Hi Everyone,

ive been using my used oscar for a few months now. I bought it used and changed a bunch of parts. One issue ive been having is with the steam. I have a steam wand gauge that tells me im at around 1.2 bar. I use a 12 oz pitcher that is usually filled 1/3rd to 1/2..it gets hot to the touch within about 15 seconds. However, my steam does not come out with any power, preventing me from rolling the milk..it just heats it up. I've seen youtube videos where people flip on the steam and it comes out with such a blast, yet mine seems so weak. And mine is loud as soon as i dunk it in the milk..the screech is there from beginning to end no matter where i try putting the tip and no matter how much milk i use.

So the thing is, if im reading 1.2 bar, the power has to be there right? the issue has to be with the steam tip? but i tried plugging one of the 4 holes, still no go..it was just as bad..and i have tried with a one-hole tip my machine came with (the hole is pretty big), but it was just as bad.

One thing that has always seemed like a potential issue is my probe. i tried putting it as deep as i can but it still seems to stick up higher then it should. Can it be that i have too much water in the boiler resulting in different steam quality..steam that doesnt have the same "oomph" that i would have with the sensor being lower?

Thanks!

It does seem like the symptoms you describe could be caused by the boiler being overly full and not leaving enough space for steam. Have you checked the boiler fill probe to make sure it isn't scaled up?

boiler is brand new, probe is brand new. The thing about the probe is i dont see how i can get it any lower..it seems like it sits a little high but i screwed that white plastic tube as far deep as it could go before putting the nut over it.

im beginning to think that i wasnt understanding the pressure value properly on my gauge. I just remembered that when i turn the knob, my steam pressure never seems to increase, its almost like an on off switch rather then a knob. So maybe the valve itself is clogged or has something broken inside. Because lets say the valve is busted and its only able to operate at its min setting..as long as its able to turn on and give off steam, wouldn't i still build up enough pressure for my gauge to show me 1.2 bar? So while at min power im reading the right value, its still set too low to roll the milk..does that make sense?

Thanks!

Could be the holes on your steam tip are too small or clogged with scale or angle is not right. On the other hand, original NS Oscar steam tip was usually considered inferior. In fact, 2 of my friends had changed their steam tips with custom made ones.

Also, by screeching sound you mean the sound heard in this video between 3 to 8th second, or you are referring to the tearing sound which can be heard after 8th second https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8VIhuWEqLw

kahvedelisi wrote:Could be the holes on your steam tip are too small or clogged with scale or angle is not right. On the other hand, original NS Oscar steam tip was usually considered inferior. In fact, 2 of my friends had changed their steam tips with custom made ones.

Also, by screeching sound you mean the sound heard in this video between 3 to 8th second, or you are referring to the tearing sound which can be heard after 8th second https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8VIhuWEqLw

in that video hes got plenty of power..the milk is swirling around easily.. With mine, the milk just does not move..there's just not enough power coming out to make it move.

I dunked the tip in cafeiza several times and ran a wire through the holes, def not that.

here are a few videos i just took of my machine:

turning up the steam for the first time:
https://vimeo.com/147669163

then trying to steam the milk:
https://vimeo.com/147669162

and just a random blast of steam to give an idea of the weakness:
https://vimeo.com/147669161

Wow. That was not what I had imagined when you said weak. Do you also have problems with pulling shots?

Any chance to disable fill probe after boiler completely full, then flush some water to leave space in the boiler? If you get more steam then you will be 100% sure it is caused by the probe.

I would also suggest keeping side panels open during the process and checking the pipes for any type of leaking. Especially the pipe going to steam wand.

And thanks for taking time to record videos. Pics and videos provide a better understanding in regards to situation.

id have a hard time knowing when im totally full and then how much to drain, so it would be tricky.

I bought this machine used so i changed the boiler, heating element, probe, and did a few mods (anti vac and opv) so i had it open not long ago and have checked it over a few times..overall it works well, my pf gauge reads around 9 bar..my pump is old and probably needs replacing soon but right now its working..my shots are pretty good.

No leaks, and there doesnt seem to be any steam escaping from anywhere.

i have tried draining the boiler on 2 occasions just incase it had overfilled, but it didnt seem to help. I think im going to try cleaning out the steam valve first and see if that solves anything. either way its probably a good idea, i dont think it has ever been done on this machine, might be ugly in there.

While you are at there, take a look at the knob too. Though I know it is very very low possibility, maybe streaming knob turning all the way but not opening wide enough. Anyways I have a feeling you will resolve this issue through steam wand and the pipe feeding it.

Stovetop

Two things come to mind about your oscar's condition. For your reference the stock probe length end to end is 2.84 " / 72.3 mm. The tip where the spade connector may vary in shape and may +/- the overall length. The tip end is slightly bent at around 1" / 26mm , from the lower end about .1" / 2.5mm so the probe will clear the heating element. The round part of the probe should be not more than .1" / 2.6 mm above the white insulator.

Where the steam line connects to the steam lever body is a plastic one-way valve . If broken it could block the flow of steam.

Gianni has re updated his page tips

Gluck

Thanks Plindy! Heres a shot of my probe:

Ill check it once more.

i have a spare plastic valve so ill give it a try when i take the steam body apart. i had sent the videos to gianni yesterday to see what he thinks too. Between your youtube video and Giannis tips i had a ton of awesome info over the summer to get this machine working (minus the steam . Thanks!