A water heater's sacrificial anode needs to be electrically bonded to the tank to function. This is accomplished via continuity through the threads by which it is secured.
Knowing this, am I 'missing out' on some protection the anode could give me if my house' plumbing is all pex?
I suppose I shouldn't worry about appliances as their electrical service ground connection and that of my water heater would provide continuity.
Would corrosion be less likely to occur in my metal faucets if they were also bonded to the anode?
If so, is the difference likely minuscule? Or might it be worth a couple feet of thin wire under the counter to go from the ground screw of a nearby outlet to the underside of an expensive faucet?
Best Answer
Metal water pipe isn't grounded to minimize corrosion, it's grounded to protect people in case something goes horribly wrong and the pipe gets energized. With PEX, the pipe is an insulator, so grounding is both effectively impossible and not beneficial.
If you were to ground any water pipe or fixtures, you would tie them to the house ground, not the water heater anode.