Hey everyone,

I pre-ordered a Lelit Bianca back in August of 2018. It's been great with regular cleaning and I've had no issues.

Today I heard a hiss coming from the steam boiler; which is a typical anti-vacuum valve replacement.

So I went to the diagrams I could find online to find the right part, and noticed that my machine isn't like the diagram. It's also not like the walk through on the First Line youtube video. I do not have a tube coming off of the valve leading back to the drip tray (although there is a capped spare tube leading back to the drip tray that is unused inside the machine... so it looks like this was a planned upgrade).

I've never seen an anti-vacuum valve like this before. It looks like an ULKA part, and there is no center piston that rises and falls. This is the only part that could be the anti-vacuum valve on this boiler, so I wanted to see if someone could help me identify what it is. I can't find anything online. Whatever it is, it's clearly shot. I can't pinpoint steam or hissing leaving from this part, but just on visual inspection it looks like it needs replacement.

Please take a look at the pictures below and let me know what you think. Thanks.







Nick

I think I've seen this vacuum breaker contraption/version posted once before; but I couldn't track it down. You may need to get in touch with 1st Line's tech department. If you have the machine open, you might try taking it out and seeing how it works or is supposed to work. In your pics, it looks more like a crushed soda can than a vacuum breaker.

Thanks Jim. Glad I'm not the only one who is baffled by this. It almost seems like some type of permeable membrane that can outgas at low pressures and seals at higher pressures.

I have a Q&A comment on the valve that First Line sells asking them about this, and when they re-open on Tuesday I'm going to give them a call.

Nick

It could be similar to the new vacuum breaker released by La Marzocco. Its action depends on heat vice a rising pressure.

https://www.lamarzoccousa.com/bulletin/ ... -linea-pb/

Rad! Thank you Eric.

I'll wait to hear back from First Line.

Thanks,

Nick

Also, to pinpoint hissing use a cardboard paper towel tube. One end over the suspected part, ear on the other end and you'll be able to tell

This is such a great tip! I used your method and the hiss is definitely coming from that funky valve. The top is cracked and it's just this slight abnormality I noticed today.

I'm 99.9% sure the other style valve is a drop in and I can connect the spare drain tube right to it. What odds me out a little bit is why I didn't have that on this machine when it shipped. Some of the parts in this thing do not seem super common; including the Mater 3 bar safety valve.

Nick

nicholasnumbers wrote:This is such a great tip!

Credit to Reiss from Londinium for the tip; found it on their forum a while ago

Any word from 1st line yet?

No response to the question so far. I just purchased the non-prototype valve and am going to plumb it into the drip tray myself. Hopefully the part will be here by Friday.

Nick