Hi folks, our beloved ECM Giotto (I am not sure, but think it +20 years old) stopped heating, last week it stopped reaching proper pressure, according to gauge it would stop at 0.5bar, after flushing group head it would start heating and would reach the proper boiler pressure - that had been happening for couple days, after which it just stopped reaching even 0.5bars. There is no obvious symptoms, but I think I can hear 2 clicks when I turn it on.

Appreciate any help!

Perhaps start at the heating element?
Replacing ECM Giotto Heating Element

Thanks! Any way to check for sure that it's heating element? Also is heating element (like this one: http://www.espressotec.com/ecm-rocket-g ... 1200w.html) for Rocket machines compatible with old ECM?

You can check the element with an Ohm meter measuring resistance (search the Internet for info).
I have no idea regarding this part. I don't have this machine, I did a quick search for you.

I'm working on a similar HX machine right now with the same symptom. I don't think it's the heating element because it will turn on after flushing enough.

After tracing a bunch of things, I think the actual gicar box is bad. I have a replacement on hand and will let you know if swapping the box does the trick.

Nick

Thanks Nick! I checked heating element and it's alive, shows ~12ohms. How do you know that gicar box is bad? Any way to check it? I would want to spend $200+ to realize that it is not it...

ikir wrote:Thanks Nick! I checked heating element and it's alive, shows ~12ohms. How do you know that gicar box is bad? Any way to check it? I would want to spend $200+ to realize that it is not it...

Hi again, sorry for the delayed response. In my case the culprit was the Gicar box. All signs in the machine pointed to a fault electrical problem.

I was able to diagnose it by testing everything else in the system first in order to isolate the problem. In your machine, before I buy another Gicar box, I'd test the pressurestat to see if it's causing any premature shutoff first. Yours should have 3 pins, and you can test continuity to see if the circuit in the switch is normally open and normally closed. If you have it normally open and it's testing closed, the pressurestat could be the culprit.

If the pstat tests fine, I'd replace the electronics box.

Thanks,

Nick

Get your machine's electronics fixed here: https://boytenterprises.com/collections/electronics .