When I took my machine apart for the PID temperature controller installation, I noticed some calcified water drops underneath the high pressure hose of the pump, and some scale at the pump outlet where the connection had been leaking at the 90 degree elbow fitting.
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| Evidence of a slow leak at the high pressure outlet. Note the scale around the fitting. |
I disassembled the pump and hoses, and cleaned the fitting and pump outlet with some scale removing C-L-R cleaner.
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| Pump and fitting disassembled nad cleaned. |
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| Scale removed using CLR cleaner |
With the parts cleaned, I decided to reassemble the parts using Pipe joint compound (Pipe dope). I like the pipe dope on high pressure applications because tape can tear and leave gaps in the threads. This compound is rated for 10,000 psi on liquids - more than enough for an espresso machine.
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| Pipe Joint Compound |
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| Pipe Joint Compound applied to the threads of the stainless fitting. |
Conclusion
Once reassembled, I performed a leak check, and there was no more leakage. All good. I'll need to pull the back cover off when I replace the rubber pump mounts - I'll report if there's any change.
Sources and Links
I hope you found this post useful. Feel free to ask questions in the comments section below. I answer all questions. If you're interested, you can help support this site by using the following links to Amazon.com in the United States. My go-to place for Rancilio Silvia parts in Canada is Espressotec.com.
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