How often should you replace your water heater's anode rod?
Grumpty's answer
Every 48 months
Why bother
The rod rusts so the tank doesn't. Spent, and the tank's next. This is an essentials-tier job. Skip it and you're inviting the expensive kind of problem, or the dangerous kind.
Why it's a range
Hard water and a softener both eat the rod faster, so check it at three years and you'll learn your own house's pace. Four to five years is the usual span. Nobody sells you an anode rod, which is roughly why nobody mentions it.
When to start thinking about it
Give yourself about 14 days' notice. That's when Grumpty starts grumbling, so it doesn't land on you the day it's due. Mark it done and Grumpty sets the next one, every 48 months, so you can go back to forgetting it exists.
Let Grumpty remember it for you
Add it once. Grumpty tracks the date, grumbles when it's due, and rolls it forward the moment you mark it done. No spreadsheets, no sticky notes, no forgetting.
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