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.

Stacy is a journalist and content creator with six years of experience writing about home improvement topics. Besides Forbes Home she has contributed her work and expertise to publications such as ...

: 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 ...

Q. Regarding your recent article, I also have a rotten egg smell in my hot water caused by a new water heater. When I contacted the manufacturer, it mentioned that removing the anode rod would ...

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 ...