Anode rod almost gone

[rickst29]

Originally Posted by Deb Mac

... New anode and a rinsing wand are coming, so next week I'll clean the threads (looks like some of the original thread seal is still in there - Rectorseal? - or just hardened sediment), flush the inside and put it all back together.

I'd try and reach back to those 'inner' threads with a cheap steak knife, sacrificed for this purpose with by bending the the blade end to angle at 90% from the rest of the blade. Gently clean off the remaining "stuff" to leave the threads clean, But don't press too hard (creating cuts, scratches, or distortion in the threads themselves).

I have used only 3-4 turns of teflon tape in my own anode rod changes, rather than creating possible issues with hardening pastes. That worked well.

[Deb Mac]

Originally Posted by rickst29

I'd try and reach back to those 'inner' threads with a cheap steak knife, sacrificed for this purpose with by bending the the blade end to angle at 90% from the rest of the blade. Gently clean off the remaining "stuff" to leave the threads clean, But don't press too hard (creating cuts, scratches, or distortion in the threads themselves).

I have used only 3-4 turns of teflon tape in my own anode rod changes, rather than creating possible issues with hardening pastes. That worked well.

I have a small wire brush but it might not be enough to remove that caked on “whatever” from those threads. Certain that I can find a knife to convert to “mung” removal. I also have a couple of dental scalers that are no use for dentistry anymore, but make nice little fine picking tools!
My preference would be teflon tape too. Rectorseal or loctite could make it harder to remove and leave bits behind.

[rickst29]

Originally Posted by Deb Mac

I have a small wire brush but it might not be enough to remove that caked on “whatever” from those threads. Certain that I can find a knife to convert to “mung” removal. I also have a couple of dental scalers that are no use for dentistry anymore, but make nice little fine picking tools!
My preference would be teflon tape too. Rectorseal or loctite could make it harder to remove and leave bits behind.

Thanks for the new reply. The last 1/2" or so of an everyday steak knife is typically not serrated. Most cheap ones can be bent into a curve shape near the end, so that the ending point can be angled into the threads. (A lot of good ones will crack, rather than bend -- use a low quality "dollar store" steak knife for this job.) The angle doesn't need to be sharp, there's room (along the diameter of the socket, where you later insert the new anode rod assembly) to make a smooth curve into the pointed end.

The resulting angle won't be perfect. You'll first want to work at the 'flat' of the furthest thread with gunk, and then switch to a slightly different angle for the 'flat leading into the next peak.

Dental pick tools can also do a good job. A wire brush, in contrast, will tend to damage the peaks of the threads, with less accuracy in scraping the angled sides. The bottom probably won't be as clean, either.

Definltely avoid loctite here, because loctite is not made for sealing against water leakage with later removal. Teflon tape is safe for water (even drinking water) and avoids issues with future removal.

[Wavery]

Originally Posted by Deb Mac

I have a small wire brush but it might not be enough to remove that caked on “whatever” from those threads. Certain that I can find a knife to convert to “mung” removal. I also have a couple of dental scalers that are no use for dentistry anymore, but make nice little fine picking tools!
My preference would be teflon tape too. Rectorseal or loctite could make it harder to remove and leave bits behind.

Actually, blue Loctite won't make it harder to remove.

The reason that these bungs are hard to remove is because they are pipe threads. As we all know, pipe threads are tapered and water tries to find it's way down the thread voids. As it does, it caries sediment that hardens into mineral crystals that are very hard and they form a dam that prevents water getting past. In doing so, those crystals become an obstacle that fights against any movement of the bung and the harder one tries to force that bung to move, the more tightly packed those crystals become.

That's why using a breaker bar is a bad idea when trying to remove the bung. An impact wrench works well because it pulverizes the crystals and makes the bung movable.

Anyway, Blue Loctite or teflon tape work well at sealing the void between the threads so that mineral deposits cannot form in the first place. That's why your was easy to remove.