I recently had an oil fired water heater installed and have been getting some kind of gas in the line ever since. I replaced the magnesium anode rods with aluminum ones and have the same problem( the magnesium rods had a lot of corrosion after 1 month). I have been hearing a popping noise from within the water heater and pulled the anode rod (2 weeks old). There was a white build up on the rod which continued to pop as the rod cooled. There is no smell to the water. I do have a water softener which uses potassium to soften my well water.

Is this something I should be worried about or is it the combination of the well water and the anode rods? Is there anything I can do to fix this?

Thanks
David Dukoff

Hi David,
Before I went much farther I would get the well water checked to see if I had "corrosive water'. Something in your water's reacting with the anode rod.
Let me know what they find. Tom