Rust-colored water now and then isn't necessarily a death sentence for your tank. Have you checked the anode rod lately? Sometimes just swapping that out clears things up... might save you from jumping straight to powered anodes or replacing the whole unit.
Had a similar issue last year—rusty water popping up randomly. Pulled the anode rod and sure enough, it was almost completely eaten away. Replaced it myself (pretty straightforward job), and the water cleared up within days. Definitely worth checking before shelling out for a new heater.
Yep, the anode rod is usually the culprit—it's basically the hero that sacrifices itself to save your heater from rust. Had a customer once who swore their water heater was possessed because it'd randomly spit out rusty water at the weirdest times (usually when guests were visiting, of course). Pulled out the anode rod, and it looked like it'd been chewed on by a T-Rex. Swapped it out, gave it a few days, and boom, crystal clear water again. Definitely cheaper than replacing the whole heater. Plus, you get to feel like MacGyver for an afternoon...bonus points if you hum the theme song while doing it.
Had a similar situation last year—water heater was probably 9 or 10 years old and started spitting rust flakes whenever my in-laws visited (perfect timing, right?). Checked the anode rod, and yeah, it was basically gone. Replaced it myself, which wasn't too bad, honestly... hardest part was breaking loose the old rod. Been working fine since, so definitely worth trying before dropping cash on a new heater.
"Been working fine since, so definitely worth trying before dropping cash on a new heater."
Fair point, but at 9 or 10 years old, even if you replace the anode rod, your tank's probably on borrowed time. Seen plenty of heaters start leaking shortly after a quick fix. I'd keep an eye on it—especially if you've got important company visiting again soon. Better safe than sorry...
