Hi, I've got a Vibiemme DB Junior which has worked fine for a long time. Now recently the pressure for the steam went to almost max 4-5bar and steam started to come out where it's not suppose to. Suddenly it also gave away a smaller bang! and then the pressure went down again to around 3 (normally it's steady on 2).

Is this something I can fix myself easy or am I better to take it to a shop in Berlin where I live? Any ideas what it could be?

Best
Marcus

I'd hazard a guess you mean 1.4-1.5 bar from a normal of 1.2bar? 4bar is crazy.
It's sounds like your pressurestat is giving up, so it overheats and starts to leak out the safety valve. Bit more diagnosis required tho so if your not comfortable doing that then best off taking it to a service technician.

Actually normally its 2.0 Bar which is fine. IT went to 4 Bar and then bang.

This machine was originally fitted with a Jaeger pressurestat which, in turn, switched a relay providing power to the steam boiler heating element.

So, either the pstat is faulty or the relay is faulty. Both of these parts are relatively inexpensive but the contacts for the relay are somewhat inspectable as the cover is clear.

Sounds like your pressurestat is either shot or clogged up.

Replacement and adjustment is a pretty easy fix.

To diagnose, take the cover off of your machine and find the pressurestat. You can get diagrams of your machine online. At the top of the pstat is a screw. Screw it all the way down, then back up a few turns (keeping it lower than the original height).

Turn on your machine and wait until the boiler builds pressure. Keep your eye on the gauge. If it keeps rising past 2.2-2.5 bar, kill the power and buy a replacement pressurestat. If your pstat is working properly, the bladder inside of it will expand and make contact with an internal terminal once the set pressure is reached, which will flip a relay and turn the heating element off.

If you don't feel comfortable doing this, any reputable shop should be able to do the job.

Good luck,

Nick