Rancilio Silvia shorted out this morning

#1: Post by **Mr.Repsher** » April 13th, 2012, 10:51 am

So this morning I had my ~5 year old Rancilio Silvia all warmed up but when I hit the brew switch (the one with the little coffee cup icon) there were a number of large sparks and all the lights went out and the machine went dead.

I have no clue where to even start to trouble shoot this, any ideas?

Thanks

#2: Post by **Randy G.** » April 13th, 2012, 11:19 am

Sparks is bad...
Unplug the machine, remove the reservoir, and take the top cover off (4 screws on top).
Look for the obvious- loose wires, discolored connections or melted insulation on wires.
Take some pics if necessary and we can be of further assistance. Too many possibilities to start guessing specifics.

April 13th, 2012, 11:23 am

Thanks. I did take the top off and have a look inside but nothing looked fried, discolored etc. I'm at the office now so I'll post some pics tonight when I'm home.

#4: Post by **JimG** » April 13th, 2012, 11:51 am

When you flipped the brew switch, you provided a path for 120VAC to reach these places in the Silvia:

the solenoid that controls the 3-way valve (located behind the splash panel below the group head)
the pump (below the water reservoir)
one of the connectors on the hot water switch (this is just a consequence of the way the wires are routed)

So, in addition to the brew switch itself, those are the places to examine the most closely as you follow Randy's advice.

Jim

#5: Post by **Randy G.** » April 13th, 2012, 12:02 pm

Those tips from Jim are excellent.
You could, based on that:
1- disconnect from outlet
2 - remove top and face cover behind group (2 screws)
3 - One at a time, disconnect the following (see wiring diagram HERE):
- wires connected to 3-way valve
- wires connected to pump
4 - Insulate the disconnected wires with electrical tape
5 - Plug machine in, turn machine on, turn on brew switch. OK now? UNPLUG machine!
6 - Connect ONE of the disconnected devices. Repeat step 5. Continue until you isolate the problem.

CAUTION: Open machine, disconnected wires, water, and machine which sparks connected to outlet presents a shock hazard. As we do not know your level of expertise or experience, use these instructions at your own risk.... If you do not feel comfortable doing this stuff... DON'T!

April 13th, 2012, 12:39 pm

Thank you all for the great advice. Wish I could go home now and start messing with it. I'll update you tonight.

#7: Post by **JimG** » April 13th, 2012, 2:55 pm

Mr.Repsher wrote:...Wish I could go home now and start messing with it. I'll update you tonight.

Funny! I am quite jealous, you know

Jim

#8: Post by **Randy G.** » April 13th, 2012, 2:59 pm

JimG wrote:Funny! I am quite jealous, you know Jim

Don't you have your own "Silvia" to go home to and mess with? Mine is named "Valerie."

#9: Post by **JimG** » April 13th, 2012, 3:11 pm

Yes, but nothing is broken. Sad, I know.

#10: Post by **Randy G.** » April 13th, 2012, 4:56 pm

Ahh.. I hear ya'. The VBM is such that I don't even have to do chemical backflushes any more. The softening system also eliminates the need to descale. Once a month or so I just pull about 16 ounces of water out of the steam boiler. I remove the shower screen about every two months just for something to do. The Kony will outlive me. My 22 yard old Volvo is more dependable than my German Shepherd, and he never leaves my side. Life can be boring... But, OH, the coffee!

Ever take something apart, hoping that it breaks in the process, just to have something to fix?