Boiler pressure / temperature adjustment?

Tips and Tricks you have discovered with your S1, VII, Mini-VII, Dream, or Dream T that lets you do any aspect of coffee making, steaming, maintenance, etc better.
Post Reply
GentleGiant

Boiler pressure / temperature adjustment?

Post by GentleGiant »

Is there an adjustable thermostat or pressurestat on the steam boiler?

I'd be interested in reducing the pressure a bit to slow the steaming of small amounts of milk. The setpoint on mine currently is just over 1.5 bar on the boiler gauge.
User avatar
chas
Vivaldi Dreamer
Posts: 3057
Joined: Wed Jun 02, 2004 11:52 pm
Location: Central Maryland
Contact:

Post by chas »

This is not a topic that has been discussed here before. So I'm guessing no one has yet figured it out or tried it. From the very poor schematics that are included in the User's Manual, it appears that there are at least two potentiometers on the controller board. It is likely that one of them controls the boiler pressure. However, you'll probably have to call tech support and ask to be sure.

Should that turn out to be the case you'd then have the daunting task of making the adjustment. How you'd get a small screwdriver and the controller board positioned while the unit is powered up (without getting burned or electrocuted!) so that you could make this adjustment may be a supreme challenge.

I'd be willing to bet that these adjustments are set at the factory using some type of test jig before they are actually installed into the S1.
Chas
LM GS/3 & LaSpaziale Dream v 1.25 (US 120V)
Mazzer Kony E, Customized Rocky
Hottop P/B
bobroseman

Re: Boiler pressure / temperature adjustment?

Post by bobroseman »

GentleGiant wrote:Is there an adjustable thermostat or pressurestat on the steam boiler?

I'd be interested in reducing the pressure a bit to slow the steaming of small amounts of milk. The setpoint on mine currently is just over 1.5 bar on the boiler gauge.

I just stuck a toothpick into one of the three holes in the wand tip. The resulting two hole tip gives me a better swirl for 12 oz of milk in a 16 oz steaming pitcher.

Bob
wgaggl

Post by wgaggl »

Chas wrote:... How you'd get a small screwdriver and the controller board positioned while the unit is powered up (without getting burned or electrocuted!) so that you could make this adjustment may be a supreme challenge.

I'd be willing to bet that these adjustments are set at the factory using some type of test jig before they are actually installed into the S1.
Has anyone found out yet which trim potentiometer on the control board is setting the steam boiler pressure?

W.
GentleGiant

Post by GentleGiant »

I'm no longer really interested in this: I've now found that if I'm making several drinks in sequence there's not enough steam power, especially if your machine is set for 15 amp operation.

When I'm in the "Barista Zone" I can crank out a 16oz latte in 1min 15sec. Given that it's ~40 seconds to recycle the brew boiler after a double shot, there isn't nearly enough steam boiler heating going on.

I've also gotten used to doing smaller amounts of milk, though with a single cappucino it is still a bit tricky to avoid big, over frothed bubbles.
Post Reply

Return to “Tips & Tricks”