I just replaced the heating element on my Livia after a descale exposed that it was probably done for.

Since then, I am unable to get brew pressure above 200F. I've got the pstat adjusted so that the boiler pressure is reading 1.8-2 bar, and water from the hot water tap is still coming out only around 200. Accordingly, water at the grouphead is around 175. The external temp of the boiler is right around 200.

Water level is about 3" from the top and I've ensured the vacuum breaker is functioning. The pstat and the gauge "agree" in the sense that before messing with pstat adjustments, the gauge read the same as it did pre-HE swap right around 1.2 bar. Now I've pushed it well past 1.5bar but it doesn't change the temperature much.

if your boiler pressure will really be at 1.8 your safety valve MUST BLOW
are you positive about gauge accuracy?

If water temp is really below boiling, you won't have a vacuum breaker engaged or have any flow from the water tap.

On the other hand, if you get vigorous boiling from the water tap, but only measure 200 degrees Fahrenheit, I'd check your thermometer or altimeter.

Boiler safety valves generally pop around 1.8 bar. If your boiler pressure is really at 1.8-2 bar you either have a faulty gauge, or a faulty emergency pressure release valve. The latter of which means you have a time bomb capable of killing your family on your kitchen counter.

allon wrote:On the other hand, if you get vigorous boiling from the water tap, but only measure 200 degrees Fahrenheit, I'd check your thermometer or altimeter.

I get vigorously boiling water from the hot water tap, around 205F.

But still only 165-170 from the grouphead.

My gauge red zone goes from 1.5-2.5bar. I've pushed it into the first 1/3rd of the red without seeing a corresponding increase in temp.

I will have to verify with a different gauge I guess.

Does this machine have a thermosyphon?
If so, it's possible that the descale could have dislodged a bit of scale which has gotten lodged in a flow restrictor on the hot side of the thermosyphon, leading the bulk of the water going through the group (from the cool side) to be inadequately heated.

Either you need to descale the HX better (as opposed to the boiler) or disassemble it and examine for blockages.

The Livia does not. I am fairly confident that the issue isn't in the HX circuit, because the boiler water temp is not where it should be (~253F).

Note the arrangement in this shamelessly stolen pic from another post (Theory behind flushing an E61 HX machine)



If the thermosyphon flow restrictor on the hot side (that goes through the HX) is plugged, then most of the water going to the group when the brew switch is activated will bypass the heat exchanger altogether.

The Livia is not an E61 and does not have a thermosyphon.

Oh, I misread the earlier post as 250, not 205.

Dunno how it can be vigorously boiling at 205.

Did not meant to imply the livia was an E61, only using the illustration to show an HX loop, which would explain why you'd get high temp water from the boiler, but low temp from the group head, however that was all based on misreading 205 as 250. Still don't know how it can be vigorously boiling at less than boiling temp.

I'd check the calibration on your thermometer.


Note: I just now found an exploded parts diagram.