I believe you have a "less than adequate" connection between the MA-TER pressurestat and the controller box (whatever make that might be). The bad connection is likely at the controller box.

The response from your dealer is incorrect . . . that rapid "clicking" is indicative of a bad connection.

In addition (but not relative to your problem), your pressurestat should be adjusted such that the MAXIMUM pressure of the boiler is 1.00 bar.

Thank you all for the advice! I'll open it and see if a connection got loose during shipping.

I confirmed with the vendor (a store with a big online presence) that their tech did hear the clicks, and that they said it's normal...I also asked them if I should adjust the pressurestat as it idles around 1.4, and they said they don't see a reason to adjust it . It's rather disconcerting to say to least...

I went back and listened and that is not right. Are you sure it's the pressurestat? Have you taken the cover off to see exactly where that noise is coming from? It sounds more like a relay being driven by a noisy switch. It should not be possible for a pressurestat to sound like that which is why I ask if you're sure that's what it is? Is the pressurestat controlling a relay that drives the heater?

Ira

Thanks again for the help! I wish my dealer would actually provide the service I paid for when I bought my machine from them, but at this point with Rocket unresponsive and the dealer saying everything is alright...

I have removed the warming tray and top cover before starting the machine today to see what was going on. Around 5 minutes after powerup, I see a bit of air/steam coming out of the vacuum breaker valve. Around 10 minutes, lot of steam out of that valve and then it closes/stops (which I guess is the way it should work). I don't see steam/air leaking from anywhere else, although I could've missed it.

Regarding the clicks, I still can't say conclusively if it is the pressurestat or something else. I hear a (much softer) click at the top of the cycle from the pressurestat, where the bursts of clicks come from that general area and are significantly louder (audible from another room). I'll try removing the side cover (ugh, some of the hex bolt holding the cover are very hard to get to, may need a different ratchet handle) and see where it's coming from.

A couple feet of flexible plastic or rubber hose makes a reasonable makeshift stethoscope which might let you locate the clicking without so much disassembly.

Ira

Hi all,
Sorry for the delay, busy week. I've removed the side panel of the machine and can now confirm the clicking is not coming from the pressurestat, but from the (controller?) box under it. I'll contact the store today with that new info and see what happens.

As Eric said a couple posts ago, be sure to unplug the machine and inspect that the connections between the two pStat wires and the controller are good. I think your controller has a proprietary connector there instead of generic spade connections, but you should be able to press and wiggle that connection on tight, then plug it back in and and see if the clicking goes away.

There's a relay in that controller that is supposed to open when the pStat circuit opens, and if the pStat contacts or the connection to the pStat is flaky it might click open intermittently.

That same relay in the controller is also supposed to open if it fails to detect water in the reservoir, so it might be worth checking that your reservoir connections are good (also make sure you are not using distilled water.) When the reservoir is low, it should also flash the green light, so may be worth watching for that when it's clicking. It may be clicking off/on too rapidly to flash that light.

The really odd thing to me is that it appears to do most of the clicking while the pressure gauge shows it to be cooling down from max pressure, which typically is when the pStat would be open. When the pStat is open, a bad connection between the pStat and the controller should make no difference. But I may be missing something there.

For sure, your controller should not be clicking away like that. Let us know what your vendor suggests.

Hi all,
I've just received and installed a new controller box (from the vendor). Unfortunately, the behavior is the same : fast cycles, and clicks (although the clicks are slightly different, probably due to the new box being Pro El Ind rather than Gicar). I haven't removed the connections from the boiler and pressurestat side, but they look solid.
I've also noticed a white deposit (scale?) on the right side of the boiler, I'll observe next time I power it up if I notice a leak at that place.
http://imgur.com/a/bXmRe

In any case, waiting for the vendor to reply to the bad new re:new controller box and the strange discovery.