Nate Nagel wrote:
Anyone know a place (or better yet, a hardware store chain) that carries
magnesium water heater anodes? Only places I've found them were online
from Rheem/Ruud (almost $100 each!) and waterheaterrescue.com. Only
other ones I've found have been aluminum (which I understand does not
protect the tank as well as magnesium) and/or very short, intended for
RV water heaters. Oddly, there's plenty of the latter available.

I already placed an order with waterheaterrescue.com for two, but still
the bill was about $130. It's almost not worth keeping an old water
heater going at that price; one part fails in the next 6-7 years and
I'll be kicking myself for not just buying a new heater, even though the
old one is kicking out plenty of BTUs. I can get a GE 40 gal. gas
heater from Home Despot for under $400; I'm sure there are better deals
out there from better stores.

nate

Our local real supply house has them. I think they are in the $25 range.