Continuing the ongoing saga of my 2014 Profitec Pro 700 repairs, I finally found a reasonably priced replacement brew boiler and just received it.

(Recap of the previous episodes: it first started with a seized pump, which I replaced. I then noticed that hot water flowed back into the pump and reservoir, due to a stuck non-return valve, which I fixed. Most likely this was the cause of the pump issue as well. I then decided to try an fix my safety thermostats which were glued on my brew boiler, and also preventively change the gasket on the brew boiler element. An unfortunate series of errors on my part resulted in a damaged boiler (!), and here we are now).

I think I know pretty much where I'm going with this, but any specific advice regarding the transfer of all fixtures from the old to the new boiler will be appreciated.

I already hit my first bump. Here's the new boiler:




It has a notable difference compared to the original boiler:



On the new boiler, the bottom has three threaded holes instead of two in the original one. (Don't be fooled by the fact that one of the threaded studs is removed on the old boiler).

One hole is for the return pipe from the group; one I can plug using the threaded plug from the original boiler. I think the third hole was for the new outlet that enables completely draining the boiler without having to remove it? Anywhow, I will need to either plug it, or install that outlet as well.

I don't see either the threaded plug nor the drain outlet on both part diagrams that are available for the Pro 700. Can someone confirm the part numbers (or at least the part names) for this? Is there any hope in finding such a plug locally or are those made specifically for espresso machines?

As always, thanks for any advice.

Quick update: the existing plug does have a 3mm hex hole, so I was able to remove it easily. Seems that I'll have to procure another one. Can anybody confirm those are 1/4" BSPP threads?

Fun anecdote:

I was asking my 9-yo son if he thought I'd be able to complete the repairs. He thought hard about it, and said: "No, I don't think so. I think you'll fiddle a bit more, discover new problems, then just buy a new machine. I also think that you'll run into issues with the new machine as well."

Not sure what this says about me and my karma...

neutro wrote:Fun anecdote:

I was asking my 9-yo son if he thought I'd be able to complete the repairs. He thought hard about it, and said: "No, I don't think so. I think you'll fiddle a bit more, discover new problems, then just buy a new machine. I also think that you'll run into issues with the new machine as well."

Not sure what this says about me and my karma...

The wisdom of an espresso sage.

neutro wrote: I was asking my 9-yo son if he thought I'd be able to complete the repairs. He thought hard about it, and said: "No, I don't think so. I think you'll fiddle a bit more, discover new problems, then just buy a new machine. I also think that you'll run into issues with the new machine as well." Not sure what this says about me and my karma...

Someone just threw down the gauntlet.

Indeed. I have to prove him dead wrong.

neutro wrote:Can anybody confirm those are 1/4" BSPP threads?

What size wrench fits the nuts on the heating element flange?

Unless those studs are way bigger than I think they should be, that looks most likely to be 1/8" BSPP.

Here's a chart showing the ID/OD of BSPP fittings (in inches, sorry):

Man, it sounds like you're in deep and your son just raised the ante!

Can I suggest one of these:
https://www.amazon.ca/FineSource-Electr ... B073N7F2CK

I'm not sure you want to be guessing here - my experience of screw threads is that metric and imperial can be easily confused as the ranges are off each other by a little. You really want to be sure you're doing this right as otherwise you'll put it all together to discover a leak and be back to square one.

I also am a bit curious as to why you're arriving at such major differences between the boilers but it sounds like you understand that and have no alternative. If it were me I'd go the extra effort to make sure it's an exact match if at all that were possible otherwise it has a headachy feel to it!

Good luck!

Jake_G wrote:What size wrench fits the nuts on the heating element flange?

The threaded studs are M8 (so 8 mm). However I am looking for a plug that fits the threaded holes in the new boiler. Since there's a fitting that goes in there, I supposed this is BSPP. On the part diagram for the Pro 700, the fitting is supposed to be "L-connector 1/8"M 1/4"M". According to your chart, I guess that makes it the 1/8"F end (the hole is about 3/8").

So I guess the part would be a "1/8"M BSPP stainless steel plug with 3 mm hex hole". Not the kind of thing that can be found in a local hardware store as far as I can tell.

LittleCoffee wrote: I also am a bit curious as to why you're arriving at such major differences between the boilers but it sounds like you understand that and have no alternative. If it were me I'd go the extra effort to make sure it's an exact match if at all that were possible otherwise it has a headachy feel to it!

The Profitec Pro 700 was refreshed in 2017 to include a drain outlet on the brew boiler. My own unit dates back to 2014 and doesn't have the outlet. I'm not really surprised that even if the part numbers are the same, there's an extra hole in the boiler now.

I agree that I should take extra care finding the right plug. I don't want to force the wrong plug in here for sure. The problem though is that this plug is not listed on the official parts list.

But hey, it's just a plug. What can go wrong.

If you're really stuck finding a proper plug I wonder whether a standard temperature probe would fit? I'd worry about it going on the bottom, but there's a chance (no guarantee!) that something that can hold 1.5 bar of saturated steam (at the top of the boiler) ought to be able to hold 1.5 bar of water on the bottom. But I'd only go down that route once you're at a dead end doing this properly. The probes are relatively cheap so worst case it's a cheap experiment to conduct.