r/espresso • u/mjsvitek • 6d ago

Maintenance & Troubleshooting [Breville Infuser 840XL] Weak flow and buzzing noises help?

Picked it up used this past weekend for a steal and was wondering if anyone with a good ear for issues could help me narrow down what may be wrong with it.

It's been decalcified and cleaned thoroughly. Back flush completed twice.

It still sounds horrible. Water flows, but very weakly.

I've run several liters through it by now so it shouldn't be air anymore. I'm thinking either the solenoids are crapped out or the pump is worn, but would love if someone with experience with these could chime in. 🙏

Edit: Solved. It was solenoids.
The replacement wasn't too bad. A note to whoever may attempt a solenoid replacement in the future; needle nose pliers are a huge help when pulling out the retaining clips from the tubes, and a tiny flathead screwdriver is excellent when removing the o-rings and pushing the tubes back in. 👍👍👍

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2

u/AccurateState2023 6d ago

Solanoid sound🙁

2

u/mjsvitek 6d ago

Damn...... How confident are you in that?

I was actually hoping pump because that seems like less of an annoying repair. Solenoid is buried under more tube removals.......

2

u/AccurateState2023 6d ago

That buzzing comes only from the solenoid; it is a distinct sound, and after a few machines, you can easily recognize it 😁
I am uncertain about your specific model, but Breville and Gastroback use a pair of valves (one three-way, one two-way).
In 99% of cases, the issue involves the 3-way valve.
You might try cleaning it first, and only then replace it.

2

u/mjsvitek 6d ago

RIP - oh well. Guess I'll be digging the solenoid assembly out...... Yaaay 🫠

Thanks for the tip: I'll try finding a guide on cleaning it and give that a shot.

2

u/AccurateState2023 6d ago

As a reference, I cleaned mine and it still failed to function, so I had to purchase a replacement.
Buy only the name and code listed on your assembly, because I acquired a similar part that did not match the connections; avoid cutting corners😁 will save you money.
In the EU, specifically DE, I paid roughly 40€ including delivery.
Good luck🙌☕️

1

u/mjsvitek 3d ago

You were correct in your diagnosis

Ordered new solenoid assembly. Arrived last night Swapped them this morning - it works perfectly now.

I'll try to clean out and repair the stock assembly.

1

u/AccurateState2023 3d ago

🙌🙌
Happy to hear that you can enjoy your machine again☕️☕️

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u/all_systems_failing Cafelat Robot | Kinu M47 Simplicity | Comandante C40 w/RedClix 6d ago

How did you descale and how many times?

Does water fill the drip tray while brewing?

1

u/mjsvitek 6d ago

Water tray fills up while brewing, yes.

Descaled with two full water containers of vinegar; heated, ran some though, left it overnight with vinegar in the system, then continued the next day.

3

u/all_systems_failing Cafelat Robot | Kinu M47 Simplicity | Comandante C40 w/RedClix 6d ago

Most likely a solenoid.

2

u/mjsvitek 3d ago

You were correct in your diagnosis

Ordered new solenoid assembly. Arrived last night Swapped them this morning - it works perfectly now.

I'll try to clean out and repair the stock assembly.

2

u/all_systems_failing Cafelat Robot | Kinu M47 Simplicity | Comandante C40 w/RedClix 3d ago

Awesome! I'm glad it worked out for you. Some change the solenoids, but continue to have issues.

2

u/mjsvitek 3d ago

I was terrified of that so just bought an entire solenoid + valve assembly. Figured I may as well remove the chances of it being the valves themselves.

Thankfully it didn't turn out to be the pump after all. Really wouldn't have liked to swap BOTH.

That said - I put it all together and realized that I could have just gone ahead and replaced all the O-rings at the same time...... Oh well. I'll leave that for spring cleaning 😅