Hey there

I've used the search function but I didn't quite find the answer I was looking for. I had my Evoluzione for about 1.5 years now, and descaled it a few days ago. Filled the boiler with the descale water, rotated it 90° and let everything out by opening the tubes (as the retailer instructed). Then filled up the water reservoir about three times and let all the water out again.

Since the descaling adventure, my machine has perfect boiler pressure (steaming is working better than before) but I don't need to do any cooling flushes anymore and espressos are now on the cold / sour side of the spectrum. Any ways to fix this easily?


Thanks everyone!!!

Sounds like the hx pipes that keep the grouphead hot could be clogged with scale. Instead of doing cooling flushes you might end up having to do warming flushes.

The Rocket continuously has water flowing from the boiler through the grouphead to maintain some sort of temperature stability - a piece of scale could have dislodged from the boiler and into the hx pipes. When you descaled did you leave the machine on for a while and do flushes as well?

You could also have air in the HX circuit which can cause a thermosyphon stall. This causes the group head to idle too cool, lowering the brew temp. This happened to me after a full descale a month ago. Do a few really long flushes to see of things improve. That would clear any trapped air. I also have an Erics thermometer, so I could see that my group was too cool from a thermosyphon stall. And then I could see when the problem had been rectified when the group was the right temp again.

Otherwise, as has been mentioned, some dislodged scale could have clogged the system somewhere.

Good luck!

Edit:

Here are two helpful links for future reference. If you haven't already, look at the first link to check your E61 mushroom for scale buildup. And for any loose scale that may have collected in the bottom of the mushroom chamber during descaling.

The 2nd link is an instructional video for a full descale using the boiler refill sensor method. This method avoids having to tilt and rotate your machine. The video includes instructions specific to disabling the sensor on your Rocket machine.

HB thread: checking E61 machine for scale
Checking an E61 Espresso Machine for Scale

Video: descaling HX machine (disabling water sensor method)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuODdWm7oJQ

Any ways to fix this easily?

The upper thermosyphon tube from the heat exchanger to the grouphead is fitted with a 3.00 mm restriction orifice at the grouphead end. I suspect that this orifice is clogged with a bit of scale.

You need to remove this tube and soak in a glass of white vinegar or descaling solution for an hour or so.

The upper thermosyphon tube from the heat exchanger to the grouphead is fitted with a 3.00 mm restriction orifice at the grouphead end. I suspect that this orifice is clogged with a bit of scale.

I just descaled my ECM Technika and seem to be having a similar, if not the same problem. The boiler pressure gauge is running slightly higher than it did before the descale, but I don't get the "flushing" sound when I open the brew group lever. With a blank basket, the pump pressure gauge quickly goes to 9.0. To erics or anyone else more familiar with the hx machine, I apologize for being a novice and I am not familiar with the thermosyphon tube. Is that possibly the same as what my ECM diagram shows as "Group head pipe?"

Thanks in advance for the help!

The ECM Germany machines are NOT fitted with a thermosyphon restrictor but achieve a relatively low grouphead temperature by manipulating the distances between the "goes into" and "goes out to" tubing within the heat exchanger. This reduces the thermosyphon flow and thus grouphead temperature.

Why did you descale your machine? Did you check for any scale buildup as per this: Checking an E61 Espresso Machine for Scale

Why did you descale your machine? Did you check for any scale buildup as per this: Checking an E61 Espresso Machine for Scale

I had been checking out maintenance videos on espresso equipment on youtube.com and at some other coffee websites and a common theme seemed to be that "the most important maintenance issue is descaling hx machines" so I decided that I needed to do that. I had viewed the link you referenced and I will plan to use that process in the future. I'm curious as to whether you would advise against descaling with my machine?

I really appreciate you taking the time to provide the information. Thanks again!

Thanks for the answers. How can I remove this tube? Is this an easy procedure? I still have warranty on my machine, maybe better send it back?

Is this a familiar problem after descaling? Is everything else with my machine ok? How can I avoid this in the future.

Too many questions. sorry about that.

Did you try seeing if there was any trapped air to clear from the HX? Like I said, it happened to me after a full descale. I did some long flushes and eventually the problem cleared. And then my group head hit the right idling temp. Or it could be scale blocking your thermosyphon restrictor like Eric mentioned. But try clearing the HX of air in case that's the problem.

Is this a familiar problem after descaling?

No.

The best practice is to know the quality of the water entering your machine and to investigate the scale situation as per the link I previously posted but, here again: Checking an E61 Espresso Machine for Scale