Espresso Machine explosion!
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1311946/Sainsburys-coffee-e...
Curious to everyones thoughts on the matter, user error or what not?
Curious to everyones thoughts on the matter, user error or what not?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Brady on
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Saw this yesterday. Possibly a bad weld on the boiler, more likely a bad OPV. From the green deposits near the leftmost heat exchangers and the discoloration of the fittings and tubing it looks to be a few years old, so I'm going with a bad OverPressure Valve coupled with a pressurestat that stuck closed causing a runaway heater.
It would not be user error. Even if a tech had set the PStat too high, the OPV should have popped before the boiler. The comment about someone noticing a high pressure reading is total BS... a runaway P-stat will go from normal pressure to blowing the OPV in 30 seconds. The barista might have had 45 seconds to notice something was up before the thing blew, if that is what happened.
In the last year, I've had three shops' machines blow OPVs due to pressurestats sticking. It happens all the time.
I like OPVs, a lot. This picture is why. Used to happen all the time until they became standard equipment.
Can anybody ID the machine? Not one I'm familiar with.
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Permalink Reply by luke hudek on
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I suspect the machine its a Barlume given I just got one in I recognize a good bit of the workmanship. Its part of why I was concerned, I wanted to make sure whatever happened to this guys won't happen to ours!
I have heard stories from many years ago (45+) that working on espresso machines was dangerous because this was much more likely prior to the more modern fail safes.
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Brady said:Saw this yesterday. Possibly a bad weld on the boiler, more likely a bad OPV. From the green deposits near the leftmost heat exchangers and the discoloration of the fittings and tubing it looks to be a few years old, so I'm going with a bad OverPressure Valve coupled with a pressurestat that stuck closed causing a runaway heater.
It would not be user error. Even if a tech had set the PStat too high, the OPV should have popped before the boiler. The comment about someone noticing a high pressure reading is total BS... a runaway P-stat will go from normal pressure to blowing the OPV in 30 seconds. The barista might have had 45 seconds to notice something was up before the thing blew, if that is what happened.
In the last year, I've had three shops' machines blow OPVs due to pressurestats sticking. It happens all the time.
I like OPVs, a lot. This picture is why. Used to happen all the time until they became standard equipment.
Can anybody ID the machine? Not one I'm familiar with.
Were any people injured in the 3 shops that had the error?
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No injuries in those cases. These systems are designed to protect the user, and generally work very well. They release a big cloud of steam, scaring the daylights out of the barista and generally prompting them to do the right thing - turn the machine off immediately.
There are several manufacturers that make machines that resemble the one in the picture. The keys to identification will be heat exchanger geometry and position of various internal components. The cup around the OPV should be a good clue as well.
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They are debating issuing a recall on the 2009+ models, so in the meantime I suppose I'll call who we bought this from and see whats up.
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You know, from the sound of it, the "design change" that they are talking about might be the switch from a conventional P-stat to a thermoprobe and electronic control. If that's the case, that's the sort of system used on quite a few machines, and was a change made to increase reliability and control. This type of system is generally regarded to be a good system.
I'm starting to think that the store spokesperson quoted didn't really know what they were talking about.
Given that this was the heater control scenario and that it was a newer machine, at this point the issue I'd be more concerned with is weld integrity.
Calling the manufacturer and/or dealer you bought from sounds like a good plan. A quick boiler weld visible inspection wouldn't hurt either.
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FWIW, this discussion on HB adds a little.
Like others, I doubt that the actual cause will ever be announced in enough detail to be usable for us. Luke, please keep us posted as to what you hear and do. I see that one of the 1st Line guys had some things to say on this, so he'd probably be the person to call there.
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Thanks for the info from HB, I have been following it here. I will be looking at our machine this week ( i have a wedding this evening), and waiting to here any official announcement from Elektra.
...Of course this happens right as we get our first machine in btw!
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I am reading through our machine manual and looking over what was said so far, and we look to be in the clear. Our model is a 2006 ART, and we SHOULD be fine from what I understand, provided we don't user error fail hardcore.
On a side note you still need to come play with said machine!
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