Advice getting Brewtus IV running for holidays - Pump&Pressurestat issue?

[Michael Rizzi]

 So, My Brewtus IV started developing some problems just a few weeks before my coffee obsessed relatives are coming to stay with us for the holidays and I’m trying to see if I can get it back in working order before they arrive. 

Machine info: US Market Brewtus IV-P using the tank fed option.

Problem 1: The machine started sporadically “stalling out” while pulling shots.  It is intermittent, but basically what will happen is the pump will start making a deeper/smoother humm rather than the normal vibratory pump noise and the pressure will drop down to 2-4 bars on the gauge while the flow rate drops down significantly.  I’m assuming this means that the pump is going out so I ordered a replacement, but since I am writing this regarding problem 2 I figured I’d check to make sure I am correctly diagnosing this issue. 

 

Problem 2: Problem 1 is intermittent, so I have continued to use the machine while waiting for a replacement pump.  What happened the other day was that the machine started discharging steam out of the top of the steam boiler once the system was up to temp.  I found it oddly difficult to identify exactly where the steam was coming from, but I’d assume a safety release valve.  The gauge showed just over 1.7 bar.  It was steadily discharging out the top and then you would hear the pump kick on for a second and then stop, and then periodically you would hear what sounded like a safety release valve open for a second and discharge some pressure, and then return to the steady leaking sound.  I’m guessing this would be a bad pressurestat for the steam boiler?  Any other suggestions?