Dear all Pavoni lovers

I restored my Gen1 Europiccola (1962) but did not replace gaskets between the base and the boiler. Everything worked fine.



Left it with water inside on the counter for multiple weeks (no use) plugged in again and the there was a short circuit. I think there might be a leak between blue base and first chrome ring? Any ideas or links to how to get these things off (potentially to replace the seals)? What home-made or where to buy tools can I find to replace the seals?



It seems like not a lot of info is online on these first gen machines.



Many thanks in advance.
Best regards

stefano's espresso care offers some boiler flange tools and adapters for earlier machines
they're large tools and custom machined so they can seem expensive though

https://www.espressocare.com/products/i ... moval-tool
https://www.espressocare.com/products/i ... l-purchase

sometimes it's possible to slightly loosen or tighten up carefully tapping with a hammer and punch..
you have to be very careful and delicate though, it's easy to damage the soft brass parts

there's some info on an older thread detailing others' experience with homemade or jury rigged tools:
Tips for removing La Pavoni old style boiler flange?

Thank you for the handy links and previous posts!

As a follow up I did some testing. The wire did not had a short circuit. I read between the hearing elements as indicated on the images about 69 Ohm and 220 Ohm


No short circuit between any of the points and the base.


Still the machine will make a short once plugged in.

i don't know what is causing your problem, but on my machine the upper terminal on the switch is surprisingly close to touching the base..
if your switch was loose or misaligned it could perhaps be contacting the aluminum base and making a short circuit with the ground wire ???

+1 on checking the switch.
If the contacts are not well isolated or to close to the base they can cause a short. see also here Building the Ultimate La Pavoni Europiccola at drgary's post titeled "Paint is Not the Problem?"

An other option could be the short is somewhere in the powercable. In the picture you show the blue wire looks quite dark where it enters the black insulatiom on the mains cable. (could also be shadow but it's worth checking)
cheers,
Rob

Hey!

Do you mind sharing the serial number of your Pavoni?
I got a V1.2 from 63 with the number 3054. Your machine should be close to it I guess.

Best regards,
Marco

Hi
I just replaced the cord and plug completely to check it there was no short in the cable somewhere. Same problem happend. I also just plugged one element in (with and without switch) same problem unfortunately.

Hmm I'm a bit puzzled with the search for the prob. Should it help to try and unscrew the heating element? Any gasket there

Hi sure this is nr. 1911

there is a gasket between the boiler and the heating element, if that were faulty you would have water underneath your europiccola.
Once you remove the heating element you should also change that gasket, they sometimes fail to seal properly when reused.
There is an option that one of the element coils has failed (small hole in the copper shell)
then you would still be able to measure resistance but putting power on the element would result in an overarc and short.
cheers,
Rob

Some thoughts and comments:

1. There cannot be a leak between the "chrome ring" and the base because the seal is between the heating element and the boiler. What made you think there is a leak to begin with?

2. Unscrewing the heating element is non-trivial unless you're very lucky. You might have to in order to troubleshoot.

3. If there was a leak perhaps the terminals got wet. There are some posts on here and videos on YouTube on how to bake the heating element. I have never tried it myself so I can't comment on it