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Why installing a pressure gauge.
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Why installing a pressure gauge other then adjusting pressure or nicer looking machine.
Monitoring the pressure gauge can confirm the well-being of the machine or alert you to potential problems. Like driving a good car with or without gauges.
If you find the pressure is at zero when the machine first warms up or has been sitting idle (but still heating) for some period of time, there could be a pressure leak. The zero reading may simply occur because you did not fill the boiler to the top with water after your last use. But, if you did fill the boiler or if, just after you brew, the pressure drops rapidly (less than 10 seconds) to a point much lower than your maximum pressure (for example, your max pressure is at ~9 bar and when the pump goes off, the pressure drops to 5 or less in 10 seconds or less), the boiler is not holding pressure very well, and you have a leak (but go through the process at least one more time before you get concerned).
The most common sources of a pressure drop are:
Steam valve was left slightly open or scale has built up on the seal. In rare cases, the steam valve seal may have gone bad.
OPV – The OPV has a scale build up and needs to be cleaned by de-scaling. In rare cases, the seals in the OPV can go bad.
3-Way Solenoid valve – Water drips in to the drip tray, even when the valve is closed at the drip tray side, until pressure is zero. If you are lucky, the valve simply has coffee and oil build up and cleaning by back flushing with cleaning detergent (and, maybe, by de-scaling, too) will solve the problem. If maintenance doesn’t solve a dripping 3-way solenoid, you will have to replace it.
A leak in the system can be a silent boiler killer, so if the pressure problem persists after a few attempts at de-scaling and/or back flushing, check the machine thoroughly for plumbing leaks (pump, seals, joints, tubing) or, if you don’t know what you are doing, have it checked by a professional.
DISCLAIMER:
Although I make every effort to use the best components and to provide the best information to my knowledge, the customizations are not approved by Rancilio or tested by any third party.
You are performing customizations at your own risk. You will assume full responsibility for any damage caused by this website, information or parts obtained from pidsilvia.com.
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