ccfore wrote:I purchased a used La Cimbali Junior DT1 (5 years old but in storage the last two I'm told) really in pristine condition and am in the process of hooking it up and have run into a couple of problems. When connected to the water supply the boiler is overfilling without the pump turning on.
I checked the boiler fill probe for scale but it didn't have any that I could see but a very light coating which I removed. The pump does work as it turns on and fills when I disconnect the wire to the probe and it stops when I connect it again.
Also when it is up to temp the gauge has not shown any movement at all.
Another minor problem, it also has a very slight leak at the rotary pump pressure adjustment screw. I've turned it in and out some but does stop the leak. I've searched for this problem and read everything in the last couple of days but can't seem to find the answer. Any help would be appreciated, thanks.
It sounds like you are getting different suggestions and analyses which could be helpful to give you a list of causes to rule out, if you are going to work on the machine yourself.
If the machine was operating properly, the input solenoid would prevent the boiler from filling based on water main pressure alone. This is to say that although in theory the boiler could fill based solely on mains pressure (without the pump in a rotary pump machine), it should not do so in a properly functioning machine like yours. My present machine's (LM GS/3 paddle) brew boiler would fill, however a DT-1 Cimbali should not.
In addition, your boiler pressure gauge is not working. This might be related to overfilling of the boiler, filling the small capillary tube to the gauge with water; I'm not sure. So it could be a real problem or just a reflection of problems you already know about. If it is a real problem, then it's not a huge one, and replacement gauges are not that expensive.
Logically it sounds to me like you have two problems going on, which is a difficult case to make so I'm probably wrong. I would guess that your input solenoid may have failed, and in addition there is some reason why the autofill circuit isn't working to engage the pump to fill the boiler. These ideas can be easily tested and likely causes ruled out. You need to find out if the boiler fills up when the machine is connected to the mains water supply but the pump can't work (e.g. is disconnected), and there is no reason for the solenoid to be otherwise open, such as if the autofill circuit is completed (you could short it). If so, you have either a faulty input solenoid or for some reason the autofill circuit/brainboard are fried.
After establishing whether or not the input solenoid works, then you need to figure out why the pump does not engage to fill the boiler when the boiler autofill circuit has not been completed. This is probably something of a very minor nature such as scale you haven't dealt with, water that is too pure (e.g. distilled, RO) that does not allow the circuit to complete, or is due to a fault in the autofill or brainboard electronics.
If your brainboard is toast, be sure to be seated when you get a quote from a dealer on what that part is going to cost you . . . . .
Good luck,
ken
by ccfore on Mon Jan 17, 2011 3:45 pm 
I've read all about the Junior from posts here, especially your own experience with your two machines. After allowing someone else to adopt my Elektra T1 (still miss my baby) because it really never got the use it needed, as I was mostly using my Olympia Cremina, I missed a machine that I could leave on all weekend and when home for extended periods of time. Hence my purchase of the Junior. 
