Zacconi Espresso Baby replacement heating element

October 24th, 2021, 8:18 pm

I recently came into possession of a very nice Zacconi Rivera Baby Lusso made of brass and stainless. The previous owner I purchased it from stated that it needed a new heating element and power cord, I planned on using a generic 14ga power cord but I'm having issues finding a replacement heating element. I upgraded from a Saeco via rapore that I purchased from a second hand store and refurbished my self back to working order. Does anyone have a wiring diagram or a pic of their Baby Lusso wiring to reference? I'm stoked to have a classic lever handle espresso maker. Any links or pics are much appreciated

#2: Post by **RobAnybody** » October 25th, 2021, 3:47 pm

hi! that's a very nice find!
for a wiring reference you can check Francesco Ceccarelli's website http://www.francescoceccarelli.eu/Macch ... 16_eng.htm
the last image shows a view of the wiring.
Spare parts can be found at la macchina del caffe https://www.lamacchinadelcaffe.com/en/r ... cconi.html, though i would check with them first whether the listed riviera heating element also fits the baby model. An alternative is to contact the zacconi workshop http://www.zacconi.net/en/espressobaby.html
cheers!
Rob

October 25th, 2021, 8:51 pm

Thanks for the recommendation I came across the site to order parts yesterday but the other ones are very helpful, I disassembled it today and will be Thoroughly cleaning it before putting it back together, I got along with the heating element a full gasket kit, new boiler rods a new switch and a wiring kit, I'll have about $225 invested when I'm all said and done, can you recommend a good descaler to use to clean it?

Thanks!

#4: Post by **RobAnybody** » October 26th, 2021, 1:04 pm

hot citric acid works a charm for descaling, but you have to be careful with the chromed parts as it can cause the chrome to flake.
1:1 diluted white vinegar also works nicely and is less aggressive but you have to thoroughly rinse it afterwards to remove the smell and taste.
cheers,
Rob

October 26th, 2021, 1:23 pm

Since it's already disassembled would you soak boiler or just scrub it out, I want thoroughly clean it for reassembly to get good seal when I put the new gaskets in

#6: Post by **RobAnybody** » October 27th, 2021, 4:53 am

I would start with a soft wire brush to clean the sealing surfaces and inside the boiler (start with nylon and if that doesnt remove the deposits move up to copper). Often you can already remove a lot of scale that way. You can do a acid descale once the whole machine is re-assembled or indeed soak the individual parts. for the latter i would stick to diluted vinigar to reduce the risk of damaging the chromed bits (if there are scratches in the chrome citric acid can dissolve the underlaying nickel plating, causing the chrome to flake off.)
cheers,
Rob

October 27th, 2021, 12:14 pm

Thanks yes that's what I'll do before I reassemble it, I soaked the boiler base and top in diluted vinegar last night and removed the old gaskets which were a pain to remove now both pieces are ready to go, the parts I ordered Monday afternoon should be here sometime tomorrow which is super quick shipping from Italy, hopefully I'll have it up and running this weekend!