boiler automatic refill system failure on mini vivaldi

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iflawdya

boiler automatic refill system failure on mini vivaldi

Post by iflawdya »

A couple of weeks ago I went to make a coffee and noticed the boiler light on my mini vivaldi was blinking and the power was off. I called Chris Coffee and spoke to a tech. He told me that I need to hold down the water button and power button to extract any air that may be trapped in the line. Then power it back on. I did that and it seemed to work fine. But I have noticed that it does this every time I steam milk and then run the hot water. It also seems like its taking longer than normal to fill the boiler.
Has anyone had this problem?
Thanks
Endo

Re: boiler automatic refill system failure on mini vivaldi

Post by Endo »

As you say, this is the automatic boiler refill failure fault light. It goes on if the pump continues for longer than 1 minute when refilling (to avoid it burning out). If there is air in your lines somewhere, this might cause it.......but,

What's interesting is that you say it happens after you run hot water. Obviously it will take longer to fill so perhaps the low water level sensor is set too low? This might cause it to go a little beyond 1 minute to refill and result in the fault as well. Might also lessen the life of your heater since it may be exposed to more air. The heater is part of the sealed boiler unit, so I'd get it fixed fast.
iflawdya

Re: boiler automatic refill system failure on mini vivaldi

Post by iflawdya »

Thanks for the quick response Endo. Is there any way to adjust the water level sensor?
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chas
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Re: boiler automatic refill system failure on mini vivaldi

Post by chas »

I had this happen once about 4 years ago. There is a gicleur valve in line with the water between the pump and the steam boiler that screws into the solenoid valice. My gicleur was partially clogged with mineral deposits. It is pretty easy to get to and check.

I've circled it in the photo below. You will see a bolt with a screw in the middle of it. Remove the bolt without turning the screw. (I think the screw is a needle valve that adjusts the flow rate through the gicleur.)The gicleur will pop out and the mineral deposit or other blockage should be obvious. I used a dental pick tool to scrape off the mineral deposit. When reinstalled it, I was back to normal operation.

Mine failed slowly over time. Until it got to the point where refilling the boiler exceeded 1 minute and triggered the alarm, I either didn't noticed it or I just ignored it. After the alarm happends, you have to unplug the machine and plug it back it to clear the alarm. When I would do that the pump would run another 5 seconds or so to complete the fill. In my case it was obviously a mineral deposit since it got worse slowly over time. Once fixed it only took a total of 5 seconds to fill the boiler.

If in your case, your Mini went straight from a normal short fill to alarming, it's more likely that a metal flake or shaving is wedged in the gicleur. Note that the photo is of a V2. I am not sure if this valve is in the exact same location in the Mini or not. However, this valve with the gicleur on the side should be easy enough to locate even if it has been moved in the Mini.
gicleur.jpg
gicleur.jpg (62.44 KiB) Viewed 13341 times
Chas
LM GS/3 & LaSpaziale Dream v 1.25 (US 120V)
Mazzer Kony E, Customized Rocky
Hottop P/B
iflawdya

Re: boiler automatic refill system failure on mini vivaldi

Post by iflawdya »

Thank you Chas. I'm still looking for the screw. I cant seem to locate it.
Endo

Re: boiler automatic refill system failure on mini vivaldi

Post by Endo »

I never heard about this gicleur valve. :o What you say makes sense and is worth checking out first.

Do you get lots of gicleur training on the GS/3? ;-)

You're still the Vivaldi master Chas. :notworthy:
peter

Re: boiler automatic refill system failure on mini vivaldi

Post by peter »

I had something similar happening with my VII when it was only 4 months old. It was a screen just ahead of the boiler fill valve/solenoid that was poorly installed at the factory. This may be the same thing that chas is describing, but the techs at Chris' called it a screen. It looks like a small sintered disc. Chris' techs helped me figure it out, and said to simply take the screen out and leave it out, that it was put there because in Italy they don't filter their water, but in the US we don't need that screen.
iflawdya

Re: boiler automatic refill system failure on mini vivaldi

Post by iflawdya »

Thanks for all your help guys. I called cc this morning and they have me taking the line of just before the boiler. It seems to be coming out of that line very slow.
I did notice some buildup in there too.
Endo

Re: boiler automatic refill system failure on mini vivaldi

Post by Endo »

iflawdya wrote:Thanks for all your help guys. I called cc this morning and they have me taking the line of just before the boiler. It seems to be coming out of that line very slow.
I did notice some buildup in there too.
Let us know what the build-up is made of.
iflawdya

Re: boiler automatic refill system failure on mini vivaldi

Post by iflawdya »

The buildup was a tan crusty sediment. I took off the solenoid and cleaned the spring and stuff. Put it all back together and it seems to be working. It still takes about 20-25 seconds to fill bit no error light.
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chas
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Re: boiler automatic refill system failure on mini vivaldi

Post by chas »

Now that I've looked over the LaSpaziale Parts catalog on the VII/VII Mini Site linked at the top right of this page, it looks like on the Mini II, the solenoid is about the only place a blockage can occur in that water path. The Mini does not have that gicleur that clogged on my S1. Once the water tees off where one path goes to the group boiler and the other path goes to the steam boiler, the only thing in the water path besides the teflon tubing is that solenoid valve. (bottom left corner on page 15 of the parts catalog)
Chas
LM GS/3 & LaSpaziale Dream v 1.25 (US 120V)
Mazzer Kony E, Customized Rocky
Hottop P/B
iflawdya

Re: boiler automatic refill system failure on mini vivaldi

Post by iflawdya »

lol...And I was still looking for the gicleur thingy!
Thanks guys for all your help.
Endo

Re: boiler automatic refill system failure on mini vivaldi

Post by Endo »

iflawdya wrote:The buildup was a tan crusty sediment.
Sounds like the sediment I see collecting at the bottom of the steam boiler. I wonder what it is and how it makes its way back upstream into the inlet tubes?
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chas
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Re: boiler automatic refill system failure on mini vivaldi

Post by chas »

I've heard of folks that have popped the lids on their VI or VII Maxi steam boilers in order to descale who saw the same kind of gunk where the water inlet tube attaches to the boiler. On those devices the vinyl tubing connects to a 90 degree stainless connector on the side of the steam boiler. The goo actually collects in the 90 degree connector on those machines. Since the Mini's hose attaches to the top of the boiler rather than to the side, no 90 degree connector is used. The good news for the Mini is that, if you're unlucky enough to have a clog, there is just one likely place to check (solenoid) whereas there seem to be three possible clog points on the Maxi.

Someone in another post mentioned a screen clogging up on theirs. Unless LaSpaz has redesigned the MIni since the parts catalog was published, the only in-line screen I see is in the water path to the group boiler. It sounds like a screen on the steam boiler before the solenoid valve would be useful.
Chas
LM GS/3 & LaSpaziale Dream v 1.25 (US 120V)
Mazzer Kony E, Customized Rocky
Hottop P/B
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