Descaling the Rancilio Silvia
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 เม.ย. 2009
- 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!
Thanks for your feedback -- great to know that these are helpful for you :)
Kat
Just LOVE Gail 😍 What a card, cannot help but SMILE! Thank-you, 😘Gail for all your very helpful videos! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻😄
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
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!!
These videos are awesome. I appreciate you taking the time to make an espresso newbie less intimidated!!
Thanks for the great feedback! - Kat
@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
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!!
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!!!
❤️🤗
I wish we had a satellite store in Melbourne!! :) Thanks for the feedback, so glad that you are finding the videos helpful :) - 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
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!!!
You're welcome! Thanks for watching :) - 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.
@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.
@jayscott49 Great to hear! Glad we could help :) - Kat
Thanks ladies.... This is something i need to do right now. All the best!!!!
Thanks ladies, I’ve been meaning to tell you that you have made a real positive difference to my coffee fun. Andy
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
@alphaatube Thank you!! We try to do a few per week so hopefully that will meet your needs :) - Kat
We've never done that in all these years - thanks for the tip! :) - 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
Thank you!!! Yay for happy Silvias. - Kat
Thank you, outstanding! I live in Mexico, and quality info really matters!
@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
@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
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
@mbarigian Thank you!! Glad we could help :D - Kat
yeah, you are right! My mistake, sorry. Thanks for your response. Your videos are very very useful.
@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
@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
thanks Kat, I'll give it a shot and let you know. I love this coffee maker.
Really great videos! Thinking of buying a silvia 09 and your videos helps alot!
Yes, I discovered the same thing the other day. Wish I'd googled and seen this first!
Happy to help!!! :) - 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
@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
@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
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
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
@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
@TheEspressoKid If she said chrome, I think she meant stainless steel; that's where we have seen the discoloration - Kat
@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 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!
Hi Kat! Your videos even help me in Sweden,, great!!!
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
@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.
@tinbiscuite We do have another video on brew head maintenance and back flushing that you may want to watch ... - Kat
THanks Gail and Kat you girls are the very best!!! ;o)
Super informative, thank you❤️
@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
Can't wait might be getting vv for bday tomorrow
Thanks Gail!
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! :-)
that explains it. thanks alot for this video!
Thanks for the Vid, I already had cleancaf so i used that, but will go with dezcaf next :D
Thank you for the helpful videos!
Very useful, thank you!
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!!
Really helpful. Thanks.
Thank you superladies. Greetings from Hungary, Europe. :)
thank you gail!
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
With respect to regular maintenance, is it best to descale first before backflushing, or does it matter?
How is new jersey water? I have brezera bz07, what filter can I get for it. It's older machine.
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.
Perfecto :D - Kat
@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
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 :)
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 ???
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
thanks for the manual. in my silvia the water came out green, is that the calcium or the copper boiler reacting to the acid?
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!
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
Do you need to have the brew head handle insitu?
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!
Will this break up crap that's stuck in the solenoid valve?
Can/should the shower screen be removed during cleaning? I'd imagine that would make it easier to get rid of chunks.
@HomeDistiller I got a notice on it but it isn't in my list to approve for this video -- can you resend it? - Kat
Yay!!!!!
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.
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?
Hi, I noticed the demo is for an earlier version of Silvia, is the process for Silvia 3 any different?
If you don't drain the boiler / waterworks completely, you'll have water in there and it will contribute to scale build up. - Kat
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
Maybe this is a stupid question but does the machine need to be heated up for descaling or does it have to be cold?
Cafiza tablets are detergent as far as I know, not citric acid; you'll need something that is citric acid based for descaling. - Kat
@richborge Cool - please do! - Kat
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!
Dezcal says 1oz per 32oz water. Silvia reservoir is twice that. Shouldn't the reservoir be 1/2 full when adding Dezcal to avoid over diluting the solution? Saying to fill it 3/4 to full seems to me too much water per 1oz Dezcal, lessening effectiveness. Also, I stir the solution before each 20/30 minute interval to avoid solution settling.
Yay!!!! :D - Kat
do you remove the in-tank water softener before descaling Silvia?
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.
@theseriousaccount Hahaha -- true :) - Kat
@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
@damndoggy Yes- definitely - Kat