My Gene is 15 years old. Came to do a roast today and got the E4 error (heating element fail). I had this issue in October 2014 and it was fixed with a new heater. I definitely want to keep roasting and like the Gene. Options I can think of are: Replace the heater again - £74 + shipping from BB (but the thing is 15 years old). Buy a new Gene – currently on offer for £379 (normal price £479) and keep the old one for spares (or try to sell with a dead heater for someone else to fix - if anyone wants to buy it as is, now is a good time to tell me). Buy a new Gene AND a new heater. Fix the old one myself and sell it (any offers for that?). What would you do? P.S. My Gene is from 2007. I got seven years (2007-2014) our of the original heater (230w) and another 7 years from the second heater (240w - 2015-2022). I know people say a 240w heater will last longer in the UK than a 230w heater, but from my experience there is no difference between them.

Nope to the forum so please consider this an intro as well. I’m in almost exactly the same situation, but the machine is 2010ish. Mine has had a dicky time adjustment dial for a few years, it will adjust but jumps back a few times (it must be a dirty wiper in the pot) However my last few roasts have overheated, the temperature reading is normal so it is probably the sensor. I’m also considering a replacement…. Sandbox looks favourite. So if anybody would like a project or an organ donor let me know. 🙂 Regards AtM

AndytheMinion However my last few roasts have overheated, the temperature reading is normal so it is probably the sensor. If your problem is the sensor on the exhaust (left side), you can clean it to see if that helps. Take the glass chamber out, put your finger where the hot air comes out and you can feel the tip of the sensor (see pics below). Mine was completely black and the readings were off. I put a dab of <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Oven-Mate-Cleaning-Kit-500/dp/B0111NBRYW/ref=asc_df_B0111NBRYW/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=255691523200&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=12006290636212853150&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006598&hvtargid=pla-663236152746&psc=1&th=1&psc=1" rel="ugc noopener nofollow" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Oven Mate on it, left it for half an hour and wiped it off. It came out shiny like new and the readings returned to normal. Might be worth a try. P.S. I got a new heater for mine and it’s back roasting as normal. Not bad for a 2007 model. Here is what the sensor looked before cleaning: Here is is with some Oven Mate gel: And this is after wiping - working as it should again:

Doram They do last a very long time…..many machines still running after 15 years…..and not “Triggers Brooms” either.

DavecUK Doram They do last a very long time…..many machines still running after 15 years…..and not “Triggers Brooms” either. Exactly! That’s the original sensor in there. I replaced the heater (twice, the first one was 230w and the second 240w, each of the first two lasted about seven years), but everything else in there is still original (shhh, is the devil lurking this forum?)

I just remembered a problem I had on mine. I can’t remember the error code (think e4) but the machine wouldn’t come up to temp at all. Turned out the element box wasn’t sealed properly and the heat was leaking out into the machine causing it to overheat and shutdown. Went through the process of cleaning the fan and fiddling with the sensor before sealing the box up with high temp sealant and it fixed the issue. That’s the only problem I had in about 5 years of use.

Doram Thank you Doram, I am inside the machine to clean the fan a couple of times a year and I have a suspicion it is the heater control sensor, it is now a bit lose in the housing and the nut doesn’t do anything to tighten it. Given the age of the hardware and the improvements in controls I am feeling the itch to replace 😊 Regards AtM

AndytheMinion AndytheMinion . My Gene is the older type so I would be interested in yours for spares if you don’t want it. I understand that the earlier type had different pcb. Contact me on the email address in my signature if interested.

Certainly :) I will have another look at what is in the kitty for a replacement and let you know Regards AtM

AndytheMinion A loose sensor is exactly what I noticed, I ran the machine with the case off and saw there were visible gaps in the heating box (light shining out the back and sides) and sealed it off with rtv.

Gene Cafe dilemma (to fix, or not to fix? - that is the question)

Doram

DavecUK About a year later BB got one sent to me and I asked Genesis to make a number of revisions. The main problem was they had 230V elements in them and these got way way too hot…as the roaster was getting overly hot anyway, this was completely unnecessary. The main change was my insistence on a specific 240V element and a change to the other elements to increase their life, at the expense of loosing a little temperature.

As a result they made a 240V element life of 2000 hours (I’d have to check, but I seem to remember 2,000 hours). This means an individual could roast 2 kg per week for 20 years before the heating element would fail. The reduction in temperatures made everything about the Gene more reliable, and heating elements simply stopped failing. A heating element failure should really be a rare occurrence.

DavecUK @, I think AndytheMinion was maybe asking about your Sandbox, not Gene?

Regarding the 2000 hours of life expectancy of the 240V Gene heater, I only have experience with the two heaters I had that failed in my Gene: the first was the original 230V that I got with the machine in 2007, and it lasted 7 years. When it failed in 2014 I replaced it with a 240V heater. That second one failed recently, so also lasted about seven years, similar to the 230V one. I roast about 1kg a month, so by the calculation above it should have lasted 160 years… :)

I assume a lot of things can affect the life expectancy of a heating element and I probably just got unlucky. I now have a new 240V heater so I expect trouble-free roasting with the Gene till 2182. ;-)

AndytheMinion

Dave,
Fully agree, CE is nothing about quality or reliability and it seems to stand for Chinese Export 🤣 in some products.
Sounds like the heater issue was a simple heater element reliability/specification issue as the UK 240vac supply was harmonised into the EU 230vac allowable tolerances decades ago.
There will not be a specific coffee roaster standard, so they will need to meet essential electrical safety requirements. Having a CE marked version will prevent an insurance issue if there were an ‘unfortunatly large overheating event’ that caused the house to need a big red truck to attend 🤪 That and is shouldn’t electrocute the user, which is nice.

AndytheMinion

Doram is correct, it was in response to the Sandbox comment

DavecUK

AndytheMinion Aha, sorry I understand now. I am not aware of anything changing, as I was doing an engineering review as well and the application for CE was proceeding. So no it doesn’t have a CE mark…remembering of course it is of limited power and only roasts 150g, they said 100, but I was roasting 150g with no problem, although I suppose there might be occasions that 120 or 100g is better depending on bean, voltage and ambient temps.

My review is below, in case you didn’t see it, and I had a good look round inside, nothing of any concern there.

https://sway.office.com/tfqj3vUqjfiA30Eu

Whereabouts in the country do you live, because I would want to see any prospective purchaser try it and be sure it’s working/what they want? I very, very, rarely sell stuff….and always want to be sure someone is happy.

AndytheMinion

DavecUK
Scotland until Nicola throws me out 😄

DavecUK

AndytheMinion Aha…that’s not really going to work for you then…

AndytheMinion

Norvin Hello Norvin, I have been scratching my head how to reply. For the life of me I can’t see an email address or a signature tbh 🤪 It may be because I am using a table but the forum options do seen to be rather basic.
I see that PM messages are not possible, if you have a better grasp of the forum please contact me and we can discuss something sensible for my Gene
Regards
AtM

DavecUK

AndytheMinion Andy if you click thew “new click me” drop-down symbol, you will find a link to private messaging, how we do it and why? Hopefully this will solve your problems.

The software looks basic, but is very powerful, a lot of options are sort of hidden to give a clean interface.

MediumRoastSteam

DavecUK you will find a link to private messaging, how we do it and why?

The point AndytheMinion was making is that @Norvin has not setup an email address for that purpose, despite referring to “email link in signature” 😊👍

Nightrider_1uk

DavecUK CE doesn’t mean “chuffin excellent”, it just means it meets EU electrical standards.

It has been known to mean China Export sometimes too.

Norvin

MediumRoastSteam

I can see an email address in my signature at the bottom of my posts; fritillary998@yahoo.co.uk. Not my main email address, I only check it every few days.

DavecUK

MediumRoastSteam Giphy - raspberry tongue out GIF

MediumRoastSteam

DavecUK , Norvin - I should’ve gone to Specsavers! 🤣🤣🤣🤣👍

DavecUK

Giphy - Star Wars Glasses GIF

AndytheMinion

Yes me too, I was expecting an IM option and was looking at Norvin’s profile by the time I replied… all good I have emailed Norvin :)

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