It's a bad, bad day (broken element - Elektra T1)

Equipment doesn't work? Troubleshooting? If you're handy, members can help.
andrewpetre
Posts: 60
Joined: 15 years ago

#1: Post by andrewpetre »

I don't suppose anyone has an extra one of these lying around? =D

Toasted the heater in the Elektra Sixties T1.


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espressme
Posts: 1406
Joined: 18 years ago

#2: Post by espressme »

I don't but one of the sponsors does!!! :D
HERE
Do a search at the top of the page for elements
Good Luck!
-Richard
richard penney LMWDP #090,

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JonR10
Posts: 876
Joined: 19 years ago

#3: Post by JonR10 »

andrewpetre wrote:Toasted the heater in the Elektra Sixties T1.
Ouch!
Before replacing it make sure you know why it blew up (you don't want to fry another one....)

Good luck - I feel for ya!
Jon
Jon Rosenthal
Houston, Texas

andrewpetre (original poster)
Posts: 60
Joined: 15 years ago

#4: Post by andrewpetre (original poster) »

I thought about that part. I just finished an in-place descale. The steam tap water was coming out a little cloudy, which is what prompted the action. I read the HX / boiler descale threads here, and I feel like I followed a pretty sure path. I can verify that the water was never low. I poured the tank mostly full from the vacuum seal port and then replaced that valve before turning on to heat the boiler. Possible that the descale was not needed, and there was just junk in the tank that should have been flushed instead. I've done that now that the element's out. In hindsight, I really should have pulled the element and just looked in there first.

I have since found out that our water is actually very lean on minerals (scores 17 where medium hardness is 90-100). But would a properly mixed descale become so corrosive as to cause the element to crack? I remember seeing one other picture on here of a similar result, but I couldn't find it today or remember what the advice was about how it happened. I figured it was also related to the descale thread(s) since that's what I was browsing most recently.

The only other factor at work here is that I have the top two (of six) leads disconnected so that I can run at 15A.

JimG
Posts: 659
Joined: 18 years ago

#5: Post by JimG »

andrewpetre wrote:The steam tap water was coming out a little cloudy, which is what prompted the action.
That was probably an indicator that the element was failing. Bet it had nothing to do with your descaling.

Jim

andrewpetre (original poster)
Posts: 60
Joined: 15 years ago

#6: Post by andrewpetre (original poster) »

I did find the earlier post (2005) with a failed element after descale. No other real evidence to say that it has to do with the descale.

Water, Scaling and Descaling with HX machines?

I hope you're right and that it was due to be replaced anyway. This machine was stored for a long time (8 years) dry before I got it. It's possible that a little damage was caused by having nothing in it when I very first fired it up. I didn't know the 5-second rule for the water level check to begin filling the tank, or I would have primed it with a gallon before flipping the switch.

Live and learn...

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Juanjo
Posts: 153
Joined: 15 years ago

#7: Post by Juanjo »

Andrew,

I have one just like that from an Elektra La Delisiosa..

It was working PERFECTLY before I took the machine apart.. (shame on me but I quit that project)

mail me if interested.

Juanjo
cheers,
Juanjo

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mhoy
Posts: 1138
Joined: 16 years ago

#8: Post by mhoy »

You might want to use a Teflon seal when you put your new element in place. I've done so and am happy with the results. My original paper seal disintegrated when I removed my heater element.

Mark

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mhoy
Posts: 1138
Joined: 16 years ago

#9: Post by mhoy »

Stefano at Espresso Care would likely stock the heater element along with the Teflon heating element gasket (I can't find the part number in my notes though, but I did get the Teflon gasket from him).

Mark

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cannonfodder
Team HB
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Joined: 19 years ago

#10: Post by cannonfodder »

Definitely get the teflon gasket. I replaced my two group paper gasket with one when I rebuilt it. Much nicer. Sometimes elements just fail. After all, it is a little wire that heats red hot then off, all day long, a few thousand times. I wonder if the added stress of only running one of the two heater legs exasperated the problem. You put twice the stress on that one heater leg.
Dave Stephens

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