Descaling the Elektra A3

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Stuggi
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#1: Post by Stuggi »

How easy is the Elektra A3 to descale?
Sebastian "Stuggi" Storholm
LMWDP #136

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cannonfodder
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#2: Post by cannonfodder »

I do my machine at least once a year, usually twice. Once in the spring and once in the fall. I fill up a 3 gallon bucket with descale solution. Let the machine heat to operating temperature, turn off the power and dump all the water out the water tap wand. Turn off the mains and disconnect the water line. Put the water line in the bucket of solution and turn the machine back on. It will draw the solution into the boiler. Once it is full, I will power it off and UNPLUG it. Then I disconnect the boiler fill probe and turn it back on. I let it fill for another 15 seconds and turn it off. That overfills the boiler and get the solution above the normal water fill line which is where the scale starts. I hook the boiler level probe back up, power it back on and let it heat and soak for 2 hours. While it is heating I also run 10 or so ounces out the group to fill the heat exchanger with descale. I will repeat the process twice sometimes three times. Once it is all finished, I hook the water line back up and flush at least 3 boiler of water through the machine, and the group to make sure it is all rinsed out.

Sounds like a lot, but it is relatively easy and only takes an hour. The rest of the time is soak time for the boiler and heat exchanger.
Dave Stephens

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Stuggi (original poster)
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#3: Post by Stuggi (original poster) »

Okay, thanks, I just wondering since people seem to have such big problems with descaling plumbed-in rotarys...
Sebastian "Stuggi" Storholm
LMWDP #136

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HB
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#4: Post by HB »

I don't see why plumbed in espresso machines would be a problem. Simply install a tee and two stopcocks:
------ mains ---X1----+----> espresso machine
                      |
                      |
                      |
                      X2
                      |
                      |
                     Jug
X = stopcocks. Normal operation, X1 is open, X2 is closed. For descaling, X1 is closed, X2 is open. Whether a vibratory pump or a rotary pump, they can get by without positive pressure.
Dan Kehn

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shadowfax
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#5: Post by shadowfax »

Plus, with a setup like that, you can open X1 and X2 and purge air from the inlet and fill your jug up with water to add descale solution to. It's win-win.
Nicholas Lundgaard

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Stuggi (original poster)
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#6: Post by Stuggi (original poster) »

Neat!

But just as a side note, I don't have a plumbed in machine, I was just reading here on HB about peoples fears of destroying the pump, gaskets etc...
Sebastian "Stuggi" Storholm
LMWDP #136