Steam boiler doesn't refill on Vivaldi

#1: Post by **CoffeeOwl** » March 10th, 2011, 6:41 pm

Hi!
Steam boiler in my Vivaldi doesn't refill. There are no special symptoms like alarm lights or anything, it just doesn't intake water. Some week prior to this happening it started taking the water in strange way, repeatedly 3 times in a row refilling, or making longer breaks before refilling.

Here are more details as typed on the post at Vivaldi forum:

First time something similar occurred when I emptied the boiler after returning home from travel - after I did so the boiler didn't refill; but, after unplugging the machine from power and plugging back, everything came back to normal. (it was some year o even more ago)

Then it happened again some month ago by itself - after drawing two glasses of hot water the boiler didn't refill - and the solution of unplugging from power again worked. But I noticed the boiler was refilling in smaller quantities, repeating the refilling one after another - like three times in a row.
Then again today it just didn't refill after I had a glass of hot water taken and didn't come back to normal. In fact I emptied it almost completely - opened the steam valve and let steam out; previously steam was coming out the hot water tap.

Now I drained the steam boiler opening the valve at the bottom and letting all water out. Yet there is still no change - it doesn't refill and tries to heat up empty... which I don't let it do.

I am running mineralised RO water all the time so I would be surprised to see scale on the sensor or anything and then, why would the rebooting help the other two times?

Any help or ideas very much appreciated! Thank you.

PS: Crossposted from Vivaldi cafe for the sake of getting more help.

#2: Post by **Carneiro** » March 10th, 2011, 7:43 pm

Hey, Pawel!

Have you checked the 2-way solenoid valve that should open to refill the boiler?

Márcio.

March 11th, 2011, 12:20 am

Now I drained the steam boiler opening the valve at the bottom and letting all water out. Yet there is still no change - it doesn't refill and tries to heat up empty... which I don't let it do.

It trys to heat up empty = It thinks it is full.

Thus the sensor cct is faulty or some leakage is being seen and the system thinks it is full. Thus does not attempt to fill, which is how it is set to work, if it was full

However if the machine s in fact empty; this is no good for the machine or you...

1: I would be checking the level sense probes for any build up and that the probe and wiring is in correctly.

Note: It could be the controller, but the simple things need to be done first

2: I would use normal water as a test as well

Note: Re mineralised RO = normal water = Why bother. Just use a scale filter and much easier for all. RO water causes more problems that it fixes, unless your on Dialysis !

March 11th, 2011, 4:50 am

Good news...
the problem solved itself. Yesterday when I tied to turn on the boiler it still didn't refill and I turned out immediately (to not kill the heating element). Today I came up to the machine and tunned on the boiler ... and it refilled happily! Now it is working smoothly.

Márcio,
I didn't do anything for I haven't yet ever opened the machine, so I was preparing carefully. And knowing the previous situation I felt very much there is not much to search for inside. I believe it is the control board. Yet I have no evidence, but I am not the only one - there are at least two threads at s1cafe with similar case.
Thank you for the input!

March 11th, 2011, 4:57 am

AngerManagement wrote: 1: I would be checking the level sense probes for any build up and that the probe and wiring is in correctly.

Note: It could be the controller, but the simple things need to be done first

2: I would use normal water as a test as well

Note: Re mineralised RO = normal water = Why bother. Just use a scale filter and much easier for all. RO water causes more problems that it fixes, unless your on Dialysis !

I use RO for the tap water is not good, and remineralised RO is not the same as not descaled.
I prefer this kind of filtration to any sort of chemical descaling and similar.

I don't know what it is but I think it would be good to know, to find out what is happening.
As I'm saying, I'm not the only one. I doubt it was a scale build up inside - it would need to have fallen off by itself (though I tried to shake a bit the machine yesterday night; but it did not change anything yesterday).

March 12th, 2011, 12:41 pm

CoffeeOwl wrote:Good news...

The same thing happening now.
I've drawn a glass of water and it doesn't refill.
Turned the boiler off and waiting for it to cool down.

edited update:

I was trying turning it on (the boiler) while it was cooling, nothing (didn't refill).
Then I let some pressure out via steam wand and then, at some point (like on the boarder of blue zone) it refilled a little. Far too small a quantity. Then turned off and on again and the same happened - it refilled a little. Repeated this four times and the fifth didn't refill; I let it warm fully.
When it fully heated, then it refilled again.

If anyone can have a suggestion or insight I will very much appreciate. Looks to me like it's pressurestat and water sensor somehow fooling each other - but then it must be electronics, right?

March 13th, 2011, 11:08 am

CoffeeOwl wrote: it's pressurestat

the discussion goes on at Vivaldi's forums; only wanted to add that I forgot there's no pressurestat in my machine

thanks everyone!