Cloudy water from Giotto hot water wand?

#1: Post by **VJHardcore** » February 3rd, 2010, 2:20 pm

2004 Giotto Premium. I backflush a couple times a month and run citric acid through the water supply once every couple months.

I never use the steam wand except when the cleaning the machine yet often use the hot water wand for tea or my infant daughters cereal in the morning. I just recently noticed the water from here in a clean glass appears cloudy, not with bubbles but slightly hazy in appearance? It doesn't smell and I can't really taste any difference. But I don't think that's right?

Water from brew head seems to run clear.

Ideas?

Mike

#2: Post by **another_jim** » February 3rd, 2010, 3:20 pm

Scale?

If you use the boiler a lot for hot water, you may be pumping through enough to exceed your descaling efforts.

You can let it cool, remove the vacuum breaker from the top, siphon it out and use a flashlight to see if the surface has furred up.

February 4th, 2010, 10:50 am

Furred...you mean scaled? So maybe I should just try a descale again? I'm handy but have yet to pull apart my machine - I'll have to look at a diagram to find the vaccuum breaker?

I never actually started to descale the machine (with Citric Acid) until a year or so ago. The machinces about 5 years old and I've always used softened water through it.

Any other thoughts or are we sure it might just be scale? Why is the water clear through the portafilter?

#4: Post by **another_jim** » February 4th, 2010, 11:31 am

The vacuum breaker is a valve at the top of the boiler. Screwing it out lets you insert a rubber hose and siphon out the water. This is a very convenient way of descaling, since it empties the boiler completely. It also allows you to look inside.

By furred, I mean soft scale, the sort that discolors water (like from old hot water pipes). Hard scale would leave your water clear. Scaling can happen at different rates in the boiler and the HX. It's good practice to fill your tank with distilled water once a week and flush the boiler by running the water tap. This will control the scale build up in areas where the water is only moderately hard.

#5: Post by **davidmathews** » February 4th, 2010, 1:31 pm

Does the water clear after sitting for a while? I've noticed that i get a finely dissolved gas that eventually clears, it'd be my guess that's the case here. esp. because your HX machine keeps the water under pressure for long periods of time, your bound to get some gases driven into solution.

February 4th, 2010, 7:55 pm

No I let the glass sit all day and its still slightly opayk (sp) like it was from the start. Its not like its cloudy per say. Its just ever so slightly hazy? I tasted it/smelled it. No smell and it doesnt taste harsh but alittle different then straight tap or the softened I run?

I'll try and get at opening it up this weekend.