Clicking sound when turning on espresso machine

by **qpsport** on Mon Feb 21, 2011 4:11 pm

Help! I have an ECM Giotto which when I tried today to turn on started immediately to make a click click click sound. Normally after turning on the switch I think I would hear a soft click and after a brief pause, the pump would turn on to fill boiler and heat up. Now I just get a clicking sound. Could this be a solenoid / relay issue?

Here is a link to video of clicking. You have to turn volume up to hear it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qotHzohqyOI

Thanks in advance.

by **another_jim** on Mon Feb 21, 2011 5:30 pm

There are a lot of sounds the machine makes when starting up. The mechanical relays in the machine -- the pstat, the autofill, and sometimes an extra contactor for the heater -- will all click. In addition, the expanding metal from the heater housing can also click, although a few minutes after turning it on. Finally, there are cavitation noises as water starts boiling. Worrying about any of these sounds will not do much to improve your espresso.

Loud hissing on the other hand ....

by **qpsport** on Mon Feb 21, 2011 7:14 pm

Thank you another_jim for the reply, but I am not sure if any of the clicks sounds you describe match mine. My clicking (as on the video link) is continuous, as in an on off on off etc etc etc. The water doesn't heat up, and I can't activate the pump by pulling on the handle. In short, the machine is broken! :cry:

Any help as to what actually is broken so I can replace it would be helpful.

by **JohnPark** on Tue Feb 22, 2011 12:37 am

I had a similar problem recently and it turned out to be the power capacitor in the Gicar microcontroller "brain" unit of my machine. I replaced the cap (a 19 cent part) and all is well with the world now. I wrote it up on the Make: blog if you want more details: http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2011/02/espresso-machine-brain-repair.html
Best of luck with your machine!
-John


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