There is a mysterious empty round hole in the bottom left corner of the faceplate below the hot water outlet on certain La San Marco Model 80 Exports. The hole is about the right size for a gauge, but all the machines in images I have found have manometers on the left side above the sight glass. See images below.

The first photo is of the machine I recently acquired, and the next three from previous postings here on h-b. I was wondering if they were all like that, until I found the last photo, from the Espresso Vintage Passion Facebook page from Italy, which lacks the hole. All the 75's I have seen online do not have one.

Do any of the cognoscenti here have any idea what that big hole was intended for?

cheers,
Stephen

Hi again

For gas powered machines, either checking the flame is still going, or lighting the burner

Hi again Mike,

Oh -- very good, that makes complete sense. That hadn't even crossed my mind -- I didn't know these machines were available gas-powered.

thanks kindly,

Stephen