A2. Not every anode rod that you buy from the local market may fit with your heater. Some may belong while some of them may just be short. To be fair, the anode rod may just be a bit shorter than the length of your water heater. So you need to be specific about the rod length that you choose. However, if you have to cut it, just make sure that you are doing it with a hacksaw and then cut out the extra length accordingly.