To me it looks like it needs 1bar or so to seal. But as it gets close to sealing the flow of steam must slow and condensation runs back towards the valve. Wetting the top of it as shown. Which is probably where all of the scale has come from around it.
I will look in this thread for Maria’s email and get a part request fired off.
Thank you everyone for helping
Ade Smith. ACS Evo Leva v2. Kafatek Flat max 2, ssw 2024. Mazzer Philos, Craig Lyn HG-1 prime., WW key mk1.
Absolute star. Cheers
Have fired off an email so hopefully get a response tomorrow.
Hi again,
Paolo has been helping me on a Sunday of all days, can’t ask for more than that.
He suggested I remove the vacuum breaker and descale it. I did but couldn’t resist separating the plastic part from the metallic part. I didn’t take an photo for order of reassembly! Could anyone confirm the position of the smaller spring please?
This
Thanks
Edit: have reassembled as above and believe that is correct
Looking at the valve id prob descale it too
It wont seal till it reaches pressure, so some steam and water is normal.
Decent De1pro v1.45 - Niche Duo - Niche Zero - Decent is the best machine ever made -
Haha, I did kick myself for a moment, fired back up and no change. But Paolo suggested that the boiler could be overfilling hence the steam. So I’ll pull the level sensor next and give that clean up.
The fitting originally identified above though is definitely leaking, perhaps the hose just needs trimming off and refitting. Though that loop doesn’t look particularly long. I could get a fresh piece of hose instead. Will measure it shortly
Tal you have made nice progress. As @Adrianmsmith said, I second him 100%, drop Maria an email and get a spare. I did buy thermal probes, (one of the original ones, they were made of brass, gave up the ghost) and they were cheaper than anything available in the UK. One thing is they use DHL and this might come a bit on the dear side, but I would still buy from ACS.
Current setup: ACS Vesuvius, Nuova Simonelli Mythos One. Past experience, Nuova Simonelli Apia 1 gr., San Remo Capri 1 gr., Bezzera BZ 35e, Fracino Heavenly. Anfim Super Lusso.
Contact me at: john_yossarian11@yahoo.com
I didn’t remove the one that is leaking, Paolo advised I descale the vac breaker first, shown here:
Son in bed now, so will go for the fill probe next.
Tal Edit: have reassembled as above and believe that is correct
https://coffeetime.freeflarum.com/blog/2996-vesuvius-vacuum-breaker-oring
Cuprajake It wont seal till it reaches pressure, so some steam and water is normal.
It’s a memory metal vacuum breaker, these seal on temperature… so much earlier than normal vacuum breakers
Ok interesting, much appreciated.
I’ve just descaled the fill probe as per Paolos advice and that looked fine to me. I may have disturbed that little spring, or O ring as it now takes 1.3 to 1.4bar to seal, whereas before it was sealing around 0.9bar. I’ll take it apart again and check it works with boiling water as per above.
I did find a leak in a hose though, hard to see, but the dark line is a tiny split. Is this hose bought with the flanged ends? Or is it an feature of the compression fitting to spread it out, so if I trimmed the line back a little and refitted it?
Opened the vac breaker again. O ring looks ok to me, but going by Dave’s link above maybe it needs changing anyway. I’ll order a set of seals to be sure.
Spring also works well, expands in hot water etc. have cleaned it up again and refitted. Will take it off again once I sort some seals.
Edit: just cut the leaky pipe by trimming around 10mm off, I think I will get some PTFE tubing and replace this short run. It’s rather tighter than I would like now.
Just turned it on. It now stops the steaming from the drip tray at a much more modest 0.7bar, before I started this it was 0.9 to 1bar, and just now before taking it apart a second time it was up to 1.4bar before closing so we are winning, o ring hopefully will sort it.
Cheers
Tal I did find a leak in a hose though, hard to see, but the dark line is a tiny split. Is this hose bought with the flanged ends? Or is it an feature of the compression fitting to spread it out, so if I trimmed the line back a little and refitted it?
The flange is formed by the compression of the fitting. To remake he end all you have to do (and it sounds like this is what you did), is trim the end off with a stanley knife.
Obviously my initial suggestion was wrong and i no longer have a pressure profiler, so, what is that connector. Does it have a non return in it that can also need cleaning or replacing?
Ade Smith. ACS Evo Leva v2. Kafatek Flat max 2, ssw 2024. Mazzer Philos, Craig Lyn HG-1 prime., WW key mk1.
Paolo has suggested I change the vacuum breaker (anti vac valve) and the fill level sensor, so I am getting a quote for those, but I may try and get a new seal for the vac breaker as well, incase it saves me scrapping an otherwise working part. I did measure the amount of water that enters the drip tray and it was near 50g, that doesn’t include any water emitted as steam.
@Adrianmsmith , Paolo has suggested that the connection that we identified as leaking (well the hose was leaking), that this delivers water to the group. Perhaps it is to do with the “HX on” option, where it utilises the HX circuit to assist with heavy work load scenarios.
While I am awaiting a quote from Paolo, I decided to take apart the vac breaker again and measure the O Ring seal. As numerous searches didn’t throw up anything unanimous.
Measured - Wall thickness 1.73mm, ID approx 9.5mm (measured the recess in the vac breaker seal seat), OD approx 12.5mm.
Cross referencing these with BS sizes shows the closest size is:
BS012 - 1.78mm wall thickness, 9.25mm ID
Ordered some of these, should hopefully be here by the weekend.
When I reassembled the vac breaker with the original seal I added a smear of Molykote 111 to the O ring. Brought the temp at which the valve closed down to 112C (0.6bar). So a fresh seal could sort it out. Fingers crossed.
As the Moly 111 arrived today I also decided to back flush with Caviza. I get the impression the previous owner never back flushed with cleaner. Only hot water, so was expecting it to be a little rough. The back flush water was coming out very dark!
Then I opened the cam chamber up following DaveC tutorial earlier on in this thread, cleaned it all out and re-lubed the pins, cam and shaft. Lever is slightly squeaky now within the group. I assume I’ll need to remove the pin assemblies and re lube those completely. As well as possibly polish up the cam and relube to ensure everything is operating smoothly.
Edit this morning the vac breaker sealed at 0.3bar, getting better
Edit2: think the Molykote has been displaced as we are back to 0.7bar to seal. Hoping seals may come this morning (28/05) or tomorrow latest
Ok, seals for the vac breaker arrived today. Just fitted one and the boiler sealed itself up at 108C, 0.3bar.
I’m happy with that, I didn’t use any Molykote this time as I’m sure it just got washed away with steam last time. Assume a perfect/new vac breaker valve would close at exactly 100C?
Cheers
Tal Assume a perfect/new vac breaker valve would close at exactly 100C?
Not necessarily net necessary 😎
Approx 101 yeh but theres usually a little bit of a hiss and condensate in the drip tray and questions on facebook “should i see drips of eater from that thingy at the back of the drip tray when my machine is warming up” 100000000’s of the same questions. Along with should the centre bolt of my niche zero come loose if i dont tighten it properly 😎
Sometimes on the synchronika it closed early and you would get 2.6 bars showing untill you gave it a quick purge to remove the trapped air and a little steam.
Ade Smith. ACS Evo Leva v2. Kafatek Flat max 2, ssw 2024. Mazzer Philos, Craig Lyn HG-1 prime., WW key mk1.
I could save myself £50 on a new vac breaker then! Paolo not replied yet. Assume he’s struggling to get a price. But I can find one here:
