do you have to turn your machine off ?

Remus

i know this may sound like a stupid question.

someone i was speaking to was horrified that i never turn my machine off. is it really that bad for the machine ?

i never had a prob with the pavoni in 5 years and my ecm giotto seems fine so far.

?

askthecoffeeguy

At work I always leave my commercial machine on overnight, but on a low setting, so that there's a quick start-up time first thing in the morning. Funnily enough, at home, my old Baby Gaggia is ready to go within two minutes of switching it on, but I never leave my semi-commercial Bezerra on, even though it takes around ten minutes to heat up! ACG

nzroaster

Some machines are safe to leave on, some are not. We have an eco setting on our Reneka which lets the boiler temp drop to 80, and turns the circuits off. Most cammercial machines can beleft on, but I know Bezerra are supposed to be turned off due to the pressure stat arrangement.

Remus

so anyone know about the giotto ? it's plumbed in so it won;t have a water shortage issue. it gets turned off maybe once a month when i give it a clean.

FreshCoffee2

The reason we ALWAYS recommend a plumbed in machine be turned off when its not in use or overnight, is because if you leave it switched on, you have to leave the water on, and you never can tell when the water inlet pipe or water filter is going to burst. Simple as that. When (and not if) the felxible water inlet hose to your machine bursts, and it does so while you're there, you quickly work out whats wrong & turn it off and get help. When it bursts and you are not in, or asleep, your house

Remus

thanks for the answer FC. But isn't that the same as a dishwasher or washing machine ? they are both left on all the time aswell with the water tap always on. i was more concerned about busting the machine than the water problem.

FreshCoffee2

yes it is kind of the same as with washing machines. Leave the lines pressurised at your own risk. Sooner or later, and it could be 20 years later. Or it could be in the first week of delivery of a brand new machine with a dodgy inlet water line. Its a gamble I am not willing to take as I have seen the results first hand several times. OK in terms of leaving your machine "electrically" switched on indefinitely (& ignoring the above & the need in tnat case, to leave the water line pressurised).... All components have a "designed in" service life. If you leave something switched on indefinitely, even if you only actually use it for 5 minutes per day, its still ON 24 hours per day. Under that scenario, the first to wear out (literally) on your semi commercial will be the pressurestat/microswitch. Rubber seals will harden prematurely through being affected by heat, so the group seal will probably start to allow leaking over the top if the group handle a lot quicker than on a machine that is only switched on and off when being used. The same goes for the steam and hot water tap seals. Etc. Essentially then, you "wear out" your machine faster for no gain in use, especially considering that semi commercials are ready to brew coffee within say 12 minutes, and that accounts for the group thermosyphoning to a proper brew temperature, not just for the boiler to go to set pressure (which it will do in about 6 minutes) Hope this helps give a more technical or academic slant on the subject. Regardz, FC.

Remus

thanx mate. appreciate it.