I bought the machine in July this year and up to now it has been trouble free. For the past few days I have noticed some condensation on the glass of the pressure gauge and status display on my first Elizabeth. I have also noticed that when the machine is not being used but both boilers are on the pump runs intermittently for a few seconds. Today there was water leaking from the two front corners of the casing above the drip tray. When I removed the water reservoir the bottom tray was full of water. I removed the top cover to look inside. There was no sign of any water leaks but the whole inside of the casing was covered in condensation. After watching for a while with the machine switched on again and the top cover off there is are bubbles escaping from the steam boiler via the large brass valve projecting diagonally forward from the top of the steam boiler which vent back to the reservoir and a lot of condensation in the larger tube from the top of the steam boiler. There is some condensation in the small tube from the steam boiler to the steam valve but no apparent movement when the steam valve is closed. After running off about 400 ml of hot water via the hot water outlet the bubbles stopped but recurred once the steam boiler was back up to its normal temperature. The steam boiler temperature is set to 140C. I can see no sign of leaks from any of the high pressure (small) tubes or the joints in them or the joints of the various valves to the steam or coffee boiler. I assume the problem is caused by steam venting back into the reservoir and escaping into the casing if the vent tube is not submerged in the water in the reservoir although the leak seams very slight at the moment. When the machine is heating up from cold there is quite a bit of noise from the boiler. Is this normal? I am using very low calcium and residual solid water and flush the machine once a week. After I had removed the top and dried off as much of the condensation as possible I left it off until this morning and dried off all the condensation as far as I could. This morning, unfortunately, there was still some staining on the inside of the glass of both gauges but the inside of the machine was dry. I replaced the top and made some coffee. I left the machine switched on. I looked again after about 21/2 hours and found that both gauges had a lot of condensation and there was water dripping out of the bottom of the machine at the back. I removed the top again and there was a lot of condensation on the sides . I could not see any sign of any leaks at any of the fittings on top of the steam or coffee boilers or at any of the joints of the tubing. I found that the end of the fill tube in the water tank had split, no doubt from being in the hot water in the tank although I don't think this should have happened as it was not very hot. I removed the water tank and found a lot of water in the tray underneath it. The tank was covered in condensation and the water in it was quite warm. The outside of the casing at the rear left corner, next to the steam boiler, was quite hot. Can you suggest a cause for the problem and a solution I could deal with myself before I return it to the supplier?

This is not normal for sure. You have a leak. It sounds like it is coming from the steam boiler somewhere, and the first spot you saw with the bubbles is probably the spot. DaveC or others know this machine better than me, but I had a small leak at the steam boiler fill sensor, which is apparently common. Lelit has a video on how to fix it on YouTube, but basically you just carefully remove the electrical connection on the top, and then unscrew it with a wrench. Wrap with a few wraps of teflon tape, and put it back in without over-tightening it. That seals it well and solves the problem. Now, if you have other damage such as gauges that are now ruined from this or other issues, if you are under warranty, I would contact your retailer about that. Mine had no issues beyond the occasional pumps running for no reason. That got me to looking and saw the leak. All fixed at my house.

@"MBdoc"#p30996 - see: https://coffeetime.freeflarum.com/d/719-condensation-on-lelit-elizabeth Could you take a few photos of the inside of the machine, so we can inspect the connections visually? With the top of, after machine has heated up, with both boilers on, can you video so we can see/hear anything? (Video via YouTube, make the video unlisted and paste the link here). Welcome to the forum.

@"dndrich"#p30997 Thanks. I couldn't see any signs of a leak on the top of either boiler and there is no corrosion. I have had an encouraging reply from Lelit who have asked for some photos and a video and contacted the supplier from whom I await a reply.

[Video of top of my Elizabeth](https://youtu.be/1Gt9UgOwspM) I hope this video works. I wasn't sure how to add it! Mike

@"MBdoc"#p31035 It worked fine, but the quality was so low (360p), I couldn't really make out anything. I could hear a hiss though. If you have the YouTube app, try filming and uploading using that. There is a round plus button and you can simply press and it will record and upload a video. Then just paste the link again as you did before.

Sorry about the quality and thanks for the advice about YouTube. Try this one https://youtu.be/1Gt9UgOwspM I have taken another at better resolution but I can't manage to copy the link to it

Condensation inside Lelit Elizabeth

DavecUK

I think perhaps your phone isn’t up to it, is it a very old model?

CoyoteOldMan

(never mind - posted duplicate info)

MBdoc

Hi Dave

I took using my iPad. I reset the quality to the auto setting but it is taking ages to download and I can’t see how to copy the link to add it to my post.

Mike

MBdoc

dndrich

Surely a leak since you can hear it. Apparently you cannot see it. OK, I would get a dental mirror or perhaps a cheap inspection mirror on a stalk that you can get from the auto parts store and look around with it near the top of the boilers. Perhaps if the mirror is cold the leak will cause condensation on the mirror as it sprays it, and you will then find the leak. You have to find the leak obviously.

MediumRoastSteam

MBdoc - there’s definitely a noise. You can clearly hear it on all videos. Of course I can distinguish the noise from when you turned the steam tap on - that’s not what dndrich is referring to. His advice is spot on. If you can’t see where it’s coming from, then the cold mirror is the way to go.

Also, next time, best if you turn the TV off, as it would be easier to hear out noises. 👍

Edit: are you saying that on the other videos you had the steam tap on all the time? In that case disregard the bit about hearing a noise.

Question: ignore the water moving inside the hoses. But… on the tank, there are two hoses: one for water inlet (it has a cut at the end) and one which is the return - you can follow that one as it is the one attached to the 4-way fitting going to the tank. If you lift that hose from the tank, is steam coming out of it? Do you see/hear bubbles in the tank?

MBdoc

The noise is when I turned on the steam to try and fill the steam boiler a bit and show the bubbles moving in the tube. I can’t see any sign of a leak.

dndrich

Right. There is clearly a sound like steam escaping, and a leak. And, you have condensation in the gauges. So you gotta find the leak.

MediumRoastSteam

dndrich - well… if the safety valve is shot, then the steam could be coming from inside the tank (going back through the return hose), as he also says there was condensation underneath the tank.

MBdoc

dndrich

The sound in the background is the extractor fan in the room and the radio in the hall. I can definitely not hear any hissing from the machine.

dndrich

MediumRoastSteam Good point

DavecUK

I can’t see anything obvious, so I’d do a couple of things to eliminate the other possibilities,

First, preferably take the outer shell off, it’s in one of my videos. Then run a shot against the blind filter, for about 30 seconds, and check just to see there’s nothing spraying somewhere onto the steam boiler itself or some other thing causing a problem.

Observe underneath the steam boiler just in case something is leaking there that hasn’t been noticed, you’ll get a better view from the sides as well and have a good look around.

Observe the tube in the tank, see if it bubbles or noticeably steams, and if this continues after the vacuum breaker is closed. You might just be seeing the normal vapour that comes out just prior to the vacuum breaker closing.

MediumRoastSteam

DavecUK Observe the tube in the tank, see if it bubbles or noticeably steams, and if this continues after the vacuum breaker is closed. You might just be seeing the normal vapour that comes out just prior to the vacuum breaker closing.

Just for clarity, the vacuum breaker tube goes to the drip tray, so it’s unlikely this is the culprit, unless the tube is split somewhere.

The safety valve tube goes to the tank. 👍

MBdoc

DavecUK

Thanks Dave this is very helpful. I will look at your video and try this.

I found a video on removing the back and inside back from Lelit, I couldn’t find yours but I will do this tomorrow and have a look under the steam boiler.

DavecUK

MediumRoastSteam Your right, but if the vac breaker is continuously leaking, the condensation might well rise up into the machine if there’s any gaps. I couldn’t see any movement in the safety valve tube, going back to the tank?

MediumRoastSteam

DavecUK - agree. Which could possibly explain condensation below the tank… 🤔🧐

MBdoc

GOTCHA

Just after I switched on this morning I saw definite water bubbling out around the large nut on the top of the steam boiler. This is described in the Lelit video as a common place for leaks and also how to tighten it.
Your ears are better than mine. After I found the leak I noticed that the back left corner of the casing was quite warm but the side and back close to it still quite cool. Putting my finger (dental mirror is in the workshop) in the space between the corner and the steam boiler soon got pretty uncomfortable. Listen very close to that corner above the steam boiler there is a very soft hiss.

I will check with a mirror this morning, tighten this fitting and see what happens if I leave it on with the cover on for a few hours.

pity that the pressure gauge is marked on the back of the glass. Is there a way to clean this?

If it still gets condensation I will take the back off and check underneath.

Thanks to everyone for suggestions and support. You are a really great bunch. Also impressed with the approach by Lelit whose, rather unusual, policy is to help users fix things rather than refer everyone to a “certified repairer”. A welcome endorsement of the recent trend to fix it rather than bin it.

MediumRoastSteam

MBdoc - if the machine is under warranty… I would return to be fixed, including replacement of the gauges - or replaced.

MBdoc

It is under warranty. The immediate problem is that the warranty is locked to the supplier in France and the machine is with me in UK! I can take it back next year to have the gauges replaced but I need to fix the leak now or “no coffee”. Unfortunately I had just sold my old Ascaso Duo before I discovered the leak!

DavecUK

The Lelit guage is powered (light) and not the normal Orman gauge, so you might find the glass can be removed for cleaning….but I think better to use your warranty. It’s a safer machine to ship than most. Or ask for a replacement gauge to be sent.