VII Steam Boiler Issue - No pressure, Steam, nor Hot Water

This forum contains various threads with photos on how to perform various maintenance and repairs on your S1.
Post Reply
rktcyntst
Americano
Posts: 5
Joined: Sun Jan 25, 2015 6:38 pm

VII Steam Boiler Issue - No pressure, Steam, nor Hot Water

Post by rktcyntst »

I recently had an issue with my 5YO VII that never gave me any major problems. I'm logging this here since this site is such a great resource and the information might help someone in the future.

Symptoms:
- Within the span of a few days, steam pressure started becoming erratic. Steam would weaken and strengthen.
- I started detecting a minor leak from the steam boiler side. This would eventually subside and go away
- A few days after this started, I hear a loud metal on metal "pop". I was unable to determine the source of the noise.
- The day after the pop, I was unable to get steam from the wand, no hot water in the tap, and steam pressure was zero despite power to the boiler, and the boiler was hot.

Investigation/diagnosis:
- Researched this site and worked with Tim from Chris Coffee. Determined issue with steam boiler via youtube video exchange. Tim saw that my water level probe was sitting too high. Here's the video I provided to Tim:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ev5J15HX0Q

Corrective action:
Adjust water level prove such that probe is completely inserted into boiler (insert probe to the 'curve' of the probe'). This adjustment fixed the issue.

What happened?
Evidence indicates that the water level probe had risen from it's original, fully inserted position. The machine operated for 5 years without issue. Reason for water level probe rising from it's position is unknown. I believe that steam pressure over the course of the 5 years of operation incrementally 'pushed' the probe outward. As the probe rose, the boiler would fill with more water, reducing the head space available for steam pressure to build. The initial indicator of erratic steam with water ejected from the wand was the result of just enough steam to provide pressure, and some water also being ejected due to it's high water level.

I suspect the metal 'pop' sound was the probe being ejected from the steam boiler due to steam pressure and hitting the metal cup rest at the top of the machine. But that distance is a bit far, so it maybe just the sound of the probe 'breaking away'. Once that occurred, the boiler filled completely, with no head space for steam pressure to build. Effectively, minimal/no steam pressure was available to push water out of the wand, the hot water tap, and the pressure gauge read zero. This allowed water to easily leave the vacuum break causing the leak. I had a steam boiler filled with hot water.
-----------

At this point, I'm back in service and enjoying the machine again. Huge "Thank You" to Tim at Chris Coffee Service to get me back up and running. He provided and detailed responses to my questions, diagnosed the problem and fix complete with annotated pictures all for no charge. Service like that is few and far between now a days. Since the cost to repair for me was $0, I took the cost of what it would have taken me to ship and repair the machine, and purchased a the timer and other items from Chris'!

I'll post the video that allowed Tim to see what was happening, and the supporting information he gave me to fix the machine. Hope this helps someone in the future, and thanks to previous contributors for providing the information on this great resource that makes it easy to work on a machine I had no previous experience working with!

Attachments provided by Tim detailing the fix follow.
Last edited by rktcyntst on Sat Feb 07, 2015 11:51 am, edited 2 times in total.
rktcyntst
Americano
Posts: 5
Joined: Sun Jan 25, 2015 6:38 pm

Re: VII Steam Boiler Issue - No pressure, no Steam no Hot Wa

Post by rktcyntst »

First email from TIM:

The loud pop with your machine could have over heated or over filled, which also can cause a leak. We need to determine if the temp sensor is defective or if the fill valve or fill probe is defective. If you open the steam valve do you have longer then normal streams of water. If not then I would lean towards the temp sensor being defective.
The leak could be the vacuum breaker and/or the OPV valve. Here are few things to look for.
steamboiler2.jpg
steamboiler2.jpg (103.71 KiB) Viewed 7505 times
Let me know.



Thank you and Regards,
Tim Catalfamo

Chris' Coffee Service Inc.
10 Corporate Circle
Albany NY, 12203
#518-452-5995
Email: service@chriscoffee.com
rktcyntst
Americano
Posts: 5
Joined: Sun Jan 25, 2015 6:38 pm

Re: VII Steam Boiler Issue - No pressure, no Steam no Hot Wa

Post by rktcyntst »

This should be an easy fix. Your fill probe is to high. You need to loosen the top nut (12mm) then push it down to the bend and tighten the top nut.
steamboiler3.png
steamboiler3.png (442.78 KiB) Viewed 7505 times
steamboiler4.jpg
steamboiler4.jpg (37.11 KiB) Viewed 7505 times
Chura
Macchiato
Posts: 49
Joined: Fri Jul 25, 2014 8:01 am
Location: Israel

Re: VII Steam Boiler Issue - No pressure, Steam, nor Hot Wat

Post by Chura »

Very informative and helpful stuff, Thanks mate.
User avatar
chas
Vivaldi Dreamer
Posts: 3044
Joined: Wed Jun 02, 2004 11:52 pm
Location: Central Maryland
Contact:

Re: VII Steam Boiler Issue - No pressure, Steam, nor Hot Wat

Post by chas »

This happens quite frequently to S1 User's after a period of ownership. Whenever you pop the covers off for any reason it's worth checking. There is a soft plastic sleeve around the water level probe. It goes down through a hole in the nuts. The top (smaller) nut actually squeezes the plastic collar against the probe to ensure that the probe stays in place. After a while heat and compression tend to shrink that plastic sleeve just a bit and the probe can get pushed up. The solution is to push the probe back down and tighten that small nut just a bit.

Any time you check this out, also check the thick wires that carry power to the heat elements of the steam boiler. Two things tend to happen over time:

1) The plastic insulators over the spade lug connectors on the ends of these wires tend to dry out, become brittle, and fall to pieces.
2) Moisture gets into the stranded copper wire just above the spade lug connectors. The wire starts to corrode which increases its resistance, and it heats up. Eventually it will get hot enough to melt the wire putting you temporarily "out of business".

Note that in the most affected models, these connectors have a hard black plastic cover over them that snaps on and off. You'll need to pop off these covers (with the power off and the machine cooles down) in order to inspect the wire and connector.

I first became aware of this issue when I noticed that one of these black caps was half melted on my original S1. In the Dream machines these caps have been replaced by a semi-transparent soft plastic sleeve which should work better and may help keep moisture out of the connectors. I don't know if this change is only on the Dreams or if currently shipping V2s also have the mod.

#1 often happens earlier than #2. Usually if the second thing happens, you are also there with the first.

Keep an eye out for these issues. If you see any indications that they are happening you should do some preventive maintenance and replace spade lug connectors on all questionable looking connections with new ones from your local hardware store.
Chas
LM GS/3 & LaSpaziale Dream v 1.25 (US 120V)
Mazzer Kony E, Customized Rocky
Hottop P/B
Post Reply

Return to “Maintenance and Repair”