I have a Pavoni Europiccola and it has worked fine. However, recently it began spraying water out through the safety valve when its heating up, just before the green light turns off. I've checked the valve and the spring and the little white plastic 'ball' appear to be in good condition. I've tried to descale it, but so far no success. Any suggestions to help with this problem?

are you talking about the safety valve not steam valve since there is no spring inside the steam valve
could be the spring that became weak

yes, of course, it's the safety valve. I don't think it's the spring, it feels quit strong, but of course, not sure. Tried the machine again, and strangely, first time it worked, but second time water came pouring out again.

Buy a new ball and spring,they are cheap, Stefano sells 'em. Assuming your descaling was successful in dissolving the scale buildup, most importantly in and around the safety valve, a new ball and spring should do the trick.

Also, don't overfill your boiler: top of sightglass should be regarded as full. Polishing the ball AND seat sometimes provides a proper seal and you might chose to replace the ball with a mushroom-shaped, teflon piece. Works better for me these last three years...

As rick points out, yes... make sure you get the same white plastic ball you have now not the older style brass stem.

RickB wrote:Also, don't overfill your boiler: top of sightglass should be regarded as full.

Top of sight glass is too much. Don't go over the fill ridge (which no one knows about), which is the line going all around the boiler near the top.



For those that didn't know why that was there, now you do.

Interesting.. It is situated right below the group, so i guess that makes sense. I am not convinced though it looks like the line is a welding bead, indicating the boiler is assembled from 2 separate casts, rather than being made from one solid mold.

Heckie wrote:I am not convinced though it looks like the line is a welding bead, indicating the boiler is assembled from 2 separate casts, rather than being made from one solid mold.

That ridge plays an important part wether you choose to believe it or not. If it was a weld bead as you claim, even though it isn't, it could have easily been:

• placed further down the boiler, out of site
• filled in to not be noticable/there at all

Further more, the Gaggia Factory doesn't have the ridge, but is manufactured on the same assembly line.

Never said it wasn't important, the question is to what purpose it serves?? Your statement

Top of sight glass is too much. Don't go over the fill ridge (which no one knows about), which is the line going all around the boiler near the top.

wasn't followed up by any evidence as to how you know that to be true, so therefore expect people to question.
If it is a max. water fill line line as you say then why does Pavoni say that the max water fill line is top of sight glass, http://lib.store.yahoo.net/lib/pavoni/europiccola.pdf

And why ruin the outside finish of a beautiful looking machine with a big thick ugly looking line and then not tell any customers about it? One would think they'd also make a small mark on the machine rather than the ugly line. So I don't think you are right not that I will convince you anyway or the other.