What was your most interesting recent non solar project?

[Bluedog225]

I have not heard about demineralized water being a problem. I use a Zero Water filter. 0 dissolved solids left.

Am I screwing up my lever espresso machine?

Thanks

 

[Hedges]

"Culligan ZeroWater is a smarter way to filter. Our advanced 5-stage technology uses ion-exchange filtration to remove 99.9% of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) from your tap water. With Culligan ZeroWater, you’ll be left with nothing but the purest-tasting water."

That would seem to be a water softener, exchanging salt ions for minerals.

Water Filters & Water Filter Pitchers - Clean Water at Home | Culligan ZeroWater

Culligan ZeroWater is a smarter way to filter. Our advanced 5-stage technology uses ion-exchange filtration to remove 99.9% of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) from your tap water. With ZeroWater, you’ll be left with nothing but the purest-tasting water.

www.zerowater.com

 

[42OhmsPA]

Is this a burr grinder? I have used it before and you can feel and hear it as it is slicing through the beans. The cutter is very sharp.

Looks and sounds like a burr, not sure if it's a flat burr or conical burr.

 

[Bluedog225]

"Culligan ZeroWater is a smarter way to filter. Our advanced 5-stage technology uses ion-exchange filtration to remove 99.9% of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) from your tap water. With Culligan ZeroWater, you’ll be left with nothing but the purest-tasting water."

That would seem to be a water softener, exchanging salt ions for minerals.

Water Filters & Water Filter Pitchers - Clean Water at Home | Culligan ZeroWater

Culligan ZeroWater is a smarter way to filter. Our advanced 5-stage technology uses ion-exchange filtration to remove 99.9% of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) from your tap water. With ZeroWater, you’ll be left with nothing but the purest-tasting water.

www.zerowater.com

This one. But maybe same deal.

Water Filters & Water Filter Pitchers - Clean Water at Home | Culligan ZeroWater

Culligan ZeroWater is a smarter way to filter. Our advanced 5-stage technology uses ion-exchange filtration to remove 99.9% of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) from your tap water. With ZeroWater, you’ll be left with nothing but the purest-tasting water.

www.zerowater.com

 

[Daddy Tanuki]

I have not heard about demineralized water being a problem. I use a Zero Water filter. 0 dissolved solids left.

Am I screwing up my lever espresso machine?

Thanks

Bro what the US Navy Calls Demin water and what you think are De-mineralized water are two different things... I was kind of joking but some of the navy guys can explain it better. the shit they make in their water plants is truly dangerous to humans. it has zero as far as the navy can calculate zero minerals and contaminants. if you drank it you would instantly get the shats... and probably end up in the infirmary.... though I have heard that small amounts are often used as gag...

 

[Dagoth Ur Does Solar]

I have well water, and that's what I've been using straight in my Gaggia for several years now.

I really need to get it tested, and I should probably use a filter of some kind for my water for the machine...

 

[Daddy Tanuki]

Sweet Baby Jesus the border Jumping Christ! people you pay extra for this mineral water or that mineral water... yes you might need to descale occasional but it is part of the flavor.

 

[robbob2112]

I kind of shot gunned my last time when I fixed it and just ordered everything and ended up only lubing the o-rings with some food grade silicone o-ring grease like you use on o-rings for water filters... Here are the things I ordered --

In all cases check them against the model number of your machine


Here is one of the o-rings for the Brevilla oracle touch - I assume it will fit most of the other machines.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FMYQBC

Here are the rest of the 0-rings

For Rich 9 Series Coffee Machine O-Ring Steam Probe Food Grade Silicone | eBay

There are enough O-rings in this set to replace all the O-rings on the top side of both your steam and brew boilers. You may choose to replace them all at once, or alternatively, you can selectively replace only those that are leaking and retain the remainder for maintenance.

www.ebay.com

These are the probes in one of the tanks - BES990 is my model

Breville Steam Probe (Set of 3) with O-Ring for BES990 | BES980/08.5, SP0001820 | eBay

Breville Steam Probe Set With O-Ring (3 Pieces) for BES920, BES990 | BES980/08.5. Such as the dual boiler BES980, BES920XL and BES920. The boiler probes can leak from the top where the c clip holds the probe, after a few years.

www.ebay.com

These are what breaks when you open the tank valves while the machine is hot and it opens with to much force

Genuine Breville Coffee Probe Set for BES920/980/990 | eBay

Breville Coffee Probe Set w/O-rings. Breville BES920/980/990.

www.ebay.com

This is a boiler kit - all the needed parts to rebuild the machines -- includes the thermal fuses - you can get them from mouser as well

Boiler Rebuild Kit for Breville Dual Boiler BES900 BES920 BES980 BES990 | eBay

This one is for our fellow techs out there. A little preventative maintenance goes a long way during a good service. 1 x 152C steam boiler thermostat. 1 x 125C coffee boiler thermostat. 1 x 167C steam boiler thermal fuse.

www.ebay.com

This I didn't order since it was working - but I have read in several places if you want it to be quieter to replace it with one that has the brass shaft sticking out

OEM

OEM Breville BES880, BES878, BES990 Espresso Machine Water Pump Replacement Part | eBay

OEM Breville BES880, BES878, BES990 Espresso Machine Water Pump Replacement Part

www.ebay.com

Brass version

https://www.amazon.com/Ulka-EX5-Vibratory-Pump-Dramatically/dp/B00B8KBVZE/

or

Amazon.com

 

[CommandoJoe]

Bro what the US Navy Calls Demin water and what you think are De-mineralized water are two different things... I was kind of joking but some of the navy guys can explain it better. the shit they make in their water plants is truly dangerous to humans. it has zero as far as the navy can calculate zero minerals and contaminants. if you drank it you would instantly get the shats... and probably end up in the infirmary.... though I have heard that small amounts are often used as gag...

Demineralized is also referred to as deionized water. On our submarine it was used in relation to maintaining the nuclear reactor coolant chemistry. Our ELT (engineering laboratory technician - guy in charge of tracking/maintaining reactor chemistry) would take a sample of reactor coolant from the ion exchange filter and make a cup of hot chocolate from it to freak people out - it was the perfect temp and non-radioactive...

We had a large boiler, called the still, that takes sea water to make distilled water for drinking, showers, and everything else. They would occasionally descale it with citric acid and when they were ready to dump the tank, there would be an announcement, "Hollywood showers authorized!" vs the normal Navy shower, water on, get wet, water off, soap up, water on, rinse off

 

[robbob2112]

There is RO water - it comes out around 30PPM with cations of calcium carbonate and I forget the other.... this is because my well water starts at 350 PPM out of the tap in summer and winter... but in spring when there is runoff from the snow melting it shoots up to around 700 PPM for a month or so... This is through a 60 to 5 micron filter at the well tank and a series of filters in the RO filter... 5 micron floss, charred coconut shell, and a couple of others... the final stage is a UV light to make sure it didn't pick up any bacteria in any of the other filters.

I can run it through a deionizing bed of plastic beads to take it to 0 PPM - flip a lever to sent it through 2 more canisters.... My wife uses this to water some tropical plants here.

The 0 PPM water I get at the end has a PH of 7 - exactly - but no buffer capability it will absorb things to make it acidic or basic - and if you drink it exclusively will leach the calcium from your teeth and bones.

It doesn't take much at all to put it back to being perfectly fine to drink ... Coffee and black tea have a PH around 5ish.... green tea has a ph of 8ish


The reason 0 PPM water will rust stainless is because it absorbs any mineral at all... the best coffee results for taste are when the PPM is around 50 or so ... part of that is it gives the oils and other coffee particles to bind to verse just being a mixed blend in the water...

 

[Daddy Tanuki]

There is RO water - it comes out around 30PPM with cations of calcium carbonate and I forget the other.... this is because my well water starts at 350 PPM out of the tap in summer and winter... but in spring when there is runoff from the snow melting it shoots up to around 700 PPM for a month or so... This is through a 60 to 5 micron filter at the well tank and a series of filters in the RO filter... 5 micron floss, charred coconut shell, and a couple of others... the final stage is a UV light to make sure it didn't pick up any bacteria in any of the other filters.

I can run it through a deionizing bed of plastic beads to take it to 0 PPM - flip a lever to sent it through 2 more canisters.... My wife uses this to water some tropical plants here.

The 0 PPM water I get at the end has a PH of 7 - exactly - but no buffer capability it will absorb things to make it acidic or basic - and if you drink it exclusively will leach the calcium from your teeth and bones.

It doesn't take much at all to put it back to being perfectly fine to drink ... Coffee and black tea have a PH around 5ish.... green tea has a ph of 8ish


The reason 0 PPM water will rust stainless is because it absorbs any mineral at all... the best coffee results for taste are when the PPM is around 50 or so ... part of that is it gives the oils and other coffee particles to bind to verse just being a mixed blend in the water...

Ok Mad scientist Emmet Brown!

 

[Johneb]

Pulled 5th wheel out of storage. Now to go through and get rid of all the stuff that we have packed in over time. Then clean, vacuum, and stuff with food and more stuff. For those who have campers you know stuff never ends.

 

[Chispas]

In the neighborhood I grew up in, everybody started illegally riding a home made mini bike and then we moved up to bigger motorcycles, starting with dirt bikes. You could get a motorcycle driver’s license to legally ride a “real’ motorcycle at age 14 vs. age 16 for a car.

Since then, I have never not had a motorcycle. We all thought that if a guy did not like motorcycles, then there was something wrong with him. I still think that way.

At 14 I had a part share in a Bultaco Sherpa & with the gang we rode it where we could. Police would turn a blind eye if you were pushing it along the road, even without any reg plates.

 

[HowlerMonkey]

Just moved to myrtle beach and it is unbelievable how many used RVs are around here for sale. Same for golf carts.

What's more unbelievable is the pricing since there are likely more RV's and golf cars here for sale than there are buyers.

 

[Dagoth Ur Does Solar]

Just moved to myrtle beach and it is unbelievable how many used RVs are around here for sale. Same for golf carts.

What's more unbelievable is the pricing since there are likely more RV's and golf cars here for sale than there are buyers.

Practically every beach house at Myrtle Beach has a golf cart (even a lot of the rentals). I would guess a lot of the wealthy people that live there tend to upgrade and sell/trade the old one.

I don't think I'd want to live there personally, but I do make it out there for vacations pretty frequently. Definitely more of a fan of the south end than the north end.

And they have a Palmetto State Armory there now, I always find an excuse to stop in there when I'm vacationing.

 

[Crowz]

Just moved to myrtle beach and it is unbelievable how many used RVs are around here for sale. Same for golf carts.

What's more unbelievable is the pricing since there are likely more RV's and golf cars here for sale than there are buyers.

Ive been there once when my brother in law graduated marine boot camp. Nice place.

 

[Johneb]

Just moved to myrtle beach and it is unbelievable how many used RVs are around here for sale. Same for golf carts.

What's more unbelievable is the pricing since there are likely more RV's and golf cars here for sale than there are buyers.

Yeah, Everyone who wants to sell their RV seems to think we’re still in a sellers market. COVID panic is over. People need to get real in their pricing.

 

[Chispas]

Make that a quadruple shot...that way you vibrate when you walk

A workmate use to ask for my preference on strength the first brew of the day, do you want to wake up or start running round ?

 

[Koyaanisqatsi]

It's been a long (LONG!) time since I did a big, fun project. So my my solar installation is taking that space in my heart for the last 9 months and foreseeable future. I've done some small projects, but...

I built a headlight for my road bicycle - not your average headlight, though. I built from scratch a 3-phase alternator. It's encased within the hub of a kid's scooter wheel, rides the top of the front tire and attaches to the fork crown with a bracket that contains the rectifier and protection circuits. I get about 60W out of it at 30 MPH, and need up to 30W for the LEDs. It's bright as daylight starting around 15 MPH.

Rectified DC is fed into the control box and powers three 4-die Cree MC-E LEDs (about 30W and 15,000 lumens of raw LEDs). The brightness of the LEDs is adjusted in proportion to the alternator output. This is not as simple as with a light bulb that just gets brighter with more power. It uses an Arduino chip to control the LED brightness and manage a few other features:

1. Temperature monitoring on the LEDs.
2. Current monitoring on the alternator (max 3A).
3. Internal Li-Ion cell to allow for a low light setting when stopped (about 15 minutes).
4. Current monitoring on the internal "battery backup" system.
5. Management of the internal battery charger.
6. Display of the alternator output, battery charge state and charger mode via three RGB LEDs on the case.
7. Audible alarm for all conditions of concern.
8. Tail light that is GUARANTEED to be visible for many hundreds of yards, which also has a battery back inside.

My YT channel has some test and intro vids in a playlist. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQFOjYqw8mbTfu0dU3LdB-BMzvEuwHbta&si=Jm2bVR3BZHcA6Kjx

And here are a "few" pics of the build:

3D rendering in Google Sketchup



Wound each coil with 144 wraps of 28AWG magnet wire.



Seeing how the magnets fit in the wheel.


Potted and extracted from the mold



Testing and adjusting the clearance between magnets and coils. Just 1/16th inch difference resulted in twice/half the alternator output, so I squished it as close as I could get without rubbing.



Nice output!!



The alternator - tested and optimized. Now to mount it.



Mapping out the alternator's performance at every speed up to 30 MPH.



Data makes pretty pictures. And the over-voltage clamp circuit works as hoped!



Building the headlight







Status indicators



Building the tail light







Started in 2008. Completed in 2016. It's been mounted to my road bike ever since. And I LOVE doing night rides, especially when it's in the low 40s(F) outside. It's peaceful and quiet.

 

[littleharbor2]

Looks and sounds like a burr, not sure if it's a flat burr or conical burr.

Mine is definitely conical.

 

[Catmandu]

Does boat maintenance count as a project? Lots of that this week.

 

[PreciseD]

Does boat maintenance count as a project? Lots of that this week.

It sure does.. I am doing an 80% rebuild on my Q5 Engine.. Boats and Audis have something in common.. Bust out another thousand lol...

 

[Daddy Tanuki]

It sure does.. I am doing an 80% rebuild on my Q5 Engine.. Boats and Audis have something in common.. Bust out another thousand lol...

Not wrong about that!

 

[Crowz]

I assembled the ai smoker grill today.

Also did the curing process to burn off any manufacturing leftovers so to speak.

Ready to smoke some stuff. Will probably be this weekend before that happens though.

 

[Chispas]

I’m also having problems with the coffee maker, I just can’t get the Bluetooth connection stable