mavrick1903 Senior Member Joined: 17 Mar 2011 Posts: 75 Location: Madison WI Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Isomac Relax Grinder: Nuova Simonelli MCF
Posted Thu Dec 6, 2012, 12:24am Subject: E61-DB life cycle
About to finalize (pay) for a gently used Alex duetteo 2. Curious what the maintenance/life cycle of machines in this class are? I'm the only regular consumer in my house. Average daily is four doubles and 4-10oz of hot water or similar in hot water & steam.
Wondering what I can expect in maintenance cycles as well as overall longevity.
calblacksmith Moderator Joined: 25 Nov 2007 Posts: 5,666 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 Thu Dec 6, 2012, 6:49am Subject: Re: E61-DB life cycle
Well, I understand why you are asking this question but the answer really is ...... it depends. How long can any machine last, a car, a DVD, a TV and the list goes on.
In short, every time you end a session, you should perform normal clean up such as cleaning the dispersion screen etc.
At least once a week (some people do this much more often) you should do a back flush with detergent, to keep the inside of the GH and valves etc clean.
Depending on your water, you should descale the machine about 6 months to a year. More or less often depending on your water.
How long can it last? Well, as long as you take care of it.
As I said in other words, it is up to you and how you take care of it.
In real life, my name is Wayne P.
Feed the newbs, starve the trolls and above all enjoy what you drink!
qualin Senior Member Joined: 30 Jun 2012 Posts: 463 Location: Calgary, AB Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Izzo Alex Duetto 3 Grinder: Mazzer Mini Elect. Type A Vac Pot: Looking to buy Drip: Manual Roaster: Considering?
Posted Thu Dec 6, 2012, 10:59pm Subject: Re: E61-DB life cycle
You can actually harm the brew group by backflushing with detergent too often. Backflushing with detergent will remove the lubricants inside of the E61 brew group, so it should be done only as needed.
Check out this video.. Depending on your shot volume, Chris says you shouldn't backflush with detergent more than once per month.
You can backflush with water as much as you like, preferably it should be done at least once daily, preferably after your last shot of the day.
When the E61 group gets "squeaky" or the lever gets difficult to move due to periodic detergent backflushing, it will require re-lubrication.. This video shows how to do it: (This doesn't look that hard to do if you have the right tools.)
Now, it is my understanding that when it comes time for your machine to be descaled, (About once every 6 months to 1 year, depending on your water hardness) this is best left up to a service professional to do.
calblacksmith Moderator Joined: 25 Nov 2007 Posts: 5,666 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 Fri Dec 7, 2012, 6:44am Subject: Re: E61-DB life cycle
Your use determines how often to use detergent, not a big deal IMHO. It is very easy to descale with a conventional espresso machine and you only need to use a professional with a BDB or if your mechanical skills are not good enough to use basic hand tools without hurting yourself.
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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