# rancilio silvia spitting and spluttering



## eddie57 (Mar 21, 2017)

hi, all iv searched the forum from top to bottom but cant seem to find a solution to my problem, i hope someone can help, there seems to be to much water and steam at the same time even after purging, thanks


----------



## Flying_Vee (May 10, 2016)

eddie57 said:


> hi, all iv searched the forum from top to bottom but cant seem to find a solution to my problem, i hope someone can help, there seems to be to much water and steam at the same time even after purging, thanks


I get this sometimes and would be interested in the thoughts of others too.

Is a real bummer when steaming milk as it seems to sucks extra air in and spoils the texture.


----------



## El carajillo (Mar 16, 2013)

Possibly a problem with the steam stat not getting fully up to temperature ??

OR. Overheat stat allowing water to boil too much and throwing up water to steam take off point ??

On M/chs with fill level probe in boiler you can get a similar effect if the probe is set too high OR if the probe becomes scaled up and not cutting the fill off


----------



## eddie57 (Mar 21, 2017)

El carajillo said:


> Possibly a problem with the steam stat not getting fully up to temperature ??
> 
> OR. Overheat stat allowing water to boil too much and throwing up water to steam take off point ??
> 
> ...


i changed steam stat because myespresso said that it was the likely fault, silvia was originally purchased there, i bought both silvia and rocky

off a guy on gumtree, it is still under warranty but they wont honour it because im not the original purchaser


----------



## El carajillo (Mar 16, 2013)

Was it / is it being used in a hard water area ? If so has it been de-scaled ? Have you de-scaled it ?


----------



## eddie57 (Mar 21, 2017)

El carajillo said:


> Was it / is it being used in a hard water area ? If so has it been de-scaled ? Have you de-scaled it ?


it came from Coventry way i have soft water where i am, iv descaled twice just in case with dezcal and back flushed with cafiza


----------



## oursus (Jun 5, 2015)

It looks to me like it's just clearing water from the system... can you show us what happens when you open the cock for 15s then close and try again?


----------



## eddie57 (Mar 21, 2017)

oursus said:


> It looks to me like it's just clearing water from the system... can you show us what happens when you open the cock for 15s then close and try again?


i'll try that tomorrow, when iv watched all the videos on steaming on the silvia they only purge for a couple of seconds and then its dry steam, was the same on my gaggia purge for a few seconds then dry steam, thats why i thought there must be something not quite right with mine


----------



## oursus (Jun 5, 2015)

eddie57 said:


> i'll try that tomorrow, when iv watched all the videos on steaming on the silvia they only purge for a couple of seconds and then its dry steam, was the same on my gaggia purge for a few seconds then dry steam, thats why i thought there must be something not quite right with mine


Yeah, 15s is way OTT, but I blow her out for at least 5s, wait till I'm out of the dead band, then shut off and place the wand tip where I want it - the PID means it's set lower, but more reactive than stock. The Silvia is never truly dry, just "drier"


----------



## eddie57 (Mar 21, 2017)

eddie57 said:


> hi, all iv searched the forum from top to bottom but cant seem to find a solution to my problem, i hope someone can help, there seems to be to much water and steam at the same time even after purging, thanks


forgot to mention, iv noticed people say they get about a tablespoon of water when opening valve, i get up to 3 ounces then spitting spluttering


----------



## greymda (Oct 6, 2016)

when steaming, you push the steam button, wait say 15 seconds and then purge some water from the steam wand (thus you create some free space on top of the boiler for steam), close the steam knob and wait another 20 seconds. a second water purge and then wait for the light to turn off. you're ready to steam.


----------



## Flying_Vee (May 10, 2016)

greymda said:


> when steaming, you push the steam button, wait say 15 seconds and then purge some water from the steam wand (thus you create some free space on top of the boiler for steam), close the steam knob and wait another 20 seconds. a second water purge and then wait for the light to turn off. you're ready to steam.


Like the sound of two early purges. Will definitely give this a go.


----------



## eddie57 (Mar 21, 2017)

greymda said:


> when steaming, you push the steam button, wait say 15 seconds and then purge some water from the steam wand (thus you create some free space on top of the boiler for steam), close the steam knob and wait another 20 seconds. a second water purge and then wait for the light to turn off. you're ready to steam.


thanks mate for your advice, iv tried it a few times over the weekend it is a lot better, bearing that in mind is there a different way of micro foaming

because of the steam issue.


----------



## greymda (Oct 6, 2016)

eddie57 said:


> thanks mate for your advice, iv tried it a few times over the weekend it is a lot better, bearing that in mind is there a different way of micro foaming
> 
> because of the steam issue.


didn't really catched that. can you rephrase?


----------



## eddie57 (Mar 21, 2017)

greymda said:


> didn't really catched that. can you rephrase?


i was thinking i might have to steam differently because i have to purge steam for about 15 seconds each time, thought there might be drop in steam pressure?


----------



## greymda (Oct 6, 2016)

eddie57 said:


> i was thinking i might have to steam differently because i have to purge steam for about 15 seconds each time, thought there might be drop in steam pressure?


take a look here http://coffeeforums.co.uk/showthread.php?37411-hands-free-milk-frothing&p=487530#post487530


----------



## oursus (Jun 5, 2015)

If you're waiting for the light to turn off, then the element is out, meaning you are back in temp surfing territory. I used to flick the steam switch at the same time as the brew button (incoming water offsets all efforts of the element). Flush the group head after

Removing the pf, open the steam cock slightly. When most of the water

Is purged, I close the cock, fill my jug, purge again, to re-engage the heater, wipe down etc, then before the BOL goes out, I start steaming... this way the element is always working, instead of switching in and out - stopping the dead-band pressure fluctuation. Stop steaming, wipe and purge wand, refill boiler as I'm polishing the milk.


----------



## Stanic (Dec 12, 2015)

is how I steam with Silvia (meCoffee PID)


----------



## eddie57 (Mar 21, 2017)

thanks guys think i might have to get a pid, was looking at a mecoffee but havent heard of anything happening with them for a couple of months, are they still making them? or any other suggestions


----------



## greymda (Oct 6, 2016)

at the moment i think it's the best value PID, you could write them and find out their status. if so, please share


----------



## eddie57 (Mar 21, 2017)

greymda said:


> at the moment i think it's the best value PID, you could write them and find out their status. if so, please share


contacted them through their query form, asking if they still made them, had an email off them with my question on it, nothing else


----------

