hi everyone.
been lingering around this forum a long time and decided to join today. very informative i may add.
i own a 20 year old vibiemme domobar super. incredible machine.
yesterday i dismantled the entire machine and descaled in lemon juice. great job it worked well
anyhow this is my dilemma..... i think. or maybe not. I purchased a new element as the original is no longer good. well the new element had a hard time going in because the heat exchanger is partially in the way, but i managed to get it in.
my main concern is because the element is touching the heat exchanger, is this going to be a problem?
thanks in advance.

Did you compare the two before installing the new one?

yes i did compare. i could find an identical element. the original had 2 curves in the element and the replacement has 3 curves same wattage on both and same length. i can see through one of the ports in the boiler that its touching the thermal blocker. I am just not sure if its ok to touch the heat exchanger. the parts counter person at alfa cappuccino did not convince me that it was ok when i bought it. he seemed a bit clueless on this topic.

I would worry about localized heating of the HX as well as the same, and more detrimental, for the element. I suppose it depends on how much surface contact area we are talking about. Is there any chance of bending the element enough to get it out of the way when it is inside the boiler? Since these parts can expand and contract during heating, any pressure between them could increase in use. The heating element is one thing, but you do not want to damage the HX.

Now, if the original element is truly NLA, then you may have to have the boiler modified by moving the HX enough to clear the element.

How about snapping some pics with a camera and posting same. These reputable venders will have the heating element you need: http://espressocare.com/ or http://www.1st-line.com/

Now maybe I said that too quick as a 20 yr old VBM may be different than a 10 yr old VBM but pics tell everything. Under no circumstances should the heating element contact the hx.

Well I decided to just bend the filaments away from the HX. Worked out ok. I also upgraded my pressostat to a larger heavy duty since the old one was constantly melting the wires. Will post pics later.

Glad you got the element to work. After a month or so, you might want to open it up or peek into the boiler again to be sure that the element didn't return to its original position of sitting on the HX.

bruca003 wrote:... I also upgraded my pressostat to a larger heavy duty since the old one was constantly melting the wires.

Be sure to clean the connections and apply a thin film of dielectric or silicone grease to keep corrosion out. Also, you might consider placing an SSR between the heating element and the pressurestat so that the pressurestat's contacts are only switching low current.

Hi

I did the same - descaling the boiler, but after I got all things together again - the heater is not kicking in. It is heating up but very very slow and it will not reach boiling point - what is the problem?

Please advice - is it the heating element that is broke - the machine is from 2006.

check the resistance of the element - even a continuity tester will tell you if it's blown. Basically, element = lightbulb.

I changed the element but it seems like the controller box is also broke.

No "on" light when the switch is in position I, and no pump/autofill, the only light is the water safety light.

How do I check the control box?