I got the new Giemme controller today and installed it (separate thread on Giemme controller wiring). After two hours at temperature, no ground faults and the pump seems to be working properly. The steam boiler does seem to keep heating when the pump is running until the boiler is nearly empty. Not sure if this is normal or not, but seems ok.
Will see how it goes tomorrow for a return to good coffee!!! Yet another kudos to Todd, the guy must never sleep or logout. best and thanks to all, bmc Sent from my apple IIe > On Aug 1, 2015, at 07:52, Benjamin McCafferty <[email protected]> wrote: > > Thanks Grame and Stevie--and once again to Todd for a conversation today > about all of this. > > @Stevie--I have wondered the same thing. My water is plumbed in, with really > good pressure (55psi or so at the bibb); I draw from a pex "Y" fitting that > is downstream from my filter and upstream from my instahot. Not sure if the > instahot could draw water back out of the machine, but I guess it's possible. > Might look for a check valve. > > @Graeme, comments inline below. > > best, > bmc > > Sent from my apple IIe > >> On Jul 31, 2015, at 20:45, Graeme Burton <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> Hi Ben, >> >> A few possibilities I have come across before that may be relevant. >> >> 1) once had a problem where the machine only tripped out the GFI (RCD in >> Aus) when it was hot. Turned out that the heater element expanded and a >> crack opened which caused a mixture of water and electricity. I would use a >> multimeter meter (with clamp) to measure the current to see if it is >> tripping out due to high current or ground fault. > > I think this may be it Graeme, but will have to wait to find out. Something > Todd pointed out this morning is that the steam boiler should stop heating if > the steam boiler level sensor wire is pulled from the boiler, to protect the > element from heating dry. In my case, the boiler keeps heating. His feeling > is that the new element probably heated dry since the giemme controller > wasn't working properly, and that cracked the new (and perhaps the old) > element. When hot, as you said, it causes a ground fault. > > In addition, the fact that the steam boiler doesn't fill when that sensor > wire is pulled, also points to the giemme controller. I'm betting that one > side of the relay in the giemme is responsible for a) providing power to the > electromagnet that opens water to the steam boiler, and b) interrupting power > to the steam boiler, and c) energizing the pump. If that relay failed, it > would give the symptoms I'm seeing--no water and boiler heating. > > So the first step is to address the controller, and then see if I get the > ground fault at full heat. I have located a gentleman here in the Seattle > area, retired from Boeing, who repairs controller boards and also makes > high-end replacement burrs for grinders. JP Boyt (James), at: > boytenterprises.com > Spoke to him yesterday, and he said repairs usually top out at $75 and then > $6 USPS to return the part. If he has the same controller in stock > (refurbished by him), he sells outright for $100. It was an interesting > discussion--he described how the electrical components on the board basically > fail in the order of use/demand, which makes sense. Anyway, a good source if > anyone else is needing this type of repair. I originally found him on > homebarista.com and he seems to be well-regarded there. > >> >> 2] I have also had many instances of where water drips onto the solenoid >> valve (steam boiler solenoid valve in your case) and causes a ground fault. >> Sometimes they corrode or leak and you can see a whitish deposit around the >> solenoid. However I think you say earlier that you have inspected and >> cleaned this so maybe no problem there. Are you absolutely sure you have no >> leaks anywhere? Can be tricky to find because of course a small drip dries >> quickly on the hot surfaces. > > I don't believe this is the case, but will double check all connections. I > do have one teeny tiny hiss that I can't find. :) >> >> 3] as well as removing the level probe wire to test if the autofill works >> you can also ground it on the boiler to see if it stops filling. I would do >> this repeatedly when cold, when hot and see if anything interesting happens. > > Thanks, will do if and when I get things going again. As of this morning, > the machine no longer fills/heats even when cold. Ack, no more espresso. > THAT will motivate a guy to get moving!!! >> >> 4] what about the pump? Is it a vibe pump? Any leaks around it? You could >> try disconnecting it and run through your usual routine to see if you still >> get a trip out. Just need to make sure your boilers are full! > > Rotary pump, about 5 years old. Runs instantly and normally when the lever > is lifted. No leaks. > >> >> 5] the fact it doesn’t trip when element disconnected is pointing to the >> element but if it never heats up then maybe there are no leaks. How about >> heating it up first then disconnecting the element then do your test routine? > > Again, great thought. As per #1, I think we may be chasing two things--an > element, and a controller board that caused the element. > > The only hesitation I have about this theory is that I believe there have > been times when the ground fault was happening with the machine cold. But > it's been three weeks of troubleshooting at this point and my memory is > getting foggy. I guess we'll find out soon enough and I'll repost to let you > all know what I finally found. > >> >> >> >> Graeme >> >>> On 1 Aug 2015, at 9:29 am, Ben McCafferty <[email protected]> wrote: >>> >>> Thanks again James. Will check that too. Just replaced the power switch >>> too. >>> I did find a guy close to me who repairs control boards, so if it proves to >>> be that I've got a good option. >>> Might replace the whole ground wire too--it has that black oxidation even >>> where I've cut it back. >>> I wonder if I have the patience to do the whole harness. :) >>> Best, >>> bmc >>> >>> Sent from my iPhone >>> >>>> On Jul 31, 2015, at 16:07, James Roybal <[email protected]> >>>> wrote: >>>> >>>> Check for corrosion on the power cord where it connects to the machine's >>>> on/off switch. Mine is younger than yours and the ends of the wire >>>> basically fell to pieces when I touched them. They were black from >>>> overheating and very brittle, those may be increasing the current the >>>> machine uses, tripping the GFI. I'm going to be replacing the cord with a >>>> better quality and larger gauge wire. >>>> >>>> -- >>>> 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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