Because I'm an eternal optimist, instead of returning my machine I called every appliance repair shop within a 40 minute drive until I found someone willing to have a look at my machine. He completely rewired the machine, fully insulating all of the wires and connections to avoid future arcing. He also replaced the thermal fuse. The seller also paid for the repair. Several months later and it was easily one of the best decision I made. Now if only I could figure out the right coarseness for my coffee grind. Sometimes things do work out like in the fairytales.

I hope it's not against the rules, but I want to give this guy a plug for dancing my machine. His prices were super reasonable, his work excellent, plus his shop had a bunch of old radios that he was working on that reminded me of my grandparents' house. Madison Television on 39 Kings Rd, Madison, NJ.

Quietlystormy wrote:I called every appliance repair shop within a 40 minute drive until I found someone willing to have a look at my machine. He completely rewired the machine,

Good news! I've sometimes recommended generic appliance repair shops for simple electrical jobs on espresso machines, but I suppose nowadays shops are less inclined to take on any unfamiliar appliance. I'm curious about how many shops said no before you found someone who took the job?

I missed this thread then it started last year. I was really bummed when I hit the bottom of page 1. On to page 2. Yea! Glad you did.

The simplicity of these older machines is wonderful on many levels, and makes this decision a great one. I bet the guy who did the work enjoyed it. Replacing boards on newer appliances is pretty boring.