Lelit Bianca User Experience - Page 122

#1211: Post by **Don Task** » November 28th, 2020, 6:43 pm

badgerbimmer wrote:If have been documenting my travails with my steam boiler; no water flow, no auto refill, burned out heating element. Take a look at what I found inside the boiler while replacing the heating element. It appears to be a stainless "ring" from the machining of the heating element screw hole. I wonder if this could have caused problems?

Not counting the fact you reported your new Bianaca arrived with a scuff or mar of some kind on the group head, I've been following your trials and tribulations since last August when you initially started reporting problems with your steam boiler. I guess my concern (if I were you) would be your gracious attitude in working with 1st-Line to try and resolve the issues (i.e. swapping parts etc). Unfortunately by now you've had the machine well over a year and if I had to guess any leverage you may have had with Lelit has evaporated.

Anyway... whether that piece of scrap was responsible for the series of problems plaguing your machine or not...NO WAY... should that have been floating around in inside the boiler. Granted a scrap of stainless and would basically have no ill health effects but at this point I think Lelit should step up to the plate and replace your machine. Period. The Bianca has been a huge success for Lelit and I would like to think they wouldn't want any bad press in relation to possible poor quality control during their manufacturing process. I come from a manufacturing background and yes.. regardless of the product manufactured... a bad one slips through every now and then. Accidents happen. However... it's how the manufacturer and/or the distributor handle the problem that speaks volumes in regards to the product and support after the sale. Yes, 1st-line has been great in offering support and sending parts but considering when your saga started I think you've put in enough blood sweat and tears.

I applaud your tenacity and willingness to work with 1st-Line Equipment to see if you could salvage your purchase but your a better man than me. I'd be raising hell by now. 1st-Line Equipment is the national distributor for Lelit and should have some leverage in regards to getting an acceptable response from Lelit. In a perfect world Lelit would show enough interest in this issue to agree to take your machine back. If nothing else they should be curious enough to want it back just so they can do a total tear down and see if you've identified a potential problem in their manufacturing process.

November 29th, 2020, 12:17 am

Don Task wrote:Good short list. All are in the same price range, all have stainless steel boilers, all offer flow control, any one of them will produce excellent espresso. All three of the machines were also on my short list. No one machine has not been proven to be more reliable than the other. All have excellent track records. At this juncture in your research and final selection, if possible - I believe it should come down to esthetics.

image

Switch gears for a moment. Think about buying a car. You have a budget in mind and you narrow it down to several models you'd consider. Even though one of the cars on the short list might have a feature you really like... more often than not you'll pick the one that catches your eye. The one that has the lines you find most attractive. One that after you park it, and walk away for a couple steps you find yourself turning around to look at it. Which one blows your dress up? Granted if the one you like the most is too big to fit in your garage... then you have to consider the sacrifice.

Bottom line: When spending close to three grand on a coffee machine that will consume a good chunk of your countertop pick the one that "you" think is a thing of beauty. The one you won't mind looking at everyday for the next decade or so. Don't let peer pressure from HB or a machine retailer make the decision for you.

Just FYI: Here's how it worked out for me personally. When it came to these three machines I decided I would love to see any one of them sitting in my kitchen. I found the Pro 700 the most esthetically pleasing, but loved the joy sticks and finish of the Synchronika... and thought the removable water tank of the Bianca was brilliant. Back to the above scenario of the car you like not fitting in your garage. My kitchen has limited counter space. The Bianca is 11.5" wide and 17" deep... whereas the Pro 700 and ECM Synchronika are 13.5" wide and 18.7" deep. NET: Bianca was the winner.

I really, really appreciate this reply. Thank you very much!

November 29th, 2020, 11:23 am

The new heating element is in and tightened enough so that it is not leaking. You really have to crank on it to get it tight enough and silicone tape the threads. The machine auto refills properly, steams properly, dispenses hot water properly. I believe I now have a fully functioning machine.

While I was at this I also put the new LCC in. It is a nice upgrade as far as functionality is concerned. The swap is not particularly difficult.

Jim at !st-Line has really gone out of his way to help get my machine up and running. He did mention he was going to speak to Bianca about what I found inside the boiler. If anything comes of that I'll post it up.

The only residual is that with all the machine tilting condensation is inside my steam/pump pressure gauge. I assume that will evaporate?

#1214: Post by **dcbrown1** » November 30th, 2020, 9:46 am

I helped Mark for a bit, removing and installing the new parts. As some here have said, he's gone way above the call of duty here! While it was a pain, the upside is that by tearing into it, you get a much better understanding of of the machine, how it works, etc. Plus, one's vocabulary tends to be expanded as things proceed!

November 30th, 2020, 10:21 am

badgerbimmer wrote:{snip}
The only residual is that with all the machine tilting condensation is inside my steam/pump pressure gauge. I assume that will evaporate?

Tilting the machine may or may not have had anything to do with the condensation inside the gauge. The gauges on espresso machines are not sealed units, so depending on the location of a gauge in relation to the front panel and the drip tray, a gauge can get water in them from something as simple as water splashing up off the drip tray during a cleaning cycle.

You didn't mention how much condensation you were experiencing. Hopefully you're only having a fogging of the lens. Although doubtful, If you have a "puddling" of water inside at the bottom of the gauge that could indicate an internal leak in the gauge itself. Anyway.... if its just the result of a little water finding its way into the gauge then "yes", eventually the water will evaporate. When in operation, the heat generated by the machine itself will also increase the temperature inside of the gauge. As the temperature increases so does the air pressure which in effect circulates air inside the gauge helping it to dry internally. I image you could even hit the front of the gauge with some hot air from a hairdryer to accelerate the evaporation process. Once the gauge is warmed up... either from the heat of the boilers and/or a hair dryer it will eventually evaporate and the gauge will clear up.

November 30th, 2020, 11:02 am

Don Task wrote: I've just been a little paranoid because the Bianca is less than a year old and I don't want to accidentally scratch the stainless... or damage any chrome bits like unfortunate fellow did in this video (pause video at 2:48).

It is easy to do (scratch it). I would recommend a wrench with the rubber/plastic jaws, though I wonder if a properly sized open ended wrench isn't better than an adjustable wrench - seems like it always hard to get the size on adjustable wrench just right - which leads to some slipping. I wrapped my jaws in electrical tape and still managed to marr the barrel nut just slightly on the top (barely noticeable though). When doing the job, I put some painters tape over the surrounding SS/chrome on the body and group head just in case the wrench were to slip.

.

November 30th, 2020, 12:09 pm

slybarman wrote:It is easy to do (scratch it). I would recommend a wrench with the rubber/plastic jaws, though I wonder if a properly sized open ended wrench isn't better than an adjustable wrench - seems like it always hard to get the size on adjustable wrench just right - which leads to some slipping. I wrapped my jaws in electrical tape and still managed to marr the barrel nut just slightly on the top (barely noticeable though). When doing the job, I put some painters tape over the surrounding SS/chrome on the body and group head just in case the wrench were to slip.

I've been trying to find the AmTech 2-in-1 Wide Mouth Adjustable Pipe Wrench wrench that "include" vinyl jaw covers specifically made for it! (as shown in this photo They are just like those Dave Corbey uses in this video starting at the :59 sec mark. Unfortunately they're not available anywhere in the US (at least not that I could find)... and shipping from the UK is outrageously expensive.

OUCH! (why I''ve been postponing disassembly so I can lubricate)

#1218: Post by **Jeff** » November 30th, 2020, 12:28 pm

I'm a huge fan of Knipex plier-wrenches. I won't say that the don't ever slip, but their design is such that I don't worry about it any more. If you wanted, you could use some paper between the jaws and the chrome. I've used them on my E61 groups without incident that I've noticed. Knipex 86-05-180 fits many things (up to 35 mm), 86-05-250 fits the big mushroom nut.

#1219: Post by **Don Task** » November 30th, 2020, 1:32 pm

Hi Jeff... yep very familiar with the Knipex tools. A very nice high quality product out of Germany. In fact, I even found them "with" jaw covers... but the price tag at $70 takes my breath away. The problem is I already have more tools than the average DIY'er and its a little hard to justify the expense for a tool I might only use once or twice a year. Guess I was hoping to "cheap-out with Amtech

#1220: Post by **Jeff** » November 30th, 2020, 1:51 pm

Without the pads, Knipex 86-05-180 should be available around $50 or less through various suppliers in the US. Not cheap, agreed, but I use them for far more than espresso machines around the house.