Rancillo Epoch...HELP!
hot water works...steam wand works
when we go to extract and espresso nothing happens. it sounds like its working but the water is not coming out.
what to do?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Alun Evans on
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Could be blockage in the inbound filter in the pump. In this case the hot water still works, as does the steam- but the machine will not extract. If the pump is external easy fix- turn off machine, open the hose coming into the RPM pump and check if the small conical filter is clear or not. Often these can blockup- even if water is coming through a softener. If it is clean turn on, try and extract again- does the pump come on? (hard to tell because there is no inbound pump pressure guage I can see). If pump does not come on, it could well be the pump capacitor (starter) on top of the pump is faulty. If pump starts pump is fine... could be a number of other things inside the machine; most seriously calcification of the heat exchanger feeding the group.
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I would also say is the AWR (Auto water refill) engaging? If it is clicking on and no water is being delivered from the pump then yes it is most likely a blockage at pump or capacitor. If the AWR is engaging and filling the boiler then the issue is most likely group related:
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Permalink Reply by Mickael on
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your brew valve is probably stuck. insert a portafilter and hit the "constant on" key. Using another portafilter as a hammer hit the bottom of the portafilter that is in the group. 9 times out of 10 it will work. the vibrations will cause the plugger in the valve to pop open. You then want to flush it out for a good minute, its possible you had some left over puro cafe or other cleaner that got stuck in your valve. good luck
Mikey
mikey@espressomachineexperts.com
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Permalink Reply by victoria fallon on
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thank you for the quick reply and troubleshooting ideas..
Mikey, tried your recommendation and the plugger in the valve didn't pop open after banging the portafilter a few times. Something is preventing the water from extracting.
Alun Evans, yes the AWR is engaging. Will check the starter...how does one check the heat exchanger to see if there is calcification?
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OK, if the AWR is engaging...and you are sure the boiler is refilling. You can count out the Pump and the inbound hydraulics. When you push an extraction button (as in pulling a shot) does the pump engage? If yes then the connection between pump and switch is OK (sometimes a connector can burn out). If the switch is OK then you need to work your way from where the hydraulics enter the Rancilio: There is normally a junction where a switch manually can be turned to turn. Check that this has not been turned off by someoine fiddling with the machine. It will stop a shot being pulled.
The next thing you should do is check if the jet in the group is blocked. I am not sure what group this machine has, but if its a newer group there could be a blockage (similar to what Mickael has explained). On Astorias we manually remove this with a pin...I am not sure how accessible the jet is on an Epoch though...Mickael???
After this you need to then look at the possibility of calcification. How old is the machine? Has it been run with a softener tank? If it has no softener and is more than 2 years old it could be a calcification issue. If this is the case then it might be a longer job... it could be done yourself, but better to get a techie in if this is the case
victoria fallon said:thank you for the quick reply and troubleshooting ideas..
Mikey, tried your recommendation and the plugger in the valve didn't pop open after banging the portafilter a few times. Something is preventing the water from extracting.
Alun Evans, yes the AWR is engaging. Will check the starter...how does one check the heat exchanger to see if there is calcification?
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By the way...did this just happen overnight, or has there been a noticeable reduction of waterflow from the group over time? Could help determine the problem :))
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That's the best question! What happened before the problem? Did u just back flush it or leave it off for a long time? I swear hit it harder and it will work or you need a new group valve.
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Permalink Reply by Brady on
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Before you beat on your PF too hard, check that your solenoid is functioning. This is the little black box behind the panel, hanging under the grouphead, with the black tube screwed on to the bottom. It has a bundle of wires coming out of one end. It is an electromagnet, and should attract steel when it is energized. You can check to see if it is working by carefully tapping it with a screwdriver before and after pressing the manual dispense button. You should feel a mild pull on the screwdriver blade when the pump is running. Be careful poking around in there though... live wires and all.
The jet for the grouphead should be located right behind the group screw hole, headed back at a 45 degree angle. like Alun said, check that for obstructions.
Barring that, and assuming solenoid function, my next step would be to disassemble and clean the valve itself.
All this said, it is probably time to call a tech.
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brady,
thank you. will check the black box to be sure it is working.
Alun and Mikey,
The machine was working fine. We suspect it was not flushed properly after being cleaned. The following shift it was not functioning. I will try checking the grouphead. A tech may be in order!
thank you for the support. much appreciated.
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Good luck. I should mention that, to give the magnet more metal to grab, tap it with the side of the blade, not the tip. So its more like a hitting a baseball with a bat and not like you are trying to stab it... hope that made sense?
Just to check... when you backflush you are leaving the group screens in place, right? Also check to be sure that the group screw is snug. I've seen these be loose and allow ground espresso to get into the valve. You don't want them to be too tight (especially if the machine is cool), just snug.
Again, good luck. And be careful!
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Permalink Reply by Darren Reynolds on
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Victoria,
You may want to check the flowmeter above the brew group. There is a small LED on this little unit that is orange or green. If it it lit solid and not flashing, the flowmeter is clogged. After cooling down the machine and turing off the water supply, remove the three screws (philips or hex) and attempt to clear the output with a paper clip or similar. There is an arrow indicating which side is the output. Good Luck!
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Permalink Reply by FixYourEspressoMachine on
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There is a group jet in the top of the group that restricts the flow of water into the group, if this is plugged no water will pass into the group, take the big bolt loose in the top of the group and pulll out the jet, clean this with a paper clip, but not a drill bit or anything that will change the size of the hole. Let me know if this works.
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