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  • Bezzera Minibar issues

    Hi all!

    Im new on this forum so hi to you all!

    i have a few questions about my bezzera mininbar.

    first of all its a machine with a direct connection to the water supply.

    Ive recieved it recently and i have a few questions.

    Can it run with a container lets say a bottle with water?

    when i turn it on now it doesnt make any noise and the pump doesn;t switch on. Is this normal?
    when i press the green right button it does pump water in the boiler and it starts to come out the group after a while.


    thank you in advance.

    this is the machine: [


  • #2
    Re: Bezzera Minibar issues

    if the boiler is "full" when you turn it on, the pump may not run.
    the pump will run a bit if it needs to fill the boiler when you 1st turn it on.

    question for you, what sort of pump does it have ?
    a rotary (procon / fluidtech) or a vibe pump.
    lift the lid off yours and have a look
    google coffee vibe pump or coffee rotary pump for pictures if you dont know.

    both pumps can run of a "tank", rotary pumps are not really designed to and you need to take a few precautions to ensure the pump does not run dry but they can run off a tank

    vibe are pretty happy to run on tank....

    looking at the machine whats in the ""back" under that stainless steel lid? where the hole is?

    i have  Faema e98 and it has both a tank and mains inlet, i thought your might have a tank in there (or space)

    nice looking machine, it should make great coffee and welcome to cs

    ps you might need a new group head seal looking at the angle of your group handle

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Bezzera Minibar issues

      ok, great, thanks for the advice!

      well this isnt the actual machine. the machine is the same as that one but my portafilter doesnt come that far right. I have no possibillity to look at the pump right now. But ill get back to you.

      btw How long does it take to warm up?

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Bezzera Minibar issues

        Originally posted by 4A4E444F45484D444E4F48210 link=1282298490/2#2 date=1282305710
        btw How long does it take to warm up?
        Depending on your element
        20 to 40 min

        But just to clarify -
        1] The boiler can come up to temp in aprox 4 to 8 min on the first cycle
        2] It can take 30 to 40 min for full operating temperature which includes the group head ect

        KK

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Bezzera Minibar issues

          Looks like your also in luck....

          One of our CS Gods had one of these

          Mal  

          http://coffeesnobs.com.au/YaBB.pl?num=1153577525/0

          so any issues i am sure he will help out

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Bezzera Minibar issues

            And....

            They are basically a compact BZ-35 using all the same parts, including a Procon Rotary Pump.... 8-)

            Mal.

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Bezzera Minibar issues

              Thank you for all the reactions. ill carefully dissassemble it.


              Is it possible that the machine doesnt heat up when the autofiller is broke? is there a security check for the water level?
              i did not dare to leave it for 20-40 minutes because it had almost no water in it.

              ill read through the cs gods threads today.

              thanks again!

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Bezzera Minibar issues

                Originally posted by 60646E656F62676E6465620B0 link=1282298491/6#6 date=1282564540
                Is it possible that the machine doesnt heat up when the autofiller is broke? is there a security check for the water level?
                Yes the auto-fill feature is the safety feature of the On & Off cycle of the element

                If the water level in the boiler falls below the set point, it wont allow the machine to turn on the element
                A safety feature so it does not burn out

                KK

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Bezzera Minibar issues

                  you could consider manually filling the boiler by removing the anti vac valve at the top of the boiler and using a funnel fill the boiler to above the elements.

                  I have don this in the past to stop the pump needing to "pump" for extended time and also prevents the element heating in a "dry" boiler...

                  I doubt your model (based on age) would have a "auto off" feature. strike that looks like i might be wrong there

                  you should consider the dangers of the machine before attempting repairs, remember there is electricity to many of the parts.
                  consider getting it looked at by a pro.... if you ruin a part you could waste more money than you can save by DIY....

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Bezzera Minibar issues

                    ill post some pictures as soon as i can.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Bezzera Minibar issues

                      Originally posted by 5E5A505B515C59505A5B5C350 link=1282298491/0#0 date=1282298490
                      Hi all!

                      Im new on this forum so hi to you all!
                      Welcome "koendileoni"..... [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

                      Originally posted by 5E5A505B515C59505A5B5C350 link=1282298491/0#0 date=1282298490
                      Can it run with a container lets say a bottle with water?
                      Yes you can.

                      You will need to fit a "Check Valve" (Non-return Valve) in the water feed line on the Upstream side of the Pump to ensure that the Pump is always primed. Its obviously better if it is at all possible to setup your water container above the machine so as to create a gravity feed for the water into the machine pump. If this isnt possible, somewhere on the same bench level with the machine is the next best. The least optimum location is to have the container below the bench but it is possible.

                      Where ever you eventually site your water container, you will have to adjust the Bypass Valve located on the Pump Body itself, in order to achieve 9-10 Bar pressure at the Group against a Group handle with a Blind Filter fitted. Lots of info on the CS website on how to do this as most commercial machines use similar pump arrangements.

                      Originally posted by 5E5A505B515C59505A5B5C350 link=1282298491/0#0 date=1282298490
                      when i turn it on now it doesnt make any noise and the pump doesn;t switch on. Is this normal?
                      If you are just referring to the Power Switch then yes, this is normal.

                      Originally posted by 5E5A505B515C59505A5B5C350 link=1282298491/0#0 date=1282298490
                      when i press the green right button it does pump water in the boiler and it starts to come out the group after a while.
                      This is normal too but the Pump isnt pumping water into the Boiler but through the Heat eXchanger (HX) which is located inside the boiler and through which the Brew Water is heated during its transit through the HX.

                      Hope this helps a bit mate.

                      Fire in as many questions as you like and Ill do my best to help you out. I think there are another couple of CS members who own this machine and perhaps they might join in on the discussion too as time goes on.

                      All the best

                      Mal.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Bezzera Minibar issues

                        Hi mal, tnx for the warm welcome!

                        I have one important question. The machine doesnt seem to autofill.

                        What is most likely causing this?

                        i heard several options and im a bit scared that i need to replace the autofill unit.

                        the sensor: appaerently you can pull it up a bit, but where is it located
                        the sensor is broke (so new sensor).

                        the autofill unit wires are loose

                        the autofill unit is broke

                        im an ass and im doing something wrong or seing a problem that aint there. ;D


                        Greetings!

                        Koen


                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Bezzera Minibar issues

                          this is a water sensor probe, it will (should) be located in the top of the boiler but sometimes they go in the side / end

                          you could remove it and clean it  and you can also gauge how far into the boiler it is and the depth of the water with it out.
                          Then you can set it ensuring the water is above the elements etc




                          possible sensor failures could be
                          1. its in to far and is actually working
                          2. probe is failing and creating the "circuit" and it will not fill
                          3. the wire is off and creating a circuit by shorting out and it will not fill.
                          4. something else wrong ?

                          you could check the auto fill by
                          turning off the power / pull plug
                          removing the wire from the sensor and isolate it so it does not "short"
                          turn on machine for 5-10 sec.
                          see if pump turns on and starts to fill boiler
                          turn off machine

                          this would over fill the boiler if left to fill if it works so that s why a few seconds would be fine to test....

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Bezzera Minibar issues

                            Hi again Koen....

                            Leehams suggestion is spot-on.... 8-)

                            In the case of this and other Bezzera machines Ive checked out, they use two Sensor Probes - One for Boiler Level Control and the other dedicated for Lower Level Safety Cut-Out to protect the Boiler Element. The latter probe is quite long and fitted such that it prevents the Pump from further operation and prevents the Element from powering up when the water level has fallen to a level about 1-2 cm above the highest point of the Element.

                            If for some reason, the wiring to this probe has become loose or has a bad connection, then this will present the symptoms you are experiencing. It is also possible that the probe may have a build-up of scale which then prevents the sensing circuit from operating since too little or no current is flowing through it. This can best be rectified by removing the probe assemblies completely (with the Power Plug removed from the Wall Socket) taking note of which probe (with connection) goes where, remove the wiring connections and then undo the Brass Fitting of each probe completely and remove the entire assembly.

                            Should Scale be the problem, then you will probably observe the presence of same which will then have to be cleaned off. Easiest way to do this, is to gently tap the Probe with a small hammer while laying it horizontally on something substantial (a Blacksmiths Anvil would be perfect ;D). This breaks the Scale up and then all thats necessary is to gently polish up the Probe surface again with some very fine Wet & Dry sandpaper or Steel Wool. You dont want to get too carried away with this though as if you scratch up the Probe surface excessively, youre just going to make it easier for Scale to get a purchase in future.

                            If the problem still persists, it may be down to the type of water you use. Very pure water such as Distilled Water, Reverse Osmosis Water, Demineralised Water, etc presents an excessively high resistance to electrical current flow and will not allow the Level Sensing System to operate. Best water to use is properly filtered water using a filter system such as offered by several of our Site Sponsors, supplied from another Site Sponsor - Bombora. You could also use Rainwater with a little Tap Water added; several CSers do this too. If you really want to know more about what can and should be done with water for an Espresso Machine, theres heaps of info around the Forum about it and can be located by using the "Quick Search" feature in the upper R/H corner of the page.

                            Lots of info about Water Filtering can be found here too...
                            http://coffeesnobs.com.au/YaBB.pl?num=1245022813

                            If all of this still gets you nowhere, then it is most likely down to a faulty Black Box. Usually, these fail over time due to Electrolytic Capacitor failure and occasionally due to the Power Supply Transformer. One of our fellow CSers - AngerManagement - offers a service to repair these and if this turns out to be the problem, then you could make an approach to AM to see if something can be worked out.

                            Anyway, see how you go with the other recommendations first and then see what results. All the best....

                            Mal.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Bezzera Minibar issues

                              ok. i tried the cycle from leeham. i disconnected both wires as switched it on for 5-10 seconds.

                              the machine doesnt make any noise.

                              is the autofiller broke?

                              the water is use is normal water so it would work fine i guess.

                              whats the next step?

                              greetings

                              koen

                              Comment

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