Scrapping out a full brine tank

[Elizabeth Greene]

Since we're on plumbing, I have a couple of related questions if that's ok?

1. Anyone here have a heat pump water heater? They are supposedly significantly more energy efficient, and I'd appreciate real-world feedback. My current hot water heater is in our insulated but not climate-controlled Garage. We're in Tennessee, so we have twice or more as many warm days as cold days.

2. For replacing the zincs in a water heater, how do you get them out? Mine don't even budge with my biggest pipe wrench; The whole water heater rotates.