# Help to fill my boiler - Rocket Espresso Evoluzione



## eww (Oct 19, 2015)

Hi Everyone,

I'm looking for some help and guidance. I have a Rocket Evoluzione which is about 6 or 7 years old.

Recently it stopped working, didn't turn on at all, no light or anything at all. After some basic checks I bought a new electric box circuit board and installed it which seemed to fix the problem....now it does turn on again and seems to work fine, but actually there is no water getting to the boiler. It's empty. Yet the motor is working and the pump seems to be fine... but no water goes from the water reservoir to fill the boiler.

Would anyone have any idea what could be a possible problem?

Thanks!

Ed


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## Wobin19 (Mar 19, 2013)

The evo version is switchable between reservoir (tank) or plumbed in water supply. Is there a chance the switch got moved to plumbed position? The switch is under the lid where the water tank is. Perhaps check that first...


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## eww (Oct 19, 2015)

Thanks Wobin, yes I have tried that. Nothing.

Also when I pull the level up to open the brew head, cold water trickles from the brew head from the water reservoir, but when I close the brew head, the motor and pump continue working but again no flow of any water going to the boiler. If I leave it for a few minutes then the pump starts to heat up so I turn off the machine.

Very puzzling as machine was working absolutely fine until the electrics went earlier.

I'm wondering whether it could be anything to do with the heating element. I've not tested that. If that were broken would that in some way restrict the flow of water from the reservoir to the boiler?


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## 7493 (May 29, 2014)

I don't see how the heating element could restrict the water flow. My best amateur guess is that the solenoid which switches between tanked and plumbed is stuck on plumbed. I don't know which way the solenoid works, i.e. whether it is active on tanked or active on plumbed but, if it is active on tanked, it may have failed or stuck. When you switch, can you hear the solenoid operate? Otherwise, you could have a blockage somewhere in the boiler fill line.

I'm hoping @DaveC will be along in a minute with a more definitive answer.


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## El carajillo (Mar 16, 2013)

There are two solenoid valves in the back left corner of the machine. One controls the mains feed water supply the other controls the tank feed.

Check these, in your case the one for the tank / reservoir feed. May be sticking / stuck or blocked.


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## eww (Oct 19, 2015)

Thanks Rob, I do hear a distinct change in sound when I flick the switch between tank and plumbed. I must say I've no idea how the solenoid values work so I will look into that. Thanks a lot for your help.

I also filled the boiler manually from one of the safety valves on the top. The water did heat up fine, so I know its nothing to do with the heater element, as you thought.


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## 7493 (May 29, 2014)

Hi eww, even though you hear a change it doesn't necessarily mean the solenoid(s) are actually opening/closing. It/they could still be jammed up with gunk.

After you filled the boiler from the top did it work as expected? And did the boiler refill? I'm sorry I cannot be of more help.


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## eww (Oct 19, 2015)

Thanks El Carajillo,

I had no idea about these solenoid values but I just took the one out that seems to link with the tank and looks fine to me. It looks like the valve opens or closes when an electric current passes through it. As I mentioned to Rob, I also hear a distinctive sound change as I switch between the tank and plumbed so I don't believe the solenoid valve is the problem. Also, if that was the problem, then wouldn't that also stop the water flowing through the brew head from the tank when I open the lever on the front? At the moment I can pull up the brew head lever as if I were pulling a shot, and cold water trickles down through the head from the tank. (It doesn't pass through to the boiler first.)

From all of this, I'm starting to think that there is maybe some sort of blockage in the pipes leading to the boiler. Rob mentioned something here as well. I took as many of the copper tubes off and they all seem to be good, and allow air/water to pass ok. But I haven't checked yet the place where I believe the water would enter the boiler which seems to be by a relatively thin copper pipe at the bottom of the boiler. The pipe also enters at a right angle, so it makes it difficult to just insert a paper clip straight into the boiler to check for a blockage.

I've recently moved to a very hard water place, from a very soft water one. I was using the machine with hard water for 3 to 4 weeks before the electrics went (as described at the stat) and then the machine has been idle and empty for about one month since then. Perhaps during this time there could be solidification of the limescale in the small entry to the boiler which is blocking the waters entry.

Might this be the issue? If so, any idea how I can unblock the entry to the boiler?

Gracias


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## eww (Oct 19, 2015)

Thanks Rob, your guidance is really appreciated already! I'm learning new things every day with this experience... just really missing my good daily coffee now!

I did take the solenoid valve apart and it really looks clean as a whistle. Can't see how that could be the problem.

When I filled the boiler manually, it heated the water fine and water flows out good and hot through all three exit points on the front of the machine (the brew head, hot water pipe and steam wand). But as soon as the boiler empties, the motor and pump start whirring again to draw the water from the tank but nothing comes through again. Back to where I was before.

Thanks again..


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## funinacup (Aug 30, 2010)

How does the small clear plastic filter look? It's situated just underneath the tank. Could be gummed up and restricting flow?


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## Eyedee (Sep 13, 2010)

As I don't know the machine at all this could just be a shot in the dark but could the fill pump be air locked, centrifugal pumps will not pump air.

Ian


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## eww (Oct 19, 2015)

Hello Michael,

That's clean and water flows through it without problem.

Thanks for the suggestions.


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## El carajillo (Mar 16, 2013)

When you say you checked the solenoid, did you just check the electrical component OR did you take the valve part to bits and check to see it was clear and moving?

Have you checked the boiler fill probe ? Is it clean , is it scaled up ? If this is faulty it could be giving a false reading and telling the system the boiler is full.!!


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## 7493 (May 29, 2014)

The pump runs but no water flows. Therefore I doubt it's the water level sensor. Did the pump stop when you filled the boiler manually? If so the level sensor would appear to be doing its job. Did the pump run and water flow through the head when you raised the lever with a full tank? If it did and water flowed then the pump isn't airlocked. If it didn't then it might be.

This is looking more and more like a stuck solenoid. Not the electrical part, the valve it controls. I'm sure I've seen a video on Youtube about dismantling and cleaning these but I can't find it.


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## eww (Oct 19, 2015)

Hola El Carajillo,

Yes I really had a good look at the valve and it opens and closes smoothly. Looks very clean as well.

Also, if it were the boiler fill probe then I think it wouldn't even try to fill the boiler, but that is what it tries to do, everything is pumping trying to get the water from the tank to the boiler but it's just not getting through.

I just disconnected one of the pipes that runs from the pump to the boiler, and then I turned everything on to see if there is any flow and check the pump is not air blocked as suggested earlier by Ian (Thanks Ian, good video link about the stuff as well!). When I did this the water comes gushing through the pipes from the tank, so I really start to think this is some issue in the boiler itself. I wonder somehow if the entry to the boiler is blocked with limescale! Could it be that or am I crazy?

Could that possibly be the cause of all this?


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## 7493 (May 29, 2014)

Certainly worth checking the entire flow route for blockages. That might be as simple as blowing through the pipe leading from the pump to the boiler with the lever up. (And the power off of course!)


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## El carajillo (Mar 16, 2013)

OR remove the pressure or vacuum valve and see if you can blow into the boiler and hear the air going in (it might be easier than blowing throw the group as you have the (gicleur) = jet which which will restrict your ability to blow through the brew head. 0.5 mm jet ?


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## eww (Oct 19, 2015)

Rob and El carajillo, I just want to thank you, as well as everyone else who gave ideas and suggestions here. I am pleased to say that water is now flowing into the boiler again and we seem to be all systems go!

It was indeed a problem with the solenoid valve, the one which at the back right and seems to be more linked to the flow of water to the boilers. I took all of them apart and they all looked fine. Then I swapped the one at the back right with the one which connecting to the plumbing. It now works fine.

Since I never use the plumbing source I suppose I am ok to continue like this without the need to replace the faulty solenoid, but please shout if that's not advised.

What an amazing forum this is!! In just two or three days I've had a whole host of useful suggestions that have really helped me understand my machine better, diagnose the problem and get it up and running again!

Really fantastic feedback from people who clearly know a lot about coffee machines!

Will let you know later how the coffee turns out. Thanks again to all!


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## 7493 (May 29, 2014)

Really pleased you've got it working! I'd be inclined to replace the dead one if only to give you a spare in case it happens again.

Hope you have many delicious coffees from now on!


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