Descaling your espresso machine
Elise PorterDescale Instructions - This applies to most of the machines in the Bella Barista product range.
1. If your instruction manual has instructions for descaling, please use those instructions as the primary instructions, and please use the following as secondary instructions.
2. Remove water from reservoir (or on direct water connect, shut off valve on water line, and disconnect espresso machine's water intake hose from water connection)
3. Remove any water treatment devices (ie water softener, osmotic pack, etc.) from the reservoir or intake hose.
4. Follow instructions on descale product to acquire proper solution ratio as most descales require a mixture with water into a mixing container/pitcher. With Citric Acid use 50 grams dissolved in the reservoir and fill with warm water to dissolve the crystals fully.
5. Pour descaling solution into water reservoir (or on direct connect machines, pour into a large separate container). Make sure not to get any solution on any of the machine finish as it can ruin it permanently. If you do, completely wipe the solution off with a damp terry cloth.
6. Place one 150 ml or larger cup under the group head with a porta filter attached to the group head.
7. Place one 300 ml or larger cup under steam wand and place one 300 ml or larger cup under the water wand. Properly dispose of descaling solution from cups as they near the filling point
8. Press the power switch to 'on' and turn on both boilers.
9. Activate the machine to get solution through the group head. You should get about enough solution equivalent to the coffee boiler size of your machine. This will fill the entire boiler with solution. Stop and allow machine to fully warm up. On a direct water connect machine, you must watch that the pump is sucking in solution by watching the level of solution go down. If it does not, then the machine has to be sent in for service.
10. Open hot water wand valve knob or depress hot water switch to full open position.
11. Let about 100 ml of hot water to escape, then close valve knob until you hear refill pump stop. Then repeat until you have displaced approximately one-half of your steam boiler. Please keep in mind that your steam boiler is only usually half full.
12. Let machine sit heated for 20-30 minutes so the solution descales the internal parts of the machine.
13. Activate the group head so that all remaining solution in the reservoir passes through the group head. Empty container as it nears fill point.
14. Remove reservoir, dispose of any remaining solution , and thoroughly rinse reservoir. On a direct water connect machine, this is the point you can re-connect the intake water hose to the water line, open the water line valve, check for leaks, then proceed.
15. Wipe water reservoir hose(s) on machine with a wet terrycloth.
16. Refill reservoir with fresh water and place back into machine.
17. Since we last filled up the coffee boiler with a newer solution, it is better to let it sit and rinse the steam boiler first. Place large empty container
18. Open hot water wand valve knob or depress hot water switch to full open position.
19. Let about 100 ml of hot water to escape, then close valve knob until you hear refill pump stop. Then repeat until you have displaced approximately two times the size of your steam boiler. For example, if the steam boiler is 1.5 litres, you should displace about 3 litres of freshwater.
20. Activate the machine to get solution through the group head. You should get about enough solution equivalent to two times the coffee boiler size of your machine. For example, if your machines has a 1.5 litre coffee boiler, you should run about 3 litres of water through the group head. HOWEVER, you cannot run this all at once as most tank models need a cool down period for the vibration pump. For every minute you run the pump active, you should give it a two (2) minute rest period. This is to avoid damage to the pump.
21. The machine has successfully been descaled.