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Rancilio Silvia thermostat issues - keeps heating up!

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  • Rancilio Silvia thermostat issues - keeps heating up!

    Hi coffee fanatics
    Long time lurker, first time poster
    I have a tough one for all of you expert Rancilio Silvia troubleshooters. Help me out, please!
    Here's what happened:
    I wake up one morning and my Rancilio Silvia wouldn't heat up - light stayed on, no heat. I Google my issue and understand that the main thermostat's fuse went off. I also remember that I used my machine to make tea the evening before and didn't get water to run through the brew head, so this explains that.
    I reset the fuse, make coffee.
    Then I notice that the light doesn't go off like it used to. It just stays on, and heats up and heats up and heats up. I turn on the main group to see if the water's hot - hyper-hot steam blows out of the brew head. So I turn the machine off, fearing that I might burn my boiler.
    I'm off to Google again. After reading a few posts on here, I understand that my brew and steam thermostats might be dead. So I order new ones. Install them. Test. Result?
    Same thing. Heats up and heats up and heats up. Crazy steam blows out of the brew head.
    Tell me, troubleshooting geeks. What do I do now?

  • #2
    If it can help, I'd like to add that I hear a click when the water heats up that sounds, to me, like a thermostat going off, but the machine keeps heating. I'm not 100% convinced of that, though.

    Comment


    • #3
      May be worth a read.......................

      HELP! Rancilio Silvia overheating issue

      http://coffeesnobs.com.au/brewing-eq...eshooting.html

      Comment


      • #4
        Could it be something as simple as having left the steam switch on?

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        • #5
          Originally posted by Yelta View Post
          Could it be something as simple as having left the steam switch on?
          Hahahahah I'm not that dumb.

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by CafeLotta View Post
            Thanks, I read both, but since it was working fine before I tripped the boiler fuse the first time around, I don't see how either can apply to me...

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by DenisGuy View Post
              If it can help, I'd like to add that I hear a click when the water heats up that sounds, to me, like a thermostat going off, but the machine keeps heating. I'm not 100% convinced of that, though.
              Hi, I tried to reply but apparently my reply disappeared...
              ...I was saying that I did read these, and that I doubt that it could be useful to me because it was working perfectly before I had to reset the thermal fuse. Do you have any idea of what could be going on? Thank you

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              • #8
                Originally posted by DenisGuy View Post
                Hahahahah I'm not that dumb.
                Not suggesting you are, just trying to be helpful.

                Comment


                • #9
                  How about this....
                  Your thermal fuse blew because it overheated. So you had a issue just before the thermal fuse blew and replacing tje thermal fuse has not resolved the initial overheating.

                  So the silvia is a single boiler (i think but not expert). So the part that turns the element off is the thermostat. Unplug them both and reconnect one then the other. Try using just the brew thermostat.

                  One of the thermostats sound to be stuffed. Probably the brew thermostat.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Do they have dual elements? I dont think so.
                    Maybe the steam switch is stuffed, but if the thermal blew id say its getting even hotter than that.

                    So im sticking with brew thermostat...

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      HELP! Rancilio Silvia overheating issue

                      This link you first read has pretty important info. Your machine may be very dangerous and live if the element has a new ground path.
                      Make sure its plugged into a tested rcd outlet. NOW! Or before you next turn it on..

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        http://coffeesnobs.com.au/brewing-eq...eshooting.html

                        As above. The last post is very important too

                        Nice job caffe lotta

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Is it still overheating to the point of tripping the thermal cutout or does the light eventually turn off and the machine still function, albeit too hot?

                          It's possible that you indeed had a thermostat fault and upon installing the new thermostats, have accidentally installed two steam thermostats. Maybe whoever you bought the thermostats off accidentally sent two steam thermostats.
                          If you look at the writing on the side of them, it should indicate their temperature cutoff.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by DenisGuy View Post
                            Thanks, I read both, but since it was working fine before I tripped the boiler fuse the first time around, I don't see how either can apply to me...
                            When I bought my Silvia 2nd hand it heated up to brew temp fine but would trip the RCD/Safety Switch after about 20 secs with the steam switch on. Apparently the Silvia boilers with the welded in elements were prone to fractures/micro fractures near where the element joins the boiler shell if the boiler wasn't kept primed. The fractures exposed the live internal element part to water in the boiler making the boiler and adjoining metal parts live. The extra temperature heating up to steam was probably either opening up the micro fractures or raising the water level to reach them or both. Regardless, replacing the boiler/element fixed my specific problem.

                            In your case, overheating (maybe repeated over time) on a not fully primed boiler may have damaged the element before the 165 deg safety thermostat tripped. Water level plays a part here. When you reset it after replacing the brew and steam thermostats, the possibly already damaged element may have been shorting creating the scenario in the links I provided.

                            Be aware that if you don't have the machine plugged in to an RCD/Safety Switch protected circuit you may electrocute yourself if you're not sure what you're doing.
                            Last edited by CafeLotta; 11 February 2018, 02:35 PM.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by CafeLotta View Post
                              When I bought my Silvia 2nd hand it heated up to brew temp fine but would trip the RCD/Safety Switch after about 20 secs with the steam switch on. Apparently the Silvia boilers with the welded in elements were prone to fractures/micro fractures near where the element joins the boiler shell if the boiler wasn't kept primed. The fractures exposed the live internal element part to water in the boiler making the boiler and adjoining metal parts live. The extra temperature heating up to steam was probably either opening up the micro fractures or raising the water level to reach them or both. Regardless, replacing the boiler/element fixed my specific problem.

                              In your case, overheating (maybe repeated over time) on a not fully primed boiler may have damaged the element before the 165 deg safety thermostat tripped. When you reset it after replacing the brew and steam thermostats, the possibly already damaged element may have been shorting creating the scenario in the links I provided.

                              Be aware that if you don't have the machine plugged in to an RCD/Safety Switch protected circuit you may electrocute yourself if you're not sure what you're doing.
                              Thanks for this. My machine is a V3 which means that the heating element isn't welded in the boiler. I've ordered a new heating element. I'll post again when I have an update.

                              Comment

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