Descaling the Rancilio Silvia
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- Опубліковано 15 жов 2024
- Watch our updated video on how to descale the Rancilio Silvia!
• How To Descale A Ranci...
Gail shows us the ins-and-outs of descaling the Rancilio Silvia, also discussing descaling in general for single boiler & heat exchange espresso machines.
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wow 10 years, a lot has changed about video tutorials. this is a gem. no fuss, just pure info. thank you.
I freakin love you! You know more than anyone and you're so easy to follow when demonstrating, my silvia has a guardian angel!
Just LOVE Gail 😍 What a card, cannot help but SMILE! Thank-you, 😘Gail for all your very helpful videos! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻😄
You've helped me so much as I learn about coffee with a view to opening my own café.
Huge thank you. Keep the videos coming!!
Thanks for the feedback -- glad to help!
Thanks Gail, well presented and easy to understand, Descaling went well and my Silvia like new again. cheers
Thanks ladies.... This is something i need to do right now. All the best!!!!
These videos are awesome. I appreciate you taking the time to make an espresso newbie less intimidated!!
Thanks for your feedback -- great to know that these are helpful for you :)
Kat
Thanks for the video. I purchased my Silvia and Baratza from Seattlecoffeegear. Fortunately, they are on the way home from work! They have been very helpful and a pleasure to do business with.
Thanks for your great instructional video's. After watching several of your videos over the past few weeks on repair, backwashing, descaling, tamping, tampers, etc, , I order the descaling and backwashing products you recommended plus a nice Reg Barber tamper and your Rancilio repair kit. Uh I haven't cleaned my Rancilio since I bought it 6 years ago so I know Gail is going to yell at me :) I like your folksy fun style of videos. It's like listening to my sister talk to me :) Thanks!!
Cool! Yeah, if you can remove the brew head screen to clean up behind that, you might try doing that, too, since that black junk sounds like old coffee -- it can form into a cement if left without cleaning for awhile. Happy to hear you brought it back to life! :) - Kat
I wish we had a satellite store in Melbourne!! :) Thanks for the feedback, so glad that you are finding the videos helpful :) - Kat
Thanks for the great feedback! - Kat
Thank you, outstanding! I live in Mexico, and quality info really matters!
@greekespresso Hi there! Thank you for watching -- and it's great to know that we have some happy (and informed) fans in Greece! :D Regarding your question: I would highly recommend removing all components during descale; we have seen the citric acid tarnish portafilters, drip trays, grates, etc. Remove everything when doing this to ensure it all stays shiny. It likely is affecting the shower screen but we don't remove it from our machine and haven't seen any issues. - Kat
you are great and so IN the material! thx a lot - since i watched your guides-through in how to make this and, how to do that on rancilia, i started to feel comfortable on handling with it!!!
❤️🤗
It went great! You guys were right about the steam wand. It was getting a little stiff and now it is nice and smooth. Thanks!!!
Happy to help!!! :) - Kat
Yes - it's on my to-do list, once one of them in the shop need a descale again. I'll check in this week and see what they're looking like :) - Kat
Really great videos! Thinking of buying a silvia 09 and your videos helps alot!
Hi Kat! Your videos even help me in Sweden,, great!!!
@asarmetta You could use Cleancaf; we don't recommend it for espresso machines because it does have an element of detergent in it (it's made for coffee makers) but I do know some folks do use it. - Kat
@richh04 Hey there -- you can only descale a plumbed system if you hook it up to a flo jet type pump and a water bucket that would have the descale solution in it. It's highly recommended to use an line filter and/or softening system for plumbed in machines, then you won't have to descale, etc. - Kat
Thank you!!! Yay for happy Silvias. - Kat
yeah, you are right! My mistake, sorry. Thanks for your response. Your videos are very very useful.
We've never done that in all these years - thanks for the tip! :) - Kat
thanks Kat, I'll give it a shot and let you know. I love this coffee maker.
Might I suggest that cross-reference your related videos in all clips? The maintenance clip includes urls to descaling and back flushing; it'd be handy to have urls in all places. Thanks!
Super informative, thank you❤️
Thanks ladies, I’ve been meaning to tell you that you have made a real positive difference to my coffee fun. Andy
THanks Gail and Kat you girls are the very best!!! ;o)
Thank you very much for the video! I wish that there was a store like yours near me (Central NJ). I'm thinking about buying a Silvia, and if I do it would defiantly be from your online store!
You're welcome! Thanks for watching :) - Kat
@richborge Hmmmmm -- this could be the result of some scale broken off and not dissolved, hanging out maybe around the expansion valve. Are you noticing any other leaking? You could try running another descale to see if that resolves it and, if not, call the techs with your order number & they'll troubleshoot further over the phone. Kat
Hi Kat, love the videos, they are very informative; please keep them coming. Being pretty much a newbie to espresso coffee, I found that I've learnt so much, my only wish is that you and your store were based in Melbourne, not the other side of the planet! :-)
On the Silvia you have to use the wand to remove the water from the boiler (faster than pulling it through the group head) so it's going to flush it anyway as a result. Did that answer your question? Not sure what you're getting at. - Kat
@richborge How's it going? Hoping that the whistling has been kept at bay :D & thanks for the feedback! Glad the videos have helped. - Kat
@SeattleCoffeeGear ... I may be speaking too soon, but I do think the extra descale treatment worked. So far so good, no more whistling. Fingers crossed. thanks Kat!
PS: your videos are fantastic. I rely on them a bunch for maintaining both Rocky + Rancilio.
With respect to regular maintenance, is it best to descale first before backflushing, or does it matter?
@alphaatube We just did another test on freezing beans, with very good results, actually. As a general rule of thumb, if you're getting beans that haven't been preserved (a lot of large commercial roasters will do a nitrogen flush which keeps the beans fresher longer), you want to use the beans beginning anywhere from 3 - 7 days after it has been roasted and within a week of opening the bag. At the store, we keep our open beans in Airscapes with great results. We're testing more options now.
@noanik Does your RO setup replace minerals for flavor or is it completely distilled? Descaling isn't driven by how much you use the machine (like backflushing is), just by duration (water is always sitting in the boiler/waterworks regardless of use). I'd test the hardness of your RO water and go from there; often, those systems will retain some mineral content so that the water tastes good. - Kat
@coffeeretro The intake tube should be cleansed through a tank rinse and the other is the overpressure tube, so you could force water through it by turning on the pump but not opening up the steam/water wand -- you'll see the water cycling through the boiler then. If you're using dezcal, you can also taste the water -- as soon as you don't taste a citric/sour taste, you're good to go. - Kat
@jayscott49 Great to hear! Glad we could help :) - Kat
@MsRanita79 Dezcal is more concentrated, but you can also use bulk citric acid, too. You'll need to use a bit more than we do in this video. - Kat
Dear Gail and Kat,
I would like to congratulate you for your very informative and at the same time very enjoyable videos. You are very popular in my forum where there are numerous links to your presentations. My question is regarding the use of dezcal. Is there any threat to the chromed surface of the silvia’s portafilter and shower screen? Is it safe to have the pf attached to group head during descaling?
Greetings from Greece
@TheEspressoKid Either or will work, really; if you have harder water, you might notice some scale buildup in the basket or PF, but commonly you don't. It's your choice. - Kat
Can't wait might be getting vv for bday tomorrow
Helpful video. I have a question about why it's best to descale on a machine where the boiler is off. I am curious as to why this is.
Yes, I discovered the same thing the other day. Wish I'd googled and seen this first!
@billcalkins Completely mineral free water/distilled is very hard on your boiler and the waterworks, so we do not recommend using it. If you can add minerals to it, you'll be better off in the long run (something like Cirqua would do the trick). - Kat
Thanks for the info. I am wondering if using water from reverse osmosis system I installed at home is good for the espresso machine and how long should I descale with such water supply? Does using this kind of filtered water make shot lose its flavor?
Thanks, this is good information. But -- you mention that there is no need to flush the steam wand to eliminate the descaler, since steam is vapor. Right. Why, then, do you need to descale the steam wand at all? Presumably no calcium dissolves into the steam so there should be no build-up in the steam wand, especially if you only use it for steam, and not for hot water. But scale loosened from the boiler may be forced into the steam wand during descaling, causing it to clog. Please comment
Thanks for the Vid, I already had cleancaf so i used that, but will go with dezcaf next :D
@alphaatube Thank you!! We try to do a few per week so hopefully that will meet your needs :) - Kat
This is something you should do every few months, depending on the hardness of your water. Keeping everything intact is a good idea because scale can build up in all of the waterworks. - Kat
Hi Gail and Kat, thank you for all the great info. I purchased a Rancilio Silva from you a few months ago and love it. It seems that after the first time I descaled it, it started making a slight "humming or whistling" sound when the boiler is finishing a heat cycle. It sounds like a muted tea pot whistling. It stops immediately if I release the pressure on the steam wand. I'm guessing it has to do with the boiler / steam release valve? Any ideas on what I might try to stop the whistle? thx!
@cwei10 It should be; I would test the water hardness level that is still present after the filtration to determine how frequently you should descale. It's a good idea to have some mineral content in your water in order to balance the coffee's flavor (the recommended mineral content in water for coffee is 150ppm) so you want to have some mineral content in there -- distilled water will definitely adversely affect the flavor. - Kat
@KrazyCoffeeKid depends on the hardness of your water, but we generally recommend every 3 months. More if you have high mineral content water & you're not filtering it at all - Kat
Yes, you can use straight up citric acid; the blue-ish water is the chemical interaction between the acid and the mineral build up. That's just a sign that they had a lot of scale to clear out ;) - Kat
@mbarigian Thank you!! Glad we could help :D - Kat
Thanks for this helpful video. Does anyone know if it is dangerous to the machine to run the water down entirely as you empty out the cleaning solution? I am always paranoid about running the machine if the tank is near empty, but it seems like doing that is implied with this process. TIA!!
Hello, thanks for the informative video.
Is there any chance you could post an HX version? (I'm hoping to put my hands on an Oscar soon).
Thanks a lot
Thank you for the helpful videos!
So I was unaware about descaling and cleaning. instructions/setup at the time of my purchase 11 or 10 years ago were not as clear as they are now - like getting test strips with your machine to test water. I used either local spring water or double filtered well water for my machine ( whole house sediment and fridge charcoal filter) So my machine stopped working as gale described. I had to replace my groups water screen and i descaled withe Quick and clean descaler. it took about 30 or forty tank fulls of water to get no white powdery residue to stop coming out of my machine after two descaling operations / one overnight and the other over hours. Do remove/unscrew then flush the groups water desperion assembly and clean /replace Impossible to get the coffee that gets jammed in there from overfilling the group head like i did. I learned the hard way. Yes i have had my water tested and have been told my water is fine. But i have issues with what is in my well water Iron and other minerals.But rancilio say you still need some in there for the machine to work properly and for taste. If i buy a new machine i will look for one that is entirely built of stainless. especially the parts that come in contact with the coffee. my group heads silver has long been dissolved away.
I would like to add WHY you should use a commercial descaler i have researched that corrosion inhibitors are added to help with the acids eating away at the metal. Thanks for a great Video.
@coffeeretro It would just be to address if there was any descaling solution up in the tube itself, if it came into contact with the water, not to address the valve system. - Kat
Thank you so much for the information. I have a Silva (version 3) and want to take very good care of her. Like the person above I have RO water that does not replace any minerals. They state it is 99.9999% pure water. Do I need to decalcify? I plan to decalcify every 6 months just in case. I want nothing to happening to my little Silvia ;) Thanks for the great vids and the next time I buy, I'll keep you guys in mind.
thanks for the manual. in my silvia the water came out green, is that the calcium or the copper boiler reacting to the acid?
is it the same procedure for a silvia if one were to use cleancaf? I was given a box of cleancaf by a friend, and dont have dezcal (yet). Thanks!
@brownedirt Yeah, I don't really have the time to cross reference all 400-odd of our videos these days so you'll just need to use the power of search! :) - Kat
Will this break up crap that's stuck in the solenoid valve?
Descale every few months -- more or less depending on how hard your water is. Don't backflush the VV, it doesn't have a three-way valve and you'll damage it. - Kat
Thank you superladies. Greetings from Hungary, Europe. :)
Hi, I noticed the demo is for an earlier version of Silvia, is the process for Silvia 3 any different?
Just thinking, Im quite new to all this and have a silvia and not descaled yet. Only have it a month. Would it be better to descale with the shower screen detached from group head so the slurry etc doesnt get caught up in it.
I would try it; depending on the machine, it could also be coffee caked up behind the brew screen. Feel free to message me with the machine model and I can see if I have any more tips for you. - Kat
@TheEspressoKid If she said chrome, I think she meant stainless steel; that's where we have seen the discoloration - Kat
Maybe this is a stupid question but does the machine need to be heated up for descaling or does it have to be cold?
Thanks for the help I'm new to the espresso world even though I've loved coffee since I was 3 and my dad let me try his large mocha and he didn't get it back :)
Hi! I bought the Urnex Cafiza tablets (not for backflushing) for descaling my Silvia. Can I follow the same procedure for descaling than Dezcal? Thanks!! :-)
How is new jersey water? I have brezera bz07, what filter can I get for it. It's older machine.
No - this isn't necessary, a lot of minerals are leached before they reach the brew head, so we never see machines with three-way valves that have scale build-up in the valve. If you backflush with detergent regularly, that is all you'll need to do to maintain that system. - Kat
@HomeDistiller I got a notice on it but it isn't in my list to approve for this video -- can you resend it? - Kat
Does descale powder go bad? Mine is super clumpy after sitting around for one year. I am thinking it's just moisture though?
Hi Kevin053092, doubtful that it is going bad. You are probably right with guessing the moisture is the issue!
That is a good question
@tinbiscuite We do have another video on brew head maintenance and back flushing that you may want to watch ... - Kat
Hi Gail, I have been watching lots of your videos and I enjoyed all of them! Thank you for all the hard work you do to let us know more about coffee and the fine ritual of making it! I’m really in a quest for the best espresso possible, I had many espresso machines, automatic, semiautomatic, manual, commercial grade and the “two for a buck”
Now I have two commercial ones on my counter, a
1) La San Marco 95-22-3 this one it’s giving me hard time with calibration of all the pressures, temperatures and quantity of water…
2) Rancilio S27, works good!
From your experience which one of the two it’s best to keep?
Thank you!
Here's a response from Brandon in commercial sales:
In the home a commercial machine does not really provide much of a benefit over a home machine with a rotary pump like the Rocket Evoluzione's or R58. So I am not sure either would be better or worse. The primary reason a commercial machine no a days would be better is in terms on volume, which in a home that does not matter. (and I am talking 50-100 drinks not 10). They are both heat exchange machines on working on the last generations heads, and technology so really the only difference would be the San Marco does not have the turn dial steam knobs like the Rancilio. That would probably be the only factor I would consider. Both should be perfectly capable of the same pressures, but I don't think you would see much temperature stability as that was not as much of strength of the machines from that era.
Thank you!!!
Can/should the shower screen be removed during cleaning? I'd imagine that would make it easier to get rid of chunks.
Hello,
do you make 2 times( quarters of 20 min) the process with dezcal and then 2 times with clean water or 4 times the process with descal and then with clean water ???
Do you need to have the brew head handle insitu?
You can't on the older versions of this machine (V1 & V2) but V3, you can unscrew the tip with a bit of force. - Kat
Could I ask what is the main component for the cleaning power, is it " citric acid" only, or something else? I am glad to find this video, I am from Taiwan, there are few information about Rancilio Slivia; thanks !
It is primarily citric acid, but it also has Aluminum Sulfate and Sulfamic Acid. www.cw-usa.com/common/images/other/dezcal-msds.pdf
Seattle Coffee Gear thanks a lot, your response is so professional.
Seattle Coffee Gear but I see the ingredient list contains no Aluminum Sulfate, because it is noted (N/A).
Thanks Gail!
@ryanland1 I don't believe that will work. Citric acid will break down the mineral build up and it seems like the sodium wouldn't do that since it is a mineral base. It could be that it is used for cleaning the machine but not descaling it. Unless it specifically says to use it in the boiler for descaling, I wouldn't do it. - Kat
Really helpful. Thanks.
The rancilio boiler is made of chrome plated brass and the brass contains some lead. Gail mentioned that the citric acid can ruin chrome plated spoons. Does this mean we should not use solutions that has citric acid to descale the machine? We don't want the brass to be exposed do we?
Hello maryd916, Rancilio recommends using water softener (if needed) whenever possible so descaling is not needed as often, but you are able to descale the V3 with no issues. ~Sarah
If you don't drain the boiler / waterworks completely, you'll have water in there and it will contribute to scale build up. - Kat
Cafiza tablets are detergent as far as I know, not citric acid; you'll need something that is citric acid based for descaling. - Kat
Very useful, thank you!
Yay!!!!!
love your vids and i hope my video response to this video helps to show WHY you need to descale a boiler