Grouphead issues
is depleted. I had a similar issue with the othe side of machine recently
and turned out to be a fault breaker is this connected and what can I
do to resolve the problem?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by David Stellwagen on
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Sounds like it could be solenoid valves are not closing completely.
If it's happe ing on both sides check your voltages to the solenoids.
If that's not the problem could be lime scale in the valves themselves. Remove valves and clean them. Also check rubber o- rings at valve group I interface.
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Permalink Reply by Alun Evans on
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I would also check the water feeds. The groups in most machines are fed from the Heat Exchangers, not the boiler- so it could be that while the boiler is full, you are having feed issues to the HX'ers during peak time. Could be caused if you are feeding the hydraulics via a softener tank or a water filter. The softener/filter is emptying fast during peak meaning the groups via the heat exchangers are fizzing or spitting like you described.
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Permalink Reply by Mike McGinness on
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OP said LM Linea, therefore not a HX machine.
Alun Evans said:I would also check the water feeds. The groups in most machines are fed from the Heat Exchangers, not the boiler- so it could be that while the boiler is full, you are having feed issues to the HX'ers during peak time. Could be caused if you are feeding the hydraulics via a softener tank or a water filter. The softener/filter is emptying fast during peak meaning the groups via the heat exchangers are fizzing or spitting like you described.
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Permalink Reply by Shadow on
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Alun he is using a Linea (double boiler), unless I'm overlooking something here.
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Permalink Reply by Scott on
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@Alun - this is a La Marzocco, so no heat exchangers. It has separate brewing boilers. Though it could still be a water supply issue.
Is it spitting when idle? What's the temp gauge read? I would check the temp with a real thermometer(sounds like it could be over temping) and the expansion valve to make sure it's opening by 15 bar. The brew valves are closed by spring pressure, not voltage. And water pressure is acting against the back of the valve plugger. It's not as common for scale to build up in the brew water circuit as it is in the steam boiler. However it is somewhat common for coffee grounds to get past worn screens and get into the valves; this can cause a leak or blockage.
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Permalink Reply by Graeme Duhamel on
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Thank you all so much for your knowledge and experience. I had an engineer in today and suggested most of your opinions to him but he was just a jackass if the machine was actually mine and not the companies i would be ever so tempted to tinker myself. I think its best to get hold of the suppliers and they can speak to LM if they cannot solve the issue.
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Permalink Reply by Brady on
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Is it too late for me to correct Alun too??? :) FWIW, I think you're on to something.
Graeme, we can give you much better information if you describe exactly what the machine is doing... preferably without theories as to what is happening or why. Here are some specific questions... they are rather generic questions that I use to troubleshoot problems over the phone:
What year (exact or approximate) and model is your machine? 2AV? 3EE?
What exactly does the machine do that you think is odd? Please describe with as much detail as possible... including water flow, noises, etc.
When does it begin doing said strange thing?
When does it stop doing it?
When you stop the shot, does the machine go quiet and stop doing stuff or do you hear other noises and see it do other stuff afterward?
Does it do it all the time, or just occasionally?
Does this happen to all groups, or just one?
How long ago did the machine begin doing it?
Has the machine had anything else happen to it recently (including service, strange water conditions, filter changes, etc)?
What pressures do you see... boiler, pump with pump running, pump when idle?
If you have a gage on your water conditioning system, what does it read when idle? What does it read when you draw water?
How long ago was your water conditioning system serviced?
What did the "jackass" engineer say about the machine?
These answers may help us figure out your issue.
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Permalink Reply by Mike Sabol on
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Graeme - I'd like to underscore what Brady and Scott are asking. If you can give us a clear picture of the problem we can give you some good ideas to explore. Several of us who have responded to your last couple of posts about your Linea have worked on Lineas for years and know them extremely well. We just need the information.
It sounds like you were able to reset the breaker on that machine that you asked about last time. These things could be related. That breaker blew because the machine got too hot. If the breaker was reset but the underlying cause of the over heating was not corrected then the machine will overheat again. When the group water is above 100c and the valve is opened the water will come out in spurts of steam and water. Like it is spitting. So you could have a thermostat that is not working properly. This will go on until the breaker pops again. If it does pop again I would recommend NOT resetting it! There is a deeper issue that has to be addressed. Hopefully you will get an engineer who isn't a jackass! Let us know how it goes.
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Permalink Reply by Mickael on
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Could it be over heating? Maybe time for a new thermostat which sucks, they aren't cheap
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