This forum is now read-only
To login to the new support channel and community forums, go to the Support Portal
Pump does not always engage causing short pulls/shots
Recently something odd has started happening which never happened to me before. Usually, when I pull the lever down, the pump engages for a short bit and i get a beautiful pull and shot. But now from time to time (although it's starting to become more frequent), I pull the lever down and the pump does not engage or it engages late which causes the lever to go back up much further (since there's less water in the chamber) and therefore I get a much shorter pull and an undrinkable shot. Hoping my description is good enough but I can try to record a video if necessary. Btw, when the pump does engage the shots are normal as always.
Comments
the pump supplies water to two distinct circuits that split at the manifold
one circuit supplies the group with water, via the heat exchanger, and has the Ceme or Mater secondary pressure switch in it to turn the pump on if the pressure at the switch drops below the switch pressure, typically 3.5 bar
the other circuit fills the boiler and the pump is turned on and off by the Gicar via a signal from the level sensor in the right hand end of the boiler (with a yellow wire running off it)
to test whether the secondary pressure switch or the pump is the source of the trouble have the machine on and up to operating pressure and place something under the hot water tap that is capable of holding at least 250mL and open the hot tap and leave it locked open until the blue light comes on
does the pump come on with the blue light?
if it does the pump is not the issue, the Ceme/Mater is the issue
let me know what you discover
kind regards
reiss.
Yes, the pump does come on with the blue light. How do I go about fixing or replacing the Ceme/Mater?
you can replace it like for like https://londiniumespresso.com/store/espresso-machine-parts/p-250-mater-pressure-switch-factory-set-to-3-5-bar
or you can upgrade your machine to the current LR specification with the digital pre-infusion kit https://londiniumespresso.com/store/espresso-machine-parts/p-271-digital-pre-infusion-kit
there is an installation video both in the 'News' section and the Permanent file if you want to take a look at what is involved in the installation
kind regards
reiss.
i think yours is a jan 2017 machine so it won't have one - you can check by pulling the top panel off and taking a look inside
kind regards
reiss
i have marked your order as not having a blue relay
i had made a change to the product in the web store to add that as an extra specification when you place the order but for some reason it is not showing
i have asked kelsey to investigate
reiss.
I received the unit today but the included instructions are for machines with the blue relay. Did I receive the correct unit? If so where can I find instructions for my machine? I also don't see the "piggy crimp" you mentioned would be included although I don't know what it looks like so if it's attached to the unit then please let me know how I can check. Thanks
Can you please post an image of your kit, showing in particular whether the blue wire is connected to a terminal box or whether it has a piggy back connector crimped on it
Kind regards
Reiss.
Attached files
yes, you have been sent the set up for the machines with the blue relay, for which i apologise - i know how this occurred in your case
a piggy back connector looks like this:
they are readily available anywhere
you will also need a crimping tool - if you dont have one buy one and i will reimburse you
simply unscrew the blue wire from the terminal block (where it terminates with the yellow and red wires)
then crimp the piggy back terminal onto the end of the blue wire; if you have not crimped on a terminal before FaceTime or WhatsApp me and will step you through it
once you have the piggy back terminal on the end of the blue wire follow the installation video
when you get to the end of the video you will have the blue wire with no home to go to
you are going to terminate this blue wire from the transducer module to the blue wire on the 'F2' terminal on the Gicar, just as you have been shown in the video to terminate the brown wire to the 'F1' terminal on the Gicar (the piggy back connectors are used on both the brown and the blue wire to allow you to terminate two wires to a single terminal)
in order to terminate the free blue wire to the F2 terminal on the Gicar you will almost certainly have to snip a couple of cable ties on the wiring loom to give yourself enough length in the blue wire to run it back to the F2 terminal on the Gicar - please take extreme care not to nick the other wires in the bundle when you cut the cable tie
thats it.
Attached files