Can the Anode Rod be striped and decontminated and put back in effectively ?
The rods have an outer material that corrodes away until there is just a center “wire” that remains so there is no real way to restore them. However, removing for inspection and reinstalling them (if they are still serviceable) is generally okay. The rods are fairly inexpensive if they are
not they type combined with hot water outlet.
No, the anode rod will be eaten away by hard water. It must be replaced. The anode rod is sacrificial. It takes about five years for it to be corroded away - about the same amount of time as the warranty. Shocking!