Hello,

So I've had my ECAM65X.85 for over a year now and in the past 2 weeks have noticed that the coffee was coming out much slower than normal. Also after switching the machine on the water from the automatic rinsing and 'heating underway' feature is taking far longer than normal, due to the slow output of water I presume.

Having now done 2 descaling cycles of the machine, and also prodding about with a toothpick in the spouts, the problem still persists. I reaaaally don't want to send this off for repair, which has a turnaround of a month , if I can possibly resolve this myself... is there anything else I can possibly do??

(Regarding the toothpick, I can start to feel resistance after pushing it in about a 1.5cm in.. is this normal? There's no dirt or residue on it, but don't push too hard as don't want to damage anything).

Many thanks in advance.

If the blockage is there in the dispensing head, you'll notice that it continues to drip long after the pump has stopped and that the coffee is cold in your cup (because it has filled up the dispensing head, contacting much surface area, contacting much old, cold coffee tar, exposing much surface area etc. before finally getting to the cup). If this is the case, removing the head and cleaning it out with dish soap and a brush would be the solution.

If the flow stops dripping from the head soon after the pump stops, then either it's a blockage somewhere in the machine or the pump is just getting weak. Since machines like that don't have a pump gauge, and you know you've already descaled it, you might want to gamble that it's the pump and replace it to see if that fixes it.

A month, eh? Makes me feel better about telling customers "2 weeks".

Hey - many thanks for the reply!

No it doesn't seem to continue dripping after finishing. I'm completely unsure how to go about replacing a pump for this machine (or indeed any machine) - is it difficult/tricky/expensive? Think my safest bet is to just send off for repair?

I would contact DeLonghi and ask them if there's someone in your postal code that you could take the machine to for repairs: https://www.delonghi.com/en-gb/contact-us If it's still under warranty, then you have to take it where they want you to.

Replacing a pump is very easy, it's something you could do as your "First DIY Job" on your machine. The fact that your machine is less than 2 years old does have me doubtful that the pump is the problem, though. Maybe contact DeLonghi and get their opinion... (I would hope) They know the machine better than I.

Cheers for the reply.. will contact them and ask if I can take somewhere closer.

Regarding the toothpick however, is that resistance normal? Could I potentially risk being a bit more forceful in case the blockage and really hardened or am I feeling something else there?

I wouldn't bother poking up the nostrils. If it comes out both nostrils evenly, there probably isn't any blockage in the dispensing section. If there were a blockage, it wouldn't affect both holes equally. Someone who knows the 240V machines well will probably be able to tell by the sound of the pump whether the pump is getting weak or whether there's a blockage in the mechanical valve or somewhere.

Does the machine have an automated cleaning cycle where you put a cleaning tablet or a teaspoon of cafiza down the pre-ground chute and the machine runs that through the "generator and mechanical valve" (DeLonghi words for lower and upper brew unit) to clean out the coffee tars? Or does it only have a "descaling cycle"?

Nope, no cleaning settings - just the descaling!

No worries, guess I'll have to live without her for a month or so

Might also be worth noting that when switching on, during operation and switching off again there are some distasteful clunking sounds which really doesn't sound normal!

Lower brew unit (Generator) may not be lining up well with the upper brew unit (Mechanical Valve) making those noises. Mention it to whoever's repairing it. It's just a matter of loosening and re-tightening a couple of bolts when the brew unit is in the closed position to re-align the upper part.