Zanderfy wrote:After several hours of idling (and just in general), what steam boiler temperature are you running? The heat from the PID buttons is not noticeable for less than 1 second of contact, but becomes quickly apparent over 2-3 seconds.

200 F at the group and 260 F for the steam. So I checked the temp on the buttons again. Yeah, I guess it is warm if you keep your fingers on them for a few seconds, but not scalding hot like when I accidentally touch the group head. Not sure if you have a condition of concern. Perhaps others can weigh in here ...

My M58 at home isn't left very long these days, so the PID doesn't have time to get very hot. But all the machines I've interacted with eventually will get quite hot (and the buttons being metal makes them more conductive than typical plastic PID buttons). I recommend making PID changes before this, but also it helped me get faster and more coordinated with my touches

@BP

Hah, right you are Ben! I'll make sure to quicken my pace for PID-related adventures.

Also, LUCCA pro-tip: when the PID firmware revision shows 1.02 (on startup), you only need to hold the up and down arrows for the latter half of the 1.02 display time. It will still enter into the programming, and you only need to hold the buttons for just shy of 2 seconds.

Here's an unrelated question, though: my joysticks (still nicely lubricated with Dow 111) occasionally do not return to center, and hang to the side. It is not far enough out to engage the steam, but what might be causing that?

Sputtering

My Lucca N58 has begun sputtering, almost continually out of the little black horizontal overflow tube (at least I think that is what it is) that sits inside the drain pan (front right of machine).

I know it is this tube because if I place a rag below it the sputter stops.

Thanks

Steve

Pop the cover off and heat it up. You should be able to trace it back to the offending valve.

I have read through the 38 pages of this post in anticipation of purchasing the Lucca QM M58 and most of my questions about the M58 have been answered. However, looking at the photos in one of the first posts, #5:Post by Bikeminded » Wed Mar 04, 2015 1:46 pm, it appears that there are scads of electrical connections which lie directly beneath the water container. As we are not able to plumb the machine in, is there any protection of these from an inadvertent overflowing of the water tank? If not, does anyone who has been inside the machine have any suggestions?

Thanks
Ken K

Ken,

Although my machine is plumbed, I reviewed the owners manual which states in part:

"The water reservoir can be accessed by opening the hinged reservoir door on the top of the machine. It is recommended that the reservoir be removed prior to filling to prevent the spilling of water inside the machine which can cause damage to sensitive electrical components. Should water accidently get spilled inside the machine then immediately turn the power switch to the off position and unplug the machine from the electrical outlet. Do not plug the machine back in until it has had at least 1 full day to dry out. If it does not operate after that time then unplug the machine and refer to the troubleshooting section of the owner's manual."

Hope this helps in your decision making process...

I guess my first order of business is fashioning a shield that will fit between the wire connections and the bottom of the water tank. With overhanging cabinets and the 70# weight of the machine, it is not reasonable to have to lift the water tank each time it needs refilling. It is much more reasonable to use a funnel/hose combo with some type of shielding below in the event of an over-fill...

Thanks for posting that section, idrinkjetfuel

Hi guys,

Alex, from time to time I have to give an extra tap to my joysticks to get them back to the center. You can try flicking the valve closed with a little more force, and also rotating the joystick a bit when your machine is turned off so a different part of the mechanism is being locked.

sarends wrote:...sputtering, almost continually out of the little black horizontal overflow tube (at least I think that is what it is) that sits inside the drain pan (front right of machine).
Steve

That black hose connects to the expansion valve as well as the vacuum breaker. Is your machine fully warmed up? If it continues to do this then your vacuum breaker may not be fully sealing. If a steady stream flows out of that black hose when a plumbed machine is sitting idle, or when a machine running in reservoir mode is pulling a shot, then the expansion valve likely either needs to be opened up and cleaned, and possibly adjusted tighter.

Please loop in tech@clivecoffee.com so we can provide you the best information and instructions to get back up and running.

And FYI Ken, our tech department hasn't experienced any issues related to overfilling the reservoirs (or the machines getting wet inside). The parts you're referring to are covered by a stainless steel partition that separates the reservoir from the internals.

@BP

clivecoffee wrote:Alex, from time to time I have to give an extra tap to my joysticks to get them back to the center. You can try flicking the valve closed with a little more force, and also rotating the joystick a bit when your machine is turned off so a different part of the mechanism is being locked.

Hmm, is this an indication of wear? I didn't notice any sort of mechanism behaviors (other than straight back to center) for the first 4 months of ownership. The steam valve joystick has this behavior, the hot water valve joystick (used much less frequently) does not.

Is there a way to examine these mechanisms?