Hi everyone, this is my first post. I know very little about espresso or espresso machines, but I recently acquired a used Rancilio Epoca ST-1 (the tank model, not the plumbed model). I don't think it had been descaled very much. When I tried using it the first time, hot water would come through the hot water valve and the steam wand, but nothing came through the grouphead. After some searching on this and other forums, I tried disassembling the valve as described in this thread (Troubleshooting Rancilio Epoca "no flow") and found that it worked! There had been a tiny piece of lime/scale clogging up the pinhole.

After about a month of making coffee approximately once or twice a week, I acquired some Dezcal and tried to do a proper descaling. After I filled the water tank with a mix of liquid Dezcal and water (about 10% Dezcal to 90% water), I turned on the pump and the boiler and let it pump/boil for about 20 minutes. Then, I tried to dispense some of the descaling liquid. The liquid flowed freely through the grouphead, but strangely enough, only dribbles came out of the hot water valve (same with the steam wand, but I guess steam wands never produce that much liquid). Instead, the hot water valve mostly produced giant puffs of steam.

I decided to let the descaling liquid sit overnight with the machine off. When I returned to it this morning and turned the machine and grouphead on, water flowed through the grouphead (perhaps leftover water from last night), but nothing came through the hot water valve or steamhead.

I noticed that the descaling liquid in the water tank had, by this point, become a little dirty, so I decided to change it out for fresh descaling liquid. I again tried to run the pump in order to circulate the descaling liquid throughout the machine. The pump was very noisy, as always. However, again, nothing came through the hot water valve. I touched the water in the tank, which was warm, suggesting that it was getting heated up by the machine...then, I checked the grouphead, and nothing flowed through.

Based on all of this, I think I've clogged something, perhaps the pump, and/or something else? Do I need to clean the three-way solenoid valve? Is there anything else I should be checking in terms of scale/clogs?

Thanks,
Sun

Hi,

I think the descaling solution has peeled off some bigger scale pieces which have clogged some pipes around the boiler. The machine has probably been descaled a long time ago. I think you will need to open the machine and check the pipes. It is not difficult, you just need some tools and paper wipes to catch water. At least try to check hot water pipe.
It would be best to make complete cleaning (unscrewing all pipes) but this is time consuming job...but I think it is worth it. You will have no problems in future.

Thank you! I will look at the diagrams and figure out how to disassemble it to reach the pipes...I guess my first target is the solenoid valve. I'll keep you all updated.