lancealot wrote: Just don't strip the female threads in your plastic necked pump with your brass OPV or whoops! Now you have to do both!

Sounds like you might know someone who had that misfortune.

I think it wouldn't need to be very tight to make a good seal, and I'm thinking plumber's tape wouldn't be necessary.

Ok so I've been getting some PMs recently (why do people PM when they can share here?) anyway the PMs are over what I consider to be the ONE thing I have discovered, that actually does go wrong with the BDB, that is not a matter of neglect and easily fixed as soon as the neglect is addressed. Nor is it caused by harmful water. And it happened to me, too. After about five years, maybe four.

And that is that on some machines, eventually, they might stop pre infusing. You push the button, the timer starts, but the pump doesn't run in "soft" mode and no water comes out... until the pre infusion time has elapsed, then the pump kicks on full as normal. When this first starts happening, I found that if I cut the shot during pre infusion, then restarted it, all would be normal again. This worked for nearly a year. After that, nothing I could figure out would get it to pre infuse again. On the hunch from a repairman on the Aussie forum, I swapped in a brand new pump. But that did not work either. It was time to punt to Breville. I paid my $350 fixed repair fee, which included shipping both ways and a fitted box. And they sent me a brand new machine. This was mid-2018, and is the machine I have right now.

That was the one and only thing I have ever had in nearly nine years with a BDB what was not an easy DIY fix.

Talking turkey about the actual fault: Since it was not an actual pump failure, my working theory is that something went crook on the control board. Maybe a capacitor leaked out? Whether TV's or automotive fuel injection computers, leaking caps seems to be something that causes control system failure. But in the case of the BDB that is just a guess. I never opened up the computer for a look. Kinda wish I had, but it is what it is.

-Peter

Maybe off topic, but hadn't seen this..or missed it. I'm at an altitude of 850 ft (263 meters)...my house, not my present high...haha. KIDDING!!
Is there any sort of adjustmentment to compensate? For me, water boils at about 210.2 degrees f.
Cheers, and all be safe!!

Roberto! No problemo! The BDB max temp is 205 degF. Kinda wish it were higher. Some of my motley group of flow profilers (not all of us have BDBs, one Slayer, a couple have GS/3 with the same (non-Breville) needle valve I'm using, etc...) Anyway a lot of us have been stomping all over old dogma with high temp ristrettos, even 206 degF, out of the light roasts that a lot of shops are pulling 18:40 or more in pursuit of EY.

I can't go quite that high because the BDB tops at 205... at least until one of you smart mofos, reverse engineers the source code... or replaces with a custom controller.

-Peter

pcrussell50 wrote:I can't go quite that high because the BDB tops at 205... at least until one of you smart mofos, reverse engineers the source code... or replaces with a custom controller.

I went to a Breville Espresso class back in the pre-covid era and spent some time after class chatting with the instructor. He runs a modded BDB at home and the 'upgrade' that caught my attention was where he PID'ed the boilers to improve steaming performance.

pcrussell50 wrote:Roberto! No problemo! The BDB max temp is 205 degF. Kinda wish it were higher. Some of my motley group of flow profilers (not all of us have BDBs, one Slayer, a couple have GS/3 with the same (non-Breville) needle valve I'm using, etc...) Anyway a lot of us have been stomping all over old dogma with high temp ristrettos, even 206 degF, out of the light roasts that a lot of shops are pulling 18:40 or more in pursuit of EY.

I can't go quite that high because the BDB tops at 205... at least until one of you smart mofos, reverse engineers the source code... or replaces with a custom controller.

-Peter

Thanks Peter. I'd think for a SO Panama Elida stopped as first crack ends, 204f would work. I nuke my beans for pour-over...too lazy for sous vide.
I'd think that would help "open up" the coffee...once I get a machine. I think the wife is going to let me purchase a new one with a one time Williams-Sonoma coupon...fingers crossed.

pcrussell50 wrote:Ok so I've been getting some PMs recently (why do people PM when they can share here?) anyway the PMs are over what I consider to be the ONE thing I have discovered, that actually does go wrong with the BDB, that is not a matter of neglect and easily fixed as soon as the neglect is addressed. Nor is it caused by harmful water. And it happened to me, too. After about five years, maybe four.

And that is that on some machines, eventually, they might stop pre infusing. You push the button, the timer starts, but the pump doesn't run in "soft" mode and no water comes out... until the pre infusion time has elapsed, then the pump kicks on full as normal. When this first starts happening, I found that if I cut the shot during pre infusion, then restarted it, all would be normal again. This worked for nearly a year. After that, nothing I could figure out would get it to pre infuse again. On the hunch from a repairman on the Aussie forum, I swapped in a brand new pump. But that did not work either. It was time to punt to Breville. I paid my $350 fixed repair fee, which included shipping both ways and a fitted box. And they sent me a brand new machine. This was mid-2018, and is the machine I have right now.

That was the one and only thing I have ever had in nearly nine years with a BDB what was not an easy DIY fix.

Talking turkey about the actual fault: Since it was not an actual pump failure, my working theory is that something went crook on the control board. Maybe a capacitor leaked out? Whether TV's or automotive fuel injection computers, leaking caps seems to be something that causes control system failure. But in the case of the BDB that is just a guess. I never opened up the computer for a look. Kinda wish I had, but it is what it is.

-Peter

Hi Peter,

I know we discussed this before, but I experienced a similar problem about three years in, when I had my preinfusion power set to 55% (lowest it will go). It first started as a intermittent problem but slowly started happening all the time. As an easy thing to try, I moved the preinfusion power to 60% and have not experienced the problem ever since. I guess I'd call this a "lazy" pump...just needs more juice to get going in "soft" mode. No big deal for me since I modulate the output with the water needle valve anyway.

Bob

I was wondering how that was going with you. Thanks for the update. You're my "rabbit" case... The one I'm following closest. Hoping you keep us updated. You already know that in my case, it eventually stopped pre infusing altogether. Hoping that doesn't happen to you. But if it does, I would not be surprised. The only wildcard would be if you try a new pump, like one of the techs on the Aussie forum said would work... although it did not work for me.

-Peter

But as we know, if my preinfusion were to eventually stop for good (and new pump does not solve the problem)...time to send it to Breville and finally get a new 920XL for next to nothing!!!