Flashing lights on an Iberital L'Anna

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Flashing lights on an Iberital L'Anna

Postby earlscroft » Mon Jan 09, 2012 10:37 am

Hi All,

I know the Iberital L'Anna is a popular machine on this forum and I've received some helpful advice in the past and hoped someone could shine some light on a problem I'm experiencing with my Anna.

In the mornings I switch on my machine and wait the 20 minutes for it to get to pressure. More increasingly, I come back to the machine to find all the lights flashing on the control panel. I have always assumed this indicates low water in the tank, but the tank is full.

I've checked the low water indicator wiring and it all seems sound. I have to switch on / off and usually it corrects itself and pressure builds. However, yesterday all my usual efforts didn't work and I had to resort to a stove top.

Does anyone have any ideas?

Thank you

Mark
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RE: Flashing lights on an Iberital L

Postby Aadje » Mon Jan 09, 2012 9:54 pm

Did you check the manual for what the flashing light might mean?
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Postby earlscroft » Mon Jan 09, 2012 11:11 pm

I bought my Anna from Ebay and it didn't come with a manual. I've looked online, but could only find the brochure

http://www.iberitalusa.com/downloads
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Postby Aadje » Tue Jan 10, 2012 7:27 am

iirc, we have some L'Anna users roaming around somewhere . . .
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Postby earlscroft » Tue Jan 10, 2012 8:59 am

Quick update - From cold, when I turn the machine on, the pump comes on for about two minutes then all the control panel lights start to flash and the pump stops.

Any ideas..

Thanks

Mark
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Postby RobC » Wed Jan 11, 2012 12:19 am

Not sure about the L'anna, but most auto fill mechanisms on machines like this work like this:-

Turn on. Electronics check the level probe for water presence in the boiler - generally fill a little whatever to get water level well up the probe.

If within a certain period of time the probe does not register water presence in the boiler machine shuts down and issues visual/audible alert (flashing lights)

This means either your pump is not filling the boiler (if the brew group runs water then the pump must be fine) or your boiler level probe or boiler wall are scaled insulating them and preventing the electronics detecting a clean circuit (the level probe system works by detecting a closed circuit when the water hits the probe - ie open circuit probe has no water, closed circuit - probe has water completing the circuit - it does this by earth connection - boiler is earthed, thus so is the water in it - when the water reaches the probe the probe is earthed as well completing the circuit.

So if your brew group runs OK then the pump must be ok, then remove level probe and clean that, if that does not help descale boiler.
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Postby motoman » Thu Jan 12, 2012 10:37 am

I would point out that all flashing light should be taken down by January the sixth.
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Postby bruceb » Thu Jan 12, 2012 11:20 am

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Postby johnca » Thu Jan 12, 2012 12:54 pm

Sounds like the boiler fill sensor is scaled up or faulty. I'd descale it, also remove any scale from the level probes in the water reservoir and try again. If you operate the pump does it dispense water from the group head? If not pump or non return valves may be faulty
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Postby Aadje » Thu Jan 12, 2012 5:02 pm

motoman wrote:I would point out that all flashing light should be taken down by January the sixth.

Humbug!
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Postby CakeBoy » Sat Jan 14, 2012 11:45 pm

Yup, I concur, Anna flashes all her lights when there is an issue with the boiler level probe or scale. When did you last descale? Clean off the probe first but there may still be a boiler scale issue even if a clean probe works.

A quick check, with the machine switched off disconnect the boiler fill probe spade coupling/wire, then switch on. If the lights stop flashing and the boiler fills, then get cleaning/descaling. Do not run the machine for more than a few seconds with the connector detached as the boiler will overfill!

All operations at your own risk. Don't attempt repairs if you are unsure. Good luck!
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Postby johnca » Mon Jan 16, 2012 11:26 pm

Good advice concisely put .. nice one Cake Boy
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