My Faema recently started to produce not enough water flow on the left group head. It just trickles. Where do I start to look? I don't know if this has any connection with it but every time I recharge the water softener I can't use the hot water spigot because it taste salty.

If it's an automatic, start with the flowmeter as it has a small stainless orifice that aims the incoming water flow at the small paddle wheel, then look at the restrictor at the end of the rear brass fitting in the grouphead. After you remove the fitting you'll see restrictor that threads into the brass fitting and also hides a screen. Front brass fitting is just a cap. On any of the older Faemas that don't have the variable thermo siphon valve, there is a restrictor in the end of the top thermo siphon pipe. This controlls the rate of heating of the grouphead and can get scaled up. Group solenoid also has has a small orifice. Finally there is the thread in diffuser under the grouphead screen.
JPBoyt

CoffeeForTheGo wrote: every time I recharge the water softener I can't use the hot water spigot because it taste salty.

check also the gigleur

water should not be salty after a regeneration/recharge
if you are tasting salt you are not recharging the softener correctly or letting it flushing out enough

it's not a automatic. Ok I have to admit I don't know where a paddle wheel is. Where do I start. There are 3 copper tubing coming out of the boiler to the head. One larger from the top of the boiler and one larger copper tubing from the bottom of boiler with a smaller copper tubing coming from it going to a solenoid. I'll also while I have the machine down go ahead and drain the boiler and get what gunk might be settled on the bottom out of there.

I've gone to a post that was on Nov. 14 2009 in regards to a clogged gicleur and will reference that blog to check there. I'll get back with you and let you know how it works out. Thanks for the help.

I have removed the gicleur and cleaned it up. Used a brush on the outside and ran a thin wire through and reinstalled. Left head is still not running. The solenoid is kicking in and out because I can feel it engaging when I start that head. I read in another lead for taking the screen apart on a A87 to use 2 spoons to pry apart. Is that the same for my E87? Would like to work on it again this weekend (6-18) if I can get an update on how to take the screens apart and any other helpful information that can be forwarded. Thanks.

Tonight I took what look like some kind of a water valve from on top of the group head. Would this had been the gicleur you talked about earlier. It was crusted some so I cleaned and ran a thin wire through. Filled up the tank again and the head isn't working at all now. I'm going to assume I'll have to take the head apart to check the screens you mentioned earlier. What seals will I need to get ahead of time so I can put the machine back together after taking apart the head? I did fix the salty water issue. We started using crystals instead of pellets like originally was using. The instructions given recommended crystals but next time we recharge we're going back to the pellets.