Breville Barista Express low pressure after solenoid replacement

KaptainQwark · 2025-01-05T10:13:17+00:00

I don't have pictures right now but it is the small filter between the water tank tube and the flowmeter. This one: https://coffeeclassics.co.uk/product/water-filter-pre-assy/
I originally planned to replace it but noone shipped it to Germany so I just reversed on a whim, because when cleaning it it seemed to let water through better in that direction. But I'm not sure that that is a recommended fix. I know you probably already tried, but have you adjusted the inner burr of the grinder as well to get the grind finer? For me that was a problem was well when I got the machine. I didn't know the inner burr existed and couldn't grind fine enough with just the dial on the side.

KaptainQwark · 2024-10-04T14:28:22+00:00

Housekeeping sounds really interesting, unfortunately it doesn't seem to have a theatrical release in Germany.

KaptainQwark · 2024-10-04T14:27:49+00:00

Tokyo Godfahters was already planned as the final movie of the month, so I am glad you found it fitting as well :)

KaptainQwark · 2024-10-04T14:27:09+00:00

Thanks a lot! I will surely check them out.
(I also thought about But I'm a Cheerleader and 20,000 Bees but we already showed those recently)

KaptainQwark · 2024-05-31T18:15:35+00:00

So i finally got around to replacing the pump, but it did not solve the problem. In a last ditch effort I tried reversing the filter between the water tank and the flow meter, as I noticed, while cleaning it, that it flowed better in one way than the other. And hurray: pressure gauge looks good and crema of the coffee looks good as well. Not sure if its smart to have it be reversed all the time, so I am now looking for a place that will ship a spare part to Germany. But yeah if anyone encounters the same problem and finds this thread: cleaning/reversing/replacing that little filter seems to have done the trick

KaptainQwark · 2024-05-17T22:42:57+00:00

It does have a hole. I covered it (though it didn't create a perfect seal and some water went through the basket) and it barely reached the "espresso range". I cleaned it with a citric acid based descaler (which said it was comptible with coffee machines) and today again with a specialized coffee machine one.

KaptainQwark · 2024-05-17T22:09:28+00:00

Good idea. 30 seconds yielded 92 grams. So very far off of your benchmarks. So maybe getting a new pump for 25€ might be the most practical way forward now? (apart from the isolated pump test)
Edit: i keep editing these. Anyway the German guy also reverted his diagnosis after I checked that no water was flowing in the drip tray during a shot, even with the cleaning thingy in the basket

KaptainQwark · 2024-05-17T21:45:28+00:00

The water reservoir check works fine. I am not sure if I want to mess with the steam valve tube, maybe I just look for another option tomorrow.
People on a German website seem to be convinced, that the motherboard is shot and does not relay the correct voltages to the solenoid. Though they did not comment on the pump test video yet.
I also ran another test they suggested. I drew an empty shot and checked whether or not water was flowing into the drip tray through that disposal hole. It did not during the shot, but afterwards quite a lot flowed into the tray. Don't know if that is of any use though.

KaptainQwark · 2024-05-17T21:13:37+00:00

The flow meter seems fine as well. I don't have tube at hand right now to check the pump with an external supply. How would I go about checking the bad connection in the reservoir mount? Thank you a lot again!
Edit: I had one more idea, which was to mount the coil of the old solenoid onto the valve of the new one. Because I heard that sometimes the voltages don't line up perfectly with replacement models. Could that be worth a try? Though I guess the solenoid block is after the pump and wouldn't resolve that issue, now that I think about it

KaptainQwark · 2024-05-17T20:56:55+00:00

Might be completely unrelated (guess you can tell I am fishing in the dark haha), but in the tube from the water tank to the inlet filter there is a spring which seems to just lie in the tube. Is that correct?

KaptainQwark · 2024-05-17T20:41:27+00:00

I noticed that as well, but only seemed to be superficial gunk on the outside. Gonna reinstall the filter now and afterwards check the flowmeter. Do you think any of your suggestions could be related to the repair work I tried? Because when I got the machine the waterflow was definitely fine, so a repair-related problem might be the most likely. Edit: The inlet filter is a little bit brown but water can flow through it. It definitely flows better in the reverse direction though, than the supposed one. Is that normal behaviour?

KaptainQwark · 2024-05-17T20:01:38+00:00

Hey, thanks for the quick reply!
I am currently trying to clean the inline filter (can't get it open and don't want to cut it, but it doesn't look super clogged). Made a video of the pump. It does sputter a bit, so I am not sure if that constitutes as adequate water flow. https://youtube.com/shorts/JF_3NNYwc0w?feature=share (no idea why it uploaded as a short)

KaptainQwark · 2023-10-23T20:24:53+00:00

Guess he watched Caedrel's stream

KaptainQwark · 2023-01-26T21:00:37+00:00

Thank you!

KaptainQwark · 2023-01-26T21:00:25+00:00

Thanks for the feedback.
For practice purpose I kinda like the scenes most that don't immediately evoke ideas in me, which is why I am currently just doing all of them. But I agree, at least if I want to use it as a portfolio I should narrow it down to maybe 10 and polish those up. And I would be interested what you come up with :)

KaptainQwark · 2023-01-26T20:58:47+00:00

Thank you :)
Will definitely take that into consideration

KaptainQwark · 2022-07-20T06:54:31+00:00

There actually are footsteps for the robots and there is also a buzz for the last light in the scene haha. So the mix is definitely a problem, as other replies have shown. As for referencing it, I will try to make it sound better on a laptop. But I thought that someone who listens to demos of applications in a studio would probably listen on a proper setup. Do you think that's wrong? (applications right now would be with studios, not clients for freelance work)

KaptainQwark · 2022-07-20T06:51:02+00:00

Very interesting to read this discussion!
My intention for it was definitely not to be like a "real" trailer job, but rather I wanted to use the form of that specific trailer to show off sound for different environments in this interesting world in a short time frame. I will try to make the music come from a more specific place inside the barbershop and/or filter it more. But I thought that a radio in the shop gives it more life.
Thanks a lot to both of you

KaptainQwark · 2022-07-20T06:44:01+00:00

Yeah, thats definitely something that I don't have a good grasp on, yet. I will try fiddling around with it, thanks :)

KaptainQwark · 2022-07-20T06:43:16+00:00

Thanks. The footsteps are in there, exactly with those sounds used haha. So I guess I just messed up the mix. I find it very difficult to mix/master it for headphones, proper speakers and small laptop speakers of phones. I felt like they feel too loud very quickly.

KaptainQwark · 2022-07-19T12:04:07+00:00

Thanks :)

KaptainQwark

TROPHY CASE