Home-Barista.com

jlixfeld wrote:Indeed, I was able to get it off. Unfortunately though, adjusting the knob on the spline didn't have any effect on the dripping issue.

When the machine is cold, it doesn't start dripping until after it's heated up and the knob has been used to start hot water flow. Once the water is shut off, it starts dripping a couple of drops per second.

If removing and cleaning the valve won't resolve the issue, is there another way to resolve it?

Are your sure you are hitting valve-stop and not the mechanical stop that is part of the knob-chassis interface? Also, how long does it continue dripping after valve closure? Remember, without the pump running, there should be nothing driving water flow. That means, it should stop dripping when whatever is in the tube has dripped it's way out.

-Peter

I'm 100% sure. There's still a good 1/4" before the knob hits the chassis stopper after putting the knob onto the next spline.

Once the water is off, it drips at about 1 drop per second and gradually slows down. It's been almost 20 minutes and it's still dripping, about once every 35 seconds now.

Agreed, it should stop as soon as the pump is off. A couple of residual gravity drips aside, the only way I can see that water would continue to drip out is because it's being siphoned, implying the valve isn't completely closed, no?

jlixfeld wrote: Agreed, it should stop as soon as the pump is off. A couple of residual gravity drips aside, the only way I can see that water would continue to drip out is because it's being siphoned, implying the valve isn't completely closed, no?

That is a rational analysis... but the needle and seat are such a simple system... It's hard to imagine how it wouldn't close as long as a mechanical stop wasn't preventing it.

Anyway, it looks like you are down to removing the needle valve and opening it up for inspection. It's quite simple to do, too. One of the nuts, you will have to loosen then open the needle, then loosen some more. But it's pretty straightforward.

-Peter

Thanks. Any docs or guides on how to take that thing apart? I see three nuts

jlixfeld wrote:Thanks. Any docs or guides on how to take that thing apart? I see three nuts

Hi Jason, almost forgot about you. You wanted to remove the valve for inspection, correct?

Did you say you got the knob off of the outside? If so, you are home free. Just some screws and the pulling the hairpin clips at each connection.

1) The cream colored plastic bit where the blue arrow is pointing: With the knob removed from the outside, there are a couple of screws you access from the outside, that screw into that cream colored plastic bit. Remove those.

2) There are two plastic elbow joints held onto the valve by hairpin clips. Get some needle nosed pliers and pull the clips. DO NOT DROP DROP or lose them. Once the clips are pulled, the elbows slip off. There will be an o-ring under each. Do not lose or mangle those. That said, it's probably just as well if you replace each o-ring with a new one. You should have a bag of them in your kit. They are about $3 USD for a bag of 100 on eBayZon.

3) Remove the two screws you can see in the picture that hold the L shaped bracket to the chassis.

The valve will lift out and you can use ordinary wrenches to unscrew it.

-Peter

Thanks very much, Peter.

After cleaning the valve with a citric acid solution, there is still residual dripping. It's much better than it was before but it's not fully stopped.

Any thoughts on what's next? Valve replacement I suppose? Any idea where I can source one? There were few Google results, all of which say obsolete and unavailable.

Thanks again.

pcrussell50 wrote:Hi Jason, almost forgot about you. You wanted to remove the valve for inspection, correct?

Did you say you got the knob off of the outside? If so, you are home free. Just some screws and the pulling the hairpin clips at each connection.

1) The cream colored plastic bit where the blue arrow is pointing: With the knob removed from the outside, there are a couple of screws you access from the outside, that screw into that cream colored plastic bit. Remove those.

2) There are two plastic elbow joints held onto the valve by hairpin clips. Get some needle nosed pliers and pull the clips. DO NOT DROP DROP or lose them. Once the clips are pulled, the elbows slip off. There will be an o-ring under each. Do not lose or mangle those. That said, it's probably just as well if you replace each o-ring with a new one. You should have a bag of them in your kit. They are about $3 USD for a bag of 100 on eBayZon.

3) Remove the two screws you can see in the picture that hold the L shaped bracket to the chassis.

The valve will lift out and you can use ordinary wrenches to unscrew it.

-Peter