Any coffee machine needs to be descaled from time to time. Water contains calcium and magnesium salts, which when heated break down and form a sediment that turns into scale. Over time, the speed of water flow slows down, the power decreases, the mechanism overheats and ultimately this can lead to breakdown. We tell you everything about descaling a Saeco coffee machine: when, how and what to do it with.
How do you know when it's time to descale?
Saeko coffee machines signal that it is time to clean. On average, this happens once every three months, but it all depends on how intensively you use the device and the quality of the water. The coffee maker has a special meter that determines the volume of water and, depending on its hardness, recommends cleaning:
- If there is a screen, the inscription “Descall” is displayed on it;
- If there is no screen, the corresponding indicator on the panel turns on.
You can tell that it’s time to clean your coffee maker by the change in coffee taste – a little chalky, soapy, or cloudy.
Varieties of Saeco. Coffee machines
Saeco is a famous Italian brand that has been delighting us with its coffee machines for more than 30 years. Since 2009, Saco has become part of a division of the Dutch company Philips. And now Philips Saeco delights us with their developments again and again. This company has many branches, each of which has its own task, such as design, construction, research, etc.
In our country, these coffee machines have taken root and gained great popularity. Judging by the variety of all Saeco equipment models and technical indicators, we can say with certainty that these are some of the best machines of our time, which can surprise even the most experienced coffee lover. We highlight several of the main types of coffee equipment, namely:
- Professional. Installed in cafes, bars, restaurants. There are one-, two- and three-group ones. Often these coffee makers have the ability to connect to a water supply.
- Capsule. Small Saeco devices are mainly for home use.
- Automatic or in common parlance “buzzers”. Perhaps the most common Saeco coffee machines are household machines that automatically prepare all types of drinks. Usually installed in offices. They are also often purchased for home use.
- Super automatic. Installed in places with high traffic. Drinks in such Saeco machines are prepared at the touch of a button.
The Philips Saeco range is very diverse. It doesn’t matter if you are the owner of an XSmall home coffee machine or an office Royal Carpucino - in the event of a breakdown, RUSCOFFEE will do everything possible so that you can again enjoy a drink prepared on your own Philips machine as soon as possible. Repairs are carried out exclusively by experienced specialists. After eliminating the breakdown and correctly setting up the Saeko device, this is how it is pronounced correctly, you will be surprised how the taste of the drink will most likely change, of course, for the better.
What happens if you don't clean it?
Saeco coffee machines are quite reliable and work for a long time, even when the system is very dirty. But it’s better not to do this, because you can ruin the mechanism, and the coffee won’t be as tasty. Here's what happens if you don't descale:
- The drink turns out less strong, since the water cannot heat up to the desired temperature in a short time.
- The coffee machine is noisier, heating water and its passage are complicated.
- The volume of the drink becomes slightly smaller.
- Due to improper brewing, a beautiful foam cannot form.
- A whitish coating, microparticles, and scale fragments are visible in the cup.
Timely and proper descaling of your Saeco coffee machine extends its service life and ensures the perfect taste of coffee.
How to Know When Cleaning Is Needed
The frequency of cleaning a Saeco coffee machine is a purely personal matter. It is very stupid to wait for any special signals, because a stage may come at which ordinary cleaning is no longer sufficient, and you will have to make expensive repairs.
If you know that you have hard water in your area, then monthly preventive measures are a must. If it is soft, then a six-month cleaning frequency is quite acceptable.
But those who neglected the timely procedure may notice the following problems:
- the finished coffee began to flow out more slowly and with less pressure;
- the operation of the machine is accompanied by an unusual hum;
- a white sediment appeared at the bottom of the cup of drink.
These are the very critical signs that indicate that your Saeco coffee machine requires cleaning.
Coffee machine descaling products
Saeco offers its own special products that are guaranteed to remove even old plaque without damaging the device from the inside. You can also use Philips products; the Saeko brand belongs to them, so the products may say either way. As a last resort, take any other professional cleaning products designed specifically for coffee machines, and not for descaling in general.
It is better to take liquid products, but you can also take tablets - in this case they are dissolved in the specified amount of water.
Do not use liquids based on mineral acids. They can be recognized by the sulfamic (NH2SO3H), sulfuric (H2SO4) and hydrochloric (HCL) acids they contain.
We do not recommend using citric acid, heated Coca-Cola and similar products that are used to descale teapots, although there are also positive results of such cleaning of coffee machines online. The risk of damaging thin plastic tubes is quite high, and if something goes wrong, repairs will be very expensive.
Repair of Saeco coffee machines in Moscow
Causes of device malfunction
The Saeko brand has proven itself as a company producing functional and easy-to-use coffee machines. The buyer remains satisfied with the design and ease of operation of the equipment. But no matter how strong the technology is, time and attitude to it take their toll. Irregular cleaning, rare replacement of filters and ignoring the rules for using the machine provided by the manufacturer lead to frequent breakdown of the device.
Examples of negligent attitude towards coffee equipment
Coffee machines often break down in offices. Excessive load, using hard tap water, eating greasy, wet or coffee-flavored beans will literally kill your coffee machine. A layer of grease from coffee contaminates the filters. Scale settles on the internal system of the device. In this case, cleaning and decalcification are not carried out or are carried out rarely. These actions are the reasons for the rapid failure of the device.
It is easier to care for your Saeko machine at home. However, even at home, users forget about preventive measures: constantly cleaning the tray from processed coffee, cleaning removable parts of the machine with detergents, decalcification in a service center once every 6 months.
Diagnostics
In order for the machine to work smoothly, you need to systematically seek help from a service center. The office specializes in repairing coffee machines. Our work is distinguished by: an integrated approach to work, attentiveness to each client, accurate diagnostics with a guarantee for all types of repairs.
Diagnostics involves assessing the general condition of the machine, searching for the cause of the breakdown, and further repairing it. The success of coffee machine repair largely depends on correct diagnosis. Indeed, if the doctor misdiagnosed the patient, then the treatment will not help. Something similar happens with a coffee machine: if the cause of the malfunction is diagnosed incorrectly, then the Saeco repair may take longer and be performed poorly or not done at all.
Saeko coffee machine repair
Don't worry if your equipment breaks down. Our service center technicians will help your coffee machine like an ambulance. High qualifications together with long experience will ensure quick diagnostics and high-quality repair of coffee machines.
The best option is to diagnose and repair Saeco coffee machines within the walls of a service center with professional diagnostic and repair equipment.
Based on the results of technical diagnostics, you will need either:
- preventive work;
- maintenance, in which the machine is partially disassembled, with the replacement of hoses, gaskets, etc.;
- complex repair, when the unit is completely disassembled and the engine, multi-valve, control unit, etc. are replaced or repaired.
By calling the company’s service center, Saeco repairs will turn into a pleasure, and will not be like “going through agony.”
Automatic descaling of Saeco coffee machine
It is advisable to find instructions, since some models have their own characteristics, but you can cope without them. You don't have to turn off the machine, but it must be cooled down so that the water heating boiler does not become hot. It will not heat up during the process, but you should not clean it immediately after you have prepared the drink; wait at least an hour.
- Pour cleaning agent into the water container. The standard proportion is 250 ml of product and 750 - 1000 ml of warm, but not hot water. You can simply add water to the top mark.
- Place a bowl under the pouring spout to collect the used product.
- Press the auto clean button for 5-7 seconds to start the cycle.
If the last cleaning was carried out a long time ago, you can first brew 2-3 cups of hot water, then turn off the hot water tap, and brew 2 cups of coffee along with the cleaning agent, and only then run a full auto-cleaning. Of course, pour out the coffee.
Structure of cleaning work
Cleaning steps:
- decalcification – removal of scale using special cleaning agents;
- cleaning the water supply system from contaminants using water or using capsules with a chemical;
- elimination of deposits on the surface of the container where the drink is brewed;
- cleaning the cappuccino maker from waste generated during operation using special solutions.
These works are carried out at the place where the machine is used. Cleaning can also be done using mechanical action on areas of contamination if the chemical treatment method does not produce results.
Descaling a Saeco coffee machine without autocleaning
You will need some time, so allow about two hours for the entire process. During this time, you will have to focus exclusively on the coffee maker. The coffee machine must be cold; hot acid is stronger and there is a risk of damage.
- Dilute the cleaning agent in water and pour it into the water container.
- Turn on the coffee maker and pour in 3 cups of water.
- Unplug and let stand for 10 minutes.
- Do the previous steps three times.
- Turn off the hot water tap and brew the coffee with the cleaning solution until all the liquid is gone.
- Rinse the water container and operating unit with warm, clean water. Pour water into a container and run it through the system. Repeat 3 times.
Cleaning methods
The instructions for your Saeco coffee machine describe in detail how to descale it. But if you came here, it may be lost or additional methods and tools are needed.
The Xsmall series has a special automatic cleaning function. She does the washing herself at startup and at the end of the program. If the coffee machine is a little cheaper, then all responsibility falls on the owner.
A good decalcifier (cleaner) is a product purchased at hardware stores. Such compositions are produced by the same companies that make the coffee maker itself. The packaging describes the method of use and dosage, which makes it easier to use.
For those who prefer proven home methods, citric acid can serve as an analogue. This food additive actively fights scale.
Initially, all removable parts of the Saeco coffee machine are washed, after which a solution is made from powder (cleaning agent) and hot water (per 30 grams, 4 tablespoons of liquid). The mixture is poured into the compartment with the same volume of cold water added, after which the program starts. When ½ of the solution has poured out, you need to pause the program so that the second half of the solution can begin thorough cleaning. A 30-minute stop will be enough, after which we complete the task we started. You can get rid of the sour taste by running clean water through the coffee maker a couple of times.
Chronicles of a Freelancer
I spent a lot of time yesterday until I managed to understand what was meant in the instruction manual for Russian users that came with this coffee machine.
Since, I think, this information will be useful to many, if not all, owners of Saeco coffee machines, it was decided to write a small educational program (abbreviated as educational program: elimination of illiteracy) on exactly how to descale Saeco Royal Professional. I’ll note right away that judging by the simplicity of the software of this coffee machine, most likely this sequence will be suitable for their other machines.
To begin with, if your Saeco coffee machine shows the message Decalcify on its display, which means “descale,” then you should carry out the Descaling procedure. I saw such a message somewhere on the 850 cup and six months after purchasing the machine. It should be noted. that we use only purified water and a Brita Intensa filter. There is a small chance that this message could have appeared earlier when using tap water.
Saeco Royal announces Decalcify
How to clean the machine:
First, you should remove the water filter
It is expensive, and you need to change it every 2000 cups, if you use, of course, purified water, and not the fresh water that comes out of the taps. In Lviv, the water quality is simply terrible; the deposits in the kettle, when using tap water, build up within a couple of boilings. Therefore, I personally think that using a filter is mandatory.
Next, you should pour half a cup (100 ml) of this product (Pufas Glutoclean descaling agent) directly into the water container:
This case is sold in Ukraine in Epicenter supermarkets. This case costs 100 hryvnia ($12). Whether to use the branded, 8 times more expensive product from Saeco is a personal decision. I decided that Saeco was a little brazen with their prices. Let's see if I was right or wrong.
Next, you should fill the water container to the very top. In the coffee reception area, under the paranello, you need to put a saucepan of about 2.5 liters. If you don’t have one, you can use a smaller container and a glass, which you change alternately. The liquid drain cycle takes about 1 minute, that is, it is advisable to do this near the sewer, or have an additional container. You can use this container:
Next, press the menu button and select (press the “down” button many times) Descalling mode
When Descalling mode is found,
Press the “Enter” button (upper right). Descaling appears on the display screen.
After this, you need to turn the “paranello” handle (bottom in the photo) to the extreme position counterclockwise, that is, open it:
The machine will begin to pour water. He pours out about 50 milliliters and takes a break for a minute. All this will be repeated until the water in the container runs out. This task takes from 45 minutes to an hour. I will unknowingly perform this procedure twice.
As soon as this happens, that is, the water has run out, close the “paranello” tap and pour out everything that is in your container. Place the container back. Press ESC on your keyboard. This is the bottom right key. Select the “Signal Descal” menu item, enter it with the “Enter” button, change its value Up-Down. to “Yes”, and press ESC several times to exit the menu. After which the machine stops showing a message about the need to clean. And it displays the normal menu.
After all this, you should perform the procedure for preparing cappuccino four times using clean water as “milk” and pouring it into the water container until full. This cleans the cappuccino maker tube and the cappuccino maker itself.
Next, you should place the container and drain all the water using the boiling water preparation mode (top left button).
That is, you pour all the water into the container through the paranello. It will take some time. And you may have to take a couple of breaks. After this, insert the water filter. if you have about 2000 cups, then replace it with a new one, of course. Fill with water. That's it, the machine is operational.
Now on the frequency of service. This procedure should be done about every 500-600 cups. You can see how many cups have been prepared at the moment in the menu; there is a special menu item “Total Caps”.
I would like to note that the service manual by Saeco itself was not prepared carefully enough, and it would be correct for such a large company as Philips to slightly correct its operating manual.
