shorten the lifespan of the tank.

Thanks,

– Joe