I thought I'd share some pictures of my mods to the Quickmill Anita to help me with descaling. Mine is plumbed in, so I started with a reservoir (for the citric acid concentrate) that can double as a portable source of filtered water when I take the machine someplace else -- a Britta pitcher with a plumbing outlet installed



This attaches to the braided line from my pressure regulator (I upgraded from the quickmill PR to a proper brass unit)



A 'fill override' switch (for lack of a better name) is mounted just under the removable cup holder, and allows me to interrupt the circuit to the level sensor (thus turning the flow valves on and filling the tank) without having to disassemble anything. Previously, I had to unscrew the back and sides -- a PITA. I just cut the wire going to the level sensor on the boiler, and inserted an SPST on/off switch. If I turn it on, the level sensor works normally; when it is off (always open) the boiler fills constantly ... much easier on the machine than switching the whole machine (heater and all) on and off to control filling



This is a better solution than shorting the GICAR controller relay outputs, because it gives the timer a chance to kick in.

Overall, this takes most of the mess out of descaling, and should motivate me to do it more regularly

Nice set up and good concept
however ( not to take my remark in a BAD way and for clarification for other people that are going to follow your idea)
what I have a question is how you monitor the water/descaling solution to exiting from the antivacuum valve and going all over the inside of the unit
if you don't have the machine open?

Stefano:

Definitely a good observation ... I flip the override switch, and I leave the steam wand open until water runs out, then shut off the level sensor override switch, as well as the whole machine (so it won't heat up and blow the steam valve). When I've let it sit to descale for a few hours, I turn the machine on, and this time leave the water wand open (and let the level sensor operate normally). I stick around while the machine is on so there won't be problems.

The big advantage of the switch is that I don't have to unscrew the sides and back to pull the wire on the level sensor.

Chris