repairs
I am just a Pavoni owner. I don't operate a shop.
If you have a question, I can't help.
Sorry! If you need help, do not contact me, instead see the parts and service page. I only recommend Thomas Cara for repairs. This is based on limited experience. There may be other service centers to turn to, but Thomas Cara, in my opinion, is the best.
If you contact me, no matter how sad your story is, I won't respond. I have previously had far too many e-mails from individuals with tales of woe.
Please understand: if it's not here, I don't know what to do!
Do keep me informed of your repair experiences so we can update the site.
Since people habitually seem unable to listen, I have never had any trouble with my machine, please be aware I am not the person to talk to for help with repairing your Pavoni.
If the question isn't dealt with here, I don't know how to help! Sorry!
So go call Thomas Cara instead.
Seal Replacement
David Jenkins writes
"I'm including my .gif diagram of how to disassemble the head and replace the seals; the illustration has my email addresses for comments.
Study the diagram and you'll be able to figure out what's going on if you have trouble by where it's leaking.
I've replaced the seals two or three times, been through three or four switches (the new ones have a clear neoprene cover which should keep the water out and make them last longer - if you need to replace, get one of these), and I had to have the heating coil replaced once. As far as the joint between the head and the tank goes, there is an "O" ring in there, not a regular gasket. Some parts (O-rings, snap-rings) you can get at a good hardware store (take the old one along). Other things (piston seals, the seal for the piston rod) you will need to get from a Pavoni source.
Someone mentioned the little fusible link (like a fuse); I've never had one of these last longer than a month. I just took mine out and ran the wire straight. If you're paranoid, unplug the machine when you're not using it; just make sure you never let the machine run dry.
Tom Smart's Comments on Seal Replacement
1. Don't pry out the brewing head with a screwdriver. That's a good way to damage the o-ring and maybe even the head itself, not to mention the screwdriver itself and your patience. Instead, simply remove the handle, remove the lockring and adjusting nut at the top of the piston shaft, then gently tap on the end of the shaft with a mallet. The head pops right off.
2. When reassembling, thoroughly clean and lightly lubricate the inside of the cylinder and the piston seals, but don't use "a little butter." A Pavoni parts supplier recommended Permatex Super Lube, which is a high-temperature, food-grade grease. Before I found that out, however, I noticed a small tube of lubricant at my local REI. It's the grease MSRmarkets for use in its water filters for backpacking. Of course, it's a food-grade grease as well. I gave that a try on my Pavoni, and it has worked very well for a long time. In fact, the machine has now had several months of fairly heavy use, and it still feels as slick as it did the day I lubed it. All it takes is a very sparing amount wiped around the two piston seals. I'll still keep my eyes open for the Super Lube next time I go to the hardware store, but the MSR lube works just great. Wipe a *thin* film of it all around the cylinder and on the o-rings. Put some on the piston shaft and on the brewing head o-ring too. And put some on the handle pins, bushing, and the flats between the handle and the group. In fact, as long as your hands are all greased up now, rub a little all over the entire surface of the machine, then polish it up with a rag. It will make the machine shine and help to resist hard water stains.
I'd repeat this any time you feel the piston getting a little sticky or rough in its motion. You'll be amazed at how much smoother the machine works, and the seals should last considerably longer.
Rust on the base
David Bayer writes
A scratch on the enamel base rusts away like wildfire. I sanded the area with 320 black sandpaper, painted on Duro Extend (Destroys Rust) as a base, then Ace Rust/Preventative Alkyd Quick Drying Enamel, Gloss Black. The "gloss" and "alkyd" are crucial. Now my machine has character.
Or you can replace the base, $70 or so through Thomas E. Cara, Ltd, 415-781-0383. This requires quite a bit of disassembly.
Mysterious Shutting Off
I returned to fix this site partly because of the long process of fixing my Pavoni, which Christopher at Thomas Cara helped immeasurably with.
If your Pavoni won't turn on, it may be the fuse. If it's a newer Pavoni, it's that little black, circular thing on the bottom of your heating element with two wires leading out and a red button. Unplug your Pavoni. There are a lot of wires down there. Press the little red button. Close the Pavoni up. Did it start up? Good.
If it happens again, it may be the fuse. You can get a new one from Thomas Cara. It may also be the wiring. I would personally recommend that you replace all of the wiring if it looks old. Be very careful about the way you make your connections and don't forget to pull the power cord through the grommet and cut it to expose new wires as well. The Pavoni, as you know, is much like an Italian car. That means that as it ages, you will find its electrical system is prone to be dodgy and problems can be very hard to figure out. After all, it gets hot down under the base. Sort of the Pavoni's equivalent of hell.
Should it not be the fuse or the wiring, then it may be the switch. Try getting a new one. But be careful! If your Pavoni is older, the switch may have changed, forcing you to wire it according to an entirely different system. Follow what Christopher Cara sends you. Why did they change the switch? Who knows. It's an Italian machine.
If it's not the switch, then perhaps it's the heating element. There isn't much more you can replace. I foolishly did all this, only to have problems until I swapped the wiring. Next time, I'll do that right away.