bill
Bill:–Hydrogen Gas is evolved in the corrosion process taking place inside your water heater. By removing the anode rod, the process that is currently eating the sacrificial Magnesium or Aluminum in the anode , will start to disassemble the tank lining. Without an anode to protect the inside of the tank premature failure is a real possibility. When the Hydrogen Gas mentioned joins up with any trace amounts of Sulfur present in the water, Hydrogen Sulphide Gas is produced, and that has the disagreeable odor of rotten eggs. There is also a harmless bacteria that can live very nicely in water up to 145 deg F. and cause a very similar odor problem by a metallic reduction process. Best way to deal with this problem in either event is to allow the hot water to flow at maximum volume into your bathtub until the odor, and the dark color that often accompanies it disappears. If done on a periodic basis, it should do the trick……….Bud.
