Repair of Saeco coffee machines

Smart and solid equipment of the Italian company Saeco, subject to elementary operating rules, will serve faithfully for a long time. Products of the popular brand are characterized by excellent resistance to various malfunctions. This applies to both electric samovars, teapotsand coffee machines. In addition, a whole year after the purchase of household appliances, the company provides warranty repairs, which once again indicates the high quality of the products. However, over time, any mechanism may fail, so it will not be out of place to find out how to repair Saeco coffee machines and whether it can be done with their own hands.

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How Saeco Coffee Machines Work

Many owners of coffee machines of a well-known brand with dignity note their performance and productivity. The coffee machine is very convenient, simple, does not create noise during operation and consumes a minimum of electricity. However, there is no perfect technique that never breaks. Reasons for Saeco repair may be sufficient, for example:

• improper operation;
• very hard water;
• low quality grains;
• natural wear of rubbing parts.

Saeco vienna

Before proceeding with the diagnosis and repair of a malfunction, we will figure out how the coffee machine works using the Saeco Vienna model as an example.

The functionality of machines of this type is very wide, they can:

• Grind coffee beans.
• Brew coffee.
• To prepare milk froth for various drinks.

Important! The basic elements of equipment that require regular maintenance cope with all tasks.

The main elements of the coffee machine are:

• The brewing mechanism. All Saeco coffee machines are equipped with removable brewing mechanisms. This greatly simplifies the process of cleaning the element.
• Boiler. It is in it that the water for drinks is heated.
• Hydraulic system of the machine.
• Cappuccino machine. This device is intended for frothing milk and the formation of a gentle foam.
• Drip tray.
• Waste coffee container.

The coffee dispenser is fully automated:

1. Ground coffee falls on a flat bowl inside the cylinder.
2. After grinding is completed, a mechanical alarm is triggered and the servo drive starts to work.
3. The piston with the cylinder rotates on its side and begins to move towards the stop, where the brewing of the drink will take place.
4. At the end of the brewing process, the mechanism performs the opposite action. In this case, the inclined cover is triggered, which, becoming perpendicular to the movement, removes the tablet and dumps it into the receiver for waste material.

How does the pump and boiler work?

Water in the car moves along a very simple route: water is taken from the tank by a pump (under a pressure of 15-20 atm.) And enters the boiler. The boiler itself is round and consists of two halves that are bolted around the entire perimeter. A heating element is attached to one part. The bimetallic plate serves as a temperature sensor, its interference is changed by a special handle. This is necessary in order to get the temperature for brewing coffee (95 degrees), and to get steam, you must have a temperature of 127 degrees.

To prevent water from returning, there is a check valve at the inlet of the boiler. At the outlet there is a bypass valve, through which water passes for brewing, receiving steam.

Important! What process will occur - decides the position of the water / steam regulator. It is enough to turn the regulator to the water or steam position and the bypass valve will operate in the desired mode.

If all the processes are combined together, the process of obtaining a drink looks quite simple:

1. The pump pumps water from the tank into the boiler.
2. Water is heated to the desired temperature.
3. The bimetallic plate is triggered and the contacts of the heating element open.
4. The signal light comes on.
5. Pressing a key allows you to get a finished drink or make foam.

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Maintenance of coffee machines

If Saeco repairs are made in the event of breakdowns and malfunctions, then the equipment must be serviced regularly. The operability of the device and the quality of the drink depend on this.

During operation of the apparatus, scale is inevitably formed on the inner surface of the heating elements. In such cases, cleaning the machine is an emergency.

Important! The procedure for cleaning the coffee machine is different from cleaning kettles and irons. This is a more ambitious and time-consuming work, covering all the elements of the apparatus.

To perform the cleaning procedure, follow the recommendations of specialists:

1. Remove, rinse and rinse the brewing mechanism. No special tools or cleaning agents are required for this procedure. You can clean at any time convenient for you, but regularly, because the taste of the drink depends on the purity of this element.
2. To clean the boiler, use limescale cleaners Saeco or similar products from other companies. The cleaning cycle can be either manual or automatic. Depending on the model of the device, the control system of the machine will inform about the need to clean the boiler - this may be a message on the display or an icon on the panel.
3. The process of cleaning the hydraulic system of the machine involves the removal of coffee oils. Cleaning is done automatically. Use cleaning tablets to increase the effectiveness of the procedure.
4. The cappuccino machine needs to be cleared of dry milk residues in advance. The frequency and complexity of the cleaning procedure depends on the model of the device. In any case, follow the manufacturer's instructions when cleaning this item.
5. Rinse the tray and waste coffee container under running water. The main thing is to do it regularly and in a timely manner.

Important! Planning to independently carry out all the preventive maintenance and servicing of the coffee maker, choosing a cleaning product, view information on special descaling tablets. They are very convenient to use and have a fairly high efficiency.

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Repair of the Saeco coffee maker

If the coffee machine is used in domestic conditions, then Saeco may need overhaul only after preparing five thousand servings of the drink. However, the lack of service for decalcification of the apparatus can lead to breakdown, since in this case the heater inside the boiler may fail. But perhaps the most common cause of failure is the natural wear of the device.

Important! According to the specifications laid down, the main components of the coffee machine, after preparing several thousand servings of the drink, must be replaced. For example, the following items are subject to replacement:

• Heating boiler.
• Coffee grinder.
• The brewing mechanism.
• Steam generator, etc.

Repair of Saeco coffee machines is complicated by the fact that the unit body is non-separable. From above, you can remove the cover and unscrew a huge number of screws, only after that you can get the inside of the unit out. In case of some breakdowns, the repair of the device can take considerable time and only specialists from the service center can carry it out, especially if it is a major overhaul and requires the replacement of a large number of spare parts.

Dismantling the apparatus

Repair of a Saeco machine always starts with disassembling the unit.

Important! If you do not have a sufficient level of relevant knowledge, then do not even try to disassemble the machine. In addition, working with electricity is always fraught with a risk to life, therefore, when repairing, it is necessary to strictly comply with safety requirements.

If you decide to independently identify the malfunction and repair Saeco, then the procedure for disassembling the coffee machine is as follows:

1. Unplug the unit.
2. Open the front cover.
3. Remove the waste compartment and the coffee dispenser.
4. Pull out the cup holder with the tray.
5. Remove the water tank.
6. Remove the coffee bean container. It is fastened with two cross screws.
7. Unscrew another screw under the water tank.
8. Behind the grain compartment there may be a screw recessed deep down, if there is one, unscrew it.
9. Pull the handle and remove the top cover of the machine.
10. Unfasten the water hose that is attached to the top cover.
11. Remove the front door with a screwdriver.
12. Remove the entire unit from the chassis.

Internal organization

A coffee machine is a fairly complex device:

Inside there are at least three engines that require power.

• The power supply itself is pulsed. Therefore, the transformer is powered through a power transistor, which, in turn, is controlled by a high-frequency pulse generator. Usually this is a small chip.
• The chip is powered from the diode bridge.
• At the entrance there are numerous filters consisting of capacitors, resistors and chokes.
• Fuses do not stand in the transformer circuit, but are powered through varistors if the circuit overheats. A protective element, very often, is a low-resistance resistor, which burns out from an increase in current load.

Important! The voltage of the high-frequency generator is supplied to the power transistor, forming high-frequency pulses, which, passing through the transformer, are filtered and rectified. As a result, not a current is supplied to the primary winding, but high-frequency pulses.

Diagnostics

In order to check all the elements of the power supply, special tools are needed. But sometimes you can determine the breakdown without opening the case, for example:

1. If the pump works, but the water does not flow, the bypass valve is most likely broken.
2. The unit does not turn on - a malfunction in the electrical part, that is, a problem with the power supply or engine.

Important! If you are a true coffee connoisseur, you will probably also be interested in reading about the best varieties of coffee and tea.

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Stock footage

In any case, as soon as there are problems with the Saeco machine, immediately terminate its further operation and contact a service center. Specialists will conduct a thorough diagnosis of the device, identify and fix all problems. Masters are well aware of the specifics of servicing and repairing this equipment.