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BDB Steam ball valve assy kit - BES900 or 920XL/09.6

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  • #16
    Yes, very lucky. I was about to order it from Australia for twice the price (and probably 5 times longer delivery time). I am in Marin County, California, just north of San Francisco. I had already tried to order it from Forum online (and entered my email in the "notify when available" box, since the website said they were out of stock), but just thought I should call to double check. This serves as a reminder that, despite becoming reliant on the web and email to do everything, sometimes you have to pick up the phone and talk to a real human.

    Looking at the parts diagram, I wonder whether I also need 9.4, since it's at the connection of 9.4 witth the valve itself where my drip/leak is occurring. But Forum didn't have it, and I'm hoping it won't be necessary. The leak is likely from the valve itself (Tracy, from Forum, said they have never had orders for 9.4, and they've had tons of orders for 9.6, so I think I'll be good).

    Thanks again, Martino, for your generous help. At a time when I am disappointed in a lot of things, you (and the others on these coffee forums who graciously offer to help others) have reminded me that there are still some good guys left.

    Jim

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    • #17
      Jim,
      I'm sure you don't need 9.4, its got nothing to do with steam or water flow and is only a means by which the chromed lever can actuate the valve. Ah Marin County, sure I know where that is, Ive been there before, beautiful! My wife and I were in SF this time last year, loved it, always do, one of my favorite places. We happened to be in Cal for a month and it was during last years monsoons :-( We still managed to enjoy our time there. Spent a bit of time over in Oakland at Rosenbaum's wine cafe/shop in Jack Londons Square too ...hic! I'm in New York and want to live in Cal but the price of housing is beyond a normal humans reach :-0

      Actually, funny you mention the thing about the accuracy of websites, I'm in the process of replacing my 920 and when I was on Whole Latte Love's website, I saw the machine I want and it said it was In Stock. I started a chat session with them to find out what the physical size of the shipping box was and in the process, the person said they were out of stock. I said..no you're not, I'm staring at your site, its in stock. Within a day, they changed their site to say...Out of Stock!

      Yeah, I think forums are the best places to go for help, thats where people who enjoy these things hang out and most like to help. Glad you got it sorted.

      Martino

      Comment


      • #18
        Thanks to all who posted information on this thread. Invaluable! My 920xl has been sent to the service shop 5 times for problems I could have fixed myself. I have replaced all the o-rings (sub standard zero cost part that has caused so much trouble), and will replace the ball valve assembly when I get the part.

        As an aside, I think the design of the 920xl is great. Many features included that make it a great machine for the price.
        Unfortunately small things like the o-rings which don't seem to stand up to the temperatures tend to ruin the experience.

        Comment


        • #19
          Originally posted by pgsalmon View Post
          Thanks to all who posted information on this thread. Invaluable! My 920xl has been sent to the service shop 5 times for problems I could have fixed myself. I have replaced all the o-rings (sub standard zero cost part that has caused so much trouble), and will replace the ball valve assembly when I get the part.
          Good on you! and one more thing to keep in mind is that all seals will eventually leak, on all espresso machines, not just the BDB. Put another way, the fact that the BDB has seals that need eventual replacement has nothing to do with it being a "cheap throwaway appliance". It's sad that it gets this reputation, for needing no more than the same maintenance as any of the "respectable" machines out there.

          And MarinJim... ball valves (all ball valves, not just Breville), when they leak, they leak between the ball and the barrel the ball rides in. that means there are TWO ways out for the leak... straight through the barrel, and/or also out the side of the valve, where the knob attaches to the ball. I've seen them all in the BDB.

          Here is my standard spiel on the ball valve:
          Anyway, all is not necessarily lost if we can't get the Breville part any more. As with many sealing and fluid control elements on the BDB, they are essentially off the shelf-type parts. Ball valves should be no exception. The world is awash in ball valves and it's certain that dozens of them out there will do the job, some requiring more "fitting" than others. It will be incumbent on the BDB community to help find them.
          I always keep a spare Breville ball valve around (had my BDB ever since they first came out in the USA and been repairing it myself). So I also keep a spare solenoid around as well as some #007 o-rings and M4 washers for the o-rings that also use washers, (or better yet, don't lose the washers that came with your machine).

          Anyway, I've been working on fitting a common, easily found ball valve from eBay or Amazon to my BDB, in case the Breville one eventually becomes impossible to find. I have only been working slowly because I still have Breville parts. Here is my progress so far:
          https://www.home-barista.com/espress...cs-t50907.html

          -Peter

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          • #20
            It is a very nice full feature set machine but after having owned a couple of them for a number of years, I can say that you get what you pay for. This brand is very consumer targeted, not prosumer. I will certainly miss some of the features of this machine when I make the switch to an E61 group head machine I have my eye on. Some of the features I really like are,.. ..

            - Seeing the water level from the front
            - Filling the water from the front
            - Volumetric function
            - The little tool tray hidden behind the drip tray
            - The magnetic tamper holder
            - The little wheel that pops down under it to facilitate moving it on your counter

            However, when all is said and done, none of those features are in the coffee making and steaming path and those things that are, are what fails....well, at least that has been my experience. Ok, the real issue I have with Breville here in the US is that they force you to send them the machine for any type of service, no matter how large or small the issue is. $350 fixed price and it goes to a third party appliance repair center who has botched my repairs twice.

            Here's a 920XL parts list with part numbers pdf in case it further helps anyone maintain their dual boiler.. ..

            https://www.dropbox.com/sh/70uebljbh...4-p1wPQya?dl=0

            Martino

            Comment


            • #21
              Originally posted by Martino View Post
              It is a very nice full feature set machine but after having owned a couple of them for a number of years, I can say that you get what you pay for.

              Martino
              You get what you pay for, except for one thing. Nothing can touch the BDB for temperature stability until you start getting into saturated brew group designs, which in the USA, start at $7000USD and go up from there. And THAT is what makes the BDB for me. Otherwise, I'd have an E61.

              -Peter

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              • #22
                Right, I should have mentioned the programmability and temp control too. I think our dual boilers have the best programmability and by that I mean how simple it is to program it and there are many settings that you can adjust. You can tell a lot of thought went into the design of this machine. If you buy a dual boiler E61, you will also have temp stability, I'm not a heat exchanger fan after living with the 900/920XL.

                I will miss my 920 but its going to my brother in law, so I'll get to use it when I visit him! :-)

                Martino

                Comment


                • #23
                  Originally posted by Martino View Post
                  If you buy a dual boiler E61, you will also have temp stability, I'm not a heat exchanger fan after living with the 900/920XL.

                  I will miss my 920 but its going to my brother in law, so I'll get to use it when I visit him! :-)

                  Martino
                  Do the DB E61's have the temp stability of the BDB? The Scace tests by credible sources of the BDB I've seen, have it in or slightly better than GS/3 territory. Are the DB E61's at that level? I honestly don't know, except anecdotally from the people that eventually leave their E61 to get a GS/3.

                  -Peter

                  Comment


                  • #24
                    Hi Peter,
                    Dunno. However, since the 920 is so easy to program, I have gone the full range of coffee brew temps with my machine while keeping every other variable at a constant and can honestly say I have never been able to taste an appreciable difference. DB E61 machines use a PID to maintain set temps that can be set in 1 degree increments, like our 920. Thy don't need the cooling flush like a heat exchanger does. So I guess what I'm saying is that if the PID controller has an accuracy of +/- 0.2%, and I have my temp set to 200F, it would provide a range of 199.6 - 200.4F, well within the range I experimented with on my 920.

                    Our 920 offers a set temp range of 190 - 205F and for me, it all tasted pretty much the same. Ok, there were subtle variations but of course I was purposely looking for them since I knew I was conducting a test. The DB E61's I've considered are all below the $3K mark which is a threshold I set for myself since my money doesn't grow on trees for me and they pretty much all use the Gicar PID's. Yes, you do need a bit more time to get an E61 up to a stable temp from a cold start than our 920 which have the electric brew group heating element (another nice feature of our machines).

                    When I get an espresso away from home and like the way it tastes and I see it coming from an E61 brew group, I believe I'm sure the brewing temp is within any of the ranges I've used at home. I don't get so hung up on accuracy in this case case I just believe the normal person can't tell the diff or the diff is within an acceptable taste range. I mean, who can tell if its 200 or 201 or 198 or 199? If I get one I don't like, I don't suspect the brewing temp, I suspect the beans, grind, tamp and volume of grind used, long before I suspect its the fault of the espresso machine. Oh yeah, the barista is suspect too :-0 To go further, all bets are off for those who make capps/latte/other flavored drinks with their machines, which many do.

                    I really want to stay with my Breville DB but have had it up to here when having to deal with Breville service and I don't believe the quality of internal parts is all that good, which is why they can sell at the price point they do, I get it, but is also why I will continue to have to deal with their service and parts sourcing. I think its a great machine to get started with and am glad I bought it.

                    Comment


                    • #25
                      Sorry about your experience with Breville service. I've never had to deal with them in over six years because I've simply done my own routine maintenance myself and thankfully, that is all it has taken to keep the machine working like new.

                      From your report on the quality of their service, I guess I'm hoping I never need to.

                      -Peter

                      Comment


                      • #26
                        Originally posted by pcrussell50 View Post
                        Sorry about your experience with Breville service. I've never had to deal with them in over six years because I've simply done my own routine maintenance myself and thankfully, that is all it has taken to keep the machine working like new.

                        From your report on the quality of their service, I guess I'm hoping I never need to.

                        -Peter
                        I am having the same dripping issue inside the machine due to a failing ball valve. Does anyone know where to find the part? Seems like forum doesn't even list the part anymore and ereplacementparts has it as unavailable.

                        Any suggestions would be most welcome!

                        Thanks,
                        Keith

                        Comment


                        • #27
                          Originally posted by keith023 View Post
                          I am having the same dripping issue inside the machine due to a failing ball valve. Does anyone know where to find the part? Seems like forum doesn't even list the part anymore and ereplacementparts has it as unavailable.

                          Any suggestions would be most welcome!

                          Thanks,
                          Keith
                          Sadly, I have no good news for you except that the world is awash in 1/4 BSPP (British parallel pipe thread) ball valves, which is the thread size that the Breville ends screw into.

                          What we have yet to find, is an exact length and thickness replacement. This thread offers the latest on the subject:

                          https://www.home-barista.com/espress...cs-t50907.html

                          In short, you can buy one that's nearly the right size, and file/grind it into final fit.

                          -Peter
                          Last edited by pcrussell50; 4 May 2018, 08:23 AM.

                          Comment


                          • #28
                            Originally posted by keith023 View Post
                            I am having the same dripping issue inside the machine due to a failing ball valve. Does anyone know where to find the part? Seems like forum doesn't even list the part anymore and ereplacementparts has it as unavailable.

                            Any suggestions would be most welcome!

                            Thanks,
                            Keith
                            This NZ site looks encouraging : Need a part

                            I have an enquiry in for supply of one ball valve assembly. We'll see what transpires.

                            Comment


                            • #29
                              Here in the US, its hopeless to find the correct replacement ball valve and no one will sell you the Breville part. I went down the path, like a few others, in trying to find a substitute that would function correctly, even if it was a cobble job with the physical installation. However, even those valves are very inexpensive, so how long would I expect them to last?? Then I'd be at it again. Sure, we can give Breville $350 and they will replace it, but I could buy 70 of the after market valves for that price.

                              I think when I stopped following this thread, Peter (pcrussell50) was the closest to finding an aftermarket valve that, with some fitment tweaking, could possibly work. However, I decided to give up on Breville so I sold my dual boiler and bought an ECM. Sorry I don't have a solution for you on the valve itself but I'm more sorry Breville USA has done this to us. I just couldn't continue to support Breville if they were not going to offer us owners proper support in parts replenishment.

                              Sorry if this seems more like a rant than a solution but I'm still pissed about this whole issue as I liked my Dual Boiler.

                              Comment


                              • #30
                                Hi Marty. They were available as of this summer, and people were buying them. Looks like they are on back order now.
                                https://www.ereplacementparts.com/sh...arch%20results

                                Further, there is one I found that is so close to an exact fit, that it doesn't require any modification. It even uses the same screw in the handle as the stock Breville valve. Though it doesn't seem to be of as high a quality at least by just looking at it.

                                Breville USA has USA tort laws to face. If we had in the USA, the same reasonable standards for bringing civil suit as the rest of the world, Breville USA would not have to have the fear of users making DIY repairs that they feel they need, in order to protect themselves from liability. And they are not unique in this. All deep pocketed companies in the USA practice defensive liability strategy. Small companies without deep pockets, simply liquidate if they lose or can't afford to fight a big suit. It's the American way these days. The problem is us. We like our frivolous law suits, and we elect leaders who write the tort laws to give us what we want. Every time the idea of bringing USA civil liability laws into congruence with the rest of the democratic world is brought up, it goes down in flames. Remember "tort reform"? That was such an attempt. We didn't want it. So we go on with what we have, looking at literally every decision through the lens of legal liability.

                                Meanwhile, the BDB and it's commercial quality temperature performance, simple logical layout and easy repairs combine to give us what is now "better than Slayer" flow profiling capability: https://www.home-barista.com/espress...0.html#p619804
                                https://www.home-barista.com/espress...54849-190.html

                                With flow profiling capability like this, I don't know if there is another machine I would buy today, at _any_ price.

                                -Peter

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