What do magnesium anodes do?
Most hot water tanks in Australia will feature a magnesium sacrificial anode, sometimes referred to as “soft water anodes”. These anodes “sacrifice” themselves via electrochemical reactions which save the steel elements of a hot water system from corroding instead.
Essentially, the magnesium rod is the anode, while the metal tank is the cathode. This results in a chemical process called “cathodic protection” where your magnesium rod takes all the corrosive damage and your tank is protected from rust. Magnesium anodes should only be removed if they need to be cleaned and/or changed – your hot water tank is vulnerable without one.