INDIANAPOLIS — Welcome to this guide on an often overlooked but crucial component of your water heater tank: the anode rod. In my last Home Zone, we discussed the importance of flushing your hot water ...

While we often take them for granted, a water heater is among the most important appliances in any home and is essential for daily tasks like showering, general cleanup, and doing dishes and laundry.

Nearly every building has a water heater. While many are operated by resistance-type heating elements, the majority of them are gas fired. That sheet metal cylinder you see conceals thermal insulation ...

Q Why, when we are gone for several days and not using hot water, does a gray-purple fine sediment discolor the hot water? The less water used, the darker it gets. One salesman told us that we needed ...

Q: Recently, you wrote about replacing a water heater’s drain valve. A friend told us that we should also check the anode rod. Is this worth checking? If so, how do we do that? A: An anode rod is a ...