Rancilio V2 water doesn't flow through the grouphead

#1: Post by **evolv3** » April 28th, 2017, 8:00 am

Hey Guys!

My Rancilio (V2) has been conking out. I fill the water all the way up in the reservoir and turn on my Rancilio and no water comes out of the grouphead even though the sound of the machine seems normal like before.

Sometimes I get lucky if I turn both the steam wand on and the grouphead and even then I have to empty about 2 cups of water from the steam wand before I see any drops from the grouphead. It works after I descale it but that takes a very long time and I have descaled it consistently every 3 weeks which seems excessive. The one thing I have noticed is after descaling it I can tell the water runs through the grouphead for the next 4-5 shots of espresso but after that there are no guarantees.

Please, I would really appreciate any help.

#2: Post by **achosid** » April 28th, 2017, 9:42 am

What's your descaling routine? You may need to do a full disassembly descale, to the extent you can on a Silvia.

When water does come out, is the pressure normal?

#3: Post by **Espresso_Junky** » April 28th, 2017, 5:12 pm

Several possibilities come to mind... you could have a chunk(s) of scale that could be blocking the flow intermittently, requiring a teardown as mentioned. Could also be a pressure issue with the OPV causing water to be diverted back to the reservoir. Last thought is a clogged 3-way in which a lot of the flow during an extraction can be diverted to the drip tray instead of through the puck.

#4: Post by **hrvojuliusmeinl** » May 25th, 2017, 5:43 pm

Grouphead blocked with coffee

#5: Post by **Headala** » May 26th, 2017, 9:25 am

I would try these, in order:
Remove shower screen, remove dispersion screw. Clean both, as well as the group, thoroughly
Disassemble 3-way valve. Inspect its internal seals. Replace if necessary. Remove any foreign matter.
Reassemble. Test.
Consider using RO or bottled water.