Hi guys,

Just to make sure I have scoured the web before writing here - but before I order some stuff to try the repair I was wondering if anyone have a good guess to what it could be. Every reply is received with the upmost gratitude!

My problem is that my Bezzera BZ13 over time seemed to have a little less pressure when brewing - the shower head took some time before water came out and when making coffee then it would take several seconds longer before it started brewing.

Then it became almost nothing that came out of the brewed, and after replacing a small cleaning (taking off the two fittings to the 3 way valve and decaling them and cleaning them) it now it has stopped completely.. :/ Sad times - I feel like a junkie stuck on mars - so I need to get it fixed as soon as possible..

I have looked at the posts below :

Bezzera BZ10 - water problem - SOLVED (brew valve - stuck screw)

How to replace the 3 way solenoid? (changing the 3 way valve)

Bezzera BZ07 no water to the group head (check valve assembly)

I tried to do as much as possible - I firstly dismantled what I could of the 3-way solenoid and found coffee goo on the two tubes connected to it, in there lots of oil that I cleared out. I could not fully disassemble the 3-way solenoid, since the inner piece is impossible to take apart. So I will need to buy a new one if that's the problem.

I checked the check valve assembly as mentioned in the other post - but there was nothing to see there - seemed like new with no scaling or anything

I put everything that is took apart in decaling, but after putting everything together again it is still not working.

The machine can steam and deliver hot water from the tap without any problems - but when I click the brew buttons the pump just sounds exhausted as you can her and nothing happens.

When I turn on the machine it sucks water up into it without problems, so Im not sure if the pump is the problem..


But as far as I can see it must be either the pump (Ulka ex5 230v) or the 3 way valve that is failing.

I read that sometimes it can also be the gicleur - but I can't find many places where this is mentioned..

You can see a short video below of what happens when I try to brew - and see the problem here - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1O9pX24 ... p=drivesdk


What suggestions to parts would you suggest and do you guys have any advice?

Should I just replace pump and 3 way valve or do I also need to look at the gicleur? Or do you guys have a completely different suggestion?

Hope someone has had something similar happen to them and fixed it and now have knowledge of a way to fix it (: Fingers crossed!

Greetings from Denmark (:

Andreas.

Here is a layout picture to see the things im mentioning (:

Hey baldheadracing and anyone else that is kind enough to come with suggestions (:

I been looking at the schematics on wholelattelove - which seems to differ from the picture I posted - so now im not sure where exactly the gicleur is located.. Do you have a suggestion as of where?

I have made a overview pictures of the things I been through this morning - once again just to make sure there is no blockage..

See here :


From 1-5 on the picture above:

1. I replaced the pressure gauge and capillary up with new parts - since the old one had not been working for a while (the capillary was blocked and most likely also the gauge) - the newly installed is not working either. So I guess there is a problem from the 3 part valve and back?

2. After removal of the 3 part valve I can confirm there seems to be no calcium or blockage around the hoses.

3.After removal of the hose to the group head there is no blockage or calcium here either - just a little coffee oil but nothing to take notice of.

4+5 the only thing resembling the gicleur is the jet (JET M6 X 6 HOLE D1.2 OT) that I also had removed and checked but there is room for water to run through no problem as seen in picture 5 - also in the union elbows there is no blockage.


Strangely when I turn on the machine today - the pump does not seem to suck water into the tank as it did each time yesterday - it just starts heating the tank and then I of cause turn it off. Also as illustrated in the second video the pump only starts 1-2 sec when pressing the brew button just sucking the water in a tiny bit - its a lot less power in it today than the video I have in my previous post - so that could indicate that the pump Is dying right?
Video is below
- https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HXIOiR ... p=drivesdk

Sorry for a long post - just wanted to make it as detailed as possible so if we find the cause it can serve others with similar problems in the future (: This forum is a two way street (8

I had similar issue years ago, same machine; it ended up being a clogged water softener that attaches to the water tube in the reservoir. I realized this after changing out the pump and chasing down the valves and pipes similar to what you're doing. The water feed tube to the pump in your video has quite a bit of air. Just a thought, sometimes it can be that simple of a fix.

cafe102:
Great suggestion - but unfortunately mine just have the water tube directly into the reservoir - without a water softener - I assume you use one of those you attach to the tube right? I just use distilled water - and never seemed to have problems (:
But I do see the bubbles Just not sure how to remove them now that my pump is unwilling to start up normally
So your's was clogged just at the start of reservoir - I wish it was the same problem I had! (:



baldheadracing
(: You are right - but the problem is that Bezzera's drawings does not mention the position of the gicleur.

I would not rule out a blockage but since it stopped so quickly it seems more likely that its the pump or solenoid that has died - or at least I would think so. Also it was not up to a cleaning cycle so there should be nothing provoking a blockage..

But if it should be one then I would say it would be in the 3 part valve - the only thing I have not been able to take apart.

I have not tested the pump or the 3 part valve - the pump I have no idea of how to test - and the 3 part valve / solenoid as I said above I tried to disassemble but it is hard-stuck in the cylinder after the magnetizing outer shell has come off - so I have no way of cleaning it inside, where I figure it must be blocked at the top.

Which is why my though was to replace both that and the pump - since all entries on here link those two to be some of the main failing components..

The over-pressure valve I have not looked at - I will try to dismantle it - what should I look after there - just that there is no blockage and everything seems fine inside?

Just to clarify: You do add a bit of minerals to the distilled water, correct? Could the water sensor in the boiler not be reading the water level properly and the boiler is over filled? Try opening the hot water tap when you turn on the cold machine and see if water comes out (it shouldn't if working properly).

Yes but of cause I do add minerals (: I been running the machine on some strict guidelines, it's my forth espresso machine but I like the compact size - so no beginners errors in that department (:

It does not let out any steam from the steam arm or hot water from the tap before the boiler heats up - so no errors there (: The tap is completely unresponsive cold, as it should be (:

Since there was not a solution to the error I had - I decided just to update/revisit this post with the solution that worked and fixed the problem I was having with no brew water.

I changed the pump, but that turned out not to be the problem, after taking the old pump apart there was nothing blocked or not working, so I just have that in reserve for another time. But this is one of the easy things to change yourself, so you can always try that as a start if you feel like the pressure is low or the pump sounds low or muffed.

The error was as I expected in the 3 Ways Solenoid valve - you can see a similar valve here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzniC8IzJqc - 2.10 min into the video you can see the valve inside the cylinder that almost always is the problem, I changed that to a completely new one - the old one was full of black particles that I suspect had blocked the valve off.

All in all the fix was around 60 dollars (: And now there is plenty of power and flow back and I'm enjoying grade A+++ coffee (:

Hopefully, this was helpful to anybody having similar problems.