Is it worth getting a PID for my home-use La Marzocco Linea? - Page 2

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shadowfax
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#11: Post by shadowfax »

Compass Coffee wrote:However I stand by my point which was AV vs. EE having far different flush needs from idle.
Yes, I agree. If you don't have Piero caps installed and you don't flush after an idle period, the AV will give you a noticeably colder shot. Hopefully the OP didn't get an AV, because a set of 3 Piero cap upgrades is not cheap.
Nicholas Lundgaard

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Compass Coffee
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#12: Post by Compass Coffee replying to shadowfax »

Though in a home setting it could make sense to upgrade only one group. If you happened to be entertaining and planned to slam all three groups hit the the standard groups with flushes and then start your first pull on the Piero group.
Mike McGinness

hugz (original poster)
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#13: Post by hugz (original poster) »

shadowfax wrote:Insulate the steam boiler for sure. It will radiate an incredible amount of heat otherwise. That will cut the energy cost in half or better, I would bet.
That is definitely on my to-do short list. I'll 'maybe make another post soon

I have a custom top on my machine that I worry about its ability to vent enough hot air from the machine. Boiler insulation should minimise the machine-heat problem
Compass Coffee wrote: Also, IIRC the FB70 is cousin to the Linea EE as the FB80 is cousin to the Linea AV. As such the older FB70 does not have the external AV water loop to bring up to temp so a short flush from idle all that's needed at most
No no, Linea EE is the regular semi-auto Linea, whereas the AV is Automatic-Volumetric Linea. Same as the EE, except with the programmable shot keypad for each group (and the plumbing/electronics to support it.

The FB70 is the cousin of the Linea and comes in either EE or AV. I have a 3AV

The FB80 is the cousin of the GB5, which is full of fancy features that the old Lineas don't have (including PID and pre-heating, I think. Pre-infusion too?)
2StrokeBloke wrote:Hugo,
I chuckled when I read your comment about power consumption being a concern!
Power aside, how do you fit that monster in your kitchen?
She lives in the garage. Tiny kitchen, big garage.

It's a bit impractical, but it's FUN
dowfax wrote:Yes, I agree. If you don't have Piero caps installed and you don't flush after an idle period, the AV will give you a noticeably colder shot. Hopefully the OP didn't get an AV, because a set of 3 Piero cap upgrades is not cheap.
It's an AV, but I only really use the EE buttons. She's too old to take piero caps though. Sad but true.

I think my current upgrade path should be boiler insulate -> PID

I only ever hear people talk about insulating a steam boiler... what about the brew boiler?

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shadowfax
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#14: Post by shadowfax »

hugz wrote:It's an AV, but I only really use the EE buttons. She's too old to take piero caps though. Sad but true.
This doesn't matter. Whichever buttons you use, the AV has a fixed water path that involves pumping water out to the flowmeter behind the neck of the group right before it goes onto the coffee. The thermal mass of the flowmeter tends to cool the water down significantly when using after an idle period. this makes it a pretty temperature-unstable machine. If you can't get a Piero cap, I would consider removing the flowmeter if possible.
hugz wrote:I only ever hear people talk about insulating a steam boiler... what about the brew boiler?
This is rarely done because it tends to reduce thermal stability. I do have a La Marzocco Shot Brewer, and that machine comes from the factory with a strip of insulation on the back side of the boiler, covering about half of it. I assume this is mainly to protect the pump motor that's right next to it, but it's probably also quite safe to do on a large, full size LM. Not sure if it's worth the trouble. The brew boiler radiates considerably less heat than the steam boiler-there's a lot less potential benefit from an efficiency perspective to insulating the brew boiler.
Nicholas Lundgaard

Billc
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#15: Post by Billc »

If you can install it you should do the upgrade to electronic temperature control. The variation in temperature with the original thermostat can be as much as 5 degrees (depending where you are on the heating cycle). When you are very busy it tends to even out more because more cold water is hitting the thermostat and the heat cycles have less of a dead band.

Linea and FB70 are the same machine with different shells (only one piece is different on the frame)
GB5 and FB80 are the same machine with different shells.

BillC

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