thomzilla Senior Member Joined: 24 Sep 2006 Posts: 70 Location: Atlanta, GA Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Pasquini Livia 90 Auto,... Grinder: Rocky Doserless and Gaggia... Drip: Presto & french press Roaster: Behmor
Posted Sun Apr 6, 2008, 6:23am Subject: Pasquini Livia 90 Auto Problem
I just got a great deal on a Livia 90 Auto, and I'm very pleased with the espresso it makes, but I've got a problem that I'm going to need to fix. I turn it on and it heats up fast, and works great to make my first shot and steam milk, etc. I see the pressure go down to 9 and then heat back up and bring the pressure up to 15 during this process, and I assume this is normal. After it sits for a while, the green light next to the switch goes off and the pressure gauge shows all the way down to zero. I can't do any steam or hot water, it doesn't do anything, which is how it behaves before it first heats up. I can run water through the group head, but it's not as hot of course as it would be if the pressure was up. I've tried running the water out to have it refill and hopefully heat up again, but it won't heat up again. It will refill, but not reheat. Normally the green light next to the switch stays on, but it is going off when this happens. I can turn it off and let it cool down, and it comes back up and works like normal again. This only happens after it's been on for a while. There is a local authorized dealer that does repair here in Atlanta so I can take it there if needed, but if this is something I can fix, I'd prefer to do it myself. The machine is about 4 or 5 years old, and the seller told me he'd had it repaired about a year ago. They told him the switch might need to be replaced but he didn't fix that at the time. I know that's pretty cheap and something I could do myself.
Anyone got any suggestions about what might be going on? I'm going to go ahead and replace the on/off switch early this week if they have the part in stock locally.
Breeze Senior Member Joined: 3 Dec 2006 Posts: 350 Location: St. Croix, V.I. Expertise: Pro Roaster
Espresso: Pasquini Livia S Grinder: Mazzer Mini Vac Pot: Ford Ranger Drip: TechniVorm Roaster: Toper 1 kilo
Posted Sun Apr 6, 2008, 4:37pm Subject: Re: Pasquini Livia 90 Auto Problem
I have a Livia 90 Semi-Auto but I'm no repair guy so take my comments as such.
My machine fluctuates between 1.0 bar to just shy of 1.5 bar. The heater kicks in at 1.0 bar and the pressure immediately rises to 1.5.
The on/off switch has an amber light which comes on when the element is energized. Did you state correctly that the Auto has a green light that comes on when the heater kicks in? Dunno about that....
The pump switch has a green light which comes on when the pump is energized.
The Auto model has a wiring harness like the space shuttle and additional circuit board (s). The Semi-Auto only has a "brain" to control auto fill on the boiler. Although someone may spot something about your specific issue that may be linked to a mechanical component, or the intermittent failure of an electrical component, no one has yet offered a simple resolution for your problem.
The problem with Auto units is the additional layers of solid state control. Have you tried to ditch the routine that controls volume of the shot? I understand from past posts that you can bypass this feature and run the machine as a semi-auto. If you've done this and still have issues, were I you, with this machine, it would be trip time to the technician and prayer time that you don't need new circuit board (s).
At least my lame attempt to offer advice bumps you back on Page 1, although that was not my intention for posting. Perhaps someone with more in depth knowledge of Auto units in general or Livia 90 Autos in particular will pick this up and have a better read on the problem.
thomzilla Senior Member Joined: 24 Sep 2006 Posts: 70 Location: Atlanta, GA Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Pasquini Livia 90 Auto,... Grinder: Rocky Doserless and Gaggia... Drip: Presto & french press Roaster: Behmor
Posted Mon Apr 7, 2008, 1:39am Subject: Re: Pasquini Livia 90 Auto Problem
Hi Tomas,
Thanks for the reply. The on/off switch on mine has a green light to the left and an amber light to the right of it. The green light normally stays on from the time that it is turned on. The amber light is only on when it's heating. When I'm doing a shot, I use one of the 3 buttons on the right of the machine which are for a single, double, or manual shot. The manual shot button also lets you reprogram the other 2 so you can set them for the amount of water flow that you want.
When the green light goes out and the pressure drops, the steam and hot water stop and I assume this is part of the safety programming since that is does before it heats up when first turned on. I can still use the shot and manual buttons to send water through the group head, but it doesn't heat or steam.
If I have to break down and get a new circuit board, I'll still be ahead of the game since I got it for a low price.
Edit: This morning I turned it on at 5 to make a cup before I headed out and at 5:50 as I was ready to make a shot, it had already gone into it's no pressure mode. I guess I'm going to have to do a cold start and watch to see when it goes out and what shows on the pressure gauge as it does this.
Breeze Senior Member Joined: 3 Dec 2006 Posts: 350 Location: St. Croix, V.I. Expertise: Pro Roaster
Espresso: Pasquini Livia S Grinder: Mazzer Mini Vac Pot: Ford Ranger Drip: TechniVorm Roaster: Toper 1 kilo
Posted Mon Apr 7, 2008, 3:24am Subject: Re: Pasquini Livia 90 Auto Problem
Your element is definitely not being energized, for some reason after the first cycle. If the element were faulty I suppose it would never provide heat at all, so it must be in the control circuitry. A water level probe, at least on the semi auto will just shut the whole machine down if it is faulty or the level is too low to refill the boiler...so that's not it. The green light which on your unit "always stays on" is announcing the problem when it goes out. Unfortunately, I don't speak its language.....
I somehow recall a Pasquini board price of $475.00. I don't know if this is the brain board for the semi-auto model or the control board for the fully auto unit.
The only further suggestion I could make is that you call Pasquini (213-739-0480). There's an offhand chance they may be able to diagnose the problem over the phone and ship you parts. If that involves the board or boards and you're feeling accurate and nimble of finger to get the connections done correctly, this might be your best and quickest fix. One misplaced connection and you'd really be in for it though!
Post the results of what you discover and how the "fix" went.
cafewest_tech Senior Member Joined: 22 Aug 2003 Posts: 262 Location: Medford Expertise: Professional
Posted Mon Apr 7, 2008, 4:21am Subject: Re: Pasquini Livia 90 Auto Problem
Hi guys The first thing is if you have 1 green and 1 orange light its a semi auto. The orange should be on the left and the green on the right. If you have 3 green lights on the right its an auto. If its turning off after it heats up, check the level probes in the back top of the boiler. There should be a yellow wire going to the left one and a green wire going to the right one. Remove the wires and then remove the big nut on the bottom and remove the whole probe. Do the green one first, as that is the probe that controls the heater and auto fill. The yellow one controls the auto fill shut off. If it gets scaled it will usually not heat up. Clean both. Give that a try. Jerry
thomzilla Senior Member Joined: 24 Sep 2006 Posts: 70 Location: Atlanta, GA Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Pasquini Livia 90 Auto,... Grinder: Rocky Doserless and Gaggia... Drip: Presto & french press Roaster: Behmor
Posted Mon Apr 7, 2008, 6:12am Subject: Re: Pasquini Livia 90 Auto Problem
Hi Jerry,
Thanks for the info. I'll check it out and see. Sorry about the confusing description of the lights. This is definitely the auto version. There is a green light (rectangular) to the immediate left of the on switch, and an amber light (rectangular) to the immediate right of it, and then the Auto panel on the right front near the water knob with 3 buttons for single, double and manual/program and they each have a small dot of a green light above them and those flash on and then back off when the machine is first turned on, and when you push them to make a shot. I've attached a picture of the front of the machine to show where the lights are.
Breeze Senior Member Joined: 3 Dec 2006 Posts: 350 Location: St. Croix, V.I. Expertise: Pro Roaster
Espresso: Pasquini Livia S Grinder: Mazzer Mini Vac Pot: Ford Ranger Drip: TechniVorm Roaster: Toper 1 kilo
Posted Mon Apr 7, 2008, 2:12pm Subject: Re: Pasquini Livia 90 Auto Problem
cafewest_tech Said:
If its turning off after it heats up, check the level probes in the back top of the boiler. There should be a yellow wire going to the left one and a green wire going to the right one. Remove the wires and then remove the big nut on the bottom and remove the whole probe. Do the green one first, as that is the probe that controls the heater and auto fill. The yellow one controls the auto fill shut off. If it gets scaled it will usually not heat up. Clean both. Give that a try. Jerry
Thom....focus on Jerry's comment re: level probe, forget the number of lights. I incorrectly suggested eliminating level probes as your problem with my WAG but he's back to this issue and actually has real world knowledge as opposed to my other world guess. Pull and polish the probes insuring the wires are making good connection when you reassemble and that the probes are placed in their original position and depths.
Nice call Jerry. My primary water source is rainfall and I filter that for my Livia. It seems to me that if I were curious about scale, which I think I'm unlikely to have, pulling a probe would be a fairly easy way to check?
cafewest_tech Senior Member Joined: 22 Aug 2003 Posts: 262 Location: Medford Expertise: Professional
Posted Tue Apr 8, 2008, 2:29am Subject: Re: Pasquini Livia 90 Auto Problem
Hi
First thing is the vacuum breaker. If its sticking you could be getting a false pressure. Try opening the steam valve when it heats up and see if the pressure drops. If it does the vacuum breaker is stuck and needs servicing or replaced. Another thing to check is the flow meter. The flow meter is located in the right rear, just in front of the pump. Make sure the pump is in its spring mount, and I usually zip tie it in. The cable connection in the top of the flow meter can get corroded if you ever have had the pressue relief valve blow. Some times just pulling the cables off and reinstalling them a couple times will do the trick but I like to take a brass brush and run it across the terminals and clean the corrosion off. Sometimes you have to replace the flow meter (turbine). Your pressurestat is a matter type more than likely and the dead band on it should be no more than .2 bars not .5. You may have to replace the pressurestat. Pasquini Livias have a 1.4 bar pressure relief valve and getting up to 1.5 may be releasing a little steam.
Check the little things first before you go to the board. Boards are usually good or bad, not intermittent. Jerry
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