Anyone leave single boiler espresso machines on all the time?

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dkny3939
Posts: 185
Joined: 12 years ago

#1: Post by dkny3939 »

I am wondering if any SBDU owners out there leave the machine on all the time? Can these machine (Silvia, Gaggia Classic, etc) stand the stress of being on 24/7?

da gino
Posts: 677
Joined: 16 years ago

#2: Post by da gino »

One reputable vendor told me that he thought the Silvia should be left on all the time. He compared it to a light bulb, that is far more likely to break turning on or off than if you leave it on. The conversation was a long time ago and we covered a lot of ground, but I think he also said that the people at Rancilio had agreed with him about this, but that part I don't remember for sure as the conversation was many years ago. I think it was probably speculation as opposed to proven fact, but it did sound plausible. Even having said that because of environmental considerations, I like having a machine on a timer personally.

enzian
Posts: 26
Joined: 13 years ago

#3: Post by enzian »

I had a Silvia and left it on for the day on a few occasions. I seem to recall reading a post by erics warning about losing water through a slow drip in the steam wand and having the boiler run dry. I had an "aha" moment after reading this because this is what happened to me on the last occasion. It resulted in a tripped GFI and I'm sure it wasn't good for the heating element either.

pastorchuck
Posts: 4
Joined: 12 years ago

#4: Post by pastorchuck »

I have left my Silvia on for its entire life, only turning it off when I need to change the portafilter gasket or I go on vacation. The machine is a version 1 and I've had it for ten years or more. It is a very well made little machine.