BES860XL Water Problem.....

[SeanCeltiad]

Hey Everybody, SeanCeltiad here, my problem is that lately or from the beginning this machine has started or always has used a lot of water,what seems like way too much for every cup(double shot x1 with another just water double added, no milk or steamer) I'm constantly having to empty the tray, now I know that on amazon before I bought one that people said that it uses a lot of water, so today I decided to just take the tray out and see what was going on and as soon as I turn it on it just starts dumping water into tray, I could see it if this was excess hot water being dumped as this machine has no way to vent the steam as my old Pavoni did and it doesn't let you turn on the steamer to let off pressure either. So I was wondering if any of you can help me with any info on this-when I was checking it out on amazon there was a person who was having the same problem and he got into the machine and saw that the water tube was not attached enough he thought possibly due to his not being at home when it was delivered and it was put over his gate. Does anyone know how to gain access to the inside of this machine so that I can at least see if this is just a simple fix or is this just normal ?
Thank you all for any help you can provide. Have had it since 7/18/11.:decaf:
SeanCeltiad

 

[shadow745]

Have you backflushed it? If not, that could be one possible cause and an easy fix. Over time the solenoid will become clogged and let water escape into the drip tray instead of sealing properly. According to the owner's manual it has the "dry puck" feature, which is simply a marketing description of a 3-way solenoid valve.

I've had a machine weep through the group because of a clogged 3-way and it can surely cause weeping into the drip tray depending on how it's utilized in the plumbing. Backflushing with a good detergent (JoeGlo, Cafiza, etc) followed by lots of rinsing will usually get them back in shape.

 

[SeanCeltiad]

Thank you for the info re the "dry puck" aspect, I wondered what they ment by that, and I'm assuming you are telling me to use the Cafiza tabs that get put in the porta filter and not the Dezcal powder used for cleaning the inside of the machine. I have to admit I ignored the clean me light too long last time.
Anyway I'll give it another shot and Thank you again for the reply Shadow,
SeanCeltiad

 

[shadow745]

YES... products like Cafiza, JoeGlo are used for backflushing any machine with the 3-way solenoid/parts cleaning (baskets, portafilter, etc). Products such as Dezcal, Durgol, etc. are used for decalcifying.

I'd recommend doing a chemical backflush a few times monthly and plain water backflushes a few times weekly. Of course this depends on how often the machine is used.

 

[SeanCeltiad]

The 860XL has a clean me light which as someone else said seems to be on a timer/after so many uses it just comes on and stays on till you clean it with the tabs. I am just making sure we are on the same page here-when you pull out the tray to empty it of excess water and put your hand in there or just look you can feel/see a clear soft bit of tubing which just fits into a small hole in the tray, this is where I discovered the water coming out before I even turned it on, that was what I was wanting to know, the place I got it/reviews said it is designed for that and the tray even has an empty me sign which as the tray gets filled causes this little sign to float till you can see the empty me sticker come onto view to avoid the tray overflowing with the excess water. I use it once a day sometimes twice which is why I wondered if this is normal since it seems like I've been going through my bottled water more often lately and can't seem to figure out how to get into the back of the machine to see if something/the tubing is loose or not snugly fit on at some other point. At some point I'm going to measure how much water drips into tray per each cup of coffee. And may just start emptying the excess thru a paper filter for reuse-it's clear no coffee grnds in it or just look at it as the price I have to pay for a good cup of espresso. Who knows maybe I could find a specs sheet somewhere that would tell me how to get into the thing ?

 

[shadow745]

It sounds like the typical return for a 3-way solenoid. They open to allow excess brew pressure to be drawn off the group/puck after an extraction. This results in a drier puck and no "portafilter sneeze" which can be messy and hot. It is sent to the drip tray because that's the only place it can go in a home machine.

If a 3-way is clogged or not operating properly it can cause dripping from the group or excess leakage into the drain area, depending on how it's plumbed in.

Your machine uses a thermoblock/thermocoil for heating and maybe Breville designed something to purposely cause the dripping relating to that type of heating system. Never had a Breville so I can't speak from experience.

I'd contact Breville since they manufacture it and ask what's up... Surely they can provide more detailed info on this issue and how to get inside the unit if necessary.