Servicing own machine

Equipment, technique, or just drinking the stuff

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RE: Re: RE: Servicing own machine

Postby RobC » Wed Nov 23, 2011 10:17 pm

If it's the hydraulic overpressure valve either screeching or chugging during brewing then pressure is being bleeded out of it, you could strip it down and check the rubber / metal is not worn letting water passed - as really water should only bleed from it in extreme overpressure - Generally these valves consist of a T body, rubber washer to block the outlet exhaust, tension spring and screw on cap to hold it all together - if you strip it down mark on the thread first how far the cap is screwed on - so when you rebuild it you return the same tension - if you screw the cap on too tight it will prevent the valve from working and excess pressure will not be released.
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RE: Re: RE: Servicing own machine

Postby canta_brian » Thu Nov 24, 2011 10:02 am

Thanks again Rob. I will have a look and see what I can work out.
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RE: Re: RE: Servicing own machine

Postby Hipponax » Fri Dec 28, 2012 10:06 pm

Well, i still havent descaled the machine yet (thanks for the instructions tho) but i reckon now that its 4 years even in soft water area with a filter, it probably needs doing - are there any youtube type vids out there, or, IF i got someone to do it for me what would be a reasonable amount to charge? - is there a way of telling whether the boiler is descaled after say putting 10 litres of descaler through (boiler is 3 or 6 litres i think not sure which)

many thanks
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RE: Re: RE: Servicing own machine

Postby Hipponax » Tue Jan 01, 2013 4:56 pm

have just posted this to cake boy who came up wit the solution - Im a bit stuck as there are TWO water level sensors in the ECM Raffaelo -if you detach one all the buttons light up flashing and don't work (perhaps this is the low level one and stops you draining it because it wont let any pumps run? and if you detach the other one, the heating element appears to kick in

I cant find aything on ECM website and the parts catalogue online describe both as water lever sensors but doesnt say which is which.......
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RE: Re: RE: Servicing own machine

Postby Hipponax » Tue Jan 01, 2013 7:26 pm

sorry to keep spamming myself - ive worked out which sensor is which thanks again to cake boy.

now this is where i get a bit confused and I would appreciate an answers.



the ECM comes with two switch positions - both will run the pumps and the hot water tap but the difference between position1 and 2 is that the former has the heating element turned off. I assume the reason in position 1 why the hot water tap stops flowing after a while is because the water is no longer hot enough to force itself up the tap, eg the boiler is still full but now full of cold water?

is this is the case, how does one get descalent up the hot water tap and for that matter through the steam wand?

In conclusion - my machine is push button, has a low and high level sensor and im curious how the descalent not only gets into the boiler, but through the grouphead (E61 type) the steam wand and the hot water tap.

Many thanks

J
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RE: Re: RE: Servicing own machine

Postby CakeBoy » Tue Jan 01, 2013 7:56 pm

Yes that is correct re the switch.

Heat up the machine then switch off. Drain the boiler from the hot water tap. Place the descaler solution in the reservoir (assuming it is a handfill?) and switch on to position 1 (on without heat). It will draw the fluid into the boiler. Once the boiler is full switch to position 2 in order to heat, disconnect the fill sensor and it will begin to overfill. Open the wand a little and eventually fluid will run out. Close the wand. Switch off once heated up, replace the sensor wire and allow time to descale.

Warning, you do so at your own risk. Overfilling a boiler without knowing what you are doing is dangerous. Good luck.
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RE: Re: RE: Servicing own machine

Postby lsjms » Wed Jan 02, 2013 3:44 pm

Spot on Cakeboy....

Personally I just wiggle the fill probe up about an inch to raise the 'tide line' and the steam valve I would remove so it can get a lube and new o-rings. I don't think a steam valve is really serviced by running descale through it.
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update

Postby Hipponax » Wed Jan 02, 2013 10:06 pm

put 15g per litre citric acid - can't get it easily in liverpool as its used to cut heroin by drug dealers but one of the china town shops had it in the end.

Ran it through with the fill sensor removed so steam wand was spitting water out. Also ran the hot water tap and both groups until i could taste citric acid in the ater then left it for 2 hours with the heating element on. I wasnt sure because I had set it to overfill whether there was the potential for the boiler to blow (but i had replaced the overfill sensor at this point, but wanted to run it hot as several websites had suggested getting a faster descale at temperature.

After this and flushing 12 litres of filtered water (mains brita filter) through it the hot water tap stopped looking green and citric acid taste not discernible.

Questions for you all

1) both tea from the hot tap and coffee from the group heads taste completely different even though the water appears to be normal - is this typical and will it settle back to normal? The coffee appears to have lost its chocolately edge and appears quite tart This link http://www.home-barista.com/espresso-ma ... t6355.html suggests that the previous scale has acted like an insulator and perhaps theres a a taste difference due to temperature gradient?

2) This is the first descale i have done on this machine which has been switched on every day for 3 years. Our area has very little mineral content so i wasn't expecting masses of build up. The taste of the coffee has always been good so i don't know if this is just residual citric acid taste.


3) Should i do a quick temperature test to see if there is any major difference - one thing i have noticed is that the heating element comes on and off very quickly now compared to before.


Many thanks

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