So I've got myself a generally functional Conti Club 1-group, hooked up to a 5gal/Flojet/accumulator system. The machine powers on, heats up, achieves & basically maintains pressure, brews, steams, etc., but I can't use it for long because there's a steady, significant stream of water coming down the drain line. From a cold start through to operational heat and then sitting idly for hours, it never stops draining, and therefore never achieves real stasis; the pump activates several times per minute on the heat-up, and then maybe once per minute thereafter. The element is constantly active due to the steady intake of fresh cold water, and when I do pull shots the pressure gauge seems to fluctuate pretty wildly, from around 1.1 to 1.4 (or is that normal? I figure I'd rather it hover more closely around 1.3). I can't leave it on all day because of this constant consumption of water and electricity and the need to vigilantly observe the drainage jug which fills almost as quickly as the fresh-water jug empties.

There's also a troublingly persistent dripping from the group head. If I don't pull a shot immediately upon attaching the PF, the grounds will be detrimentally moistened. If I don't remove the PF quickly after a shot, I get a soup puck.

My assumption is that there's a solenoid valve in there that's stuck open, maybe due to coffee crud, maybe scale. I've backflushed of course, but this has not yet solved anything. Is there a way to descale a valve without dismantling the machine? Or does this situation sound like a valve needs replacement altogether?

Thanks for your thoughts!

If its constantly dripping from the group head, then the issue could be a faulty 3-way valve. Short term, you could top off the boiler to the MAX mark, then cut the flojet power; the machine's pump shouldn't run; if it does, there's a different problem. Dunno how this might impact priming the pump, though. When you want to pull a shot, turn the flojet back on and do a flush.

Long term, though, I'd check the 3-way. Get new o-rings if it's a flange mount if you are going to remove it or you might not get a good seal afterwards.

And don't leave it unattended without the flowjet on - if autofill kicks on it might damage the pump.

The constant water going down the drain line is characteristic of a bad expansion valve, either needing adjustment service or replacing. There is often a drain cup under the drip tray the expansion valve feeds into. You need to determine where the water is coming from.

9 times out of ten a drip from the group head is solved by replacing the 3 way valve. But sometimes the O rings get old and hard.

Hey guys,
Thanks for the replies. I'm pretty sure it's a valve issue as the rotary doesn't activate unnecessarily. It runs while pulling a shot but not while idling; it's only the Flojet that never quits. I finally got around to working on this today but am now having trouble getting the valves off and/or deciding if it's necessary to check both. Pardon my ignorance, but which valve do you think is the problem -- the one the rotary feeds into:


Or the one by the group (seen here with water line and electricals disconnected):


Since the one by the group is so accessible I already tried removing it, but all I could get off was the black part. I don't have the right size allen for the little screws and I can't for the life me get the big hex to turn.


I suppose it could be both valves. I did at one point notice some slight dripping from a couple bolts on the bottom of the machine, although not directly underneath the above-photo'ed lower valve. The drips came from bolts situated more under the drip tray, although I haven't been able to get in there either as there are two little screws that turn but won't loosen.

Your thoughts?

Hi Howard - Good to meet you the other day. I'd say the 3 way valve you are taking apart could be the culprit & it will unscrew if you can get access to it with the right tool. An adjustable Crescent wrench should give you enough leverage to break it loose.

Hi John! Great meeting you too. Thanks again for the delicious Speedster demonstration & especially for the SJ, from which the cafe is now benefiting greatly. Shot quality at work has improved significantly with those spankin' new burrs.

Regarding my conti valve -- I've been tightening a crescent on there and tapping the handle with the butt of a screwdriver to try to break it loose, to no avail. I was starting to think it actually wasn't meant to come loose, but with your encouragement I'll keep at it.

Here's a couple photos of what it looks like apart:



I'd pick up the correct allen wrench & remove the base while you are at it. You want to make sure that both passages are clear & the two sealing o'rings on the underside are in good shape.

Hi John,
Thanks for those pics. I remember the pieces you showed me in person, and I look forward to meeting the innards of my own valve -- if only I could get it off! It's absolutely stuck, I've been hammering the handle of this wrench for days. Counter- and clockwise, just for good measure. Even tried holding a flame underneath it. I have yet to acquire the proper allen (my allen tool is US-made; goes straight from 1/8" to 7/64", whereas of course these European screws will settle for nothing but a precise 3mm) which I suppose should be my next strategy: Remove the whole thing by the allen-fixed portion, then soak it and have another go at it in a vice. On the upside, I did at least discover that the drip-tray is actually held on by pegs, not screws. Guess that's why they wouldn't unscrew. Not that it matters at the moment.

Got the 3mm allen, got the dang thing off, now to soak it. The entire passage sure does look like it needs a good cleaning, both inside the base and on the group side. You mentioned 2 sealing o-rings -- it looks to me like these rings are, well, at this point nonexistent! Guess I'll need to pick up a couple. Do you happen to know what the exact dimension here might be?
(Below... Left: the base of the valve. Right: where it mounts by the group.)

Do you happen to know what the exact dimension here might be?

O-rings & Copper Sealing Washers

Try to get these o-rings from an espresso machine dealer as they are common items across many machine lines and models. Hardware store o-rings could be a little "iffy" because of the temps involved.

Mount the "square" housing in a vise and turn the hex COUNTER-CLOCKWISE using a 6 point deep socket and a tee-handle wrench.