Can You Electro Too Long?

[Russell Ware]

I'm cleaning a very rusty piece of CI. I'm not expecting a collector piece, but it is of interest to me. I know it is going to take a while in the electro. Aside from high electric bills, can physical harm be done to a piece if left in the tank for an extended period? What kind of damage can electrolysis inflict on CI?

[Cheryl Watson]

I have not observed any damage at all, and would not expect to.

unless....

- arcing occurs due to a loose connection

- a piece remains submerged in the electrolyte solution WITHOUT the charger running.  (IE... turning it off to go to bed, and not removing the piece from the soup).

[Marge Knowles]

I only "cook" in the electro tank during daytime.  have always left piece submerged after I turn off the charger.  never had issues.

[Cheryl Watson]

Other people have had issues when leaving the item in the electro without active current flow.

What appeared to be possible Galvanic corrosion.
It's not pretty.
So I always remove a piece when I turn the charger off, rather than risk it.

[Marge Knowles]

Hmmmmmmm.  guess I have been lucky, then! better be changing my ways. 

[Jeff Friend]

The problem isn't not having active current flow.  It is having active current flow in the wrong direction.  If the utensil becomes the anode, you are going to have trouble.  All you have to do is disconnect one of the leads and the circuit is broken.

In my experience, I have had no corrosion occur when I left a pan hanging in the electrolyte.  If you are maintaining your electrolyte, the pH should be high enough that your piece is "passive" and will not corrode, just like a pan that sits in a lye bath for a year or two.

[Marge Knowles]

I always unplugged the charger when I was not using it.

[Jeff Friend]

Unplugging the charger is a good idea, but it doesn't break the circuit that the utensil and anode are a part of.  The 120-volt side of the transformer is the primary.  The 12-volt side is the secondary.  You need to disconnect either the pan or the anode from the charger to break the secondary circuit.

[Paul Beer]

I leave items in and have not had any problems. Overnight or longer. Don't unplug the charger or remove the contacts.
Iron seems to do just fine and I figure it keeps more rust from forming.

[C. Perry Rapier]

I leave items in and have not had any problems. Overnight or longer. Don't unplug the charger or remove the contacts.
Iron seems to do just fine and I figure it keeps more rust from forming.

I totally agree with Paul here. I do the same thing. The solution protects the piece. If you take it out and then gonna finish it later, it will be more rusted when you come back to it, whether it's a day later or a week later.