The Saga Continues...

CardinalBiggles

There’s not much left to fiddle with on my Synchronika now! After your help and a bit of adjustment I had the pump pressure at 9 bar with the blind filter in. I even got a couple of espressos out of it.

But cleaning out the limescale *did* show scale was present. It wasn’t choc-a-bloc scaled, but I did get some muck out in the descaler water. After which pressure dropped to 7.5 bar. Adkusted to 9 bar on the rotary pump.

So now I’m getting water constantly running out of the lower front fascia outlet and into the drip tray when I’m brewing. (Offical ECM part C227700898 Ablaufdüse Drain nozzle). I went through an entire reservoir of water pulling four coffees.

I checked the solenoid valve - clean as a whistle.

So I was wondering if this valve (below) needs an adjustment - it feeds the Drain Nozzle from the Brew boiler.?

Any suggestions would be welcome and appreciated. Thanks,

DavecUK

CardinalBiggles the valve is the expansion valve, it actually regulates pressure created due to the expansion of water on heating. In a vibration pump machine this valve also serves the dual function of controlling pressure and limiting it to 8.5 or 9 bar, whatever you choose. In a rotary pump machine the adjuster on the rotary pump itself, the bypass, actually regulates brew pressure and this is how you adjust the pressure on a rotary pump machine. The expansion valve is purely there to cater for expansion of water on heating so it doesn’t damage the pipes or the boiler.

To set the machine up correctly, you should close the expansion valve, turn the pump up to create a pressure of 11 bar, and then open the expansion valve until the flow just starts, this should all be done with a blind filter loaded in the group.

Once you have done this and just have a little flow at 11 bar using the expansion valve, you should then turn the adjuster on the rotary pump down to 9 bar against the blind filter. The expansion valve should not pass water at 9 bar or need further adjustment and will not take any part in the pressure regulation during a shot, but will open and allow the few drops of water out that are required to prevent the problem when water expands on heating as it enters the boilers.

CardinalBiggles

That’s exactly the procedure that I was looking for. Thank you Dave C!

I’ll give it a go.

CardinalBiggles

All is now well and sorted!

No leaks, New Heating Element, OPV subsystem overhauled, multiple new gaskets; now beautifully clean inside and out, descaled, tuned up and delivering fantastic shots as if a new machine.

Thank you all who helped me solve the problems on my Synchronika. The T piece is a design flaw to keep an eye on in future, but the rest of it was clearly my own ignorance in using inappropriate bottled water causing some limescale.

I’ve now changed to Ashbeck, and bought some BWT resin bags for my reservoir to better manage the problem.

What a great community this is.

And Dave, please let me know by PM when and how I can chip in a few bob for the forum kitty.

Thanks again.

DavecUK

CardinalBiggles You have reminded me the countdown timer has counted Down and the event has started….which requires me to open a freeflarum donation round.

CardinalBiggles

DavecUK That’s great. I’m very happy to chip in, but searching the site I can find nothing explaining how to go about it. Could you send me a link via email? Thanks.

DavecUK

CardinalBiggles I need to open the donation options at the weekend.