Breville BES900 Dual Boiler - Owners thread

[pcrussell50]

I am back, baby! I disassembled the machine and removed the solenoid valve again. It looked clean but what about inside. So I popped it in my workshop vise with the flange facing up, then took 3 test leads and connected to the solenoid (it is a 120v AC unit) to wires I probed into a nearby electrical outlet (please don't try this at home unless you know what you are doing). I was then able to cycle the solenoid valve at will by working one of the hot wires. Then I poured some vinegar on the flange and cycled the solenoid. The vinegar ran through it to get to the insides and out the outlet tube. Then I blew it out with compressed air. Reinstalled the solenoid and voila, major flow... 8 ounces of water in 40 seconds with no coffee... it had been only 2 ounces in 60 seconds before. I had to totally revamp my grind, dosing and tamping to accommodate the flow. getting perfect shots again.
So I guess I'll keep the old 900 for awhile longer.

You were almost there. All you had to do was take out a 14mm (iirc) spanner and remove the electrical coil from the stem, and disassemble for a good cleaning. In fact, now that you are comfortable with removing your solenoid, I would do just that.

-Peter

[raylo32]

Not really, this machine is not designed to be able to properly flush/remove all the descaling agent. Might get away with using a weak solution and doing several 8 ounce manual runs with just water... but not necessary since the solenoid that is the problem is an easy R&R.

Would it not have been easier to just put a litre of vinegar/lemon juice/citric acid into the water tank and run it all through the machine?

[raylo32]

Maybe I'll try that next time, but the vinegar treatment was very easy and worked great. It's like a whole new machine. Here is a brief video, please excuse the slightly jerky result as I was filming with one hand and working the wire to cycle the solenoid in the other. This from a second pour of vinegar. Got some mucky stuff out the first one.

You were almost there. All you had to do was take out a 14mm (iirc) spanner and remove the electrical coil from the stem, and disassemble for a good cleaning. In fact, now that you are comfortable with removing your solenoid, I would do just that.

-Peter

[greenkiwi00]

I just purchased a used BES900 down here in NZ. It arrived and no water runs through the brew head.

Observations:

• The machine will pull water through for steam and hot water. I can run it and see the water being pulled from the tank
• Ran it w/o a portafilter
• No pressure shown on the gauge
• No water comes through
• I can hear the pump start and then ramp up, and if I hold down the 1c or 2c, I can hear it ramp up immediately.
• Temp seems fine at 93C
• 165 on shot counter, so 1650 shots

I've contacted the previous owner to see what issues they might have had. I can post a video if it's helpful.

Does anyone have any advice on troubleshooting this before I bring it into a shop?

[greenkiwi00]

Minor update, I removed the solenoid and the gasket was cracked. As a test, I removed them did a little cleaning and put it back together. I ran a quick test and water does go through the brew head.

I am going to pick up a new gasket next week.


As for descaling, is it something that can be done at home or must one bring it into a service center?

[hathro]

Having a temp problem with my BES900 - it heats up to 110c with flashing lights and I have to let hot water out of the outlet to bring it down to temp and then it is fine. Machine operates well with this workaround but how would I go about fixing this for good?

I had some previous leaks and have replaced the o-rings in both boilers.

[level3ninja]

So once it's down to the right temperature does it heat up and stop heating correctly out does it overheat the next times it's cool enough for the element to kick in?

[Jebus]

Having a temp problem with my BES900 - it heats up to 110c with flashing lights and I have to let hot water out of the outlet to bring it down to temp and then it is fine. Machine operates well with this workaround but how would I go about fixing this for good?

My BES920 had the same problem, including a lot of gurgling sounds when sitting idle. You mentioned you replaced the o-rings already, but these problems completely disappeared for me once I did the same o-ring fix.

[hathro]

It's only the first time. It overshoots to 110c, I then release water until the temp drops below 93, say 90, then it heats to 93 and stops.

[Shot]

Hi
New user here,
I've tried searching for the temperature rating for the over temperature thermostat on the steam boiler to no success.
It's in series with the Thermal fuse

I am currently replacing the Thermal fuse (10a 167°) and thought while i have the machine apart it is worthwhile replacing the thermostat too, I don't want to reassemble the machine only to find another problem.

Thanks

[Jebus]

It's only the first time. It overshoots to 110c, I then release water until the temp drops below 93, say 90, then it heats to 93 and stops.

Yeah same with my BES920. With mine though, if I let it idle for an hour or so it would occasionally over heat again, but the reading would still be 93. I was only able to get the correct reading by turning the machine off an on.

Did this issue only appear after you replaced the o-rings? I wonder if there is steam escaping from the boiler, from possibly an o-ring not pushed down into place far enough.

[hathro]

Yeah same with my BES920. With mine though, if I let it idle for an hour or so it would occasionally over heat again, but the reading would still be 93. I was only able to get the correct reading by turning the machine off an on.

Did this issue only appear after you replaced the o-rings? I wonder if there is steam escaping from the boiler, from possibly an o-ring not pushed down into place far enough.

I'll have a look again and re-seat them. I actually got the machine as is as a project. Fixed the steam leaks and will keep investigating.

I haven't let it run for longer than 15 minutes at this stage. Will need to do further testing.

[Therin83]

I would appreciate your advice. I took the machine below in and have been quoted $550 for a range of identified issues, but was advised that it's not possible to tell beforehand if those repairs will fix the machine or if there is a problem with the boiler. If the boiler is also faulty, then it could be a further $500 repair. Now I have a tough decision because those total repairs are almost the cost of a new Breville Dual Boiler. If I was confident that $550 would get a nicely working machine back I think I would do it, but would you take the risk of potentially outlaying the price of a new machine for a repaired one?

Should I keep thinking about rescuing this machine, or get a new one and move on?

I have happily owned a BES900 and BCG800 Smartgrinder for the last 8 years, and in that time have apparently enjoyed 2860 coffees according to the shot counter. The machine is starting to show some symptoms of aging, and I would welcome guidance on whether to take it in for an overhaul or consider putting that money into a new machine. I have tried to take pretty good care of the machine, always backwashing it after use. But it has never been descaled or serviced, and I have not run a cleaning cycle with tablets for a few years now. I also haven't replaced the water filter in the tank since I ran out of new ones a few years back, though the water here is very soft.

The observed issues are:

1) sometimes the machine overshoots when heating up, and it can be nearly impossible to get it to "sit" on 93 degrees. I try fiddling with running the water and steam to cool it, but to no avail. This most often happens if I let the machine fall into sleep mode - when I wake it, it tends to overshoot 93 as it heats up and wont allow shots to be poured.

2) most recently, I had an experience where it wouldn't heat up past 71 degrees at all. I thought my machine had finally died, but it started working again the next day.

3) ocassaionally I get weird pressure behaviour. For example, mid extraction I hear a terrible crunch noise, pressure goes to zero and then it recovers and continues. Other times, reverse pressure sucks the coffee puck onto the shower screen.

If I do take it in for a service, I seek your advice on what I should request be done. Bear in mind it has never been serviced before. So if there are any standard faults with original BES900's those have never been rectified. Is there anything I should specifically ask for? And is it worth reinvesting in the machine if the quote ends up being pricey? What should I expect to pay?

[level3ninja]

I'd keep an eye out for specials, they can be had for between $750-$900 sometimes at department stores. I think Bing Lee just had a 20% off sale on their eBay store before Easter but it's over now.

[WarrenK]

$1000 / 2860 = 35 cents a coffee, plus beans. I think you are a winner. New machine would be another winner.