Exactly the same symptoms here:



This happens usually during the startup if the vacuum breaker does not close fast enough and lets more water through than the little "cup" can handle (or the water splashes from the cup when it starts to boil). Definite design failure that is hopefully fixed with the newer models (the new vacuum breaker came from Quickmill).

I also put PFTE tape on the vacuum breaker and that has been working without problems (no hissing).

Sorry - I think there has been some mis-communication on my part. I am referring to that posted below, which is a pic of a "long" vacuum breaker valve assembly:



The threading on the right of item 2 goes into the boiler and this threading is originally "equipped" with some type of thread sealing compound from the factory even though the body itself is sorta sealed to the boiler top with that thin cup which I believe is aluminum. So, if item 2 is removed from the boiler for replacing, it should be reapplied with a small amount of thread sealer.

However, in many cases, the fitting which screws onto item 2, identified as item 4, is the only part which can be easily removed. This part needs no thread sealer because it is only momentarily subjected to very low pressure. It looks as though you have a one piece vacuum breaker and those threads need a little sealer applied. Ideally, all of these fittings would be sealed with a copper washer (like the boiler safety valve) or with an appropriate o-ring but such is not the case with these Quickmill machines.

Can I use regular blue or red Loctite to seal the valve that I have lying around at home?
Is that suitable for food related equipment?Any issues with a poisonous substance there?

Thanks
Al

Loctite "red" and Loctite "blue" typically refer to threadlockers with the red being stronger than the blue. Yes, a threadlocker can also function as a sealer but why not use a more appropriate and correct product? Any hardware store should have a threadsealer.

If you would like the latest(?) Loctite pdf catalog wherein you can see the properties of sealers, lockers, & other goodies, email me: erics at erols dot com .

I don't want to get into the nitty gritty of this discussion, because I have very little personal experience working on the Andreja Premium, however:

I have friends who purchased an Andreja Premium about 6-7 years ago. It gave them good service for about 5 years, and then they started having plumbing problems with it, specifically with steam leaks coming out of fittings on the "top" of the boiler. These leaks caused all sorts of predictable problems such as throwing the GFCI which it was plugged into, flipping the circuit breaker in the panel, etc. The worst, but not the only, leak they had was at the junction between the boiler and the heat exchanger.

Various fixes were tried including a cross country trip (for the machine) to Chris' repair facility, 2 trips to a more local professional espresso repair facility in the nearest big city (160 miles from where we live), plus (later) their own attempts to fix the leaks, guided by Chris' technicians on the phone. This included the use of various sealants, the one I remember being "20 wraps of teflon tape."

In the end, nothing worked and they junked the machine, but not before having wasted at least $350 in attempted repairs.

The feedback they got from Chris' techs was somewhat confusing, something about a redesign of the boiler, in that it is now made of a different metal than before (I forget the specifics; it was a year and a half ago). The "local" tech was much more direct; he told them (and me, since I picked up the machine one of the times) that the machine was very poorly designed regarding the fittings coming off the boiler, that there was nothing he could do to fix these leaks that would last for more than a few weeks. He advised them to replace the machine. This is a fellow who regularly fixes high end multigroup machines, not some garage-based klutz.

I believe that these shortcomings have been addressed in the newer Andrejas, however if this is an old one, you may be headed down a road with no clear destination in sight. I hope not.

ken

Thanks.
My machine is 3 years old and never had any problems before.
I have her on the internet now to sell her .Have to fix her first.Got an offer of 700 dollars .
I like the quality of the espresso it produces and she makes perect microfoam.

But at the same time I mis the sweet soft taste of my Ponte Vecchio I had for a year.Good chance my next one will be a 2 group Lusso.

But maybe I'll stick with the Andrea.She's been good to me so far.

erics wrote:Loctite "red" and Loctite "blue" typically refer to threadlockers with the red being stronger than the blue. Yes, a threadlocker can also function as a sealer but why not use a more appropriate and correct product? Any hardware store should have a threadsealer.

If you would like the latest(?) Loctite pdf catalog wherein you can see the properties of sealers, lockers, & other goodies, email me: erics at erols dot com .

Thanks Eric.I'll go for a good threadsealer then.

Ken Fox wrote:In the end, nothing worked and they junked the machine, but not before having wasted at least $350 in attempted repairs.

The feedback they got from Chris' techs was somewhat confusing, something about a redesign of the boiler, in that it is now made of a different metal than before (I forget the specifics; it was a year and a half ago). The "local" tech was much more direct; he told them (and me, since I picked up the machine one of the times) that the machine was very poorly designed regarding the fittings coming off the boiler, that there was nothing he could do to fix these leaks that would last for more than a few weeks. He advised them to replace the machine. This is a fellow who regularly fixes high end multigroup machines, not some garage-based klutz.
ken

Sounds indeed not very fun, I would expect a machine like andreja to last for quite some years... Do you have any more information on why it happened, did it have corrosion due to leakage from the vaccum valve?

Maybe Galvanic Corrosion related to this (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galvanic_corrosion) It seems like water heaters are using sacrificial anodes, is this used in espresso machines?

petrush wrote:Sounds indeed not very fun, I would expect a machine like andreja to last for quite some years... Do you have any more information on why it happened, did it have corrosion due to leakage from the vaccum valve?

Maybe Galvanic Corrosion related to this (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galvanic_corrosion) It seems like water heaters are using sacrificial anodes, is this used in espresso machines?

I don't really know what was the cause of it; as I indicated, it was not my machine. I only saw it towards the end of its life, on the bench with the repairman. The repairman said to me that the layout of the connections on the top of boiler made it hard to work on, and that he could not get the leaking connection between the boiler and the HX to seal using all the tricks of his trade. He was busy and I had a 3 hour drive in front of me, so I did not have the time to explore it further.

Everything else in the story that I heard was second hand, however these are very good friends I have known for decades, and I'm sure they recounted the story as they heard and experienced it. They are capable of working on mechanical things, however are not very experienced personally in doing espresso machine repairs.

ken

Got her working again.just pulled my first shot in a week.
A bitch to work on.My fingers are too thick.
Buying a Ponte tomorrow.