Expobar Minore 3

[kaitan]

Hi Guys,

Just want to pick your brains. My 2010 expobar have been fantastic from the day I bought it 2nd (last year). The previous owner have not service it yet but have done regular backflushing with descale powders(he is a barista so I'm sure he knows what he is doing). Up to a week ago I notice that my machine is playing up abit,steamer have been decreasing in pressure and during pulling a shot the pressure bar generally stays stable at 9/10psi but now it's decreasing as I pull the shot some times slowly decreasing to 6psi.

Just abit of info on how I use the machine, I turn it on about 1 hour before I use it by setting it on a timer in the morning, pull the shot then flushing it everytime after a shot. If i know that I am going to drink another cuppa after work around 5pm then I will leave the machine on until then if not then I will turn it off. I will then backflush with a blind filter every week once. I make about 2 cuppa a day.

I've done some research and some say it's probably the boiler and some have said that if you change the water tank with cold water then the problem goes away. Which I have tried but I'm still not convince that it's the way to fixed the problem. I have also pull out the shower screen and rubber seal just making sure that it is not dried or damaged.

Does the machine needs servicing? If so anywhere you recommend in Sydney? What is the normal price for servicing?


Thanks
Troy

[BeanMonkey]

Just abit of info on how I use the machine, I turn it on about 1 hour before I use it by setting it on a timer in the morning, pull the shot then flushing it everytime after a shot. If i know that I am going to drink another cuppa after work around 5pm then I will leave the machine on until then if not then I will turn it off. I will then backflush with a blind filter every week once. I make about 2 cuppa a day.
Troy

I would.............

After each coffee making session, perform what I call the "Shuffle Flush" aswell as a backflush.

Shuffle Flush = Mean using the blind filter and turning on the pressure while releasing and resealing the portafilter in a repetitive fashion, allowing the water to flow out of the side of the blind filter. This is to wash the screen and PF seal.

Then, perform the backflush procedure with just water and no backflushing powder.


Can others please chime in?

[coffeechris]

Agree with this shuffle flush, very handy

[timdimdom]

had a similar issue with a minore 4. have you tried the hot water wand?? and how hard is the water in your area? we never used it and had a slurry of grey-white material come out of the hot water wand. had it serviced and mechanic said he just descaled the boiler by pulling it apart (too much scale for running descaling solution!).

though we only had problems with steam pressure, not so much brew pressure.

you can also try pulling apart the shower screen and giving it a good clean - i do this about every month or so. could be gunk getting between the outlet and shower screen

another issue could be the pump getting a little worn out. i recall a thread on HB saying expobar vibe pumps may not be the most robust - and any pump would have a use-by date regardless.

I'd definitely send it in for a service if i were in the same position. =)

just a final note, chemical backflushing isnt the same as descaling. sounds like the ex-owner was just doing chemical backflushes (i.e. detergent through the group) vs descaling solution which you run through the reservoir into the boilers.

[BeanMonkey]

I got really lazy in performing my shuffle flush and was leaving the puck in there till the next morning. This has lead to me coming quite ill, and took me quite some time to realise a relation between drinking my own coffee and the strange stomach issues I was getting.

This lead to me striping down the group and rebuilding it with cleaning each little part by hand. Trust me, you do not want to have your coffee machine apart for days while your soaking and flushing water through your system. Prevention is way better than a cure.

In the case of the Minore III/IV your talking $2700 average price for the machine. Spend what ever you can in filtration to prevent the need to strip down the machine.


And in the mean time, perform your usual cleaning routine. Learn from my mistakes.