Rancilio Silvia Espresso Machine - Page 8 - Answered Questions & Fixed issues

If it comes up to brew temperature, you have to replace the steam thermostat, which is a DIY. There are 2 thermostats on top of the boiler. The one with the red dot is the brew thermostat, so the other one is the one you need to replace.

Hi
Does water flow through the wand when you open the steam knob, and then push the middle switch?

All you have are scale deposit around the steam pole of steam valve. So you can proceed with descale as follows
http://www.fixya.com/support/r4335301-descaling_espresso_machines_never_use

I sugest to do a couple of times this week and is slow steps so the solution have time to sesolve the scale build up in your machine not only the valve but other places also.
If you dont succeed then you will need to sesasemble the machine and manual clean the scale with a wire brush but you have 50% chance to avoid the second procedure.

Remove the top panel, and check the thermostats on the boiler there are 3 of them. One needs to be reset.

1; Second hose is for expansion valve from pump, in case there is excess pressure the water returns to the reservoir.

2; Either the coffee is stale or the amount of tamp pressure is not enough. Think of your grind coarseness rocks and sand, that will help you find the right grind.

3; No

4; Yes it is normal. You need a higher temp for steam than for coffee, therefore the thermostat on the machine is programmed to get the water in the boiler to steam temp when you ask for steam, a few seconds at the most.

First, I would check the end of the nozzle to make sure it is not blocked, use a paper clip. If it is not blocked then try descaling the machine.

please relay on your experience realizing that you now have new steam pipe(with different holes in the end of it and different pressure)
you will need to get use to them and get maximum quality of that steam pipe.
my advice:

1. every time hold your hand in the bottom of milk container, so that you will prevent overheating which often gives the result you mentioned.
2. every time you use cold milk.
   

I disagree... I think its the thermostat reset switch. A little red button once you open up the machine. look towards the front of the boiler and bush the button. Same thing happened to my Rancilio Silvia.... I opened it up, hit the reset switch... and voila! Working again! Here's the YouTube Video on the details. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQdJNm9RV68

I have the same machine with excellent crema. You need to be sure you are using a high quality burr grinder on the fine setting. Also be sure to tamp using a tamper for even compression. The espresso should come out SLOWLY and smoothly... it will end with a great crema.

Agreed.... you need a high quality burr grinder for a high quality espresso machine. Then put it on Fine grind and adjust the grind up or down from there until the espresso comes out with a slow smooth flow. Also be sure to tamp the grinds with a tamper so it is evenly compressed!

Check the shower screen, make sure it is not clogged with coffee oils and back wash the head.

There are about 3 of them under the top panel.

Hi
There is a reset button inside on the front side of the boiler (you have to take the top of the machine off. There are 4 screws and remove the water tank). It is located between 2 black wires and is a red button. Push it in and test. There is also another problem that you might have. If the brew thermostat is bad it won’t heat. To test for this, push the steam switch and wait 15 seconds. Then open the steam knob and push the middle button and see if the water is warm. If it is then you need a new brew thermostat. That is the thermostat that has the red dot on the top. It sets on top of the boiler next to the steam thermostat. If you take the top off, make sure that the machine is unplugged.
If none of these things work check the heating element with an ohms meter. The reading in the terminals should be from 12 to 16 ohms. If no reading the elements is bad and you have to replace the boiler.

The blind filter is used to backflush the group with espresso machine soap to get rid of the coffee oils.

Unplug machine and remove the top panel, check the thermostats on of them tripped reset and you should be back in business.

Yes it is easy to replace, but first check the end of the steam wand make sure the holes are not blocked, If you open the steam valve and the wand is hot it is because of blockage, if you only get warm water and no steam then the thermostat is gone.

Your machine have a reset thermostat button which you have to press since it might be trigered by an overheating boiler. If it is still not start heating up then you will propably need to replace the boiler heating element.
Their is a very small chance that the electrical wire system to be damage in a point so the curcuit is open. This can be found by a good visual inpection inside the machine.

Probably the vibrating water pump is the problem.
It might be full of scale and it can not create any pressure or create less pressure than 9-10 bars or it is completetly damage and need to be replaced. ( you can remove the pump desasemble it clean it from scale and dirt and try it again but this requires very good expert skills)
For plastic ot other tubes no need to replace, just use a steel wire or a screwdriver in order to remove any scale or dirt inside them,

First we sugest to perform a descaling of the machine two times one in one day and another the second day and try again this will help the machine very much no matter what is the problem .
Second you should try to reduce by little the quantity of the grounded coffee used. Aprox you should use 7 to7.5 gr of coffee. If you try to use about 6 to 6.5 and you have the coffee runing out from the machine like in 25 sec you have about 30 cc of water.
Then try also to clean the group shower which it can be ansrew by one cetrer screw (and if you can you can open the machine and remove to clean also the coffee group solenoid valve). Both the valve and shower can be full of dry coffee that can blocked the way of water coming to the grounded coffee.
If you manage to clean everything above and the machine work ok so from now on in order to avoid the problem again try to flush water from the group many times without any coffee. With this is like you wash the group shower and valve from any remaining coffee.
Good luck

Check it without the coffee, if it flows nicely then the grind or tamp is incorrect.

Keep portafilter in the head with no coffee in it at all times, preheat portafilter and cup before you brew a coffee.