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Flash boiling on ECM Technikia Profi IV

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  • Flash boiling on ECM Technikia Profi IV

    Hey guys,

    I recently descaled my Technika. Prior to the descale, whenever I activated the brew cycle, even if it had been idle for hours, I would not get any flash boiling of water. Since the descale, I now find it necessary to flush the group for 3-5 seconds to alleviate flash boiling that is occurring.

    From the looks of the colour of the water coming out of the machine whilst I was descaling it, it didn't look particularly scaled up (water was a very faint blue colour). I use a bench-top water filter with the machine with a scale inhibitor.

    Does the pressurestat need to be adjusted?

    Cheers

  • #2
    You may have removed a good measure of scale from the HX, the thermosyphon and perhaps even in the line to the pressurestat.

    If you're seeing higher pressures an adjustment may be required. If not, it's a really crude way of doing it and will effect steam pressure and quality. Mr Scace and a good tech is then required to do the job correctly.

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    • #3
      Thanks for the feedback Chris.

      Just to add, I have noticed no degradation in flavour from my shots. There is also no perceivable increase or decrease in steam pressure. I'll watch the group pressure when I use it next to see if it's any higher or lower than normal.

      Cheers

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      • #4
        I checked on the pump pressure whilst pulling a shot this morning.

        If I recall, the pump pressure gauge used to register at about '11 bar' during extraction hopefully equating to approximately 9 bar in reality. In fact I looked through a video that Jet Black Espresso made a while ago of a Technika in action. The screenshot shows it also at '11 bar'.

        My Technika is now showing just over 9 bar on the gauge. Looks like I'm now getting less than 9 bar of pressure in reality... How could this be possible?

        Time for a service?
        Attached Files
        Last edited by SimonC; 12 October 2013, 05:01 PM.

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        • #5
          You can adjust the pump pressure yourself... you can access the OPV just in front of the water tank, adjust with a 10 c piece.

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          • #6
            Further tests this morning.

            Test setup 1:

            Naked PF with VST 22g ridgeless (first two photos)

            Test setup 2:

            La Marzocco PF with VST 22g ridgeless (next two photos)


            It looks like the problem is not occurring like yesterday morning! *puzzled*

            What I did find was a large moth in my water tank... Anyone living in Sydney can attest to the moth invasion that we've had in the last two weeks. They are everywhere. I doubt that he could have affected my pressure though

            I'll monitor over the next week and report back.
            Attached Files

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