La Spaziale Vivaldi 2 needs pressure regulator installed behind it, or does it?

I was told any espresso machine, HX or DB or others need a pressure regulator installed behind it to prolonged components life since these components are made and intended to stand up to 2 par pressure and not 60-80 par that mostly is the norm for mains line to the house.

I like to know if this is correct, is it a good idea or absolutely necessary?
Do I have to buy this kind of regulator ( regulator that can show below 10 bar) from the shop where they sell espresso equipment which charge up to $100 for this or should/can I get this from somewhere like Home depot?

All feedback are appreciated.

Hello
It is a good idea to have a pressure regulator, even though it may not be essential for every machine in every situation. It will stabilise the input pressure and help the machine achieve a stable brew pressure.

The "2 bar" standard is often bandied around. This is a generalisation, and is certainly not the only permissible pressure for all machines. The manufacturer of mine specifies between 2 and 8* bar input.

Personally, I'd look at the more professional plumbing products such as the Watts range (probably because that is what I have installed here). I'm not sure where you will get them in Canada, but the internet is a good starting point if you can't find them locally.

Given a choice I'd go for traditional brass construction rather than plastic. It is something you only want to install once, and you may find there is not that much price difference. $100 is a LOT to pay for one of these.

Edit: * correction "6"

Benia wrote:I was told any espresso machine, HX or DB or others need a pressure regulator installed behind it to prolonged components life since these components are made and intended to stand up to 2 par pressure and not 60-80 par that mostly is the norm for mains line to the house.

The recommendations depend on the manufacturer. According to the repair technicians at Chris' Coffee Service, if the pressure is too high, the grouphead solenoid may fail to close (drip, drip, drip). They recommend a point-of-service pressure regulator to reduce pressure to ~2 bar. I agree with their recommendation, if only to assure a stable input pressure and to act as a backflow preventor (i.e., if mains pressure fails, water isn't sucked out of the espresso machine).

In our area, the main line pressure is around 110 PSI and the house pressure regulator reduces it to 55 PSI. Unless you plan to use lines pressure for preinfusion as described in How to Preinfuse; Extraction Pressure Redux, I would go with their recommendation of 2 bar. They've sold hundreds of Vivaldis and are certainly qualified to speak with authority on the recommended install. More generally, there's lots of threads discussing this question; below is a sample:

• Max water pressure for plumbed in espresso machine
• Do most plumb-in machines require external pressure?
• Water pressure and the effect(s) it may have on rotary pump

You could ignore these recommendations and hook it up directly. I have a dishwasher, ice maker, clothes washing machine etc. and none have a point-of-service water pressure regulator. Then again, none of them are fussy about the water pressure stability while in use; rotary pump espresso pumps are for the reasons provided in the last thread above, so I would follow the manufacturer's/vendor's recommendation.

Most plumbed in machines I have worked with spec a 2-4 bar max input pressure. I run my A3 at just under 3 bar. In addition to giving you a reliable brew pressure (as input pressure changes so do the brew pressure unless you have a balanced bypass pump) when you install the pressure regulator, put a 1/4 turn shut off valve in. Then when you go on vacation you can turn off the water to the machine just in case it springs a leak while you are out of town.

Thank you all. I've got my answer. All 3 replies were very helpful for me to understand why a pressure regulator although not absolutely necessary but certainly a good idea to install.

FYI, the pressure to our house is pretty stable, but taking 30 time pressure off of what is getting to the machine, bringing it down to 2 bar (what is actually recommended by the manufacturer), can certainly make a difference in components life expectancy and 2 bar pressure is so little that no valve or seal is going to have to stand against much of constant pressure which is a good thing.

And yes I agree, would be best to use good quality parts so I don't have to redo it again for a long time hopefully.