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Just when you think nothing else can go wrong

PostPosted: Thu Aug 25, 2016 8:21 am
by motoman
After not being able to use La Valentine due to a micro switch problem, I am at last expecting the arrival of the replacement (which I had to pay for). I celebrated the news yesterday with a double roast, well that was the plan. the first roast went well, nice colour onward we go. Just over halfway through the second session Huky's drum stopped turning, no warning, d.e.d. dead. I turned off the gas and found out how difficult it is the empty a static drum when everything is just over 200C. Short time gap to save your delicate ears from my gentle comments........... On the positive side, black shiny beans look very attractive.................
When both I and Huky cooled down I discovered the problem, the 12 volt lead to the motor had touched the outer casing, it had melted then blown. I cut out the damaged section, spliced and taped it up. All working again.
Anyone want to buy 300 grams of shiny shiny black beads?

Re: Just when you think nothing else can go wrong

PostPosted: Thu Aug 25, 2016 4:43 pm
by bruceb
Main thing, it's working again. Black beans are popular in Mexico, but I'm not sure that's the same thing. I'm still using my HotTop because no one seems to have time to come and fix my big roaster for me and I'm too lazy...ermm, too busy.
Really like the HotTop.

Re: Just when you think nothing else can go wrong

PostPosted: Tue Aug 30, 2016 10:14 am
by motoman
It goes on, I get the micro switch working............................. put the machine back together, fill the tank, green light on, element starts to heat up. I should be happy....................
NO! now the bloody pump has packed up so no water going in to boiler. Strip down again, look grimly at the exposed parts, speak nicely to it and get totally ignored.

While I am working on my suicide note, had anyone got any good ideas?

Re: Just when you think nothing else can go wrong

PostPosted: Tue Aug 30, 2016 5:11 pm
by motoman
This is what is happening, I switch on the machine, the lights come on and the element heats up, all is good. Then, after a couple of days, I switch on the power (red) light comes on but the Green light just flickers once then goes off. If I am lucky I can manipulate the water tank to click the micro switch on and off, after a few tries it works again for a couple of days. Then again the green light flickers and no amount of manipulating the switch will make it pump and heat up. This is with both the old and new micro switch. Strangely enough the pump works if I lift the E61 Lever but the element still does not heat up.
So now I know it is not the Micro Switch but an intermittent fault, possibly in the pump or heating circuit. My knowledge of electric string and its magic properties is somewhat limited by sheer ignorance. Resorting to violence and a hammer are possibly counter productive. The fact that it does work at times shows that it is curable but my lack of expertise show that I am not the one to poke around the insides with any hope.
I am reluctant to send it back to Coffee Passion, last time it came back with external parts from someone else's machine who had not shown a lot of TLC.

Any advice, insults, derisive comments and sympathy gratefully received.