Descaling

[triathlon61]

Thank you for the information on replacing the ateam wand. I have been looking for a 'tutorial' on how to descale both boilers, really step by step, pictures etc. for a beginner like me, including parts I will need.
md

[chas]

Have you checked out this thread? http://s1cafe.com/viewtopic.php?f=57&t=872

Also, this page has a good tutorial with photos for the steam boiler if you have a V1 or VII:
http://s1cafe.com/s1v1/S1Boiler.php

[triathlon61]

Very similar procedure for the group boiler?

md

[JohnB]

Very similar procedure for the group boiler?

md

Not really, the brew boiler cover is held on by a threaded collar & sealed with an o'ring. The heating element doesn't scale up anywhere near as bad as the one in the steam boiler & can be removed with the cover. I would open up the brew boiler at least once a year to flush it out & to see if you are getting any of the ugly scale/deposits that like to grow in the seam between the two halfs. It would be a real pain to remove the brew boiler so I turned the machine face down so the brew boiler opening was facing up & filled it with white vinegar to remove the deposits. I used a turkey baster to fill & remove the vinegar as well as for flushing with clean water afterwards. I've found that the vinegar works as well as citric acid solution & doesn't need to be hot to work as does the c/a.