Attempting to descale Breville 920XL

#1: Post by **BIKERBOB** » May 28th, 2021, 1:30 pm

Drained the tanks and closed valves
Filled water resvoir with descale solution
Pressed 1cup and power buttons
Pressed up arrow; then menu
lcd screen is blank
pressed 1 cup to start the cycle
lcd screen remains blank; I would expect that pump would start to fill tanks; no pump noise
Manual indicated the lcd screen should show a count down screen
If I press the 1 cup the pump will run as long as I hold it
can anyone offer possible solution

#2: Post by **luvmy40** » May 28th, 2021, 7:40 pm

I would advise you abandon the descaling procedure. No good will come of it. This is the one single real problem with the BDB. Breville, for some reason repeatedly screwed up with the imbedded descale function of the BDB. It will almost certainly frag your steam boiler heater or at least blow the over heat fusible link.

Someone, somewhere posted instructions for a manual descale procedure. If you feel that you absolutely must descale, I'd look for that procedure.

DO NOT USE THE AUTO DESCALE!!!!!!

Don't ask me how I know.

#3: Post by **BaristaBob** » May 28th, 2021, 8:02 pm

Oh no! The above comment about do not auto descale is true. You will save yourself a big problem, and possibly a machine, by using low hardness water. Make your own or live in an area where the water hardness is low (like me). My hardness is 1 and after 5 years of heavy use, my BDB has never been descaled and all my temperature and level probes are clean as a whistle (well almost).

Best to you!

Bob

May 29th, 2021, 9:54 am

luvmy40 wrote:I would advise you abandon the descaling procedure. No good will come of it. This is the one single real problem with the BDB. Breville, for some reason repeatedly screwed up with the imbedded descale function of the BDB. It will almost certainly frag your steam boiler heater or at least blow the over heat fusible link.

Someone, somewhere posted instructions for a manual descale procedure. If you feel that you absolutely must descale, I'd look for that procedure.

DO NOT USE THE AUTO DESCALE!!!!!!

Don't ask me how I know.

Thank you for the kind advice and sorry to hear of your experience
Will look for the manual descale you mention as I have very Hard water in my area
Bikerbob

May 29th, 2021, 9:57 am

BaristaBob wrote:Oh no! The above comment about do not auto descale is true. You will save yourself a big problem, and possibly a machine, by using low hardness water. Make your own or live in an area where the water hardness is low (like me). My hardness is 1 and after 5 years of heavy use, my BDB has never been descaled and all my temperature and level probes are clean as a whistle (well almost).

Best to you!

Bob

Thank you for the advice; unfortulately I live in an area of very hard water.
Will have to do some research on possible solutions
Bikerbob

May 29th, 2021, 10:38 am

Bikerbob,

Check this site for low hardness water formulas. They appear to be easy to make up. Peter Russell our BDB guru has one that has kept the internals of his BDB spotless!!!

And as a bonus...since espresso is mostly water this may enhance the taste!