cpb Senior Member Joined: 14 Nov 2011 Posts: 1 Location: al Expertise: I love coffee
Posted Tue Nov 15, 2011, 7:34am Subject: My Silvia ran out of water
I know, huge mistake (no lectures please), but I'm not sure what else to do. I immediately shut it down when I heard the sound of it trying to pull water, and a horrible burnt smell came from it. We contacted the company we purchased it from and they redirected us to their technician. We have checked and done everything they said to do. Everything seems to be working correctly, but the coffee consistently has a terrible burnt flavor to it. We did clean/descale etc. Any advice on what else can be wrong? They didn't recommend sending to them since it seems to be working correctly.
Posted Tue Nov 15, 2011, 8:52am Subject: Re: My Silvia ran out of water
Have you checked the brew temperature? It is possible that the overheat condition damaged teh brew thermostat and it is now brewing too hot. Allow the machine to heat up, pull some water through the group, allow it to cool, and taste it to see if the machine is actually imparting a flavor to the water or if it is a temperature problem.
Posted Tue Nov 15, 2011, 9:46am Subject: Re: My Silvia ran out of water
cpb Said:
I know, huge mistake (no lectures please), but I'm not sure what else to do. I immediately shut it down when I heard the sound of it trying to pull water, and a horrible burnt smell came from it. We contacted the company we purchased it from and they redirected us to their technician. We have checked and done everything they said to do. Everything seems to be working correctly, but the coffee consistently has a terrible burnt flavor to it. We did clean/descale etc. Any advice on what else can be wrong? They didn't recommend sending to them since it seems to be working correctly.
Randy's advice on the thermostat seems pretty good...it could be overheating....though I'm not sure if that could provide a burnt smell.
I'm shocked the pump is functioning....I'd have bet $5 that the pump burned out. Also, what were you doing when it ran out....were you brewing, or steaming? If you were steaming and the water level was low, it's conceivable that the heating element started burning up and is covered in carbon (thus the taste.) If you were brewing, I don't think the water level could have been low enough to do that.
Barring the heating element, I'm still betting the pump is maybe partially burned? Still in tact enough to work, but maybe has some carbon to purge? If that's the case, it's cheap and easy to replace that...but if it's working, I'm not sure.
Do you see anything visibly charred on the inside (if you pull the top cover off?)
If I had a dollar for every time my Silvia started running dry.... Vibe pumps can handle a few moments of dry time (rotary pumps can not...) So if you shut it down immediately, I'm kind of surprised there could be any burned smell around at all....
dman777 Senior Member Joined: 26 Dec 2011 Posts: 236 Location: austin Expertise: I like coffee
Espresso: Silvia- No PID Grinder: Compak k3 touch Drip: french press
Posted Sun Jan 15, 2012, 4:50pm Subject: Re: My Silvia ran out of water
TheMadTamper Said:
If you were steaming and the water level was low, it's conceivable that the heating element started burning up and is covered in carbon (thus the taste.) If you were brewing, I don't think the water level could have been low enough to do that.
I'm confused....how could he run out of water in the boiler if he was brewing? I thought whenever you brew with the Silvia it pulls water in the boiler.
Posted Sun Jan 15, 2012, 5:08pm Subject: Re: My Silvia ran out of water
dman777 Said:
I'm confused....how could he run out of water in the boiler if he was brewing? I thought whenever you brew with the Silvia it pulls water in the boiler.
Please read the original post at the top of this thread (from last November). He said, "I immediately shut it down when I heard the sound of it trying to pull water, and a horrible burnt smell came from it." It did not say it happened when he was brewing.
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 Tue Jan 17, 2012, 9:26am Subject: Re: My Silvia ran out of water
If the water in the tank ran dry, there would be no water to go into the boiler, thus ran out of water.
OP.. I have had that nasty burnt taste/smell from a thermoblock machine I had and have since parted out. The metal it's self produced the flavor and the same thing happened with the Silvia I rebuilt due to the heater burning out, the brew Tstat was too hot and though there was enough water in the boiler (it was full) the water tasted nasty for a while after it was PID'd and it settled down.
If the machine is OK as it seems to be, give it a little while to flush the taste from the surface of the metal.. hey that's my $0.02 and is likely worth less than that!!!!!
In real life, my name is Wayne P.
Feed the newbs, starve the trolls and above all enjoy what you drink!
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