# Fracino Piccino - Overheated and tripping RCD



## NitJay (May 18, 2020)

Hi,

About a year ago @NewboyUK helped me refurbish a poorly Piccino I got from another user of this forum. It's been great ever since, I run it on a timer from 930am to 1130am each day and we make about 2 or 3 cups in that time.

This morning, made my cappuccino as usual, walked past later on and noticed the pump was going on and off, water was leaking all over the place from the rear and the machine had become extremely hot (case hot to touch). The steam pressure gauge was going up and down rapidly but not getting higher than the amount regulated by the pressure switch.

I took the back off and tried to turn it on again to see whether there was a leak, it tripped the RCD.

I stripped it down, checked both boilers (still spotless - filtered water worth it!), I was expecting to see the heater element on the steam boiler pink/burnt out but it looks brand new still. I did notice the water level detector had a small amount of scale on it and wasn't showing continuity so I cleaned that up.

Put it all back together and turned it on without the heater elements connected. Water pumped through fine but I got a small electric shock from the switch (old style) but no RCD trip.

Decided to try and check with the heater elements connected now it's just tripping immediately.

From previous experience, I suspect the heater element has gone (and the switches need replacing but I knew that), but what I'm curious of is:



What caused the fault in the first place?


I suspect it was overheating, pressure getting too high so the valve was working to push steam/water out which caused the appearance of a leak (nothing leaks now it's back together)

Would it be as simple as a failed steam thermostat?

Luckily I've still got a Gaggia Classic sitting around I can use while I try and get to the bottom of this....

Cheers,

NJ


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## El carajillo (Mar 16, 2013)

check the stats with a meter also check the wiring to the stats (signs of burning / overheating ) check the element with a meter UNPLUGGED across the terminals and terminals to boiler case. Is the switch faulty or is it shorting to the frame (stray strands of cable or nicked / damaged cable ?


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

@NitJay possibly the heating element got exposed at the tip and split.


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## NitJay (May 18, 2020)

Thanks both!

I checked a few things with a multimeter this morning , I'm not an expert when it comes to this side of things but:



Steam boiler stat is showing continuity, but giving a strange resistance reading (fluctuates continually) - I think it's toast which possibly caused it to overheat?


I'm seeing continuity and a resistance reading (similar to the reading across the element itself) between the steam boiler heater element and the boiler casing


I'm also seeing a reading between the heater element and the earth point on the chassis


I'm assuming this is why it's tripping the RCD - so I'd need a new steam stat and heater element? Unless it's the join between the element and the boiler that's failed?

I don't see any of the above on the brew boiler.

Cheers,

NJ


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

Sounds like the steam boiler element has failed.


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## NitJay (May 18, 2020)

Just to update and close this out, I changed the heater element and thermostat on the steam boiler and now it all works.

Also took the opportunity to replace and rewire the switches and LEDs which now all work properly 👍

Thanks for the help.


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## El carajillo (Mar 16, 2013)

NitJay said:


> Just to update and close this out, I changed the heater element and thermostat on the steam boiler and now it all works.
> 
> Also took the opportunity to replace and rewire the switches and LEDs which now all work properly 👍
> 
> Thanks for the help.


 Good result :good:


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