Need Help with Severe Limescale in Francis Francis X1 Boiler – Descaling Tips and Advice?

[vojtech]

Hi everyone,

I’m pretty new to espresso machines and could really use some advice. I recently got a used Francis Francis X1 that the previous owner wanted to throw away as the coffee from it did not taste good. I took apart the brewing unit, and I found a lot of white, hard sediment caked inside the boiler. I’ve tried using coffee machine descaling liquid and even soaked it in vinegar for an hour, but nothing seems to work.

I’m not sure if the boiler is too far gone or if there’s still hope to clean it and keep using the machine. Otherwise all other parts are in perfect shape. Also, I’ve heard that the boiler is made of aluminum, and I’m wondering if that’s a reason to consider replacing the machine altogether.

I’ve attached a few pictures of the boiler so you can see the extent of the limescale buildup. Any advice on whether this is fixable, or if it’s time to say goodbye to this machine, would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

 

[Enigma-2]

Well, as a last resort, before throwing it away, you can use a product designed to descale water softeners.

Very strong, follow directions carefully. It will dissolve the hard, cracked scale, & it shouldn't hurt metals, plastics or rubber parts.

I use it to clean the scale for my solar fountain (all plastic and vinyl), that sits in a birdbath. Doesn't harm the parts, but cleans the scale (this scale is really, really bad if I don't keep up on it; every week or so.) (I don't, retired = lazy. Hence the need for a strong cleaner.)

Here's an example of a product similar to what I use:
https://a.co/d/4Mdt2V0

 

[shadow745]

Basic citric acid dissolved in hot water in decent strength should make short work of that. Don't read into the 'citric acid is not ideal for aluminum, blah blah blah' as I've used it in Gaggia boilers in the past with NO issues whatsoever. To be honest that's far from what I'd consider severe as I've seen examples (posted in forums) of much worse. You can also use a soft bristle wire brush or rotary tool (Dremel) to loosen that and of course wear eye protection as well.

The heating element looks to be in great shape too. Main thing with that design is getting the mating surfaces for the o-ring/gasket as smooth/clean as possible to ensure a solid seal.

Something like this is what I'd consider a bit extreme... https://www.coffeeforums.co.uk/threads/gaggia-owc-restoration.27600/

 

[vojtech]

Thanks everyone for great input! Had to do a lot of manual cleaning to get it in a decent shape.

 

[Enigma-2]

Good news @vojtech. What form of acid did you use?

 

[vojtech]

@Enigma-2 I used citric acid, bofere I tried descaler liquid and also vinegar, but in the end only manual scrubbing really helped, as most of the stuff was rather corosion then limescale.

 

[Enigma-2]

Good to hear you got it.

Reason I thought of water softener is dissolves calcium deposits and breaks down red water iron (rust) deposits. The two things that plague water softeners. (Wouldn't use it as my first choice however, only for really heavy stuff.)