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Removing The Water Reservoir

Richard HanishRichard Hanish
in LONDINIUM R help (& 2012-2016 L1)
I'm sorry if this topic has been covered in the past. I tried Search with as many different permutations of the question as I could...no luck.

It is my understanding that occasionally removing the water tank to clean the interior is advisable.

On a daily basis I just refill from a pitcher, but I am having enormous difficulty removing the tank...as in I can't get the sucker out!

So, does anybody have any suggestions as to how to remove the water tank from the machine without the use of a block and tackle, or explosives. :P

Thanks...

Comments

  • Reiss GunsonReiss Gunson
    hi richard

    this bit is important:

    occasionally removing the water tank to clean the interior is advisable

    other than that please leave it firmly in place

    when you do need to get it out to clean it - I'm thinking not more often than every 3-4 months - use your forefingers and thumbs of both hands place in the middle of the long sides of the water container and get your forefingers behind the sides of the water container so the sides bend inwards quite alarmingly, then pull - grasping the walls of the box on both long sides of the box between forefinger and thumb and lift

    good old fashioned grunt is what is required - i promise you won't lift the L1 off the deck before the box pops out

    what takes more care is repositioning the box back in place

    let me know

    reiss.
  • Richard HanishRichard Hanish
    Reiss Gunson post=2555 wrote: hi richard

    this bit is important:

    occasionally removing the water tank to clean the interior is advisable

    other than that please leave it firmly in place

    when you do need to get it out to clean it - I'm thinking not more often than every 3-4 months - use your forefingers and thumbs of both hands place in the middle of the long sides of the water container and get your forefingers behind the sides of the water container so the sides bend inwards quite alarmingly, then pull - grasping the walls of the box on both long sides of the box between forefinger and thumb and lift

    good old fashioned grunt is what is required - i promise you won't lift the L1 off the deck before the box pops out

    what takes more care is repositioning the box back in place

    let me know

    reiss.

    Hi reiss

    Thanks so much for the prompt reply.

    Once every 3 or 4 months is great information. At that schedule, I'll do just about anything necessary!

    Your instructions are great, and I will give them a try in about 3 months. And thanks for the reassurance that I won't lift the whole machine...I couldn't do that with a crane!

    I did have it out when I first received the machine to clean it, but I thought there might be a more...ah...gentle method of removal. Apparently not!

    I did find putting it back in place something of a challenge. But with a bit of re-positioning (actually about 10 minutes of re-positioning) I discovered that brute force was not the solution.

    One more question...Does removing the top make the process any easier, or is it the same whether the top is on or not?

    Again...thanks for the help.
  • Reiss GunsonReiss Gunson
    oh, no don't remove the top to take the nylon water box out - that just introduces more issues when you come to put the top panel back on

    I've seen people write and get all OCD about the cleanliness of the water in the tank, which admittedly is sitting there nicely warmed by the boiler, and ideal incubator for bugs, its all true!

    but guess where that water goes next? not into you cup, but into the boiler! and there it will be held at a minimum of 85C and up to 120C plus at times

    my understanding is legionnaires disease and all those other nasty water bourne bugs cannot survive 20 minutes above 65C

    so i think we're all good. relax, enjoy another espresso, we live in wonderful times!
  • Richard HanishRichard Hanish
    Reiss Gunson post=2562 wrote: oh, no don't remove the top to take the nylon water box out - that just introduces more issues when you come to put the top panel back on

    I've seen people write and get all OCD about the cleanliness of the water in the tank, which admittedly is sitting there nicely warmed by the boiler, and ideal incubator for bugs, its all true!

    but guess where that water goes next? not into you cup, but into the boiler! and there it will be held at a minimum of 85C and up to 120C plus at times

    my understanding is legionnaires disease and all those other nasty water bourne bugs cannot survive 20 minutes above 65C

    so i think we're all good. relax, enjoy another espresso, we live in wonderful times!

    Ah,,,good to know my obsessive fears of dying from Legionnaires disease, or beri beri, are obviously misplaced.

    Whew...what a relief!

    An off topic question, and I'll stop being a pest and go pull a shot.

    In the maintenance instructions it suggest waxing the wooden handles periodically. I did some reading, and came to the conclusion that a hard wax is best, and have bought some guitar wax (used to wax musical instrument without leaving a slippery surface behind) to use on the wood. Does that seem like a reasonable solution, or do you have any other specific recommendations.

    See, answering my questions so completely and promptly has it's costs...no good deed ever goes unpunished!

    Sorry for being a pest...I promise I'll quit now.

    BTW: I'm so madly in love with the Londinium I it's embarrassing! :oops: :oops:
  • Reiss GunsonReiss Gunson
    http://londiniumespresso.com/blog/the-wax-i-recommended-a-couple-of-weeks-ago-for-wenge-handles-is-superb
  • Richard HanishRichard Hanish
    Reiss Gunson post=2564 wrote: http://londiniumespresso.com/blog/the-wax-i-recommended-a-couple-of-weeks-ago-for-wenge-handles-is-superb

    Thanks for the link. Apparently it is not available in the US, as I googled it and all the sites were in the UK.

    I'll give the guitar wax a try and see how it works.
  • Reiss GunsonReiss Gunson
    Anything with beeswax, and I suspect mineral oil to make it a bit easier to apply will be fine

    If you search further back in my blog you will see I tried a beeswax cream

    This I dismissed on the grounds that it was too aromatic, to the extent that it would interfere with your perception of the taste of the espresso

    Solid pure beeswax stick is probably ok too, but harder to apply - I expect you really have to rub it to warm it up to get it to take into the wood
  • Richard HanishRichard Hanish
    Reiss Gunson post=2566 wrote: Anything with beeswax, and I suspect mineral oil to make it a bit easier to apply will be fine

    If you search further back in my blog you will see I tried a beeswax cream

    This I dismissed on the grounds that it was too aromatic, to the extent that it would interfere with your perception of the taste of the espresso

    Solid pure beeswax stick is probably ok too, but harder to apply - I expect you really have to rub it to warm it up to get it to take into the wood

    With the reading I did, most recommended carnauba wax for finishing wood. But since you suggest beeswax, I will check for a beeswax stick or paste.
  • Reiss GunsonReiss Gunson
    if someone says carnauba, go for it - I'm no wood expert

    my comments were more made with the need to move from mineral oil which just disappears into the wood

    i have no doubt carnauba wax is every bit as good as beeswax, if not better

    the important thing is to put something on them, otherwise they will dry out and may split, in particular the PF handle is vulnerable to this as it gets much hotter than all the others
  • Richard HanishRichard Hanish
    Reiss Gunson post=2568 wrote: if someone says carnauba, go for it - I'm no wood expert

    my comments were more made with the need to move from mineral oil which just disappears into the wood

    i have no doubt carnauba wax is every bit as good as beeswax, if not better

    the important thing is to put something on them, otherwise they will dry out and may split, in particular the PF handle is vulnerable to this as it gets much hotter than all the others

    Thanks again, Reiss.

    I'll try the carnauba wax, and let you know hoe it goes.
  • Reiss GunsonReiss Gunson
    great! that would expand the knowledge of the forum. thank you.
  • Richard HanishRichard Hanish
    Reiss Gunson post=2570 wrote: great! that would expand the knowledge of the forum. thank you.

    My pleasure. I've provided a link below to provide a little information on waxing. I hope it proves interesting...

    http://askville.amazon.com/wood-furniture-polish-wax/AnswerViewer.do?requestId=2544759
  • George Van WagnerGeorge Van Wagner
    In the USA, the treatment that John Boos sells for butcher block cutting boards is a beeswax and mineral oil blend, is food safe, and is highly recommended by my woodworking friends.
  • Richard HanishRichard Hanish
    George Van Wagner post=2572 wrote: In the USA, the treatment that John Boos sells for butcher block cutting boards is a beeswax and mineral oil blend, is food safe, and is highly recommended by my woodworking friends.

    Thanks so much for the information. I like the idea of a bit of oil in the wax.

    I'll go take a look for John Boos wax.
  • Unknown
    Richard Hanish post=2573 wrote: [quote=George Van Wagner post=2572]In the USA, the treatment that John Boos sells for butcher block cutting boards is a beeswax and mineral oil blend, is food safe, and is highly recommended by my woodworking friends.

    Thanks so much for the information. I like the idea of a bit of oil in the wax.

    I'll go take a look for John Boos wax.

    Let us know how this works for the intended application! I am always looking for a way to seal those types of woods.

    I personally try to steer clear of open grained woods in favor of very tight grained hardwoods for that specific problem of having to fill the open grain.
  • Gino MagnottaGino Magnotta
    I found using a couple of standard flat pliers on the blunt end works well. You don't have to grip the container that hard and pops out easily enough. For the first couple months of ownership I pulled the container out for a clean. I have concluded that I don't need to do as the container appears to be completely clean. So I how now pushed it back to a quarterly effort.
  • Richard HanishRichard Hanish
    Stephen Sweeney post=2574 wrote: [quote=Richard Hanish post=2573][quote=George Van Wagner post=2572]In the USA, the treatment that John Boos sells for butcher block cutting boards is a beeswax and mineral oil blend, is food safe, and is highly recommended by my woodworking friends.

    Thanks so much for the information. I like the idea of a bit of oil in the wax.

    I'll go take a look for John Boos wax.

    Let us know how this works for the intended application! I am always looking for a way to seal those types of woods.

    I personally try to steer clear of open grained woods in favor of very tight grained hardwoods for that specific problem of having to fill the open grain.

    First, I want to thank George for the suggestion of the John Boos wax.

    I just received it a few minutes ago, and applied it. I really like that it has both oil, to nourish the wood, and wax to protect it. I'm just using it on the L1 handles and PF handle.

    First, using the very small amount that I used...there is NO smell.

    It is applied by hand, and the stuff is like hand cream...my hands feel moisturized after use. :P

    It takes about 2 minutes to apply and rub in by hand. It makes the wood look incredibly beautiful! Just a tiny bit darker, and with a lustrous glow that is beautiful. It is supposed to be left to be absorbed overnight, and then just wiped with a paper or cloth towel. That will happen tomorrow morning.

    Unless something unbelievably horrible happens over night (low probability event!), this stuff is great for my purposes...it puts some oil in the wood, a bit of wax to protect it, and is easy to use.

    If something untoward happens...I'll report it tomorrow. Otherwise, I think this is great stuff.

    Full disclosure: I am not a carpenter or a wood sculptor, and I know pretty much nothing in depth about wood. So take what I posted for what it is worth.
  • George Van WagnerGeorge Van Wagner
    Glad to hear it does the job (or seems to, so far). When my L1 gets here, I'll be able to judge for myself (accessories box shipped from London and Reiss says he's hoping to get the machine itself shipped this week as well. As always, it's the waiting that gets to you).
  • Richard HanishRichard Hanish
    George Van Wagner post=2601 wrote: Glad to hear it does the job (or seems to, so far). When my L1 gets here, I'll be able to judge for myself (accessories box shipped from London and Reiss says he's hoping to get the machine itself shipped this week as well. As always, it's the waiting that gets to you).

    Again...thanks for the suggestion.

    Look at it this way...the anticipation heightens the ultimate gratification.

    And if you don't buy that crap...I'll come up with some other bumper sticker cliché to pretend that the waiting is some kind of good thing.

    Instant gratification, I say!
  • Reiss GunsonReiss Gunson
    First, using the very small amount that I used...there is NO smell.

    the stuff i was referring to was this stuff

    as the name suggests it is a wonderful traditional product from a very old recipe but the traditional turpentine smell just lingered on for too long and over time i just found it intrusive and a distraction given how much of what we taste is determined by what we smell

    given that it is sold as a furniture polish then its really a case of my own stupidity in using a product outside of its intended purpose

    but the other beeswax - mineral oil product that i mentioned a couple of weeks ago on the back of another L1 owner's post sounds similar to the Boos product and i couldn't recommend it highly enough for UK owners at least
  • Richard HanishRichard Hanish
    Follow up on Boos Block Board Cream...

    Just for good measure, and since it only takes a minute or two, I did a second coat before bed last night.

    This morning a quick wipe with a paper towel (no buffing needed) and the wood looks just beautiful. It doesn't feel greasy or slick, and leaves a gorgeous, rich, lustrous glow to the wood.

    I can unconditionally recommend this stuff.

    Readers in the US can find it on several sites...I bought it at Amazon. For folks in other countries, I don't know where, or if, it is available.
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