calblacksmith Moderator Joined: 25 Nov 2007 Posts: 5,637 Location: Riverside, Ca, U.S.A. Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: ECM Veneziano A1 Grinder: Many different commercial Vac Pot: 40s era Silex Drip: Milita, Bunn&Curtis... Roaster: Cast iron pan, gas burner
Posted Mon Jan 9, 2012, 3:11pm Subject: Auber PID install on Silvia
I have played with Silvia for a little while now since the full rebuild http://coffeegeek.com/forums/espresso/machinemods/547829 and the temp surfing was so annoying that I stopped using her. Enter the Auber PID kit. I know there are a lot of choice in kits and I went with Auber just because I had purchased other items from them before.
I went with the brew and steam PID kit. The reason for the brew is pretty straight forward but the reason for steaming is not because it needs to be regulated better, rather, the PID will turn the heater on much sooner than the stock thermostat will so you get longer steaming out of the old girl.
This kit cost right at the $200 mark. I decided to forgo the preinfusion kit because if I need to do that after using her with a PID, then I have a different way I was going to add preinfusion anyway.
The instructions are well written and come with plenty of clear color pictures of an actual install so what you see is what you get. There are a few things I would change if I were to write the instructions such as after the SSR is installed with the wiring, you now reassemble the back of Silvia, I would leave that step until after the entire install was done, this would give you better access to some of the wires for clearance and routing.
I used many more zip ties than come in the kit just because I like things very neat and tidy. So without further ado,
I start the pics after she is open and this first pic is with the dual SSR installed. The reason for the dual SSR is for both the brew and steam circuits. Due to previous mods I made to this machine, I was unable to mount the SSR in the advised location but it fits here nicely when I used a washer to raise the mounting location up to the same height as the folded seam of the frame. This makes a solid mounting point.
(Click for larger image)
In real life, my name is Wayne P.
Feed the newbs, starve the trolls and above all enjoy what you drink!
calblacksmith Moderator Joined: 25 Nov 2007 Posts: 5,637 Location: Riverside, Ca, U.S.A. Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: ECM Veneziano A1 Grinder: Many different commercial Vac Pot: 40s era Silex Drip: Milita, Bunn&Curtis... Roaster: Cast iron pan, gas burner
Posted Mon Jan 9, 2012, 3:14pm Subject: Re: Auber PID install on Silvia
A pic of the old click Tstats just before removal. The brew Tstat is the one with a dot on it and the steam Tstat though disconnected, remains in place.
(Click for larger image)
In real life, my name is Wayne P.
Feed the newbs, starve the trolls and above all enjoy what you drink!
calblacksmith Moderator Joined: 25 Nov 2007 Posts: 5,637 Location: Riverside, Ca, U.S.A. Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: ECM Veneziano A1 Grinder: Many different commercial Vac Pot: 40s era Silex Drip: Milita, Bunn&Curtis... Roaster: Cast iron pan, gas burner
Posted Mon Jan 9, 2012, 3:17pm Subject: Re: Auber PID install on Silvia
All the wires have been routed through the front of the machine and they are supposed to go through the hole that the steam wand is in. Due to my changed location of the SSR (and my anal neetness), the wires were a little shorter than they were supposed to be so I bent (not visible in this pic as I did it later) the top plate of the housing so that the wires can go straight to the PID rather than move through the steam cutout.
(Click for larger image)
In real life, my name is Wayne P.
Feed the newbs, starve the trolls and above all enjoy what you drink!
calblacksmith Moderator Joined: 25 Nov 2007 Posts: 5,637 Location: Riverside, Ca, U.S.A. Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: ECM Veneziano A1 Grinder: Many different commercial Vac Pot: 40s era Silex Drip: Milita, Bunn&Curtis... Roaster: Cast iron pan, gas burner
Posted Mon Jan 9, 2012, 3:19pm Subject: Re: Auber PID install on Silvia
After the PID has been installed and all is in order in front and behind in the old girl, the wires in the head of the machine were cleaned up and made nice an neat. The new wires in the kit are heat resistant insulation but why take chances if you don't need to?
(Click for larger image)
In real life, my name is Wayne P.
Feed the newbs, starve the trolls and above all enjoy what you drink!
calblacksmith Moderator Joined: 25 Nov 2007 Posts: 5,637 Location: Riverside, Ca, U.S.A. Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: ECM Veneziano A1 Grinder: Many different commercial Vac Pot: 40s era Silex Drip: Milita, Bunn&Curtis... Roaster: Cast iron pan, gas burner
Posted Mon Jan 9, 2012, 3:25pm Subject: Re: Auber PID install on Silvia
From start to finish, the job took about 3 hours and the instructions are written very clearly, and with the photos, you don't need to understand wiring diagrams or electricty, just follow the instructions, take your time and be clean in your work and the system installs without a hitch.
I pulled my first shot from her and it was nicer than anything I have ever done with that machine before. Not up to the par of my HX machine, ...... yet but she might get there with some careful work. I am using a MDX as a grinder so the possibility is there for great espresso.
The steam system works very well also, nearly as soon as the steam wand is opened, the heater comes on and at the end of warming 8 oz of water (no milk here yet) there was still strong steam and the PID read 260F, still way above boiling.
The kit is a very worth while addition to the old girl and I highly advise anyone with a Silvia to seriously consider the upgrade.
buying new with a pid..... I advise moving up to a HX machine if you can.
In real life, my name is Wayne P.
Feed the newbs, starve the trolls and above all enjoy what you drink!
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![calblacksmith: dual ssr in place.jpg](javascript:ImagePopup("/images/56087/dualssrinplace.jpg", 1336, 1002, "calblacksmith: dual ssr in place.jpg");)
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