AVS Vesuvius Stopped Working/How to troubleshoot?

kafeidis

This is the profiling and I think it is version 2 (at least this what they told us when we bought it). It has been working perfectly for years. Today, while pulling a shot, it stopped. The LCD turned off, and then a few seconds later turned on again and pulled another shot. Long story short, it did it again, when pulling a third shot and now it will not turn on at all. The main switch somehow is stuck at the on position. I unplugged it and plugged it again. How should I go about troubleshoting? I tried to find a reference but couldn’t find any. What kind of info would be useful to anyone that is willing to help? We descaled the macine every six months and it has been due for descaling now.

Thank you!

DavecUK

kafeidis The main switch somehow is stuck at the on position

Do you mean physically stuck or when you switch it off it stays on? It’s important.

How old is the machine…production date, should be on a label somewhere, might be in the water tank bay, or underneath.

kafeidis

Physically stuck. Can’t press to shut it off. I have yet to open and see inside. Thanks!

DavecUK

kafeidis rating plate should be visible without opening the machine…I want to know the age, but I think there is a problem with the switch/fuse assembly, or just the switch…but it does depend on the age.

Also put up a photo of the switch and the mains input point.

kafeidis

Found the sticker: It was built in 2017. The month is not visible – ink has rubbed off – but there is an ending 0 so my best guess would be October. Here are photos. There is a bottom switch that works fine. The one stuck is by the side next to the water tank. The machine no longer turns on.

Finally, I managed to unstuck the power switch. Still does not turn on. I will open the controller box to check the fuses for sure and update the message.

All fuses on the main controller and the power box on the backside are good.

Could it be as simple as the main switch on the side is broken?!?

Thank you.

DavecUK

kafeidis Could it be as simple as the main switch on the side is broken?!?

Yup, fortunately the wires leading to it are not short, so you should be able to lever it out…which will break the clips…otherwise you have to open up the machine and remove the plate holding the electronics to get to the back of it I think.

Something like this should be fine. I believe the panel cut out is a standard 22 × 30 mm. I bought these ages ago for a few pounds from China

But these are available

and you can get different colours

kafeidis

Just managed to pull the main/side switch out. The live side is melted and it’s not making any contact. I hope that was it. Got to go find one now. Plenty to order online, but I hope to find one locally (the perks of living in a city). wish me luck. Thanks! I need my caffeine :)

kafeidis

Leaving this here in case someone else finds it helpful. Thank you also to DavecUK.

It was the main switch. The plastic was melted around the pins for the live side and it was not making any connection (had to test it with a multimeter). I bypassed it temporarily while waiting for a replacement switch to arrive. The machine “boots up” and works fine now.

DavecUK

kafeidis . I bypassed it temporarily while waiting for a replacement switch to arrive. The machine “boots up” and works fine now.

Yes, I didn’t want to say, but that’s what I would have done. As I’ve never switched mine off at that switch…I used to use it on it’s internal timer.

JahLaza

For the more electrically minded here please - if the switch plastic melted was there too much current causing it to overheat? -how come the fuse didn’t blow before the melting? Or could it be simply that the internal electrical contact got bad and this caused the overheating around it? Apologies if this is nonsense I’m not electrically trained but I find these things very interesting!

DavecUK

JahLaza Or could it be simply that the internal electrical contact got bad and this caused the overheating around it? Apologies if this is nonsense I’m not electrically trained but I find these things very interesting!

It could be exactly this…it happens sometimes…it could be the contact to the spade, or a bad contact inside the switch that started arcing. I replaced a switch on my roaster, same time due to very ocassional intermittent operation…which is the prelude to arcing.