Hi,
This past weekend I checked the anode rod for a GE electric water heater. I
noticed that it was encased in a varnish-like material that I was able to
scrape off.
I replaced the rod after scraping/filing, to reveal bright metal.
Nevertheless, I wonder about this material, which presumably acts like an
insulator.

Is this covering normal? Should I be periodically scraping this material
off?

thanks in advance.

bob