https://www.home-barista.com/espresso-machine-cleaning.html
Descale
Citric Acid
The descaling solution of choice is 1.5 to 2 table spoons of citric acid powder per liter/quart of water. It is at proper concentration if you see a light blue/green tinge in the flushed water when descaling.
Boiler is 1.8 liter
Citric Acid Source
Fill it cold, then heat and drain it.
Connect sprayer (empty) to steam tip with all valves closed
Pump the sprayer before opening steam valve, then open the steam valve, push spray button and pump a little more. Pump sprayer until vacuum breaker closes, then close steam valve.
Turn off sprayer, disconnect sprayer and push button on to empty.
Pour at least 2l of citric acid solution into sprayer and re-pressurize. 2l seems like it's enough to fill boiler.
Open steam and hot water valves and push button and pump until solution comes out, then close both and turn on boiler. Open steam or hot water to let off pressure if required to turn on boiler. May have to open while machine heats up.
Let run for a couple of hours. 1.5ish hot then turn off to cool down.
Add water to sprayer and repeat to rinse boiler and refill it. Using about 50 50 filtered and distilled water
HX Decale
- Place fill tube in descaling solution and return in a separate container.
- Draw 4oz / 125ml through the group.
- Wait 10-20 minutes depending on how long since last descaled :roll:
- Repeat 6 times.
- By the end, the water should be almost clear.
- Place the fill tube in fresh water and flush and repeat for 1 L / Qt through the group
Soak for a couple hours
Put water in sprayer and use to flush boiler
The trick seems to be maintaining pressure while cold so the breaker does not open
I would pump/pressurize the sprayer before opening the valve it was connected to, then open the valve and pump a little more. This way the existing pressure would "pop" the vacuum breaker up quickly instead of my having to pump it quick to beat the escape of air through the breaker