OP here -- interesting commentary! Rincon, I don't use tape -- I use a little TPE paste. And Howard, there is no electric element -- just gas. I bet this is an aluminum rod -- this was the original rod, as Old Biscuit figured out.
Does it make sense to change it to a magnesium rod? Or just leave well enough alone? The water smells good, the water heater works great. And I tried rinsing out the sediment with a long brass nozzle on my hose -- I got pretty wet, and did a lot of rinsing, but there was no sediment that I could see.
On the other hand, the few times I have rinsed the sediment on my stick-house water heater, we have gotten a whole rock-garden full of big chunky crystals, since our city water is so full of minerals.
