[hayden55]

I'm blown away you can get humidity above normal and need to use a humidifier in the winter. The acceptable range for me is around 35-55%. House typically sits around 30% even. Besides being hot and/or muggy above, I feel like im gonna die in the winter from lack of humidity.
Speaking of those electric heating elements. I just replaced the sacrifical rod on my water heater of 18 years. It was half way broken off and 3/4 of the total rod was gone! You could see the inner anode wire in most spots.
I assume the broken off piece will be in the water heater until it dies but no big deal lol.
My natural gas unit seems to be doing good. I endoscoped it and it was pretty clean, had a bit of muck on the inside walls so yum. A bit if sediment and rod flakes at the bottom but maybe a couple mm's. Went ahead and flushed it well, did a soak with vinegar, wire brushed all the threads and connections, and ordered a new 0.9" thick magnesium rod like the original. Trim to fit for $33 and i will have a full 40" rod of connection and not like 1/3 thickness of 23" with galvanic corrosion insulating the threaded connections every where. Maybe it will go 18 more years. NG water heaters seem to be pretty simple and repairable.
I also made a NASA grade R-19 water heater blanket and hat for it. Its almost 3 feet round now lol. I wonder if my extreme case of insulation will help much. I think the water heater bare is r-16. My insulation at actual fluff is around R17-R18. So possibly R33ish total now.