# Operating Silvia from bed?



## Doram (Oct 12, 2012)

I am thinking of treating myself to one of those remote controlled mains sockets, so that I can turn on my Rancilio Silvia from bed. This would mean that I will have to leave the machine's on/off switch always on, and instead turn it on and off directly from the mains socket. I am not sure if this is OK to do and if it will have any negative effect. I would love to have some advice from those who have the technical knowledge to say if this would work or if it is a bad idea.


----------



## AndyS (May 12, 2012)

If the boiler runs low on water you will uncover the heating element and may burn it out. Turning Silvia on remotely increases the chance that this will happen, if, for instance, you have a leak or you leave it in steam mode the night before and the steam valve is not tightly shut. Everyone would like to think that they'd never leave it like that, but mistakes happen -- I speak from experience.


----------



## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

I agree, the problem with the tiny boiler machines is just that, the boilers are tiny and any leakage of temp be it steam wand or seal, would mean it will not tke long for that boiler to empty and as such empty boiler means dead element! Not so bad on bigger boilers as much more room if a problem occurs


----------



## Doram (Oct 12, 2012)

Thanks for your reply. I am more worried about *direct *consequences of leaving the machine's switch on all the time, and operating from the socket. You are of course right about the problem you describe, but this is a similar risk that I take by sending the children/wife to turn on the machine, or walking to the kitchen in my sleep, flicking the machine on and going back to bed: I don't stand over the machine when it's warming up anyway. I have had the same Silvia for 15 years (did do an overhaul during that period, tbh), so I hope that I can remember to make sure I have water in the tank and turn off steam mode. So what about direct implications? Are there any?


----------



## painty (Jul 25, 2011)

I didn't even know they made Silvia 15 years ago!


----------



## Doram (Oct 12, 2012)

Bought in Amsterdam, September 1999... 

And I don't think it was a brand new model even then.


----------



## painty (Jul 25, 2011)

Must be one of the first in the UK! - does it have the red and green indicator lights? Also the drip tray was nicer on those early models if I recall.


----------



## Doram (Oct 12, 2012)

painty said:


> Must be one of the first in the UK! - does it have the red and green indicator lights? Also the drip tray was nicer on those early models if I recall.


Not in the UK. I was living in Belgium at the time, and it only arrived in the UK about 3 years ago. It wasn't a brand new model even then, I think.


----------



## pbutterworth (Mar 30, 2010)

I do have my Silvia on a remote switch.

IMHO you just need to make sure that you prime the boiler after each use, which you should do anyway.

I know you don't want to rely on it, but the Silvia does have a thermal cut-out, should it boil dry, I don't see that doing this is any worse than leaving it on all day and leaving the room/house.


----------



## Doram (Oct 12, 2012)

Thanks for confirming this. It is exactly my thoughts. In the long time that I have had the machine, it happened that I forgot it on all day, or all night, and nothing happened. Operating by remote, I thought, should not make a difference in this respect. I just thought that maybe leaving the switch on, but turning the socket off, would be different to turning off from the switch. But common sense drives me to think it is the same, and your experience supports that. So thank you very much!


----------



## Rallen (May 16, 2013)

+1 to the 'doesnt matter how you turn it on'-part. I have been using a timerwatch myself, and it seems to work exactly the same way as turning it on and off.

Have you checked whether your remote controlled socket can handle the silvias watt-usage? I dont know how much it matters, but the ones I saw were rated lower than 1100W.


----------



## Doram (Oct 12, 2012)

Thanks. Some remote sockets are rated 1000W or 1100W, and others are 3000W. The Silvia is 1700W, so to use remotely one must make sure to get a 3000W rated remote socket. Another thing to pay attention to before getting one is that the remote has separate buttons for ON and OFF. Some use just one button (first push to turn ON, and a second push to turn off), so you can't be sure if you turned the socket on or off if you can't see it. I saw a 3000w remote socket with separate buttons in Dunelm Mill for £9, and the lightwave RF ones are also rated 3000W and have separate on/off buttons, but come in a set of three and are more expensive. I didn't try any yet, so can't recommend.


----------

