How To Check and Adjust Pump Pressure on Expobar Espresso Machine

[@bassman468]

Thanks for all these videos much appreciated!!

[@Wholelattelovepage]

Glad you like them!

[@kbkman7742]

I just bought an expobar lever machine, this video was very helpful while setting it up. It was set at 12 bar out of the box and the shots were not great. I noticed with mine, no matter how I grind or pack my filter it doesn't really drop to 9 bar when set at 10 with a blind filter...more like 9.5... I guess that's fine though since the flavour is excellent and I have the yield/time I am after?

[@Wholelattelovepage]

Hi k, Thanks for the comment sharing your experience.

[@peterdavies1068]

Hi Whole Latte Love, I have the Minore IV tank only version. So I have the two tubes going back into the tank. My question is does the chrome tube on my version connect to anything? I assume it is just for show since the tank and plumbed versions use the same bodies? Also, if I want to remover the lower chamber (pre-infusion and exhaust chamber) do I have to remover the chrome tube? It seems like isn't much room for the lower chamber to screw downwards with the chrome OPV spout so close.

[@andrelapierre9137]

Hi guys. I have a two-year old Expobar Brewtus IV with a vibration pump (it's not plumbed). I ran the two pump tests from your video. I first adjusted the pump pressure to 10 bars - that worked fine. I then ran the flow rate test several times and consistently got 2 ounces in 12 seconds instead of the 1 ounce in 12 seconds recommended in the video. Does this indicate a problem with the OPV?

[@Wholelattelovepage]

Actually, it indicates your pump is operating very well. If it were significantly under 1oz in 12 seconds that would indicate your pump is getting weak. Yours sounds like it's pumping very well!

[@jaeger28]

Hi, is there a way to connect a second pipe back into the reservoir if you have a plumbable machine (water is pouring out below the filter basket) but it is not connected to the sink? I have to empty my reservoir quite a lot because of that ...

[@wilsonveloso7062]

Hi thanks for a great video. What if I'm getting 2oz water in 12seconds what could be the issue? I've set to 10bar via the gauge, using same method as on the video. Thanks

[@geneogden8470]

I have the same issue and question.

[@saulgoodman6971]

Thx Todd (and the other guy), great & clear info.

[@Wholelattelovepage]

SAUL GOODMAN Your welcome! Other guy is Marc.

[@ElizabethE1267]

Where are the service videos for Expobar Office Control? Kindly post videos that address service issues for Office Control. You do have customers who need this information too. It's really annoying you are not providing this.

[@Wholelattelovepage]

Hi EE, Thanks for the request. What issue would you like addressed? We do our best to have the most complete support video library available. If you have an immediate need and are in the US you can contact our tech support here: support.wholelattelove.com/hc/en-us

[@carlor.6923]

Hi Todd. Great video as always. Full of tech details and precious information. I just got a used Expobar Brewtus IV and noticed that the water outlet (the small outlet under the brew head) is not connected to anything inside. It does not even have a tube. The machine works great and makes excellent coffee. Does this mean anything in particular? Does it imply a risk or anything else? From your videos, that specific piece seems to be connected to the pump, but in my case there is no available space to connect it. Should I look out for something? Thanks very much in advance for your help.

[@Wholelattelovepage]

Hi Carlo, Congrats on you Brewtus! Excellent machine!!! Hopefully whoever had it before you took good care of it. So depending on Brewtus model that hooks up to the OPV valve and/or the de-airetor with flexible low pressure tubing. If not hooked up properly you might getr some water inside the machine. But in many cases you won't. For instance, for any water to come out of the OPV you'd have to choke the portafilter with a grind that's to fine to cause the OPV to bypass water from the brew curcuit. As a Brewtus owner you should bookmark this link to our support wiki for the Brewtus. Lots of troubleshooting info, Brewtus specific videos, manuals, diagrams etc: wiki.wholelattelove.com/Expobar_Brewtus_IV Oh, sorry not back to you sooner! Was on vacation and offline last week.

[@robertdaniell5589]

Hello from sunny Australia, firstly thanks for the video. I have the brewtus IV (know here as the Minore IV). The vib pump was replaced in Feb this year. I have been trying to trouble shoot high pressure (14 bar) and high flow (single filter would produce 60-70ml in 30 secs from a 10gram dose). A blind filter will see the pressure rise to 14 bar. It would seem to me the vib pump was not set to 10bar when it was replaced. Is this a fair assumption? Anything else that might cause high pressure/high flow? Thanks again.

[@hanyghabriel3237]

The video showed how to adjust the pump pressure to 10 bar by removing drip tray and turn the screw. The extraction of 60-70ml in 30 sec is related to grind size, so need to grind finer

[@andrewhuangg6706]

Hello, may i know whats the problem for my machine,expobar office lever plus, when using blind filter or brewing espresso with normal flow, but the manometer is vibrating so hard and does not show the exact bar, and i had tried to replace the pump and not solve the problem. Is there any solution ?

[@michaeljemery]

For a Brewtus IV extracting around 6 double shots per day, roughly how often would the pump (and other parts you mentioned) need to be replaced? And, is there a recommended service schedule?

[@Wholelattelovepage]

+Michael Emery Hi Michael, We would not replace any parts until they actually fail. The most important thing is to use a quality water supply. Other than that, a daily backflush with plain water and weekly backflush with a detergent.

[@pieterjdw]

Thanks for all your great video's! I only have one hose in my tank. When i brew there is water coming the thin L pipe in to the tray. Is it wise to check the OPV and connect a hose for back flush?

[@Wholelattelovepage]

Hi p, I would check an adjust your OPV as needed.

[@pieterjdw]

Thanks i will do

[@xzseng4524]

I have an expobar 4. And ive got 1 tube with pluming. How do i adjust the pressure and measure it? And what is the opv and de airetor?

[@Wholelattelovepage]

+X Z Seng Hi, does your machine have rotary pump or vibration pump? OPV is the over pressure valve. The OPV controls brewing pressure. If your machine has a vibration pump this video shows you how to check and adjust. We have more videos about Expobar machines. Use this link: www.wholelattelove.com/products/expobar-brewtus-iv-with-vibration-pump then scroll down and select the "Video" tab to access additional videos.

[@somethingbrewed3943]

What number should the brew pressure gauge read when it is not in use? We used it pretty hard the other day and it was sitting around 13 when not in use. Brewing at 10 when engaged but just worried about the resting pressure.... Thanks

[@Wholelattelovepage]

Hi SB, On many machines the brew pressure gauge can still indicate a raised brewing pressure after brewing. I see it all the time. In most cases simply raising the lever (like on an E61 brew group) for a moment will bleed off the pressure in the brew circuit.

[@somethingbrewed3943]

Great thanks! Should I begin worry if it continually sits high after brewing - maybe time for a service?

[@Wholelattelovepage]

Could be. Is it an E61 group? Does gauge return to normal if you raise lever for a moment after brewing and removing portafilter?

[@pva1977]

Thanks for the video. I have checked my Bezzera and I got two ounces in 12 seconds with the blind filter and the opv set at 10 bar. I'm having issues with fines in cup and I'm wondering if this flow, faster than the expobar on this video, could be a problem. Thanks again

[@Wholelattelovepage]

+Pedro Hi Pedro, Yes, 2 ounces in 12 seconds is very fast. What kind of grinder are you using? Your fast extraction with fines in the cup may indicate poor grind quality with a grind that is to coarse in general but with a lot of variation in grind size. Here's a video with some basic technique on dialing in shots: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pWTShJ-QiL17pck

[@pva1977]

+Whole Latte Love Thanks for replying, I'm not talking about 2 ounces of espresso, I can easily get this between 20-40 seconds adjusting the grinder. I am talking about the pump test made in this video. Two ounces in 12 seconds of water returning to the tank through the opv despite lowering opv to 10bar. I have a Nuova Simonelli MCI and it's capable to colapse my Bezzera if I grind very fine.

[@updatename6637]

Hi there I noticed on your video that water coming to that glass comes with some intervals and could hear it also. Is it normal??? My office lever plus started to brew coffee with this kind of pulsation. ( only during brewing) is this something I should worry about??? Thank for the video

[@Wholelattelovepage]

Hi Tony, Thanks for the question. What you saw and heard in the video is normal operation of a good pump. As long as you have good pressure and flow rate like in the video there's no need for concern.

[@updatename6637]

Hi and thank you for reply. I forgot to mention that pressure arrow is pulsating also but only during brewing coffee . I couldn’t see difference in flow and taste...

[@RobFisherUK]

@@updatename6637 fwiw when I had this pulsating pressure, it was a sign of the pump starting to fail. Eventually I could not get enough pressure at all. Replaced the pump (not that hard) and all is good again.

[@markwolfson2023]

Hi Todd: I noticed on the Lever you adjusted, there was no back flow into the drip tray until you turned the lever down (off). On my Office Control, I always get back flow water through the back hose into the drip tray while the switch is on. Is this normal? What is the difference between the two machines?

[@Wholelattelovepage]

Hi MW, If I'm understanding correctly, you have water going into the drip tray while the machine is brewing. If so, the solenoid valve is leaking. Usual fix is to clean the solenoid valve. It's an electrically operated valve behind the front panel of the machine.

[@holly4221]

Hi Mark W. I bought my machine new from WLL late 2018. It has always done what you’re referring to but shouldn’t. It never got addressed and no response to any of my email requests as of late. So I’m wondering if when you cleaned the valve did that work? If not, we’re you able to fix? Any info you can pass on would be greatly appreciated. I pay for the water plus expensive mineral packets that must be added. Frustrating!

[@markwolfson2023]

@@holly4221 I learned the back flow is normal, it is excess pressure that is not used when pressurizing the puck. The finer your grind and slower the draw, the more water will go into the tray.

[@holly4221]

@@markwolfson2023 thank you for responding. I love my Office Lever and glad to hear it’s working properly. Thanks again!

[@holly4221]

@@markwolfson2023 actually I just realized that my machine is not the same one you’re talking about. I have an Office Lever and it has always done this when it shouldn’t as I found out. My machine stopped working when it was only a year old after purchasing from WLL. My local espresso machine repairman replaced the pump and the OPV twice at that time yet it didn’t fix the over running. WLL doesn’t respond to my emails so I guess it will stay as it is. Seems to work great otherwise.

[@bentesuper4524]

Hi, i have a expobar espresso machine with 2 boilers and lately the pump pressure raises to 14. When I put a screwdriver in the hole behind the drip tray I cant find anything to adjust the pressure. Where do you put your screwdriver and how can i find it? 😅

[@Wholelattelovepage]

Hi Bente, What model Expobar machine do you have? They have different model names in some countries. You may find what you are looking for in our Expobar support wiki which has hydraulic diagrams and manuals for most Expobar machines. Marc

[@dmdrabble]

Hello, I have the model with both tank and plumb option. I am using the tank. I notice lots of water comes out if the opv exhaust (little bent pipe when pulling s shot) around 80ml for a 60ml shot. There isn't a pipe back to the tank from the Opv. Should I just remove the pipe from the bent pipe and route a new tube back to the tank? Is this how it should be when not plumbed in?

[@Wholelattelovepage]

Hi, I am going to send your question to Todd our Expobar expert and will reply with his response.

[@Wholelattelovepage]

For the plumbed machines we like to keep the over flow from the OPV into the drip tray so you can see when it gets full. If you want you can run it back to the reservoir and then just empty it. The higher the incoming pressure the more water bypassing the OPV. It is OK to dial back the incoming water pressure if you have a pressure reducer on the line.

[@dmdrabble]

+Whole Latte Love thank you for your advice. I plan to get some silicone tubing and route that back to the tank. Great video showing my machine is in good working order. Very well explained. Keep up the great work.

[@Wholelattelovepage]

dmdrabble You are welcome and thanks for your comment!!!

[@Tiktokgames645]

nice video. i adjust to 10bar the pump pressure on my expobar office lever 1 boiler and it takes almost 2 oz in 13 sec. is it ok? it was at 12 bar from factory i dont know why. thanks!

[@Wholelattelovepage]

+Michalis Michail They tend to come that way from the factory. Understand that does not mean it will always brew at that pressure. That's the maximum pressure it will use before dumping excess pressure via the OPV. 2oz in 13 seconds is way to fast! You need to grind finer and/or use a higher dose of coffee in portafilter. In general, you are looking for 2oz. in 20 to 30 seconds from the first drip of espresso. Here's a video that explains the process of dialing in shots: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y4LagIaBbtGNmbM

[@Tiktokgames645]

Thank you very much

[@Oxter1492]

he might have been reffering to the water measured as shown in the video and not brewing of coffee. i have a brand new machine (plumbable version on reservoir for now), adjusted the pressure to 10bar and measured the water flow at the bottom, got 2oz in about 15sec

[@ziggieiam1]

Hello there! Thanks so much for the video. My 2005 Office Lever has been running at 12 bar for years now. I've attempted to adjust the pressure but my model doesn't have the screw behind the drip tray as displayed on the video. I've read somewhere that my hex screw on the brew group is what you use to adjust the pressure, but water leaks out of it before it gets to 10 bar. I think I'm adjusting the wrong screw.

[@Wholelattelovepage]

Hi ZZ, You are welcome and thank you for the comment and question. The Lever has undergone a number of revisions over the years. Your model may not have the hole behind the drip tray which gives access to an expansion valve which limits brew pressure. I know one thing for certain: The hex screw on the group has nothing to do with adjusting brew pressure. I forwarded your question to our Service Manager. He said he'd need to see inside the machine near the pump. In some machines, the expansion valve is only accessible by removing the outer housing of the machine. 2005 predates my knowledge of Lever machines. If there's an expansion/OPV valve inside it probably looks something like this: www.wholelattelove.com/6476946750258 What you can't see in the part photo is the screw which adjusts the pressure. Marc

[@geenuis]

Really strange on the sticker it says Modelo OF-P-1GR (LEVA 1 GR OFFICE) i think it should say something like Brewtus or BR-P-2GR(Brewtus 2 GR) or Leva oficce 2B if you ever gonna sell it , you should be able to sell it as a brewtus (if you lost your paperwork)

[@Xiia0Sn00pY]

please help me , im having my expobar piped in so i dont understand how to test for my pressure still.

[@Wholelattelovepage]

Hi, Will try and help. What pressure are you referring too? Pressure coming into the machine from plumbed waterline? Brew pressure? Steam boiler pressure? Need more specific info. In the meantime, if related to line pressure coming into the machine be aware that plumbed Expobar machines have a solenoid valve in the machine which shuts off the plumbed in waterline unless boilers are filling.

[@Xiia0Sn00pY]

Brew pressure for the grouphead..

[@Wholelattelovepage]

Okay. With the blind filter (backflush disc) in portafilter we like to see 10bar on the gauge when lever on E61 is put inot brew position.

[@danielaldgate941]

Thanks is it 10 with portafilter gauge or machines gauge

[@Wholelattelovepage]

Machine gauge.

[@kleinebre]

As things are standing it takes my machine a full minute to get up to 4 bar with backflush disc in. It does ultimately get up to pressure, but it takes nearly two minutes. When it comes to pulling the actual shots, this translates to wimpy tasting shots pulled at a wimpy 3 bar. Any ideas?

[@Wholelattelovepage]

Hi k, Thanks for the question. Well, that's far too long to get up to pressure and pressure is too low - but you knew that already! So could be a couple of things. Pump is not working properly and/or obstruction in internal hydraulics from scale deposit etc. Has the machine been regularly maintained - backflushing and descaling? Check out our support wiki for Expobar machines here for troubleshooting info: wiki.wholelattelove.com/Expobar If you are in the US give our tech support staff a call at 585-924-7170. They can help diagnose issue, get you parts to do a DIY fix or setup a repair if needed. Marc

[@kleinebre]

@@Wholelattelovepage Thank you so much for all the instructional videos and also for getting back to me. It's solved now - and here's what I learned following a full 2 weeks of troubleshooting... The pump was working properly (1 oz/12 sec) - but replaced as part of this and also upgraded with pyrex ball instead of plastic. Also replaced the overpressure valve. I wouldn't have dared doing this without your vids. Cleaned out the brew head jet too. Not much there. The maintenance routine is fairly rigid. I've been replacing the filter as per manufacturer's instructions - About every 300 shots. At my usual 3 shots a day that's about every 3 months. I try to keep a monthly descaling schedule but in practice the machine has been descaled every 6 weeks since taken in use. As I live in a Very Hard Water Area, I have kept tap water away from the machine, opting to use the lowest TDS spring water I could find. I backflush at least plain water after each session. So far so good. The good news is that I've not come across even a trace of limescale during pump and OPV replacement. The bad news is that the problem persisted. I decided to pull up the hydraulic diagram of the machine and start troubleshooting from the beginning, trying to account for all symptoms. Then it hit me. The filter. It hadn't been in there for 100 shots yet, but last time I ordered in filters I had been sent slightly different ones - resin filters rather than the usual mineral ones. Apparently these absorb water and after long enough they will block the inlet, so for these filters it's recommended to replace them after about a month. Could it be that simple? The filter had been in there for two months, so the machine was doing all it could to pull in water through a big old tube of jelly. The pump was fine. The OPV was fine. It ultimately came to full pressure. It just had tremendous trouble pulling in the water to begin with. As soon as I swapped out the water filter, everything went back to normal. All's well that ends well. My Expobar is once again A clean, pristine, working coffee machine, serving me up delicious shots of coffee. I ended up with an upgraded pump and I've learned how the pump/deairator/opv chain fits together. Thanks again, Marc

[@akquicksilver]

My Expobar Office lever is producing 1 1/2 oz in 12 seconds at 10 bar. I have been having problems with my shots turning blonde after about 10 seconds in a pull. I have not changed my coffee or grind, that always produced excellent shots before. I am using a gauge on my portafilter to read the pressure. Should I be setting this to 9 or 10 bar at the portafilter? Any suggestions?

[@Wholelattelovepage]

Hi JB, I replied to another comment of yours on same issue. 1.5oz in 12 seconds is far to fast - but you knew that! Regardless of your brew pressure your grind is likely too coarse or you are using a very small dose of coffee. Have you tried setting brew pressure using a blind basket (backflush disc) in the portafilter and reading the brew pressure gauge on the machine? Perhaps your PF mounted gauge is incorrect? On vibe pump machines we set max brew pressure to 10bar using a blind disc in the portafilter. That produces about 9bar max brew pressure at the group. Understand that when you set brew pressure you are setting the max before an expansion valve in the machine opens and bypass brew water (and pressure) away from the group. Depending on grind and dose you may never reach the max pressure when extracting.

[@akquicksilver]

My Office lever doesn't have the pressure gauge on it, so I have to use the portafillter gauge attachment. So how do I get my flow rate down to the recommended rate?

[@Wholelattelovepage]

Assuming your brew pressure is correct flow is controlled by grind size and coffee dose.

[@akquicksilver]

Thanks for the reply. The flow rate I'm talking about is from the tank return line, In the video you ran the pump with the portafilter blocked and you got an ounce of water in the 13 seconds in the shot glass. When I run this same check I get over 1 1/2 ounces in 12 seconds. I must havae a very good pump. So as long as I can get my grind dialed in to the 20-30 second shot, I'm good? Thanks again for the great videos and the fantastic customer service I've received from you guys over the years!

[@Wholelattelovepage]

Hi JB, Sorry for the misunderstanding! Your pump is doing well! And yes, if dialed in to 20-30 you are good! You are welcome and thank you for the kind comments re. videos and customer service. We are passionate about coffee and providing the best possible customer experience. Cheers, Marc

[@UFOENGINE]

Hello, Todd. Can you please explain how does the pressure affects the taste of the espresso i.e. what happens when the brew pressure is over 9 bar and what happens when is below 9 bar? Best regards

[@Wholelattelovepage]

Hi U, While there are other variables involved in general going over 9 bar would tend to over-extract coffee causing bitterness. Brewing at lower pressures tends to under-extract resulting in thin and sour espresso. Marc

[@danielaldgate941]

Trying to compare someone told me u get less water at 10 bar so best 11 to 12 bar

[@Wholelattelovepage]

Unless using a pressure profiling machine it's best to keep max pressure at 9-10 bar. Sure you'll get more water thru a puck of coffee at 11-12 bar but that's not necessarily a good thing. Water flow rate/shot timing/extraction depth should be controlled by grind size and coffee dose adjustments.

[@danielaldgate941]

I now set it at 11bar with back flush that should bet not bad

[@Wholelattelovepage]

Well, if that works for you go for it. Do understand that just because you set it to 11 bar that doesn't mean your espresso will be extracted at 11 bar. That is just the maximum pressure before brew water is dumped out of the brew circuit prior to flowing thru the coffee. Actual brewing pressure is a function of grind size. For example, put a really coarse grind in the PF and brew water will go right thru - pressure might reach a few bars. Raising the max brew pressure to 11 bar gives the machine the ability to push water thru a finer grind. That sounds good but over-extraction like that usually produces bitter shots. More pressure is not better when brewing espresso. It's unfortunate that many entry-level budget machines are marketed with specs like "14 bar pump". I think this leads those newer to espresso to believe that more pressure is better. But believe me, none of the machines marketed that way actually brew at 14 bar. Maybe the pump is capable of doing that but these machines typically use pressurized portafilters which allow brew water thru at much lower pressure - probably a lot lower than the 8-9 bar that's typical in high-end prosumer level machines.

[@danielaldgate941]

Why do u need to set it to 10 bar when they come at 12 bar whats the diffrance in shots

[@Wholelattelovepage]

Hi Daniel, Thanks for the question. It's set to 10 bar with the backflush disc in the PF. Due to the way machines operate, setting to 10 bar with backflush disc in place results in a maximum pressure of 9 bar when actually brewing.

[@danielaldgate941]

ok so what should it be reading with shot

[@Wholelattelovepage]

Brewing at higher pressure generally results in over-extracting the coffee and more bitter flavors in finished espresso. That said, pressure profiling and manual spring lever machines sometimes use higher pressure at the start of brewing and then ramp down to a lower pressure - often only 3-6 bar towards the end of a shot.

[@streetballazzz]

Hello guys I did the test today but got some strange results With the pressure set at either 8 or 10 bar the flow will not slow down , i got 1 oz in 4-5 sec It’s an expobar leva hx and i got it for almoust 3 years now

[@Wholelattelovepage]

Hi NV, Thanks for the question. Just to be certain you are measuring after the flow slows down? I think everything is fine. More water faster indicates a stronger pump. Problem would be if you were getting less than specified flow.

[@streetballazzz]

Whole Latte Love thanks for the reply I am measuring a few seconds after the pressure reaches the set 9 bar with the backflush disk in. The flow does not seem to die down, it remaina kinda fast

[@Wholelattelovepage]

@@streetballazzz Is your espresso brewing well? Again, more flow indicates a stronger pump. If your espresso was brewing very week or slow the only thing I can come up with is your pressure gauge is not reading correctly - like it's indicating a pressure much higher than you're actually getting. This would cause more water to bypass through the OPV and back into your reservoir. This is possible yet unlikely especially if your machine is brewing properly.

[@streetballazzz]

@@@Wholelattelovepage i kinda get some channeling issues, like little holes in the puck which i have to combat with a high dose, bottomless extraction has no spurts tough and seems kinda fine.

[@krssnoop]

im getting 10oz in 8 seconds, is that bad?

[@Wholelattelovepage]

Is it bad? Well the pump is definitely working but that's a lot! Means the OPV is bypassing way to much water. What's your brew pressure set to as shown in first part of the video?

[@krssnoop]

I dont have a brew pressure gauge, only boiler. I will invest in a gauge for my portafilter so I can find out.

[@streetballazzz]

Hi guys i did a video on my return flow 1 oz in 4-5 sec could that mean the opv is stuck or broken? Extraction times are ok Video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nICbm6eAq7KUmNE