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LR Intermittent Pump
Hello everyone,
I purchased my LR approximately 4 months ago and have enjoyed some delicious shots but lately, my machine has been acting out of sorts.
On occasion, the machine pump will make a low hum rather than the characteristic pump sound I have grown familiar with, and will not actually pump any water. I have observed this behaviour while going for hot water, attempting to pull a shot, and as the machine turns on and starts to warm up.
During a shot, when I expect the pump to kick in, I will notice the pump begin to hum, and a sputter of steam coming from the group rather than a steady flow of water.
The problem has been intermittent and turning the machine on/off seems to spur the pump into working as expected occasionally but, as expected, this (along with my lack of technical expertise on the machine) has made it difficult to diagnose the problem.
Has anyone else encountered a similar issue with their machine?
I purchased my LR approximately 4 months ago and have enjoyed some delicious shots but lately, my machine has been acting out of sorts.
On occasion, the machine pump will make a low hum rather than the characteristic pump sound I have grown familiar with, and will not actually pump any water. I have observed this behaviour while going for hot water, attempting to pull a shot, and as the machine turns on and starts to warm up.
During a shot, when I expect the pump to kick in, I will notice the pump begin to hum, and a sputter of steam coming from the group rather than a steady flow of water.
The problem has been intermittent and turning the machine on/off seems to spur the pump into working as expected occasionally but, as expected, this (along with my lack of technical expertise on the machine) has made it difficult to diagnose the problem.
Has anyone else encountered a similar issue with their machine?
Comments
the pump has run dry and needs to be put in the bin as the liner has been stripped and is preventing the pump from turning, which is the faint hum you can hear and the motor will be getting warm as the pump is preventing it from turning
i will send you a replacement pump-motor assembly; its easy to swap out
however can you please check that the factory fitted a 35mm length of clear silicone tubing to one of the two low water electrodes in the bottom of the water box?
if this piece of tubing is not present the second pump i send you will also suffer an untimely demise and that is something we want to avoid
rotary pumps have long lives unless they run dry, in which case they will die in about 30 seconds
if the tubing isn't present cut 35mm off you garden hose and fit that; its even better than what the factory use as it is larger in diameter
if you are using our BWT filter cartridges in the water tank be sure to (1) soak them in water for ten minutes prior to installing, and (2) be sure the pump is drying water before adding the BWT water filter as this only makes it more difficult for the pump to pull the air through and start drawing water
please email me to confirm that you want me to send the replacement pump using the same contact details as i used for the machine
pump should be with you on weds, all being well
reiss.
I purchased my LR at the same time you did. I love it. Reiss has been terrific in followup on all my questions. I had the same noise you refer to and followed Reiss's direction in checking the 35mm tube. It was not installed properly and when corrected the noise went away but has recently started re-occuring. I have not reported it to Reiss yet because I want to make sure it continues. Just this morning it occurred when the lever was first engaged at the beginning of a shot. When the lever was raised it stopped. Cutting it off and on will eliminate the hum associated with the noise.
I would love to hear your results after the new pump is installed.
Bob
In my case, the 35mm tube was missing entirely.
The problem was as Reiss diagnosed above and it was remedied by replacing the pump.
I had the same behaviour as you described with my machine - over time, the frequency of the hum increased until the pump failed to move water entirely.
The LR's are great machines - I hope the issues with yours are resolved as simply as they were with mine.
Best,
John
I have been experiencing this off and on since I bought it but not enough for it to be bothersome. In the past several weeks it seems to be occurring more frequently. I know Reiss will respond promptly when I report to him. Yes, the Londinium may be my favorite machine I have ever owned and I have owned some of the best double boilers on the market. Love it.
Bob
Your experience sounds very similar to mine.
I too simply dealt with it as the problem was fairly intermittent, but once it became a more common occurrence, the issue was no longer a simple inconvenience.
Following the pump replacement however, I have yet to experience a repeat issue and the performance of the machine is as it was when brand new. I suggest getting in touch with Reiss to resolve before the machine gets to the point of inoperability as I did - those few days waiting on shipping made for some rough mornings!
I will update again should I reencounter any further issues.
Cheers,
John