# Fracino Heavenly Water Temperature Adjustment



## span (Jun 7, 2021)

Hi,

New to the forum. Recently bough second hand Fracino Heavenly machine (single boiler I believe). I am getting 83 C water from the group head (as measured using meat thermometer from a fully heated cup). I feel this to be too low. Also I am getting 88 C from the water dispenser in case this is useful information. Measurements were taken after letting machine to be on for at least 1hour and after some flushing.

I have opened the machine and it has a pressure adjustment switch that is easily accessible.

Would anyone suggest a way on how to increase temperature from the group and what temperature should I aim for?

Many thanks


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## span (Jun 7, 2021)

I might have found a solution after some research. Here is is In case this might help other.

So my machine had around, or just under 1 bar pressure (boiler pressure that it). Recommended boiler pressure is around 1.2. So who ever was using this machine was making expresso at a maximum temperature of 83 C. Not ideal...

So the machine has a Sirai pressure switch P203T01. It has an adjustable screw that can be accessed easily. One rotation of the screw changes pressure by about 0.1 bar. So I will do two rotations, maybe three and measure temperature again. These pressure switches seem to be shared amongst several machines.


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

span said:


> Hi,
> 
> New to the forum. Recently bough second hand Fracino Heavenly machine (single boiler I believe). I am getting 83 C water from the group head (as measured using meat thermometer from a fully heated cup). I feel this to be too low. Also I am getting 88 C from the water dispenser in case this is useful information. Measurements were taken after letting machine to be on for at least 1hour and after some flushing.
> 
> ...


 Welcome to the forum...

Firstly it's unlikely you are getting brew water at 83C hitting the coffee....that's just the result of the significant temperature drop due to the process of it arriving in the cup. I can also prove this to you.

Water exits the main boiler due to the pressure of steam....around 1 bar pressure, which means the temperature in the steam boiler is at 120C. The water from the water wand is accompanied by steam and is essentially at just below 100C as it exits the wand...lets call it 99C.



You measure hot water at 88C in the cup a difference of 11C.


You measured the brew water at 83C in a heated cup....add the 11C difference to that and you get 94C as it exits the group and arrives at the coffee.




span said:


> I might have found a solution after some research. Here is is In case this might help other.
> 
> So my machine had around, or just under 1 bar pressure (boiler pressure that it). Recommended boiler pressure is around 1.2. So who ever was using this machine was making expresso at a maximum temperature of 83 C. Not ideal...
> 
> So the machine has a Sirai pressure switch P203T01. It has an adjustable screw that can be accessed easily. One rotation of the screw changes pressure by about 0.1 bar. So I will do two rotations, maybe three and measure temperature again. These pressure switches seem to be shared amongst several machines.


 Someone probably set it like that to minimise the flushing they would normally have to do to bring the temp down slightly. The heavenly has a 2.8 or 2.9 kW heating element and a fairly large boiler, it can easily maintain the pressure at around 1 bar (as long as you kick the element into action when you purge the want and steam while it's still lit up.

your change will have increased the boiler temp by around 3C


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## John Yossarian (Feb 2, 2016)

My recollection is that this machine (Fracino Heavenly) needed quite a bit of flushing to reduce the temperature before the shot. Have you tried pulling a shot to judge the temperature by the taste of coffee? This by far should be the best way to see whether it produces what you expect.

DavecUK has explained very clearly your situation.


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## span (Jun 7, 2021)

Thanks for the replies.

DavecUK, thanks for the comments. I am little confused how to water could be at 120C in the boiler at 1bar. According to conversion table water at 120C would yield a pressure of about 2bar. As at 1 bar or jus below we are only taking about atmospheric pressure so the water would be at 100C, not 120C.

The recommended pressure of 1.2bar would yield a temperature of only 105C in the boiler. Accounting for the transmission losses of around 12C (seeing that I am getting 88C from the water spout from around 100C boiler it makes a reasonable estimate). I am measuring the water temperature as it is exiting (either the group or the hot water spout)

My idea was to extrapolate the correct boiler pressure using the exit temperature (from either group of hot water spout) as I don't seem to be able to control much else. Sorry, if I missed something but this got me little confused

John Yossarian, I have made only couple but nothing that came close to a good shot. I did notice that the temperature seemed very cold which has led me to investigate the pressure issue before going further. I am waiting to receive the naked portafilter, 21g (by edesia_espress) to continue pulling shots. As I am new to this I am yet to dial in the grind but I have a dedicated grinder just for this (Fracino K6)


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## John Yossarian (Feb 2, 2016)

You can check this graph







and you will see that what you see on the pressure gauge should be added to the atmospheric pressure, i.e. 1.2 bars should be 2.2 in the boiler, whence the 120 deg C. The table in the link is in Fahrenheit.


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## span (Jun 7, 2021)

Thanks John! Yes this makes much more sense. And yet I am more confused why my temperatures are so much below 100C, especially the 88C water wand situation...

I will make more shots once my potafilter arrives and get my grinder set


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