New Machine time

[ian66]

Hi,
It appears that my much loved VBM is now terminal so I am looking for a quick replacement and would appreciate any advice or comments. As I live in a relatively remote area reliability is an important factor. I have in mind (still open) one of the Giotto's - as I won't be plumbing in, what is the difference/advantages between the Giotto Plus PID V3 and the Giotto Evoluzione V2? The other machine that interests me is the Isomac Mellennium Due.

Thanks,

Ian

[TC]

Hi,
It appears that my much loved VBM is now terminal...

Ian

Hi Ian,

I seriously doubt your machine is terminal.

More likely, your service bloke either didn't know how to repair it or couldn't be bothered.

Cheers

Chris

[blend52]

...what is the difference/advantages between the Giotto Plus PID V3 and the Giotto Evoluzione V2? The other machine that interests me is the Isomac Mellennium Due.

huge price range across those 3 machines ?
If you want to maximise reliability,...minimise the amount of electronics in the machine !

[brendogs]

If you're in a remote area make sure you are using the correct filtration, I've seen some shocking outcomes from people who use unfiltered tank water.

[ian66]

Good point, I discovered that with my old Silvia - I now have an under sink carbon filter system with an initial coconut fibre filter for water tanks - you tend to think that you have nothing to worry about withno Calcium or Chlorine concerns in rain water.

[TOK]

Hi,
It appears that my much loved VBM is now terminal .... Ian

Unlikely, except if you have been able to place a monetary fgure on the cost of a definitive repair and you consider it to more than the machine is worth to you...

What's the tech explanation? If you have proceeded further than when you placed the other post, someone here may be able to make some suggestions.

You may just have to use an infusion pot for a little bit while this is sorted, not the end of the world....espresso machines are not the be all and end all of good coffee.

[TC]

I honestly think it probably requires a hot water tap grommet, a check of the hydraulic circuit- perhaps a pump, possibly a descale and probably a service.

I'd bet my tech's left one that it's routine and that it's worth repairing. If you decide not to, I'd suspect there will be regular clandestine slow passes of CS'ers waiting for you to put it on the nature strip.

[chokkidog]

I'd bet my tech's left one

Does Phil know about this wager???

Poor Phil!!

Just as well that you're right!! :-D :-D :-D

.........probably!

[ian66]

Thank you all for your responses. The current situation re my VBM is as follows:After losing hot water from the machine's hot water tap, I found a technician visiting my local town while servicing a commercial unit. He visited home and we turned the machine on, and just as it was warming up it tripped the fuse box. After resetting, the left hand light came on again, but now the machine will not heat up, the only thing it will do is turn on the pump when drawing a shot (now with cold water). The technician also advised me that VBM's are not made anymore and parts are hard to come by.

[brendogs]

Wow...

They are certainly easy to come by. Probably the most accessible parts to purchase actually. Sounds to me like a faulty element that is going open circuit under load. It can be a slightly hands on job but it's definitely not worth throwing out! If you do throw it out let me know and I'll make sure I empty your bins that week

[TC]

Thank you all for your responses. The current situation re my VBM is as follows:After losing hot water from the machine's hot water tap, I found a technician visiting my local town while servicing a commercial unit. He visited home and we turned the machine on, and just as it was warming up it tripped the fuse box. After resetting, the left hand light came on again, but now the machine will not heat up, the only thing it will do is turn on the pump when drawing a shot (now with cold water). The technician also advised me that VBM's are not made anymore and parts are hard to come by.

Hi Ian,

This brings us back to my earlier suggestion that he has not the the slightest inclination to repair your machine. Why? He doesn't have parts and can't be bothered sourcing them. A paid service call to do nothing is the easiest $$$ for him.

This is routine and it's inexpensive.

[chokkidog]

Sounds more like a faulty ..um.....'technician'. ;-)

[ian66]

OK, I will make an appointment with a technician in Launceston - there appears to be a few there - and make a day trip and get a second opinion before I do anything rash

[TC]

OK, I will make an appointment with a technician in Launceston - there appears to be a few there - and make a day trip and get a second opinion before I do anything rash

Unless your tech is familiar with VBM and/or can source parts, I doubt there will be any more value in this approach.

We can do it if you want to have it catch a boat.

[kaanage]

If you're at all handy, you can just unplug the machine (most important step!), take off the covers and then disconnect the lead to the boiler element and measure the resistance with a multimeter across the element terminals to check if it has blown. It should measure around 30 ohms