Good lord, when it rains it pours. OK, recap: --Steam boiler wasn't firing, discovered that over temp switch was brittle and malfunctioning. --Totally disassembled machine, cleaned and descaled every part of it except teflon lines and chrome manifold. --Replaced both overtemp switches and thermoprobe on the brew boiler.
--Steam boiler still not firing, figured out that the steam element was bad. --Replaced both elements. --Steam boiler still not firing, figured out that the pressure stat was bad. --Replaced pressure stat, set pressure to 1.7 bar. --Machine functioned normally for that afternoon, then the next morning the steam boiler wouldn't fire again. --Reset the overtemp switch, lowered pressure to 1.5 bar, machine functioned normally yesterday and today, except the steam wand was "spitting" instead of a nice smooth hiss. --Today I flushed the steam boiler, i.e. ran all the hot water out of it to cycle the water. I immediately noticed that a) there was far less water than normal in the boiler, and b) the pump did not kick on to refill the boiler. Realizing that this would overheat and kill the new element, I turned the machine off. OK, my techie instincts are that it is highly unusual for 3 separate parts of the steam system to fail at once, without some other mitigating circumstance. My best guess so far is that whatever switch/sensor is responsible for filling the steam boiler was weak or failed, and cause the boiler to run on whatever water was still in there prior to all this happening. Since my hot water line was clogged, I couldn't flush and therefore wouldn't have realized that the steam boiler was not refilling. The stuff in the steam boiler before cleaning was like oatmeal without the oats--thick goop. I'm still unclear, however, on why the steam boiler filled partially after all the recent service. Does anyone have any thoughts or SWAGs on this? What is the next part I need that would trigger my pump to fill the steam boiler? Sigh. Espresso-less again, but I have to be close and at least I've had a few great shots in the past 48 hours, right??? All the best, Ben Sent from my apple IIe > On Jul 26, 2015, at 16:14, Benjamin McCafferty <[email protected]> wrote: > > The valve starts to gently hiss at 1.8, and blows off all the way just a bit > over that, maybe 1.9. > best, > bmc > > Sent from my apple IIe > >> On Jul 26, 2015, at 16:12, Todd Salzman <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> Yes, that could be problem. I am a little surprised that he pressure relief >> valve did not start to blow off at 1.7 bar. >> We set the steam boiler to run between 1.3 and 1.4 bar. >> >>> On Sun, Jul 26, 2015 at 4:59 PM, Ben McCafferty <[email protected]> wrote: >>> Thanks, Todd. >>> >>> Since I just replaced both switches, I am not sure what to think. My best >>> guess is that I had set the steam boiler pressure a little bit too high at >>> 1.7, and so perhaps the boiler was going long enough to activate the >>> overtemperature switch. I have turned the pressure back down to about 1.5 >>> and things seem to be working normally again. >>> Best, >>> bmc >>> >>> Sent from my iPhone >>> >>>> On Jul 26, 2015, at 03:27, Todd Salzman <[email protected]> wrote: >>>> >>>> Most likely it is the over temperature switch. If the pressure was set to >>>> high the pressure relief valve on the boiler would blow off before the >>>> over temp switch would trip. >>>> >>>> You may want to try switching the over temperature switches between the >>>> brew and the steam boiler. The brew boiler does not get as hot so the >>>> switch may not trip as much while you get a new over temperature switch. >>>> >>>> >>>>> On Sat, Jul 25, 2015 at 12:01 PM, Graeme Burton <[email protected]> >>>>> wrote: >>>>> May be a silly question but did you adjust the pressurestat after >>>>> installation? >>>>> >>>>> Graeme >>>>> From: Benjamin McCafferty >>>>> Sent: Sunday, 26 July 2015 00:00 >>>>> To: [email protected] >>>>> Reply To: [email protected] >>>>> Subject: Re: Steam boiler overprescribing >>>>> >>>>> Hi Todd and all, >>>>> Got the new pressure stat in yesterday, and the machine heated and >>>>> functioned normally for the rest of the day. This morning, I turned it >>>>> on and the steam boiler didn't heat. I reset the over-limit switch (new) >>>>> on the steam boiler and it's now heating. >>>>> >>>>> Is there something I should be concerned about here? I'll see if it was >>>>> a fluke, but not clear on why the new switch would pop. >>>>> >>>>> best, >>>>> bmc >>>>> >>>>> Sent from my apple IIe >>>>> >>>>>> On Jul 22, 2015, at 18:46, Benjamin McCafferty <[email protected]> wrote: >>>>>> >>>>>> Thanks Todd. Is the wire that provides power the common, normally open, >>>>>> or normally closed? I'll grab a multimeter but if you know right off >>>>>> hand...I can be lazy... >>>>>> best, >>>>>> bmc >>>>>> >>>>>> Sent from my apple IIe >>>>>> >>>>>>> On Jul 22, 2015, at 18:07, Todd Salzman <[email protected]> >>>>>>> wrote: >>>>>>> >>>>>>> I would recommend, pulling the wire off pressure stat that supplies >>>>>>> the power to the pressure stat and see if it keep over heating. >>>>>>> If it turns off when you pull the wire you need a pressure stat. If it >>>>>>> keep heating you have another problem. >>>>>>> >>>>>>>> On Wed, Jul 22, 2015 at 6:21 PM, Benjamin McCafferty >>>>>>>> <[email protected]> wrote: >>>>>>>> Doing a little reading, seems pretty clear that my pressure stat has >>>>>>>> failed also. Quite a coincidence! Anyway, please send any other >>>>>>>> thoughts, but I'll order a new p-stat. It's been in there for at >>>>>>>> least five years; date of manufacture is 9/04 so it was on a shelf for >>>>>>>> at least 3 years before installation, maybe more. >>>>>>>> best, >>>>>>>> bmc >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> Sent from my apple IIe >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> > On Jul 22, 2015, at 14:44, Ben McCafferty <[email protected]> wrote: >>>>>>>> > >>>>>>>> > Ahem. "Steam boiler over pressure" >>>>>>>> > >>>>>>>> > Sent from my iPhone >>>>>>>> > >>>>>>>> >> On Jul 22, 2015, at 14:30, Ben McCafferty <[email protected]> wrote: >>>>>>>> >> >>>>>>>> >> Hi all, >>>>>>>> >> >>>>>>>> >> More parts arrived today. I have new elements in both boilers, new >>>>>>>> >> overtemperature switches on both boilers, new PID thermoprobe, new >>>>>>>> >> power switch. >>>>>>>> >> >>>>>>>> >> When I switch the unit on, everything looks good but the steam >>>>>>>> >> boiler continues heating on up to 2 bar, and then the overpressure >>>>>>>> >> relief begins to blow so I switch the unit off and release some >>>>>>>> >> pressure from the steam wand. I have turned my pressurestat >>>>>>>> >> (jaeger) all the way down and no change. Any further ideas to help >>>>>>>> >> me solve this lingering problem? >>>>>>>> >> >>>>>>>> >> Thanks all, >>>>>>>> >> Ben McC >>>>>>>> >> Sent from my iPhone >>>>>>>> >> >>>>>>>> >> -- >>>>>>>> >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>>>>>>> >> Groups "Brewtus" group. >>>>>>>> >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, >>>>>>>> >> send an email to [email protected]. >>>>>>>> >> To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. >>>>>>>> >> Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/brewtus. >>>>>>>> >> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> -- >>>>>>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>>>>>>> Groups "Brewtus" group. >>>>>>>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send >>>>>>>> an email to [email protected]. >>>>>>>> To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. >>>>>>>> Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/brewtus. >>>>>>>> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> -- >>>>>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>>>>>> Groups "Brewtus" group. >>>>>>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send >>>>>>> an email to [email protected]. >>>>>>> To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. >>>>>>> Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/brewtus. >>>>>>> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. >>>>>> -- >>>>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>>>>> Groups "Brewtus" group. >>>>>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send >>>>>> an email to [email protected]. >>>>>> To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. >>>>>> Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/brewtus. >>>>>> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. >>>>> -- >>>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >>>>> "Brewtus" group. >>>>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >>>>> email to [email protected]. >>>>> To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. >>>>> Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/brewtus. >>>>> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. >>>>> >>>>> -- >>>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >>>>> "Brewtus" group. >>>>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >>>>> email to [email protected]. >>>>> To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. >>>>> Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/brewtus. >>>>> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. >>>> >>>> -- >>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >>>> "Brewtus" group. >>>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >>>> email to [email protected]. >>>> To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. >>>> Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/brewtus. >>>> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. >>> >>> -- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >>> "Brewtus" group. >>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >>> email to [email protected]. >>> To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. >>> Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/brewtus. >>> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. >> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "Brewtus" group. >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to [email protected]. >> To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. >> Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/brewtus. >> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Brewtus" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/brewtus. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Brewtus" group. 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