Through what I consider luck, I've picked up a used Rancilio S20, specifically the MIDI DE version which is dosing programmable. I'm going to do some waiting for it though, border customs can be fun and they have to justify the customs fees somehow. But I digress. The very brief description of it I have is that one of the group headers doesn't work and the description states it needs to be programmed so I'll try and set the dosing but I'll have to see if that's the extent of it or not.

Now not to offend the purists, but I bought this machine for home use. I know it shares the Silvia's group headers but the large boiler and Hex arrangement are definitely a plus. I admit my wife is a big milk drink fan and it's definitely got the capacity. Also, I considered my options. I wanted a popular machine with lots of parts floating around and in the used sub-$500 price range, there's little professional equipment to choose from. I could have gone with the Silvia but then of course the S20's size and major equipment layout sealed the deal.

For now, I'm looking for some insight. Initially, I'd like to take it apart and consider a rebuild. It previously served in a drive-through coffee shop and probably didn't see too much maintenance. Also, it's a good chance to address the group header not working. So that said, I'm going to track down a manual but can anyone recommend a supplier for a rebuild kit or which seals/gaskets I should replace? (I know I need a boiler gasket for sure) Also, although I will eventually plumb it in for supply and drains, I'm going to run it manually for now. The drain will be passed to a container on gravity feed below the counter and the supply will be gravity fed to the machine. I planned on setting the supply about 3 feet above the machine so the inlet pressure would be about 10 kPag or 1.3 psig. I spoke to a local vendor for these machines and he mentioned that the pumps are capable of pulling by suction as well but I figure the closer to operating range the better. Anyway, thoughts on this would be appreciated too. I really only want to gravity feed it during a rebuild in the basement. Has anyone done a rebuild to a similar machine on the site? I had a quick look and I can't see too much (I know the LM's are much more attractive but I needed small commercial, think volkswagen, not 'benz). I'll try and post some pics as soon as it shows up but it won't be a few weeks I'm sure.

I just acquired an older Rancilio S20 MIDI.
It is not currently working and I hope to get it running again.
I've been looking for a repair manual but so far have not been able to find one.
Would you be interested in sharing information about restoration and repair.
If so, I'll send you my email address.
Good luck with your machine.

Michael Ronayne
Louisville, KY USA

Funny you should mention, I just got the Midi after a long shipping. I'll post some pictures soon too. It's a 220V model. The previous owner cut off the plug and had it hardwired through a junction box. I decided for ease of use that I'd put a cord on it and buy a matching receptacle. It's currently wired on a dedicated 30 amp 220V circuit. However, this machine is actually only a 20A machine, I could have used a 20A breaker and 12 gauge wiring (it's on 10-2 wire).

Anyway, I've had very little time to check things out. I have it plumped into the water supply but the drain is just into a bucket for now. Last night I first tried it out. There is no repair manual by the way, or not one that I know of. From the Rancilio operating manual, get it supplied with water (preferably pressurized supply), then power. Then turn the power knob to the LEFT (from center position which is off). This should activate the boiler autofill. Only after you stop hearing any filling solenoid noise should you turn it all the way to the right, which activates the heating element. If you go right without water you risk damaging the heating element.

In my case all of the above worked. I may have one problem though. The anti suction valve on the top of the machine was letting off steam during operation last night. I didn't actually get too high into the operating range, I had little time for a good test run, but it didn't stop expelling steam. Apparently this is normal to some extent but once the machine reaches operating pressure it should close. I might not have given it enough of a chance to close either. Apparently the valve can be exercised a bit and this may help, so I'll try that tonight. If not, I'm going to try and rebuild the valve and if that fails, I'll buy a new valve.

I also have one definite existing problem with the machine. My dosing isn't working on one of the headers. My board looks to be in great shape but I haven't done any tests to really troubleshoot this yet. It might just be a programming thing but maybe not, I'll have to see. The rancilio operating manual does a very brief rundown on dose programming too, which I still need to go through.

By any chance was yours the machine recently on Ebay (not working, green panels, from Washington state/free shipping?). I will post some pictures of mine as soon as I can. It was also an ebay purchase that was listed for local pickup only but I went whole hog and paid and arranged shipping.

I was squeamish about running the machine with the valve steam leak before I read about it being normal but I did test the steam wand, which works, one of the group headers which does brew and the water dispenser which works too but I think I've got some pretty extensive buildup on my machine internals from the mineral content off the water dispenser. Ideally I want to get the steam valve stopped and diagnose the brewing on the right group before I do a rebuild which would include a complete teardown. I've already looked into boiler, heater and group header gaskets and screens. You've gotta love this machine, so popular it's easier to find parts for it and it's such a prolific series that they're nice and cheap. My internals are dirty but not bad considering it's from a coffee shop. Through my rebuild I will definitely also respray the frame. All of it is in great shape except the bottom plate which has lots of gunk on it and the paint has started peeling.

One other thing about my machine, instead of a button for the right hand side water wand, it has a rotary valve just like on the steam side. I actually like this setup more, one less piece of electrical gear. I'm not sure what year the machine is from, the serial number plate is in bad shape but I'm guessing this was an earlier design and rancilio later switched to the button control for the hot water.

My intention was to post pictures as I go and try and get some great advice as well as adding to the knowledge base here. Knowledge should be free for people that want more. If it's okay, I'd suggest we post progress on H-B. I think the site is good at handling pictures and threads and if we can generate good interest (which all the rebuilds seem to do) we can get some good outside advice even though we might not have known we needed it : )