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Mssr. Pense: All water heaters in this country have a sacrificial anodes inside. They are placed there by the manufacturers to protect the inside of the tank from pin hole leak failures during the warranty period. They are so effective, that if you remove the anode, the warranty is void.
Sacrificial anodes are used to protect buried steel gas and water
lines from corrosive attack.
Steel bridges..oil wells and ships also use the Sacrificial anode concept to protect against premature failure from corrosion.
This same protection is some times called “Cathodic Protection”
The part being protected is the “Cathode” and the sacrificial metal is the “Anode.”
Different types of metals are used for different applications..
Zinc is used primarily for the protection of steel piping.
Magnesium is the metal of choice for the protection of water heater tanks and piping that comes in contact with potable water supplies.
Sacrificial anodes can be either passive or active. The water heater anode is a passive type. Active anodes have a Positive DC voltage applied to it,to excellerate or increase its’ effectiveness.
Akmed
