My ECM Cellini wont regulate pressure. It just keeps climbing past 1 bar on the gauge until the big brass relief valve starts steaming at 1.5 bars. I took the covers off the machine and descaled it a few times then I put a new pressure stat on it. Neither solved the problem.
I took the old pressure stat switch off the base and hooked it up and when I manually switch it I hear the relay in the Gicar control box click but the heating element keeps getting power. Any ideas?
Thanks, James

The pstat is simply controlling the electro-mechanical relay you previously replaced and, IIRC, you were "logistically forced" to use one that was undersized as per this: Giotto not maintaining boiler pressure. So, maybe its time to replace that relay again?

Possibly. I hear a relay in the gicar box "click" when I manually operate the p stat switch but maybe the relay isnt operating properly. I'll try to figure out which relay it is and do some testing. My relay fix from last year has worked fine so far by the way and was better than spending $300 on a new Gicar box!

erics wrote:The pstat is simply controlling the electro-mechanical relay you previously replaced and, IIRC, you were "logistically forced" to use one that was undersized as per this: Giotto not maintaining boiler pressure. So, maybe its time to replace that relay again?

Eric,
If I wire the p stat directly to an SSR and then hooked up the heating element to that SSR as well and bypass the Gicar box for that circuit do you think it would work
James

Sure, but a couple of cautions:

a. The SSR needs to be one that will accept 120 VAC as a control input, i.e., it is NOT the typical SSR that one would use in a PID situation which has a ~12 VDC polarity sensitive input. Certainly Chris' Coffee sells the correct SSR.

b. I would de-solder the heater relay off the board - you do have experience on me here

c. The pstat likely has two wires attached. One originates from the Gicar and is "hot" as long as the machine is on and water levels are OK - at least that's how I think your machine is set up. Usually this is connected to the "C" terminal on the pstat but ya need to verify all of this. The other pstat terminal goes back to the Gicar board also. Use some double male connectors and lead two 16 gage wires back to the new SSR - not polarity sensitive.

d. One side of the SSR needs power when the machine is on - use 14 gage wire, maybe 12 gage to be really safe. The other side of the SSR gets connected to the wire from the Gicar that previously fed the heating element.

Take PLENTY of pics before and after.

If you have any doubts whatsoever, give me a call at 301-587-5033.

I fixed it! Eric, you were right again

I brought my Gicar box down to my local electronics supply store (HR Distributors in Portland, Maine) and they had the PROPER relay IN STOCK!!!! I replaced the undersized 8A relay with a 16A version and it fit the board perfectly. My machine works like a dream, except while I was replacing the button battery in one of Erics fine thermocouples, I broke it. Eric, can you sell me just a new temp display including the wires that terminate and measure the temp? Im a klutz.

Here is the relay that replaced the broken one: NTE R49-5D16-12 SPDT 16A-12vDC Cost- $3.23 USD