Check the connections in the Gicar box, and the connections on top of the boiler. If it keeps refilling, then the probe is not signalling the refill is complete. Or maybe the probe (or box) is faulty?

As for the clicking sound… No idea, but hard to try and pinpoint from a video, also there’s some background noise which I am not even sure I’m listening out for the right thing. Can you roughly locate where the clicking noise is coming from?

    europa for the dripping it’s a John guest type fitting, so if you push the outer ring forward towards the fitting you should be able to remove the tube, just check the tube is in and fully seated and there’s no grit or something caught on the outside of it that would affect the seal.

    As for the pump running continuously, did you open the lid of the water tank, and check if the water was being pumped or not, was the water level changing. Or did the water level drop for a while, and then stop dropping, even though the pump was still running. This is quite important as it will help identify the fault which may not be as simple as a level probe fault.

    The clicking sound could be a solenoid, there are relays in the Gicar box, but I can’t see a relay would be heard that clearly as it’s low down. Get a wooden dowel, or chopstick, press one end to a solenoid valve and see if you can feel it clicking, and then try each valve in turn.

    clicking sounds like a solenoid clunking, what water has this machine been fed? could be crud stuck in both places

    Decent De1pro v1.45 - Niche Duo - Niche Zero - Decent is the best machine ever made -

      FWIW, the “clicking” seems to be synchronous with air bubbles moving in the pipe runnning in a horizontal, shallow U between the solenoid (?) and the 4-way tee, which I assume then vents into the tank.

      Lockhills composition

      it’s medium hardness. No idea on alkalinity, but it’s about 100 mg/l of CaCO3 equivalent

      Tried another test, but, unfortunately (or fortunately), she’s behaving herself ATM!

      Right, she’s misbehaving again. See the below videos which show both the pump running on and the clicking/clunking noise. I also got error code 3 on one occasion after the pump eventually stopped. Seems to be a service-boiler issue.

      error code 3: https://photos.app.goo.gl/hq4UQh2XeXuKMvEg9

        europa I asked if the water level was dropping, but from the videos, it doesn’t look like it is.

        In the absence of information, I am guessing/assuming (you must help by answering anything (if you can) I have wrong).

        • Solenoids are randomly clicking sometimes and your didn’t do anything, no pattern to this?
        • Pump runs to autofill boiler, level doesn’t drop
        • pump times out after running and running
        • none of this is self initiated (except perhaps an autofill when you use the service boiler) e.g. you are not pulling water from the group
        • No water is coming from the group when the pump is simply running trying to fill the service boiler
        • there is no pattern to this happening?
        • You have not done anything with the wiring, it has not been in for repair and a repair shop souched the wiring

        If this is the case, then you probably need a new Gicar box

        There are a few tests you can do, but if the problem is intermittent, they probably won’t do much good.

          DavecUK

          Thanks, Dave.

          Unsure whether it’s the solenoids, and i do not understand how to test with wooden dowels. No pattern to it.

          Hard to tell if level in tank drops, but i have not had problems steaming. Strange that water is being drawn back into the tank, is it not?

          Pump times out with error code 3 - see new video below.

          It doesn’t happen when pulling water from the group.

          No water comes from group when the pump tries to autofill steam boiler.

          No pattern, but it’s getting more frequent.

          I have not done anything with the wiring. It was sent to BB for a new OPV mid March. Then last weekend i put in another new OPV myself. I endeavoured not to touch anything else than the OPV, but i had to remove the back casing to put the silicone tube back. But i don’t think that is the cause as these issues didn’t start immediately after swapping the OPV. However, i cannot be sure.

          Here you can see the timeout with error code, and also that the drip has returned :

          A wooden dowel pressed against the solenoid body allows you to feel the click through your fingertips. In this way you can identify which solenoid is doing the clicking.

          Water we’ll go back to the tank from the expansion valve as it opens at whatever pressure you have said it to, so if no water is going into the service boiler that water flow from the solenoid will be quite high. I’m assuming that when brewing, a pressure gauge is going up to about 9 bar so that the solenoid isn’t set unusually low?

          I think the best thing to do is just to contact bellabarista explain what’s happening show them the videos and let them take a look at the machine.

          @europa :

          • does this happen if the steam boiler is off? (I think you said it does not, but could you confirm please)
          • Is there a pressure reading on the manometer at the front of the machine when this is happening?

            europa - thank you.

            So this is one for Dave, but the reason I ask is this:

            There are only two possibilities of the machine returning water to the tank: it’s either via the Expansion valve or the safety valve. The other hose joining the X fitting is a dead end at the back of the steam tap, serving as a plug.

            So, if water is returning via the expansion valve, it must be under pressure for it to open up. When you use the blind basket (without steam boiler on) what pressure do you read?

            so my thought was that it might be that the steam boiler is overfilling and water escaping through the safety valve (although u likely as the water would be very hot and spluttering I believe). Are you able to draw steam normally when that’s happening?

            I get 9 bar with the blind basket.

            Unless I’m mistaken, the videos appear to show the water coming from the safety valve. However, i can confirm the water going back into the tank is not too hot.

            When i draw steam, however, it appears to be overly forceful and spluttering.

              europa The vacuum breaker vents to the drip tray, so it’s the expansion valve or as @MediumRoastSteam says, could be the safety valve. It’s difficult to tell, but in the first video, there appears to be bubbles emanating from the safety valve? Does this always happen? The cameras moving around a lot so difficult to see.

              From your description there appears to be multiple errors

              • Leaking Safety valve?
              • Funny solenoid action
              • Pump activation without steam boiler filling?
              • Steam is OK but splutters?
              • leaking connector?
              • pump runs on?
              • is there a level probe fault?

              So many problems, that might or might not be happening, I am having trouble just zoning in on things in a deluge of “possible” information. You need to compartmentalise this and work through a series of logical steps to figure this out. Let me give you some examples, of my thought processes….

              Is the service boiler over filling - open steam wand and run pump against a blind filter, or next time it autofills open steam wand. (It is tricky with the hot water, because it always takes that from the brew boiler). or remove a fitting and look (cold boiler of course)?

              Isolate the tube from the safety valve…is the water actually coming from there…or the vacuum breaker

              Is that clunking a solenoid, or the safety valve popping open and closed (if it’s the safety valve) then the only thing wrong with the machine might be a faulty safety valve. It’s why I asked if you could feel (with a wooden dowel) any solenoids clicking). Although it doesn’t explain why the pump runs on…perhaps another fault with the level probe wire.

              The thing is, with the Elizabeth, the safety valve is always flooded by the water coming from the expansion valve, through the X connector, down to the “door” of the safety valve. Safety valve gets hot, boils the water, and makes the machine gurgle. Nothing wrong, but a poor design from Lelit. I’ve been going on and on about this for a while now. 😊🤌… to the point I have re-routed mine and removed that X fitting. Hasn’t gurgled since, for 1.5 years. 😊

              To make sure it’s the safety valve, sending the water from the drip tray you can simple remove the hose from the safety valve to the X fitting and catch the water. But also make sure you catch the water from the exposed X fitting just in case it’s coming from the OPV.

              Once confirmed, put a cable tie into those hoses for good measure as they came undone on mine… another reason why I don’t like that X fitting design.

              If it’s the safety valve… best to let BB know as there’s something not right.

              Good luck.