calblacksmith Moderator Joined: 25 Nov 2007 Posts: 5,679 Location: Riverside, Ca, U.S.A. Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: ECM Veneziano A1 Grinder: Many different commercial Vac Pot: 40s era Silex Drip: Milita, Bunn&Curtis... Roaster: Cast iron pan, gas burner
Posted Wed Oct 12, 2011, 2:20pm Subject: full Silvia rebuild and minor mod with pics.
I have been looking for a machine for work and I bought a Saeco Aroma from Mike here in the BST forum. Not being able to leave well enough alone, I kept looking and never removed the Saeco from the box. I found this Sylvia on Craigs list as a parts machine. The owners had tried to draw some clear water from it and got white water in place of clear water. They started to take it apart and gave up. I paid them $40 for it and drug it back to work (I was on a work job when I made a detour to buy the machine) I cleaned it up a little (it was VERY nasty) took the covers off and saw that the wires were removed from the boiler. The wires were sitting on the boiler so it looked like I was able to find where each went.
I connected them, filled the boiler with water and let it heat up. The tube for the steam leaked a little and a check showed it was only finger tight. A second later with a wrench and no more leak.
The boiler needs a descale badly and it needs a gasket but I can't see much else it needs. It gets hot but the lights don't ever go out, not on the power button (not the big light but the small one on the switch) or on the steam light either. It does seem to get hot enough to steam and I get what seems to be good temp water from the brew group so it can't be far wrong.
Now for the techs, are the wires correct? Who can place the age of the unit?
Anyone want to buy a nearly new, in the box Saeco Aroma? LOL!
(Click for larger image)
In real life, my name is Wayne P.
Feed the newbs, starve the trolls and above all enjoy what you drink!
chasemonster Senior Member Joined: 3 Jun 2010 Posts: 364 Location: Chicago Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Rancilio Audrey Grinder: Hario Mini Mill Drip: V60
Posted Wed Oct 12, 2011, 4:08pm Subject: Re: calling all Sylvia experts and techs.
Wow, they sure took some nice care of the outside of that machine! The number at the bottom right corner of the label is the date of manufacture. The light in the middle next to the power switch is your boiler on/boiler off light.
What's interesting is how close your machine was to having the newly-designed Rancilio boiler, which according to this link: LINK was installed in all machines after August of 2006. New boiler shown below: Nice find, by the way!
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![calblacksmith: sylvia2.jpg](javascript:ImagePopup("/images/54875/sylvia2.jpg", 448, 335, "calblacksmith: sylvia2.jpg");)
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