15A operation

[Niko]

Well the time has come to re-plumb the other S1 all over again since my new arrival (the VII) has taken over it's position in the batting order.
I really don't look forward to drilling holes, connecting tubes and so on and especially the electrical. I'm thinking of taking the easy way out (for now) until I get the proper circuit to install later on so the S1 will have it's own dedicated breaker. I'm going to do what I thought I'd never do, trip the toggle inside the machine to the 15A position, oh the horror! I'm just being lazy so I'm going to run out and buy the 20A outlet and replace the existing one in the wall with it just so I can at least plug it in and use it.
Is anybody running a Vivaldi in this configuration? What is the performance like?
Probably like a single boiler machine I'm guessing...

[RGoldman]

I have had mine on the 15A option since it arrived. It's fine. Of course, I don;t have anything to compare it to but I haven't had any problems pulling 4 or 5 doubles in a row, getting hot water and steam all within a few seconds. This thing re heats so fast that by the time you get the portafilter refilled, the lights have quit blinking. I have it on a 20amp circuit with a regular outlet so I could be running it at 20amps. I did a little checking and saw that my roaster is also on the same circuit so that is why I left it at 15. Just in case I happen to be roasting when the timer comes on, I don't want to trip the breaker and lose a roast. At least, I hope it doesn't trip the breaker! My grinder is also on the same circuit and I run it and the spaz at the same time without any problems. If I get real adventurous at some point, I will change it over to 20amps and see what happens!

I got the dreaded "you're going through a lot of kitchen towles" this morning..... although, right after that, I also got, "this is really good"! So, I guess I can get away using up all the towels for a little longer.

[Niko]

Ron,
Thanks for the info.
As for the "I'm using too manys towels..." Ha ha, I get away with using dozens of towels because I do the laundry! Bought the best front loaders a while back so I'm "The Laundry Man".
Now back to the Spaz, I was wondering about the performance because I steam milk at the same time a shot is pouring, then the milk hits the coffee as soon as the doser cuts the shot off. It all happens so fast but it sounds like it can happen, not quite, but almost as fast in 15A mode.
My VII is on it's own dedicated circuit with nothing else on it - and I'm keeping it that way. The MACAP is on another breaker with the roaster but I don't use both at the same exact time.
Now I've moved the original S1 to my other house, it's a pretty new home so I didn't want to mess with the electrical, not yet at least. I just wanted to plug and play but I'm a little hesitant on drilling holes just anywhere since the cabinets are maple. I need to crawl and look where the dishwasher is getting water from since I'm installing the S1 directly above it, maybe I won't have to drill into the cabinets but rather pipe into the same crevice as the washer. Now I have to look through my tools for a carbide bit to bite into the tile, if I can only remember what size I used at the other location...

[RGoldman]

I told my wife that I was quite capable of washing all the extra towels so she didn't need to worry about it.
You know you can change the plug end on the Spaz and leave it in 20amp mode if you know that your new place has a 20amp circuit. That way you don't have to put in a new receptacle.
I put mine in over the dishwasher so I just pulled out the dishwasher a little and drilled down through the back of the countertop then snaked a wire through the hole and over towards the sink. I used one of the nifty connections from Chris that hooks in to the cold water supply line for my sink. The whole thing took about 10 minutes to hook up.

Good luck with the install!

[Niko]

The circuit is a 20A so I'll replace just the outlet, I'll still run the machine on 15A until I get it on a breaker all by itself. I've had the Quick Mill Anita trip it once before and this machine has nowhere near the wattage of the Spaz behind it. I think we're talking 1400w vs. 2050w, probably enough to trip it out some more when other things are running in the kitchen.

So how much room is between the back of your dishwasher the wall? I'm looking at a very tight space here I think. Before I drill, I'd like to move the dishwasher out a little, how much do you think I can slide it out without disturbing anything - like the pipes, it looks like a solid copper pipe going through the cabinets below the sink leading out to the dishwasher. I was going to follow through the same hole since it's big enough to get the JG tubing and the Spaz's braided hose through.

[RGoldman]

It's pretty tight behind the dishwasher. I went over the top of it and out the sidewall into the area under my kitchen sink. My drain and water for the dishwasher are both flex lines so I was able to pull my dishwasher out over a foot, which gave me enough room to reach in above it, and guide the wire I used to pull the Spaz water line through. The braided Spaz line was almost long enough to reach my cold water supply under the sink so I just had to cut three really short pieces of the plastic tubing to connect the regulator and shutoff valve between the supply and Spaz. I don't have an inline filter system under the sink since I have one out at my well. So far, so good. We've been using hot water out of the Spaz for tea, hot chocolate, and oatmeal with no off taste whatsoever. I guess if you keep a steady supply of clean water running through the boiler, it's not a problem.
I did the first good cleaning on Friday and after 1 week, it wasn't bad at all. The screens even looked relatively clean when I took them out. I thnk this thing is easier to keep clean than the technivom was.

[Niko]

Finally plumbed it in and changed the outlet to a 20 amper. The breaker was indeed a 20A but it's shared with 1 more outlet in the kitchen - including the disposal and dishwasher. To make matters worse, the knucklehead builder's electrician used 14 gauge wire on it (bloody misers). Now I have to get another breaker for just the Spaz and run 10 gauge wire, damn.
Oh well, at least it's running in econo mode for now.


By the way, econo mode is not nearly the same as 20A operation. I feel like I'm using a HX because of the cycling boilers. It's like a 3-legged race horse, a Rally Car without the turbo...it's driving me NUTS.

[wantmorecrema]

RGoldman -- Are you sure about being able to run the VII with a 15AMP plug on 20AMP mode on a a 20AMP circuit?

This is great news as it would simplify things for me as it will allow me to use my existing 15AMP outlet covers (I'm not technically inclined).

Thanks!

[RGoldman]

Yes, it works but I can not say that it is safe because I have no idea about your wiring. Running it any other way than it came could be a fire hazard! Do so at your own risk or hire an electrician to make sure your wiring can support the machine!
I have mine running in 15 amp mode on a 20 amp circuit because there are shared outlets on the same circuit. Honestly, it works fine and I am never waiting on it.

[Niko]

RGoldman -- Are you sure about being able to run the VII with a 15AMP plug on 20AMP mode on a a 20AMP circuit?

This is great news as it would simplify things for me as it will allow me to use my existing 15AMP outlet covers (I'm not technically inclined).

Thanks!

I wouldn't do that. If your kitchen doesn't have a 20A outlet it means it's shared with other outlets. An actual 20A outlet usually means it has its own independent breaker. I think you'll be playing dangerously with the machine on 20A mode because you ought to see these things in action...in 15A mode the machine is hot, in 20A mode it's a wattage starving T-Tex on steriods that can heat up your entire cabinet above it.