Brass screen "stuck"?

DrForinor

I removed the shower screen for a clean today and tried to remove the brass section but it wouldn’t move. Is this normal? Can I just leave it or should I try harder? If try harder, any tips, please?

DavecUK

DrForinor Probably stuck on….do you have one of those little watch makers hammers with a polymer end? Tappy tappy the side of it. If not place a wooden dowel on the side and tappy tappy the end of the dowel with a small hammer (the type used for panel pins).

MediumRoastSteam

DrForinor - if it’s the Elizabeth…. It’s only held in place by…. Nothing!

The only reasonable explanation is some dry coffee “cementing” it there. 2.5 years with the Lizzy and this never happened to me, and I don’t remove the dispersion screen very often at all! At the beginning I did, but always found it was very clean. Then I started leaving for a month, and then two… and no difference. In any case, every two months I take the group apart, give it a good scrub and put it back.

So tap-tap as Dave says is all you need to do. Or try rotating it with your hand/fingers.

DrForinor

No polymer ended hammer, but I’ll try a dowel with a hammer (I don’t have a small hammer, so I’ll just have to try and be gentle).

DrForinor

MediumRoastSteam I haven’t made many coffees in it, and I Cafiza very regularly, how can dry coffee cement it in?

MediumRoastSteam

DrForinor - no idea. But that dispersion plate is only held by the screw in the middle which I’m assuming you removed to remove the shower screen.

DrForinor

MediumRoastSteam Hehe yes I removed the screw. About to give it another try now 👍🏼

DrForinor

A light tap with a wooden dowel and hammer did the trick - thanks very much gents!!

Replaced seal with a Cafelat blue one also, sorted.

MediumRoastSteam

DrForinor - blue? I have a red one. Isn’t the blue too thick for the Lizzy?

DrForinor

MediumRoastSteam I spoke to someone at BB and he did say it’s a little thick but will be fine. Comparing the standard one to the blue one, they seemed very similar, perhaps only 1mm difference, if that.

MediumRoastSteam

DrForinor - half a millimetre in fact. 👍😊

Red is 8mm, blue is 8.5mm. See how it goes. If the PF doesn’t lock fully, buy the red one. Personally, having had the Liz for a while now, I can’t see how the 8.5mm would work. You’ll need to squeeze the living day out of it. But do try.

May I ask… were they out of stock on the red 8mm one?

DrForinor

MediumRoastSteam Hehe I did just eyeball it 😊

I didn’t ask for a specific one, I just asked for a replacement and he said try this. But this was after I explained I was getting some leakage, so maybe he thought it might be worthwhile.

I tried locking the PF in now, it does lock but at around 7 o clock as opposed to 5 or 6 o clock with the standard seal.

MediumRoastSteam

DrForinor - just look underneath and make sure it’s locked. Because if it isn’t…. They PF will come out under pressure.

See around 4:00 -

DrForinor

MediumRoastSteam Tried again now, and with a little effort I can get it to 6 o clock. The ears just about disappear 🙂

DavecUK

DrForinor Tried again now, and with a little effort I can get it to 6 o clock. The ears just about disappear 🙂

Probably best to get yourself a red screen. Mauro at Lelit says he likes them, in fact he promised to send me one.,…I’ll remember to ask him to bring one to Host Milan.

DrForinor

DavecUK Should I remove the blue and put the original back in until I get the red? Or I can use the blue?

MediumRoastSteam

DavecUK Probably best to get yourself a red screen. Mauro at Lelit says he likes them, in fact he promised to send me one.,…I’ll remember to ask him to bring one to Host Milan.

They cost £2.99 from Bella Barista. I’m sure if you speak to them, they will send you one FOC for all the reviews you did for them back in the day. 👍😉

Mine is two years old and going strong! The only thing with them is they are more susceptible to damaging/tearing than their rubber counterparts, so be careful when removing them from the group, specially on E61 machines.

DavecUK

DrForinor if you’re having to lock it round harder (with more force) than the original …absolutely.

DrForinor

MediumRoastSteam Hehe, I’ll wait until I buy something from them and add it into my basket. I don’t like asking for free stuff just on it’s own 🙂🙂

MediumRoastSteam

DrForinor - didn’t say it was for you… 😊😉👍