# Sage Dual Boiler Repairs in Glasgow?



## Jiiim (Jan 5, 2016)

Anyone know where I could get a Dual Boiler looked at in Glasgow?

My machine keeps on tripping the power circuit every morning. I'm wagering it is a leaking o-ring building up steam around the circuits. The o-rings at the top I'm confident in changing, but others seem totally inaccessible.

It's out of warranty, and sending it to Sage last time was a nightmare.

Does anyone know of someone in Glasgow that could take a look at it?

Jim


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## shaun**** (Oct 24, 2015)

you could try these guys. don't know if they fix sage machines, but would be worth giving them a phone to ask.

https://www.theespressoshop.co.uk/


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

@Jiiim SAge only have one authorised dealer for the UK (not 100% sure if that covers Scotland) and that is coffeeclassics.co.uk

They mend and carry a full set of spares that are not normally available to others


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## ajohn (Sep 23, 2017)

I've not needed to use Sage other than a warrantee claim but did talk to the engineer who came. There are repair people scattered around the country to cover certain areas. That's fine but having an engineer visit to fix adds to cost. The cheaper option is to send the machine direct to coffee classics. It pays to keep the boxes they came in and use some cling film to prevent say the drip tray bouncing about.  My refurb DB was a little scratched in places due to the drip tray. Only a little fortunately. Maybe send without bits that could bounce around but ask.

If you want to have a go yourself you need to look. No point in guessing. The culprit is usually the O rings that can be got at extremely easily but it could be a number of things. Looking may save you a lot of money so up to you really.

One problem with looking is the change in the lid fixing screws under the front. It will be wise to buy a screwdriver set with the correct bit for them in it. Doesn't cost much. They are not philips and using those may wreck the screw heads. Once out they may as well be left out. Mine are in the accessory tray. I'll point you at a suitable set if you like after I make sure it has the correct bit in it. I have several sets, not unusual for me to have to take things apart. They build up as new irritating screw heads come out. This one is an improvement IMHO.

If you google Sage espresso repair a link to a site will pop up. They complain about Breville but there is another link to a company that repairs Gaggia and will also quote for Sage. How much they can do pass but Sage do not make all of the bits in their machines so depends on what needs replacing.


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## Jiiim (Jan 5, 2016)

ajohn said:


> I've not needed to use Sage other than a warrantee claim but did talk to the engineer who came. There are repair people scattered around the country to cover certain areas. That's fine but having an engineer visit to fix adds to cost


 I phoned coffee classics (effectively Sage) and they are not doing call outs siting Covid. Also, last time my machine broke the wait to get an engineer to Glasgow was several months.



ajohn said:


> The cheaper option is to send the machine direct to coffee classics. It pays to keep the boxes they came in and use some cling film to prevent say the drip tray bouncing about.


 Yes, I've done this before and it was a nightmare to be honest. Packaging the thing up (I didn't keep the original box because it's a heck of a size of thing when you've got limited storage), arranging courier, dealing this phone-calls, payments, the waiting, the cost. It was a pain from start to finish. And all it was was some simple O-rings in the top of the machine that I could replace myself.



ajohn said:


> If you want to have a go yourself you need to look. No point in guessing. The culprit is usually the O rings that can be got at extremely easily but it could be a number of things. Looking may save you a lot of money so up to you really.


 I have replaced the o-rings on the top of the boilers myself several times without issue, however I can hear a leak that I cannot identify the source of, it seems like it might be coming from and inaccessible area below / to the back of the boilers, which would seem to involve much more stripping down. That, plus the fact that electric shorting is now involved leads be to know my limits and seek someone trained to deal with it.

I was hoping there would be someone local with the skills to give it a go.

The fact that Sage do everything through coffee classics, and won't even supply parts to anyone else in the UK (I had to order the o-rings from a retailer Australia!!) really lets an otherwise excellent coffee machine down. It's a shame (especially as Breville seem to give good service in other parts of the world) but it would make me really reluctant to buy another Sage.


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## ajohn (Sep 23, 2017)

If you look on home barista you'll find details of dismantling further. The dreaded thermal fuse I think but there are various posts on them and bits and pieces on youtube,

Something spraying the fuse would cause grief but I don't think there is much in the lines of mains electricity down there - the pump for instance. The brain is cased. Mains is around on the heated group head as well and the solenoid and the circuit board attached to the lid.

I ordered O rings from Oz too but only to get the correct sizes. There is nothing special about them. Their BE kits is worth having as well because it comes with a part that takes ages to wear but does eventually - the tank seal. I ordered both early on for the other spares that come with them but I've yet to have a grouphead seal fail so far.

Coffee Classics did sell all of the spares until a couple of years ago. Sage told them not to. Coffee Classics told me that they can provide part numbers which suggests Sage may sell them when they have that available.

The valve on the steam boiler can act up as well. It can on all at some point. Probably a standard espresso machine part but as Breville very likely to be stainless.

Personally I consider it's cost compared with equivalents and moan about the flow meter being in the wrong place but have to be realistic when comparing with the price of machines that do that the correct way. It can work within limits though. Then it appears to do all of the technical bits rather well, stainless boiler - look at the price of equivalents. I see can be descaled pretty easy as important.

Curious how often do you change the O rings, how many years have you had it and how many shots has it pulled? This page mentions how to find that and other mention a number of things that can crop up

https://outwestcoffee.com.au/index.php/2018/12/01/how-to-access-the-breville-bes-920-fault-log-and-what-do-the-codes-mean/

A survey of sorts on homebarista suggest O rings every 3 years.


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## Jiiim (Jan 5, 2016)

ajohn said:


> Curious how often do you change the O rings, how many years have you had it and how many shots has it pulled? This page mentions how to find that and other mention a number of things that can crop up


 The machine is about 6 years old. It's been away to Sage once, in 2019 and it had the o-rings changed then, and a de-scale and a looking over. I've also changed accessible o-rings since then, each time I've seen them leaking etc. The shot counter is reading 6140.

I actually took the top of today, and can see any obvious leaks. I does seem to short out when the pump comes on... it was happening each time I hit the single shot button when I had the top off. Also, the pre-infusion not longer works, and hasn't for a wee while.

Jim


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## ajohn (Sep 23, 2017)

😳 £1100 / 6140 = 18p a shot.  If you bought another make the steel frame may have rotted through,

Might just be the pump. There are some video around on changing that. Ulka 48w even listed on Amazon. I think a review mentions ok in an Oracle. Or leak, that, OPV and anything else around there. Davec mentioned pumps usually last ~5years. Mine on the DB may be getting weak in ~3 years but could be more but I run ~300ml every time I make a drink.

The video shows wire cutting - why I don't know as they look to be spade connectors. Also probably more dismantling than needed to get at the bottom bracket - rubber support I think so may be tricky to just pull out.

A Sage descale may be a full one that includes getting any sludge out of the boilers.

The other area is the heater connections to the group head heating.

The heaters are live while the machine is plugged in  remember that. They are turned on with triacs but can still give people a belt. Same with the solenoid which is also on Amazon. Coil too but not 100% sure on that. I think they use the same one on all machines. The solenoid is obviously DB / Oracle and even has the stainless base.


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## Jiiim (Jan 5, 2016)

Do you think a warn/faulty solenoid would cause tripping? I can get it to trip the circuit pretty repeatably when I hit the single shot button... but then it sometimes just trips halfway though a double shot as well.

Sadly a recommended local repairer said they can't help as Sage refuse to sell parts... as expected.

I love the machine, and want to repair it. But honestly the service from Sage really make me want to avoid the brand in future... I think I'd be looking at a Rocket R58 in future, even though it is twice the price for very similar features.


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## Jiiim (Jan 5, 2016)

The things I love about the Sage are:

- The dual boiler (I make a lot of flat whites in succession)
- The auto turn on/off in the mornings
- The ease of adding water (I'd consider a plumed-in option to make this even easier!)
- The repeatability of shots... I always use the same beans, and I like the fact I get the same thing more or less every time with the Sage.

From a brief look around, the only thing that seems to fit the bill is the Rocket R58 Cinquantotto. It's double the price, which is a little much to swallow, but would it have the reliability and serviceability I'm looking for?


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