So i just received my Elektra SXC and this thing is sheer beauty.

Previous owner had used some descaling solution in the water tank and some of the chrome inside the tank is gone. It looks really ugly (see photos): brown/black/green. I took a napkin and to my surprise found relatively lots of black/green gunk. I guess that's copper/brass oxidation, but I'm now concerned that this is a potential health hazard as copper is definitely known to be toxic.

Anyone else here had to deal with the same problem? I actually pulled a couple of shots already but I'm somewhat reluctant to taste and drink.

I think I'd be more concerned about ingesting the little chrome flakes that are going to continue to peel off. Get it rechromed & you won't have to worry about it.

There's no safety issue, since both the brass and the chrome are inert. But as John says, flakes are not good. So either rechrome, or alternatively strip it down to the brass.

Just one descale and my Semi Elektra went to brown red - but evenly the whole bottom where the liquid citric acid solution touched. That was 5 years ago. Ugly, but not a problem as far as taste. I did wipe it a few times after my first descale. to get some of that excess loose color out...

It has been a long time since I did my last descale - I use purer water. Not just for less scale - but even more important to prevent that pesky pre-mature pressure stat failure the machine is susceptible to.

My semi was about the same but the chrome seemed to have stablised. As far as I could tell taste wasn't affected and the copper and brass model is all copper inside the tank anyway. Although I am curious as to whether the inside of the SX tank has the same lacquer as on the outside.

It never worried me but if there is the least concern get it re chromed. Be careful with the descaling though.

Edit; Just as an aside I did take mine to the electroplaters once and they said they couldn't do the inside successfully. Elektra use a different process to plate the inside of the tank they said. Never did understand that.

I found an old pic of what mine looked like. Not quite as worn but it was always bright and shiny without the dark stuff coming off. I think I scrubbed it once.

marionyc wrote:...t I'm now concerned that this is a potential health hazard as copper is definitely known to be toxic...

If incidental copper contact was toxic we would all be dead since most machines use copper tubing and copper boilers not to mention the copper pipes in the house. You are more likely to have problems from the lead in the solder that holds all the copper together. Personally I would strip out the chrome so it does not plug up any filters/jets in the machine and not worry about it.

Ok, i guess it sounds like i should remove the rest of chrome plating. Any suggestions how to do this? Shall I use grinding paper and/or some sorts of acid?

Ok, i guess it sounds like i should remove the rest of chrome plating. Any suggestions how to do this? Shall I use grinding paper and/or some sorts of acid?

Well, you can do what I did - a regular citric acid descale solution. You may still have to wipe the inside several times remove some of that sludgy colored 'grime'.

There is a bit of misunderstanding considering chromium. Cr6+ can be nasty stuff, and is known to be carcinogenic. However there is no way that you are going to oxidise this metallic chromium to the +6 state!

(In fact chromium in small amounts is an essential element for life in the Cr3+ state!!!)

There have been cases where industrial activities polluted areas with chromate and dichromate the toxic and carcinogenic ions, so this elevated chromium to one of those "Oh my, ain't it awful elements". It has been suggested that lack of sufficient Cr+3 in diets actually may contribute to type II diabetes. The life time requirement is low, something like a gram or two, if I remember correctly.

You should not throw away your stainless steel things because they contain chromium. It also gets an oxide coat, so it is extremely inert.

Copper is also required for life, but under some conditions you can get too much copper into things consumed. That is why copper cookware is coated.