# Arrarex Caravel blowing house circuit breaker



## Jollybean (May 19, 2013)

I have tried to fire up my Arrarex Caravel version 1.2 after it being in the cupboard for six months. It is blowing the house circuit breaker as soon as I switch it on.

I suspect it could be an issue with the element but replacements are hard to track down. Brooks Espresso are out of stock and are not planning another production run for six months. Any ideas at what I could try to diagnose the problem and possibly fix it. I have seen suggestions to run it with the earth disconnected similar to the process for soaked Gaggias, but am a bit concerned about the safety of this.

Thanks for any tips


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## Rincewind (Aug 25, 2020)

Jollybean said:


> ...I have *seen suggestions* to *run it with the earth disconnected* similar to the process for soaked Gaggias, *but am a bit concerned about the safety of this*...


 Hi you are right to be concerned about safety. Even if this machine was the same as the one you've seen suggestions about (i don't think it is the same), then the one AND only piece of advice i will give so far is *DON'T DISCONNECT THE EARTH WIRE...IT'S THERE FOR A REASON.*

If it's blowing/tripping your house breaker *and you don't know what is causing it then don't try and fix it*....if it was say a light-bulb not working or a tap dripping or say some other non possibly LETHAL fault then i'd offer help/advice where i possibly could....but as it's as per your 1st opening line above i will NOT give you advice on what to check...sorry.

Get a reputable electrician to check it 1st; fix it or bin it depending upon fee/s charged by said electrician....this bit is your choice/decision. Once the safety side of things is sorted; hopefully there won't be any more issues....if there is then here as you know is where knowledgeable/experienced people will probably (no guarantee) have the answer to the next fault (should there be one)

Good luck either way.


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

Jollybean said:


> I have tried to fire up my Arrarex Caravel version 1.2 after it being in the cupboard for six months. It is blowing the house circuit breaker as soon as I switch it on.
> 
> I suspect it could be an issue with the element but replacements are hard to track down. Brooks Espresso are out of stock and are not planning another production run for six months. Any ideas at what I could try to diagnose the problem and possibly fix it. I have seen suggestions to run it with the earth disconnected similar to the process for soaked Gaggias, but am a bit concerned about the safety of this.
> 
> Thanks for any tips


 *I wouldn't run the machine without the earth connected.* Follow the normal procedures for diagnosing an earth fault and if you suspect the element....remove it, check it and replace it.


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## Jollybean (May 19, 2013)

@Rumpelstiltskinand @DavecUK Thanks both for the good advice.

The suggestion was from the francescoceccaarelli site specifically for a Caravel as the link below but as you say it does seem unsafe

http://www.francescoceccarelli.eu/Faidate/arrarex/resistenza_eng.htm

Is there anything I can safely check myself with a multimeter with appropriate guidance before I call in the electrician. The element and terminals are very easy to access and I believe the element itself is just push fit so easy to remove.

I will post some photos later of my element and wiring to give a clearer idea but here is a link to some stock images of the machine to show the basic setup

http://www.francescoceccarelli.eu/Macchine/Arrarex/caravel_1.2_amaranto_eng.htm

I also intend to use a hair drier on the terminals to see if I can dry out any moisture that may have accumulated while not in use

It is such a beautiful piece of engineering and about the same age as me so I am very keen to keep both going as long as possible 😀


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## HDAV (Dec 28, 2012)

Drying and cleaning the connections is a good start. The machine is tripping a normal domestic RCD? Moisture could well be the issue, the element is basically a big resistor so if you have an impedance function on meter you should be able to check it (Brooks should be able to tell you the spec of a good element if they manufacture them)

any signs of leaking? I'm wondering if the "disconnect earth" if just a means of drying the element without power tripping 🤔 safer with a hair dryer for certain..... these machines were built well before RCDs were common


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

Inspection of the element is critical, usually there will be some surface defect where moisture is entering the sheath, wetting the MgO inside and providing conduction from the inner part of the element to the earthed outer sheath. Running it without an earth allows it to heat and "drive" the moisture out....of course it is not something "I" would feel comfortable recommending you try.

The other problem is if it's tripping a standard over current breaker or an RCD....with RCD protection becoming ubiquitous, things that would have worked in the past, often no longer work so well today. A breaker will ignore a small mA leakage to earth as there is insufficient power to trip it....Imagine a 1kW heating element leaking to earth. You would have to have an additional 10 amp leakage to earth before a 13A fuse blew and likely more than that. So this theoretical 1kW device can draw 3kW (because of a fault) and never blow the fuse. It may of course show other signs of operating abnormally, but if it's a faulty heating element sheath, with a resistance to earth of some higher ohm valve say 30 Ohms plus, on a normal breaker you may never know.....unless the earth becomes disconnected, you in some way you are able to become a low resistance path to earth....Hence, the "old school" fixes don't work so well today.

The RCD changed all that at a combined total of 30mA for all devices on the same RCD, it will trip after an additional; 7W is being drawn, if that 7W is flowing to earth. Effectively a high resistive path to earth of 8,000 ohms is enough. It's why it saves you from dying...Although it's important to mention that if you are well insulated from earth (more than 8,000 ohm) and you touch each side of the live connection with your hands...the RCD can't tell it's you rather than a heating element or some other valid electrical device and won't save you (cos theres no imbalance...what went in came out)!

*If your caravel is tripping a normal over current only breaker, then you really have a fault that needs repair, or heating element replacement.*

I'm not insulting anyone's knowledge here, but there are a few things with electrics that are not obvious to someone without sufficient training or knowledge. I was having some work done a while ago when the electricians assistant/apprentice told me something I asked him to do with a high power connection wasn't valid, I explained it was, why and the obscure part of the regs that covered it but he had never learned it in college, or perhaps forgot. When his boss came, the lad explained and the boss said "don't worry about it", connected it up as asked. He explained that the lad had no experience of that ever having been done but it was fine and within the regs. The moral of the story is know your limitations, as soon as your not sure....you have reached them.


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## Jollybean (May 19, 2013)

@HDAVand @DavecUKthanks both for your replies. I will not be messing with the earth but will inspect the element as suggested and see if any obvious signs of cracking or moisture. Good idea to ask Brooks about the correct impedance. Your helpful comments are much appreciated 👍


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

You want the resistance figure really....it's going to be 40-48 ohms ish depending on heating element power. I'm sure an ohmmetter on each heating element terminal will show a correct resistance...it would even if there was a big hole in the sheath. The problem you will have is accurately measuring earth leakage from the element, especially as this is a very low resistance value if an RCD is tripping and at meter test voltages of 9V, may not even be measurable!


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## Jollybean (May 19, 2013)

He's alive. Thanks everyone for your advice. I had forgotten what a fantastic shot this makes 😀


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## Missy (Mar 9, 2016)

It really is beautiful. Whatwas the problem in the end? (Or rather what was the fix I guess?)


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## Jollybean (May 19, 2013)

I think it must have been a small amount of moisture in the element causing the tripping. I removed the element which is very easy as it just pulls out once the kettle is removed from the body. I cleaned the contacts, gave it a blow dry with the hair dryer and stuck it back in. First time it tripped the rcd after about 30 seconds which was better than before as it was tripping immediately.

I let the residual heat from the 30 second operation dry out any remaining moisture and after trying it again it all now works as it should.

Not bad for a machine that is pushing sixty years old 😀


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## AndyDClements (Aug 29, 2016)

If you search you'll find there's a chemical (think it's a type of epoxy but probably not the normal stuff) which is used to seal the ends of heating elements. Once the element is fully dried (so not just dry enough to work once without tripping the RD, perhaps several uses and no moisture getting near it) you could re-seal the ends.

I was reading about it as a route to a snapped terminal on an element. OE have a solution, but unless you can buy a small amount somewhere it's £80+ for Glyptal enamel.

https://www.orphanespresso.com/Heating-Element-Sealing-_ep_610-1.html

Having re-read it was both epoxy & Glyptal

https://www.orphanespresso.com/Olympia-and-La-Pavoni-Shorted-Heating-Element-Repair_ep_620-1.html


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## StevenG91 (Dec 7, 2019)

AndyDClements said:


> If you search you'll find there's a chemical (think it's a type of epoxy but probably not the normal stuff) which is used to seal the ends of heating elements. Once the element is fully dried (so not just dry enough to work once without tripping the RD, perhaps several uses and no moisture getting near it) you could re-seal the ends.
> 
> I was reading about it as a route to a snapped terminal on an element. OE have a solution, but unless you can buy a small amount somewhere it's £80+ for Glyptal enamel.
> 
> ...


 High temp epoxy putty of ebay is cheap and works a treat. You could also consider adding this cheaper than glyptol

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RED-AIR-DRYING-VARNISH-HIGH-VOLTAGE-ANTI-TRACKING-AIR-DRYING-VANISH-70KV-100ml-/142016839037?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49292


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## Jollybean (May 19, 2013)

Andy and Steven thanks for the heads up on this. Will do a bit of reading and research 👍


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## Catlady101 (Sep 26, 2020)

would this be any good?

silicone rubber moldable putty

( i use it for all sorts but never on coffee machinery)

comes in different colours


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## Jollybean (May 19, 2013)

Thanks very much Catlady. That sugru is really useful stuff by the look of it. Whilst it is working I am not going to tinker any more but will keep all these useful suggestions to try in future if the problem reappears 👍


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## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

Such a great little lever machine, one of the few that can be completely stripped and re assembled without any tools


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