Problem with sunbeam EM6910 machine

[IWDA]

The machine is only six months old and has problems with water flow.

When brewing, only enough water is going through the group head to fill about half a cup. When the group head is removed, the rest of the water which hasn't been able to come through, comes out of the machine and the group head.

The shower screen seal is fine, and the machine has recently been de-scaled. The pressure gauge registers as being in the optimum pour section.

It doesn't seem to be the actual coffee beans either as we've trying grinding them more and less finer, and it doesn't seem to make a difference.

Any ideas?

[TampIt]

The machine is only six months old and has problems with water flow.

When brewing, only enough water is going through the group head to fill about half a cup. When the group head is removed, the rest of the water which hasn't been able to come through, comes out of the machine and the group head.

The shower screen seal is fine, and the machine has recently been de-scaled. The pressure gauge registers as being in the optimum pour section.

It doesn't seem to be the actual coffee beans either as we've trying grinding them more and less finer, and it doesn't seem to make a difference.

Any ideas?

Instant warranty claim. Either a mechanical blockage or a mainboard logic snafu are the top of my (longish) list. Either are well beyond a "normal domestic user" and could be a big bill later.

If it is related to the descaling (highly likely from the post) then a white vinegar descale may "fix it" temporarily, however it sounds like a piece is adrift somewhere in the mechanism (assuming it is not board logic). That same piece may bite you later by lodging somewhere else...

TampIt

[mulquemi]

Hello IWDA,
Welcome to forum,sounds to me like your ground coffee tampted in your group handle (baskets)may be just too finely ground and preventing a good flow of water.
Have you tried using a courser ground coffee,and if so does that perform any differently?
Bit of a balancing act with technique until it becomes second nature,too fine a grind (coffee) can contribute to the problem you describe however,other factors such as tamping pressure ,excessive quantity of coffee (remember the 5c piece test....impressions)etc.
More information & details please.
cheers,
Mick.

[IWDA]

Hi Mick,
We have tried grinding the coffee courser however it makes no difference. Same with trying with different quantities of coffee.
Thanks

[Xanthine]

Hi IWDA

Could you please clarify a few things about your machine as it would help with diagnosing your problem -

(1) Since the machine is only 6mths old, has it always had this problem or did it work correctly when you first got it? (From new?)

(2)Which button(s) are you pressing to brew - 1 cup, 2 cup or 'Manual'?

(3)

only enough water is going through the group head to fill about half a cup

- Are you referring to the coffee cup on the tray or the group handle "cup"?

(4)

When the group head is removed, the rest of the water which hasn't been able to come through, comes out of the machine and the group head.

- when this happens can you hear the pump operating or is it just trickling out from the shower screen?

(5) How much water do you get if you use an empty group handle and only press say the single button? Does water still flow out on its own after this?

Sorry about lots of questions but the symptoms sound rather odd as described.

Trev

[IWDA]

Hi Trev, thanks for you reply,

To my knowledge, it had a slight problem with this when we first got it, however it has worsened with time.
For the most part, we are using the two cup button.

I am referring to the coffee cup on the tray. It looks like the water does not come all the way through the group head and only about half of the coffee cup gets filled. When I tried using an empty group handle, the same thing happened as does when it is filled with coffee. When taking the group handle off, it was still mostly filled with water.

There are no noises that we can hear.

Thanks!

[Chris]

Hi Trev, thanks for you reply,

To my knowledge, it had a slight problem with this when we first got it, however it has worsened with time.
For the most part, we are using the two cup button.

I am referring to the coffee cup on the tray. It looks like the water does not come all the way through the group head and only about half of the coffee cup gets filled. When I tried using an empty group handle, the same thing happened as does when it is filled with coffee. When taking the group handle off, it was still mostly filled with water.

There are no noises that we can hear.

Thanks!

Put a measuring cup under the head with no group handle and run the pump for a minute. Or half a minute and times by two. How much water do you get?

[MrFreddofrog]

Sorry but if it's only 6 months old, why don't you just return it?

[Footleg]

Put a measuring cup under the head with no group handle and run the pump for a minute. Or half a minute and times by two. How much water do you get?

...ok, I'll be the one to ask the dumb question (and I think Chris was going here too), but you do know it's not supposed to "fill" the cup right?

I was also always taught to use the manual button anyhow - watching the pour for the stop time (when it goes light and wibbly). I actually think Sunbeam's own video tutorial does this too.

[Xanthine]

Hi IWDA
On the 6910 the single and double cup buttons will only pump through around 30ml/60ml respectively otherwise your brew would be over-extracted. The volume in the cup is then made up with the appropriate amount frothed milk, hot water (or nothing) depending on how you like your coffee.

It would be normal to have the empty filter basket left full of water as it normally requires some pressure to push the water through the fine holes in it.

Since your pressure gauge is registering correctly it also sounds as though you could be using the double bottom pressurised baskets which are really only suitable for pre-ground supermarket coffee. If you are using a grinder you need to replace these with the single bottom basket(s) and adjust the grind appropriately to get the extraction right. An indication that you are getting near the right 'fine-ness' is that the coffee clumps as it comes out of the grinder.

Trev