notquitemac Senior Member Joined: 5 Jun 2008 Posts: 16 Location: Ithaca, NY Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: NS ellimatic
Posted Fri Jun 6, 2008, 12:33am Subject: Rebuilding an Ellimatic
EDIT: Pics of the teardown are now on page 3.
EDIT: Clean boiler pics and reassembly are also on page 3.
I recently got a great deal (read: free) on an NS Ellimatic that had been sitting in a cabinet, disused for at least two or more years. There's still some nasty water in the boiler, and I believe its missing a couple (possibly trivial) parts. Ideally, I'd like to clean and refurbish this machine, as I like its looks and hey, even if I sink a couple hundred bucks into getting it working, it'll be a fun project. If I can get it working, I'll probably disassemble it to give it a thorough cleaning (there's definitely been milk sucked back up into the steamer). What I need most now is any kind of documentation of a working machine, be it schematics or photos of your assembled (or disassembled, for that matter), working Ellimatic! Additionally, any guidance that you could offer me on the following stumbling points would be greatly appreciated.
The low water cutoff works, I have it disconnected in the picture as I had just removed the tank to clean it. So far I've tested the machine once, unsuccessfully. I connected the pump nipple to the reservoir with the longer piece of tubing pictured below, and left the two check valves (having read through some other posts I believe one of them is the OPV?) unconnected. I filled the reservoir with water, plugged the machine in (with the low water cutoff connected up), and turned it on. The heating element is definitely working. The pump ran smoothly, except it didn't seem to be making any vacuum - that is, it was not drawing any water from the reservoir. I turned it off, filled the tube itself with water, and reconnected it, and the pump still wouldn't draw water. This is stumbling point #1.
The two pieces of tubing are the same gauge, to fit the nipple on the pump. I don't have any tubing for the other two valves, which I believe are check valves which return water to the reservoir? Could someone else with an Ellimatic perhaps tell me what gauge tubing these valves take?
Finally, the brew head is partially disassembled; I found what I believe to be part of it in the back of the machine (in my hand in the second photo), but I don't have the screw/washer/whatever assembly that would be needed to attach it to the rest of the head, and I don't know if there are more parts needed for the brew head that just aren't with the machine. Once again, photos would be very helpful here.
darrensandford Senior Member Joined: 21 Feb 2008 Posts: 22 Location: Coventry, UK Expertise: I like coffee
Espresso: Rancilio Epoca ST1, rotary Grinder: Mazzer Major
Posted Fri Jun 6, 2008, 1:41am Subject: Re: Rebuilding (to some extent) an Ellimatic - need your help and your photos!
When I got my used Epoca, I found the same thing with the vibe pump - it wouldn't pull water from the tank, even after filling the tube with water.
I found that just filling the pipe wasn't enough to prime the pump. I had to alternatively run it for a second or two, then switch it off. I did this for some minutes, each time more air would be released from the pump and bubble up the tube from the tank.
Eventually, it started to pull water slowly. Repeated spurts of the pump continued to expel air and it got better.
I hope it's the same in your case, as it's one less thing to buy :)
Posted Sun Jun 8, 2008, 12:44pm Subject: Re: Rebuilding (to some extent) an Ellimatic - need your help and your photos!
Hi, i had one of those for about a year.Sounds like a possible vacuum block to me with the pump.Try loosening one of the fittings after the pump, then turn pump on briefly (watch out for water squirting) the loose fitting should allow the air block to be released and water should start to flow.Turn pump off and re-tighten the fitting. Don't leave the pump running too long with an empty boiler though! The valve mounted on top of the boiler returns to the resovoir, it is the emergency pressure relief.The valve mounted between the boiler and grouphead is the over pressure valve, and also returns to the resovoir. All tubing on mine was the same gauge and type as the pump tubing.The holes in the top of the resovoir are to take these tubes. The plate you're holding in the photo is the dispersion plate.It is mounted with the flat side down, and sits inside the shower plate, which i can't see. A screw then holds the two of them to the grouphead. Good luck with the re-build.Their a good machine.Mine ran a little hot, and needed some adjustments to the pressurestat (mater) and the o.p.v
Posted Sun Jun 8, 2008, 1:06pm Subject: Re: Rebuilding (to some extent) an Ellimatic - need your help and your photos!
Hi again, just re-read your post.You mention the two pieces of tubing being for the pump? You only need one of those for the pump, with the filter attached to the other end.As long as it reaches the bottom of the tank it will do.Then use the other piece of tubing for either the emergency relief valve (never saw water in mine) or the o.p.v.These both only need to reach thru the holes into the resovoir, not to the bottom of the tank. Hope this all helps, the shower screen may also be hiddin somwhere in the machine? it has a screw hole in the middle, and uses the centre hole in the grouphead, the other threaded hole in the grouphead is not used. It's the water inlet/three way valve outlet
notquitemac Senior Member Joined: 5 Jun 2008 Posts: 16 Location: Ithaca, NY Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: NS ellimatic
Posted Mon Jun 9, 2008, 7:58am Subject: Re: Rebuilding (to some extent) an Ellimatic - need your help and your photos!
Thanks for the tips so far, everyone!
The nipples on the relief valve and OPV are definitely larger than the pump, so there's probably a fitting missing. Not a big deal, though, I'm just going to use slightly larger tubing. The shower plate is definitely not in there, unless its gotten stuck to the bottom of something. If I can get the pump working today and check to make sure the machine can make steam and delivers good water to the group head, I'm going to start disassembling/cleaning. I'll probably also just order a new shower plate/screw, if the part is available. Is it particularly difficult to find parts for this machine, or are many shared with the later SN models?
Posted Mon Jun 9, 2008, 12:39pm Subject: Re: Rebuilding (to some extent) an Ellimatic - need your help and your photos!
Hi again, I too had a hard time finding parts for this machine, especially in new zealand! However if you're handy with tools, most parts can be adapted from other available parts.Once you get it up and going, remember when you turn it on each time to open the steam valve until steam is produced (usually about 3-4 minutes) This is because the ellimatic doesn't have a vacuum breaker on the boiler
Posted Mon Jun 9, 2008, 12:50pm Subject: Re: Rebuilding (to some extent) an Ellimatic - need your help and your photos!
Check out www.nuovasimonelliusa.com click on older models.They have the parts catalogue for the ellimatic beach etc. not sure what parts are available though
notquitemac Senior Member Joined: 5 Jun 2008 Posts: 16 Location: Ithaca, NY Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: NS ellimatic
Posted Mon Jun 9, 2008, 1:21pm Subject: Re: Rebuilding (to some extent) an Ellimatic - need your help and your photos!
Thanks, I found the parts list about an hour ago; definitely helpful for IDing everything! I managed to get the pump working; after taking it apart and putting it back together it started drawing water just fine. It makes steam just fine (albeit terrible-smelling steam - already read a couple other posts on the fix to prevent that from happening after a thorough cleaning), and seems to be able to produce decent pressure at the group head. I do have one question, as the manual doesn't seem to be available anywhere: is the temperature light on when the system is at temperature or when it is still working its way up?
Edit: Initial hopes of good steam production may have been too hasty; on startup, I followed the instructions of kitt2000 above and kept the steam valve open; it worked then, but after pulling some water through the group head I couldn't get steam again. I'll give it another try later tonight and see what I can manage to coax out of it.
Posted Mon Jun 9, 2008, 2:54pm Subject: Re: Rebuilding (to some extent) an Ellimatic - need your help and your photos!
the easiest way for me to get the boiler flushed is the release screw at the bottom.. easiest way to access is through the front panel witha crescent wrench.. you turn clockwise to loosen..
you can tip the machine on its side to over-fill the boiler and then open the wand to shoot water out of the boiler as well when it's under pressure. since it's not the heaviest machine it's pretty easy to work with..
it sounds like you're close to up and running.. clean all of the brass part sand backflush too..
also get your hands on a good pressure gauge and test the line pressure and adjust the opv to 9 bar. may require changing the spring..
there is some info on the web here, hb.com and alt.coffee if you look around.. oscar info and general HX info will help you as well.
notquitemac Senior Member Joined: 5 Jun 2008 Posts: 16 Location: Ithaca, NY Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: NS ellimatic
Posted Wed Jun 11, 2008, 1:09pm Subject: Re: Rebuilding (to some extent) an Ellimatic - need your help and your photos!
Thanks mitchellb; what is the best way to test the pressure on this machine? I work in a low-temperature physics lab so there's piles of vacuum equipment around...
At this point I'm pretty sure the heater coil works (switches on, heats the boiler; 115VAC appears across the leads, measured resistance is 10 ohms, about right for a 1200W heater), but it still is not producing steam and hot water only comes out at the group head in spurts. At this point I'm guessing the issue is probably something that would reveal itself on disassembly. Given the machine's former habitat, I'd be amazed if it had ever been descaled or even cleaned properly at all.
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