Please help! Blinking light on Francis Franic x1

[Schroederbear]

Hi everyone! My Francis Francis x1 recently developed a strange problem where the "temperature reached" light will blink off and on through the brewing and pulling process. I got it used, and the previous owners didn't have the user manual anymore so I don't have that. I'm pretty sure my model is the x1 - all I know for sure is that it's a model made before illy bought the company. Any help or troubleshooting ideas would be appreciated! Thanks!
P. S. sorry for the typo in the thread name! Posting on my phone and it's difficult...

 

[Musicphan]

https://www.seattlecoffeegear.com/assets/user-manuals/illycafe/illycafe-x7-1-user-manual.pdf

 

[Schroederbear]

Hi! Thanks for the response! However, that is not the model I have. Mine does not have buttons, only switches, and it does not have the option to use the "capsules " of prepackaged espresso. I believe I've found the correct user manual, but it didn't help answer my question either.
I tried playing with how densely the espresso is packed but that didn't solve it. Still looking for answers! Thanks!

 

[shadow745]

I have owned 2 FF machines and they are rather good quality/capable machines. Both (FFX5 and FFX1 3rd Gen) have heavy brass boilers/plumbing/wiring/switches.

Both of mine would 'blink' the light often as they don't have high/low temp swings as a typical thermostat clicking the element off/on can produce. That blinking is a built-in PID of sorts as it regularly pulses the element when the temp probe senses a 2 degree or so drop in the boiler. Whether yours has that feature or not I have no clue. You said it recently started doing this, so it could be something as simple as scale buildup in the boiler/on the element causing it to heat more often. If it has a temp sensing probe it could be calcified. How is the espresso? Notice any real difference in extraction temp?

 

[shadow745]

I have owned 2 FF machines and they are rather good quality/capable machines. Both (FFX5 and FFX1 3rd Gen) have heavy brass boilers/plumbing/wiring/switches.

Both of mine would 'blink' the light often as they don't have high/low temp swings as a typical thermostat clicking the element off/on can produce. That blinking is a built-in PID of sorts as it regularly pulses the element when the temp probe senses a 2 degree or so drop in the boiler. Whether yours has that feature or not I have no clue. You said it recently started doing this, so it could be something as simple as scale buildup in the boiler/on the element causing it to heat more often. If it has a temp sensing probe it could be calcified. How is the espresso? Notice any real difference in extraction temp?

 

[Schroederbear]

Thank you so much! I was just thinking it should be de-scaled and was planning on doing that soon! But I was not sure if that could cause the light blinking issue. Hopefully this clears the problem up. If it doesn't, I'll post again with details, but otherwise I think we can call this mystery solved! Thank you again!