Nuova Simonelli Oscar - puff of smoke, loss of boiler pressure [HELP NEEDED]

Need help with equipment usage or want to share your latest discovery?
Reezy
Posts: 35
Joined: 12 years ago

#1: Post by Reezy »

Lately I am experimenting with lower doses and finer grinds. I was pulling a shot, on my Oscar and the flow got clogged a bit, and the shot slowed. I was letting it continue, but it was working pretty hard, then I heard a click and a whooshing (the over pressure valve?) start kicking water into the spill tray, and immediately after that, the pump stopped and a puff of acrid smoke that smelled like melted rubber escaped from the top of the machine.

Now;

When you press the water button, it wont stay in. At first it did let water out, but it was silent when letting it out (no pump?) and eventually it stopped and only let out steam, which made me think the boiler had no water in it (the reservoir is full) so I turned it off out of fear of frying the element.
(when its on) The water light still comes on, and you can hear a click, but also a light hum (is that the pump trying to activate?)

I didnt get a chance to take it apart yet, but was hoping someone might know what it is.

Thanks for your help in advance

wasabipeas
Posts: 55
Joined: 12 years ago

#2: Post by wasabipeas »

My guess is that the pump is probably toast. The first thing you need to do is look inside the machine and see what has burned out and caused the smoke. There are just 6 screws on the top of the machine case that need to be removed and then you can pull off the top part of the casing and look inside. It's easy-peasy!

Reezy (original poster)
Posts: 35
Joined: 12 years ago

#3: Post by Reezy (original poster) »

I actually have the case off already, and I was looking around inside with a flashlight, but I cant see anything thats obviously melted or burned out.

If it was the pump, is this the part I need?
http://www.espressoparts.com/parts/espr ... -vibe-pump

Looks like it would be fairly easy to install (I hate the plumbing part, I can never seem to make a good seal on the parts)

Is there a specific area I should be looking? The puff of smoke was such, that I think it was like an entire length of wire or a fuse or something, it was POP, PUFF, SMOKE< and then no more. The machine was still super hot, and it wasnt still smoking, whatever melted, melted fairly completely and rather quickly

I have attempted a full tear down before to replace a busted heater element, and I was unable to succesfully put it back together without lots of leaking, so I ended up taking it into a local espresso tech to put it back together (im leery of taking it apart now, because that wasnt cheap).

I feel like I would have to remove the boiler to be able to actually look around and find what melted,
- but dead pump was my initial thought as well, especially with the humming (and the no water movement)


Is there any ways I can test for the dead pump, to confirm it? Can anybody confirm that when your water pump is dead, the water dispenser button wont stay in (on) unless you hold it? I think 2 things normally happen when you press the water dispense button; there is a click, which I believe is a valve letting water out, and the pump normally is triggered, and the button is held in on its own.

Thanks again

User avatar
cannonfodder
Team HB
Posts: 10497
Joined: 19 years ago

#4: Post by cannonfodder »

Sounds like your button fried. That should be a single throw double pole switch (guessing have not seen one). One leg goes to a 3 way valve, one goes to the pump so when you turn on the pump the 3 way snaps closed. You button probably fried which let the 3way open back up which is why you started pumping water into the drip tray then the other leg died which turned on the pump. Burnt out pump or not, the button should go in and stay in no matter what is on the other side, even if nothing is plugged in. Click on, click off. Start with replacing the brew button/switch. Bet that fixes it.
Dave Stephens

Reezy (original poster)
Posts: 35
Joined: 12 years ago

#5: Post by Reezy (original poster) replying to cannonfodder »

Thanks much, I have ordered the button from Simonelli Nuova, lets hope its just the button and not the pump as well!

[UPDATED]
I got a new pump and that fixed it.