Leave on or Turn off

[Cliff]

I did a search and only found one topic that really did not give any info.

First I just want to say thanks to everyone one this board. I took the long road to get here but I am finally here. I bought my first machine (Delonghi) for a Christmas present for my wife in 2007. I found out that I was now a addict to espresso and purchased a Sierna. It stopped working in April so I purchased a Astra Pro a few weeks ago all the time really wanting a Vivaldi but could not see myself spending $2,000 on a machine. Well I guess I either have bad luck or it was a sign my Astra Pro also went bad. So I called Chris and ordered the Mini. Man I wish I did this the first time around. It is one of the best purchases I have made in a long time.

Anyways I don't care about how much extra it may cost to leave it on. I am only concerned if there is a problem with leaving it on 24/7 or not. I am thinking about turning the Boiler off durning the day while we are at work and at night.

Any thoughts on the pros and cons of doing this?

[JohnB]

No personal experience as I'm in no hurry in the morning but I don't see how leaving the small brew boiler on 24/7 is going to be a big issue. Supposedly its the heating & cooling cycles that cause most of the wear. Without the steam boiler cycling on & off heat shouldn't be an issue. I run my S1 V2 from morning until late afternoon/evening in cooler weather & at least 6 hours a day if I'm going to be drinking Espresso that day. Only issue would be running dry with a pour over & I assume the Mini has a low water cut off switch to prevent damage??

[zoey]

I know the pump won't run if the water is low. However, I don't know if the group head heating element turns off in the event of water evaporation.

Maybe I'll try to run it dry today.

[Niko]

Your group gasket will wear out quicker but I'd leave it on 24/7 if you don't plan on getting the timer. These machines are designed to be left on, some owners of the older S1 (me included) have left their machines running for 24/7 for weeks or months - only turned off when the owners leave town.

[Cliff]

Well I was going to get a timer but when I called back to Chris Coffee they talked me out of it. So I guess I will leave it on 24/7 and see what happens. Maybe it will go out just about the time the III comes out. Then the wife can not say no :D

[caf4brains]

I use the hybrid approach so that I'll never figure out which method is better; During the week my Mini is only on long enough to fortify me before work and again at night for an after-dinner shot. On the weekend it is on most of the time, but in the summer I turn off the steam boiler to limit the kitchen temperature.

[PBL]

Leave it on turn it off, leave it on turn it off.
Leave it on turn it off, leave it on turn it off.
Leave it on turn it off, leave it on turn it off.
I don't think it matters much for the machine, other than the cycles. I have left it on straight for 15 days once, no noticable issues except for the cupboard which gets warm. If you turm off the steam boiler, even that is not much of an issue.

So for my ten cents worth, having a fired up S1 when you need an espresso the most is the ideal. So I usually turn it off when I have had enough coffee (fingers start shaking, mouth is dry, you get the idea).

[bugbus]

I've left my VII on since I've got it which I believe in January except for one exception. I've turned the boiler off by mistake a couple times. No problems and it's always there for me.

[blgros]

Anyone have an idea on how much power this thing takes in standby mode? With all the talk about reducing electricity use, you hear about these items (like DVRs) that use a lot of power, even though they are "off".

How a bout the VII?

[chas]

It'll cost you about $1.00/month if you never turn it on.

http://www.s1cafe.com/s1v1/S1Power.html

[woodchuck]

Just for the record: I have mine set on the timer to come on at 6am and ready for a 7:00am wakeup espresso after a quick jog with the pups. It turns off at 8pm after my last espresso of the day. After that its presspot or cone. The only changes I have noticed from my Gaggia days which I turned on only when I was going to pull shots is a little faster wear on the group gasket. I need to replace it every 10 or so months these days. We travel 40 weekends a year so I just pull the plug when we're away. Seems more green than leaving it on when we're not there.

Cheers

Ian

[Mizspresso]

Cliff,
I'm curious about how Chris' talked you out of a timer. I have been considering buying one myself.

What did they say?

[chas]

Another point to consider is that many owners on this forum have gotten the timer and not one has ever said anything other than that they are glad they did.

It probably falls into the category that those that have it are glad they got it and many that didn't don't miss it.

[Cliff]

I was surprised they did not want to sell me one as well. When I called to order one I was still unsure if I would get my moneys worth out of it but I thought it would be a nice addition so as they talked me out of it I did not push the issue.

They told me that the timer had to be programed with the board and that needed to be done there at there shop as it would be to difficult for me to do on my own Although I would normally jump on the opportunity a challenge of someone saying that I can't do something I decided to let it go.