mhamm Senior Member Joined: 4 Jun 2012 Posts: 4 Location: Hawaii Expertise: Pro Barista
Posted Mon Jun 4, 2012, 2:10pm Subject: cont- club overfilling
Hi guys, can somebody please help me figure out why my machine keeps clicking and demanding more water when it is already full? This is causing the safety valve to overflow, than the red light comes on shortly thereafter and the machine turns off. I live in Hilo Hawaii and finding help is crazy difficult here. I tried running it with the steam valve slightly open to relieve the pressure but this doesn't help. After being on for about 15 minutes the machine demands more water... it just keeps clicking and clicking for water. What do you think the problem is?
calblacksmith Moderator Joined: 25 Nov 2007 Posts: 5,683 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 Tue Jun 5, 2012, 1:24pm Subject: Re: cont- club overfilling
Michelle Please only ask your question in one forum, multiple posts on the same subject is against the rules of the forum AND it makes it hard to find the answer when people DO answer you, I did on one of the 3 times you asked this question.
calblacksmith Said:
It sounds like there may be a couple of things going on here. These machines (any machine in regular use) needs to be descaled about every 6 months to a year depending on the water you feed it. This is not detergent in the blank PF (which you should do fairly often depending on your use but I would say in commercial use, once a day would not be too much) but the addition of a chemical into the boiler to remove the water scale inside the boiler, this is the same stuff that builds up on your shower head at home.
If your machine is over heating, it may be the pressure stat, this device is what controls the temp of the machine and is my guess as to what the problem is when you say it is blowing the safety valve. What does the temp gauge show, it normally should be around 1.1 to 1.3 bar, if it continues to climb and go into the red or off the scale, the heater is not turning off and that points to the pressure stat.
A build up of scale on the water level sensor probe could cause the machine to over fill too, this is also directly connected to descaling the machine.
Hawaii is large enough that there should be someone who works on espresso machines, check with coffee shops to see who services their equipment, I can tell you that the do have someone to service the machines.
By leaving the steam wand on, you are using up water from the boiler and the normal reaction of the machine is to add water into the boiler to maintain a safe and normal water level. I really think the issue is a bad Pstat and you are adding in more problems than you are solving by opening the steam wand while masking the true problem.
mhamm Senior Member Joined: 4 Jun 2012 Posts: 4 Location: Hawaii Expertise: Pro Barista
Posted Tue Jun 5, 2012, 3:12pm Subject: Re: cont- club overfilling
oh...I have never done that. The machine starts clicking and asking for water and than it overflows out the boiler safety pressure valve. This all happens before the machine gets very hot; the gauge hasn't even begun to move yet, it is just warm to the touch on the boiler. When I took off the copper pressure valve (after cooling down of course) to check it out the boiler was filled to the tip top yet it still wants more water. Just clicks and clicks. I think you are probably right with the scaling problem maybe being the cause. Do you recommend that I remove the probe and soak it in vinegar or do you think I should put some chemical (???) in the boiler instead/in addition? Please excuse my ignorance; I was never the one in charge of the maintenance of the machine and I am afraid it has been neglected. Yeah I am calling around at all the coffee bars. I live on the Big Island, I may need to search outer islands. Thank you so much for your help.
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