Cleaning Hot Water Tank Anode Port

[grumpy0374]

If just cleaning the threads...
Go to a gun shop and buy a 12 guage stainless steel bore brush, or any large caliber bore brush.
Chuck it into your drill and clean away. Will take off any rust and crud build up in the threads.
Rinse the tank out and your good to go.
Grumpy

[polishapple]

I had ate up two mag rods in a month since switching to alum, there very little wear on the anode.

[LTRVing]

Ok, I did get the tap and once we got far enough South to de-winterize, I very carefully started the tap by hand, only a turn or two once I was confident I wasn't cross treading it. Backed it out, cleaned off the rust with some WD-40, back in by hand adding an extra 1/2 turn. Once I got about 3 turns on the die, it started to go very easily, still cleaning and adding a 1/2 turn at a time. I believe, knowing how far my anode rod used to install 3 or 4 threads was probably all it was inserted. I needed to use a wrench to keep turning, but only because I couldn't still turn it with my fingers. Probably cleaned up 5 threads or so.

I cleaned the threads as best as I could and the added Teflon tape to the anode rod, it screwed in easily and straight, much better then any previous installation. Perfect, no leaks.

I agree that caution is warranted doing this, but I think that my threads were rusty and a bit buggered up, this really cleaned up the threads and made inserting the anode rod a snap. Will look into some grease to help minimize rusting in the future.

[carlsbad]

Originally Posted by Bnrc73

I use the wire brush on my Dremel. Spray it with a little wd40 and apply a little pressure. Then flush several times so the rust filings you cleaned up do not plug you water pump filter. Works great.

X2!

Low rpm. Just clean it off and flush it well.