Was working, until... (Water flow issues)

[brisbane87]

I recently bought a Mini Vivaldi II and it was working GREAT for me up until this past weekend. Then, I think I choked the machine (was fiddling with grinder and ground way too fine), as the pump sounded like it was working and no water was flowing through, and when I removed the portafilter all I had was a very soupy puck. That said, I was able to pull a few shots the next day with no issues, though pressure and waterflow seemed a little low.

This morning, I turned my machine on and the pump ran for a minute (like when initially setting up) rather than the usual three seconds. I hopped in the shower and went back to the machine, but rather than being fully lit and heated, all the control lights were off except the boiler light, which was flashing. I pressed the boiler button and the light turned off and the temp control lights turned on in sequence as usual. I tried running some water through and only some weak drops came out. Then I pressed the one-cup button and the pump started to vibrate violently. At some point, the three water flow alarms (the yellow temp control lights) started flashing simultaneously. I just turned off the machine and unplugged it at this point.

Any ideas how to fix this?

[Endo]

... I think I choked the machine (was fiddling with grinder and ground way too fine), as the pump sounded like it was working and no water was flowing through, and when I removed the portafilter all I had was a very soupy puck. That said, I was able to pull a few shots the next day with no issues, though pressure and waterflow seemed a little low.

This is normal. You simply went too fine with the grind and choked the machine. The Vivaldi is built to handle this. The only danger would be if you ran the machine in this choked condition for several minutes, in which case you could overheat and burn out the motor.

One of the design problems with the Mini Vivaldi is that the blocking alarm does not work properly.

This morning, I turned my machine on and the pump ran for a minute (like when initially setting up) rather than the usual three seconds. I hopped in the shower and went back to the machine, but rather than being fully lit and heated, all the control lights were off except the boiler light, which was flashing. I pressed the boiler button and the light turned off and the temp control lights turned on in sequence as usual. I tried running some water through and only some weak drops came out. Then I pressed the one-cup button and the pump started to vibrate violently. At some point, the three water flow alarms (the yellow temp control lights) started flashing simultaneously. I just turned off the machine and unplugged it at this point.

Any ideas how to fix this?

One of the design problems with the Mini Vivaldi is that the grouphead flow blocking alarm does not work properly. Fortunately, if there is another blocking alarm called the "Boiler Automatic Refill System Failure", which is the one the kicked in for you and saved your pump. Here's how it works as explaine din the owner's manual:

5.7 Boiler Automatic Refill System Failure
(only with the boiler turned on)
This is a blocking alarm which is signaled by blinking of the Boiler (13) light. If the pump runs for more than 1 minute attempted to refill the boiler without the controller circuit receiving a boiler full signal, this alarm is triggered. This alarm can be temporarily cancelled by pressing the BOILER (26) button to turn off the boiler. The Mini VII can be operated with the steam boiler off until repairs to the boiler function occur.

Most likely, what is causing your problem is a blockage in the water feed system. Here is an example of one of these blockages.

http://www.s1cafe.com./viewtopic.php?f= ... 25&p=17851

It might also be caused by manufacturing debris in the steam boiler (such as metal shavings).

http://www.s1cafe.com./viewtopic.php?f=30&t=835

Most often, the problem is found near the source (near the reservoir inlet).So start at there and work you way through the system until you find the source of the blockage. Hopefully it will be obvious and not too hard to remove. Good luck!

[brisbane87]

Thanks. But what does choking the machine and having steam boiler issues have to do with a blockage? Not saying its not the cause but im concerned that seems coincidental. Im not home now so unfortunately have to wait to fix...

[Endo]

Thanks. But what does choking the machine and having steam boiler issues have to do with a blockage? Not saying its not the cause but im concerned that seems coincidental. Im not home now so unfortunately have to wait to fix...

If you have blockage at the source, it would restrict flow to the fill the steam boiler AND it would also restrict flow to the brew boiler (since they both use the same pump). The reduced flow into the brew boiler would appear the same as a "choked" shot.

Just like a heart attack, you can get symptoms that show up as partial blockages, but once enough particles accumulate it can form a dam, and a total blockage would result.

[brisbane87]

Sorry, what I meant to say is how would choking the machine cause a blockage at the source? The choking and these problems seem related. Could something else be going on? Just want a contingency plan for when I get home.

[Endo]

A partially blocked flow will seem like you choked the machine. In actual fact, you are just not getting enough pressure to force water through the coffee grounds. That coupled with the fact that the steam boiler is not filling is a strong indicator of a blockage.

If that is not it, you'll need to look at the pump. But I haven't heard of these failing very often.

Remember, when you choke the machine, you are not choking the pump. Some or all of the flow will bypass the through the OPV and go back to the pump inlet through a T junction whenever it exceeds its 9 bar setting (which happens even during regular shots). So don't get too worried about damaging it by choking occasionally.

You can only damage the pump if it runs too long (over a minute), since it will overheat. This may happen when pulling shots longer than 1 minute, but as you discovered, the blocking alarm logic will turn off the pump and flash the boiler LED if it runs for more than 1 minute when trying to fill the steam boiler.

[Endo]

Here's another post talking about a blockage on the Mini. You might want to read through this one as well:

viewtopic.php?f=57&t=1495

I should have mentioned though, before you do anything, you should make sure there is no air in the lines by pressing both the "hot water" and the "on/off" buttons at the same time. Trapped air can stall the pump and cause similar symptoms.

[brisbane87]

Thanks! In the end, I think it was just that softener cartridge in the reservoir...it tipped over and was just floating around. I stuck it back on upright and the machine is working as well as ever (in fact, it seems to maintain 9bar pressure throughout the whole shot according to the gauge...before, it started at 9bar but dropped off during the shot, though I didn't notice any taste impact).

[Endo]

Thanks! In the end, I think it was just that softener cartridge in the reservoir...it tipped over and was just floating around. I stuck it back on upright...

Simple fix. That's good news.

With any "no flow" problems, it's always best to start at the source in your troubleshooting ( the reservoir for the Mini) and work inwards from there.

... it seems to maintain 9bar pressure throughout the whole shot according to the gauge...before, it started at 9bar but dropped off during the shot, though I didn't notice any taste impact).

You will register a constant 9 bars if your OPV (upper limiter) is set to 9 bar and your puck is ground fine enough to resist 9 bar pressure. If you grind more coarse, your shots will be less than 9 bar, or will drop below 9 bar midway through the shot if you start channeling. These shots usually run faster than 25 seconds and will taste sour. In other words, your machine is not gettting better, you are.

[JohnB]

Thanks! In the end, I think it was just that softener cartridge in the reservoir...it tipped over and was just floating around. .

So the problem was the softener but not what I had expected. http://www.home-barista.com/espresso-ma ... ml#p218124