Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

ECM Giotto Premium not working - restoration attempt

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • #31
    Well, life got in the way and this project got parked for a few weeks, I also got extremely frustrated and needed a break.

    Tried as hard as I could to try and figure out what was wrong with my controller. The heating element would just not turn on. Each input was tested or bridged but I could not get power to the element. I tried changing out both the transformer and the element relay (even though I was fairly sure they were not the problem) but they were not faulty. I still could not figure out the problem.

    At some point I fried one of the surface mount resistors (I think 5.6 Mohm) near the heat element relay coil, at this point I was so bitterly disappointed that I had been defeated I just packed it up for a bit. Anyways I have now bought a new controller and the unit is functioning very well. couple little leaks to deal with and it'll be good as new. I'll pop up some completed photos shortly once I fix the leaks and clean up the side and rear panels.

    Any recommended methods for locating gas/steam leaks? anything water based will just vapourise due to heat.

    Cheers

    Comment


    • #32
      Originally posted by vovo View Post
      Any recommended methods for locating gas/steam leaks? anything water based will just vapourise due to heat.
      A small mirror or a small piece of shiny s/s is as good a method as any...
      After the machine is up to pressure, turn the power OFF at the GPO - Then, just wave the mirror around in the vicinity of where you believe the steam leak is, and it should fog up the mirror when you're in front of it. Simple but effective...

      Mal.

      Comment


      • #33
        I seem to have sorted almost everything, but can't seem to seal up the pressurestat. I seem to get liquid dripping out of the joint even though it should in theory only see steam. This is also where I believe I can hear the hissing from but can't seem to get anything to fog up.

        Any ideas for how to seal it, and why I am getting liquid dripping out?

        Thanks

        Comment


        • #34
          Do you know exactly where the steam is coming from on the P/stat?

          If it's coming from inside, there may be a pin-hole in the diaphragm...
          This would make the p/stat pretty sluggish in operation though.

          If it's coming from the pipe thread/connection, then I would suggest that you use something like Loxeal...

          Click image for larger version

Name:	Loxeal.JPG
Views:	1
Size:	54.1 KB
ID:	742786

          Bunnings usually stock it.

          Mal.

          Comment


          • #35
            Originally posted by Dimal View Post
            Do you know exactly where the steam is coming from on the P/stat?

            If it's coming from inside, there may be a pin-hole in the diaphragm...
            This would make the p/stat pretty sluggish in operation though.

            If it's coming from the pipe thread/connection, then I would suggest that you use something like Loxeal...

            [ATTACH=CONFIG]14187[/ATTACH]

            Bunnings usually stock it.

            Mal.
            Thanks for your continued help, it is definitely appreciated.

            I am actually not sure, I can hear it but I can't locate it or pin point it. Is there a way to check the diaphragm on a Mater P/stat?

            I stopped the water dripping leak with the old tried and trusted "heaps of thread tape" method.

            The P/stat seems to work reasonable reliably between 0.95 and 1.1 Bar, but, having not had one of these before it is hard to say whether it is operating sluggishly or normal.

            Cheers

            Comment


            • #36
              Very impressed. Try a soapy solution and paint in various places and look for bubbles. But be aware of any 240 volts points. I guess the problem will be under the pressurestat so away from wires. It may be somewhere else with the sound reflecting. E.g those molecrickets who reflect their noise.

              Comment


              • #37
                Originally posted by dumiya View Post
                Very impressed. Try a soapy solution and paint in various places and look for bubbles. But be aware of any 240 volts points. I guess the problem will be under the pressurestat so away from wires. It may be somewhere else with the sound reflecting. E.g those molecrickets who reflect their noise.
                Snoop was my first thought, but with nearly everything above or around 100degC its a bit hard to use a liquid. The perfectionist in me wants this sorted but the realist in me tells me that I am at a point where the small leak or loss of pressure might be causing the heater to operate 10% more which in the grand scheme of things and at 26c/kWh is not very much.

                So I will run a descale through it with the heater on to give it a thorough clean then put the back and sides back on. It is making good coffee, the barista is definitely the weak link now.

                Thanks

                Comment


                • #38
                  Well the restoration is complete and working very well. Now I need to work on my barista skills.

                  Thanks to everyone who helped out.

                  Comment


                  • #39
                    Came a long way that junker.

                    Congrats and enjoy the spoils of your great work!
                    Last edited by TC; 20 October 2016, 08:15 PM.

                    Comment


                    • #40
                      A new old Giotto - Wow!

                      Great work mate...

                      Mal.

                      Comment


                      • #41
                        Awesome work, well done!

                        Don't forget you could manually pump up the boiler with air pressure to check for leaks, might be easier not being hot (and live) so you can touch things? You could unbolt the pipe to the pressure stat and block to confirm/eliminate the leak there.

                        Cheers

                        Comment

                        Working...
                        X