New project - Rancilio Epoca 2 grp

Need help with equipment usage or want to share your latest discovery?
tkdrumr
Posts: 18
Joined: 13 years ago

#1: Post by tkdrumr »

While the pump adjustment on my Mac Digit seems to have cured the problem with blowing almost half my shot out the OPV I stumbled onto a new project machine, a 7-year old Rancilio Epoca 2 grp. It was being sold by a former cafe owner who purchased it new in 04. The shop is now closed and she was just looking to get the machine out ASAP. For $400 I figured there was very little to lose.

Of course, for that price there are some problems, which mostly seem related to heavy scale build-up. In fact, the flowmeters are caked with scale. One group doesn't work, likely because of this issue. Water comes through the other group, but slower than it should. And, the cup warmer was removed (does anyone use those anyway?). All in all, it shouldn't take much to get the machine working - after I run a 220v line for it.

The real issue at hand "may" be the motor/pump. We fired up the machine and the motor definitely kicked in and the pump appeared to work. But I got on the phone with the man that repaired the machine and he said the motor was burned out because water leaked out of the pump into the motor. If the electric motor turns, could it still be fried? Maybe it is just a capacitor? How do I know that the motor is no good? Multimeter readings? At least she knocked it down to $200 based on this problem ;-)

How about de-scaling? Take it apart, or just try getting some citric acid solution into the machine and let it work? She also gave me a regenerating water softener and two cartridge filters that I could use to fill with the descaler solution.

I will post some pictures shortly

tkdrumr (original poster)
Posts: 18
Joined: 13 years ago

#2: Post by tkdrumr (original poster) »

As I dismantle this machine I found something interesting. One group head appears to have been used more than the other, as evidenced by the extremely dirty screen. The group head that wasn't working has a few problems, most of which seem to be related to corrosion.

- the flowmeters are mounted over the heads, between them, attached to a t-shaped plate. The flowmeter to the dead head was covered in (apparently) salt, the terminals were corroded completely off, and that side of the t-plate was all rusty.
- there was scale or salt buildup in the copper lines going to that group head.
- the 3-way valve guide was stuck down and the spring actually broke in half when I got the guide out.

They were using a regenerating salt water softener. Is this typical with a softener? Scale deposits seem minimal, so I think I can get away with just a boiler full of citric acid/descaler.

On a good note, there doesn't seem to be any problem with the pump. No evidence of leaking and it turns plenty easy. And, the pump motor doesn't appear to have any problems (other than someone replaced it with one that has a slightly shorter mounting plate so it doesn't sit squarely on all 4 mounts

Please let me know what you think about the salt.