Where To Buy Teflon Washers From Anti-Siphon Valve

[Java Man]

Anyone know of an on-line retailer who sells these bits?

Thanks,

Rick

[cafeIKE]

Anyone know of an on-line retailer who sells these bits?

Thanks,

Rick

You might try Stefano's Espressocare, but why not just replace the whole valve?

[Java Man]

It only takes ~ 4 months to gunk up an anti-siphon valve on my machine, and the boiler wall is quite thin where the valve threads into it. I prefer not to run the risk of bunging up the threads.

[cafeIKE]

It only takes ~ 4 months to gunk up an anti-siphon valve on my machine, and the boiler wall is quite thin where the valve threads into it. I prefer not to run the risk of bunging up the threads.

4 months is awfully short. I just replaced one after two years, more because I had the machine apart than because it was necessary.

Perhaps the metal is corroded and failing to mate well with the seal?

Is there no boss on the boiler for the ASV?

[Java Man]

Yes, 4 months is awfully short. The valve gets gunked up with a sooty deposit -- no limescale, just "dirt".

This may be partly due to the fact that the Wega's hot water tap draws water through a heat exchanger rather than directly from the boiler. This means that over time, opening the steam valve effectively concentrates the sediment in the boiler. The boiler has no limescale deposits, only a black, sooty surface deposit.

Here's a pic of the heating element after 4 years. The boiler has been drained ~ every 6 months, but never opened before this and never de-scaled.



After ~ 4 months of daily on/off cycles, the ASV begins to leak slightly due to black deposits on the poppet valve behind the o-ring, and on the contact points between o-ring and teflon valve seat.

Perhaps I should be draining it every month?

There's no boss on the outside of the boiler where the ASV screws into it. The boiler looks as though it's only ~ 1/8" thick at that point.

I noticed that Grainger sells o-rings of various sizes and materials. There's an outlet only a few km from here -- I'll see if they have Viton o-rings in what seems to be the right size . . .

Rick

[Paul]

hi Rick

you may wish to change your vac breaker valve to a different design. I use the fellas that just rely on an o ring to seal. Very simple and used on most big machines. They are easily fixed.

example here:
http://www.espressoparts.com/prod...msiphon_Valve.html

goodluck whatever you do.

[cafeIKE]

That was the "type" I just replaced with this.

While the unit was still functional, when disassembled, there was definite erosion of the metal*, so I'm not sure how much longer it would have lasted. Stefano says the larger type shown in the link are much less of a PITA and last much longer.

[ EDIT : * poppit valve body metal ]

[Paul]

That was the "type" I just replaced with this.

While the unit was still functional, when disassembled, there was definite erosion of the metal, so I'm not sure how much longer it would have lasted. Stefano says the larger type shown in the link are much less of a PITA and last much longer.

different strokes etc I guess

I am happy with the simple ones on my machines, from my linea to old commercial lever machines. It is interesting about the corrosion. I guess this is a deposit of something as the body is s/s.

whatever the case, I think the OP is correct in that his problem is perhaps compounded by having a closed boiler (hx for hot water).