Generic Setup For Plumbing in a New Machine

[rmchenry]

Hi all,

I am currently having my kitchen done up which will involve it being completely gutted. At present I have an Expobar machine which is not suitable for plumbing in without a $600 conversion.

I know exactly where the current machine (or a new one which I plan to buy when I have recovered from the cost of the kitchen) will go but I'm quite uncertain as to what sort of fitting will need to be installed into the benchtop or the splashback area.

Advice greatly appreciated. A photograph would help if you've had to set up something similar.

[fg1972]

Hi rmchenry,
I'm in the process of a total kitchen renovation too and just had the pipes installed while the plumbers were roughing water and gas points.
Basically all you need is a standard cold water outlet often called a "cock" the same as you'd find on a sink mixer tap, dishwasher or toilet cistern connection points.
You'd also need a waste drain, which usually ends up in the same pipe as the sink drain.
Normally the water outlet and drain would be installed under the bench below the coffee machine (inside a cupboard).
For a neat installation, a hole is required in the benchtop to allow the water inlet and waste hoses from the machine to connect to points below the bench.
While you're at it if you want to, an idea is to install a power point in the below cupboard and run the machine/grinder power leads through the hole in the benchtop to the power point.

[artman]

Yep as above. Once you have the water source you can just get a filter. The Brita C150 is a popular one. Pretty sure you can get a kit including a pressure reducing valve which comes with everything for easy connection. Give Bombora a call.

You can use the same filter to feed your kitchen tap (can now get taps where the filtered water comes out the same spout for a cleaner look) and also the fridge. Even if you don't have a water connected fridge, it would be a good idea to plumb while it's easy incase you get one in the future.

Even if you can't get a drain for the coffee machine, having a water feed would be very handy. Or drain into a big bucket under the bench for less frequent emptying.

There is a post here somewhere where someone fitted a simple float valve into a non plumbed machine to have a water connection.

Cheers

[rmchenry]

Thanks for the replies (difficulty getting into web site at moment).

I got the bright idea to ring Chris at Talk Coffee and he has answered some other questions on this.

Thanks to Chris.

[tiddler2]

You can use the same filter to feed your kitchen tap (can now get taps where the filtered water comes out the same spout for a cleaner look)

Our 3 way mixer tap was a mixed blessing, yes you only need the one tap, but we were forever running the ordinary cold tap to chill down the pipes in the tap so the filtered water was cold enough to drink. in the end we got a jug for the fridge. When the tap sprung a leak during warranty, we exchanged it for a two tap setup - back to cold filtered water, without the need for putting it the fridge.

I wish my wife would warm to the Speedster idea, before I tell her about having to drill holes in the granite worktop.

[prloring]

My tips would be to tee off your current cold tap, then a pressure limiting valve (i think they usually use a 300kpa), then an isolation tap, then your filter, then to the coffee machine. I ran all that as copper pipe and then a piece of flexi through the hole in the bench. I assume if you get the britta type filter it probably comes with a lot of those bits.
As for the drainage, you'd be silly not to use the nice hole in the bench and then not plumb the waste. Just be sure to get a fat enough drain pipe, they gunk up surprisingly quickly if they're too narrow. When they block its messy, you don't generally see that they've blocked until you do your back flush routine and the water starts spreading across the bench!....and then down into your cupboards and all over the dishes..."What idiot put a hole in the bench?!?!?".

I second the extra power point, frees up the above bench ones, is a lot tidier and hides the on/off timer (essential for warming up the machine while you're tucked in bed).

[chokkidog]

tee off your current cold tap, then a pressure limiting valve (i think they usually use a 300kpa), then an isolation tap, then your filter, then to the coffee machine.

If your machine is more than 1/2 metre from the filter it's best to also fit a 3/8 or 1/2 inch mini stop cock at the end

of the copper, then run a short length of braid to your machine.... tidier, especially when you have to take the machine away for service/repairs and if

you are taking water off the filter for other outlet points.