FatCap Senior Member Joined: 6 Feb 2003 Posts: 22 Location: England Expertise: Beginner
Espresso: ECM Raffaello Grinder: Iberital Vac Pot: no Drip: Krups
Posted Thu Mar 5, 2009, 3:28pm Subject: Servicing My ECM Raffaello
Hi All,
Its been a while since I posted on here, but I need some help!!
My ECM Raffaello 1 grp auto has I'm afraid to say been sitting neglected for 18 months!! It got scaled up and I could not afford the £450 to have it serviced. Well time has moved on and I still can't / don't want to afford the proffessional service, so I bought all of the spare parts I needed (about £60) and I am having a go myself!
I am therefore appealing to any other Geeks out there who have serviced (including a boiler out and de-scale) for help.
So far, I have managed to dismantle the machine - group out and in bits, steam and hot water valves and pipes out and in bits and the boiler is out. Now to my immediate problem; I cannot get the heating element out of the boiler! I have tried everything I can think of and it will not budge. This is not being helped by the fact that the last person to work on this machine seems to have used silicone sealant on this element!
Oh for info, it is a 2100Kw element that is threaded into the boiler, it seems to be made of brass (or something similar) and my boiler looks like stainless steel.
Anyone with any ideas on how to get this sucker out?
FatCap Senior Member Joined: 6 Feb 2003 Posts: 22 Location: England Expertise: Beginner
Espresso: ECM Raffaello Grinder: Iberital Vac Pot: no Drip: Krups
Posted Sat Mar 7, 2009, 5:56pm Subject: Re: Servicing My ECM Raffaello
Hi All,
Thanks JW for the reply it was useful.
To update, have now managed to remove the heater - went out and bought a jumbo socket that fitted the element, used a strap wrench on the boiler and a very long rachet handle and that did the trick!
So I have now descaled it; I must have made the acid up a bit too strong as it took the nickle plating off the boiler!!!! Its now a nice copper colour! Cleaned everything elsr up and have just finished re-assembly.
So tomorrow will be hook up and test; make sure that I have put everything back in the right place and that I have no leaks!
vhovar Senior Member Joined: 9 May 2009 Posts: 4 Location: Illinois Expertise: Pro Barista
Espresso: ECM, Diadema, CMA, Starbucks... Grinder: Rocky Vac Pot: Yama Drip: been called that before Roaster: wok on propane grill
Posted Sat May 9, 2009, 5:59pm Subject: Re: Servicing My ECM Raffaello
Fatcat,
I am also in the process of rebuilding my ECM Rafaello Megaline. One thing I've run into something that I'd like some feedback on. When I removed the heating element I found a black film all over the inside of the boiler and on the heating element. When I rub my finger on the inside of the boiler this black film gets all over my finger. I've started the process of using a descaler but my concern is that I won't be able to get this film off. I'm very curious where it came from. Also, some of the inside that I've been able to clean is down to the copper. Had this been plated over the copper previously?
I've got a couple parts coming this week and then I hope to start my reassemble and give it a try. I did find quite a bit of calcium buildup on the connections that I've been able to clean.
We had used this system at our cafe for almost three years before replacing it with another machine. We really would like to put it back into production.
Any thoughts you might have would be appreciated and I'd love to hear your experience of your rebuild of the ECM.
mhoy Senior Member Joined: 4 Feb 2008 Posts: 174 Location: Sunnyvale, CA Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Elektra T1 Grinder: Baratza Vario Roaster: HotTop KN-8828D
Posted Sun May 10, 2009, 10:10am Subject: Re: Servicing My ECM Raffaello
vhovar Said:
Fatcat,
I am also in the process of rebuilding my ECM Rafaello Megaline. One thing I've run into something that I'd like some feedback on. When I removed the heating element I found a black film all over the inside of the boiler and on the heating element. When I rub my finger on the inside of the boiler this black film gets all over my finger. I've started the process of using a descaler but my concern is that I won't be able to get this film off.
Different water leaves different scale, I also had black scale in my Elektra T1 that was a bear to remove. I soaked the entire boiler for a week in a citric acid bath and as often as I could I would take a gallon out, warm it in the microwave and pour it back into the boiler.
The Elektra T1/A3 boiler only has relatively tiny access through the various mount points (such as heater element, various probes, steam pipe, etc). So getting in there to mechanically remove stuff wasn't possible.
Patience will get you there, no need to rush. I was very pleased using citric acid as it's fairly weak and being new at this I didn't want to either burn a hold in my boiler, or myself, kids, floor, etc. :-)
vhovar Senior Member Joined: 9 May 2009 Posts: 4 Location: Illinois Expertise: Pro Barista
Espresso: ECM, Diadema, CMA, Starbucks... Grinder: Rocky Vac Pot: Yama Drip: been called that before Roaster: wok on propane grill
Posted Mon May 11, 2009, 6:24pm Subject: Re: Servicing My ECM Raffaello
Thanks for the encouragement. I finally started the process yesterday and am already pretty impressed that things are coming clean. I actually think I'll have it cleaned in another day by going through the process again. I also found my MAJOR blockage that originally caused me to take this machine out of service at our cafe. I really don't even see how it was forcing water through this thing. I found that the elbow on the outlet for the HX was totally clogged. I could barely force any water through it by blowing air through the input side.
Now I just need a bit of patience putting things back together so I'm positive all parts are as clean and clear as I can get them. I'm pretty excited to see what this thing will do now. Who knows how long it had been blocked like this.
mhoy Senior Member Joined: 4 Feb 2008 Posts: 174 Location: Sunnyvale, CA Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Elektra T1 Grinder: Baratza Vario Roaster: HotTop KN-8828D
Posted Sun May 17, 2009, 10:44am Subject: Re: Servicing My ECM Raffaello
Tearing apart my used machine and rebuilding it REALLY gave me the incentive to put a water softener into my home for the kitchen area. Now the espresso machine and fridge have soft water. Once our kitchen remodel happens, a convection/steam oven will also have a soft water supply.
lhaust Junior Member Joined: 5 Nov 2009 Posts: 1 Location: Toronto Expertise: Just starting
Posted Thu Nov 5, 2009, 7:30pm Subject: Re: Servicing My ECM Raffaello
This is probably out of place but I'm looking at a used ECM Raffaello A1 for $950 Canadian dollars as my first espresso machines and I'm wondering if you are all happy with yours and if you'd recommend it. Thanks.
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