Yesterday I bought this Breville Barista Express listed “for parts”.

Model number: BES870XL

The previous owner had this machine in a garage. I asked him if it was completely dead and he said “Yes”.

That was a major disappointment because I know that a dead Barista Express (or Infuser) means most likely a dead microprocessor, which makes the machine virtually unrepairable. 

There was a plug in the garage so I plugged it in and pressed the power button. Nothing happened, so I was this close to not buying it. But then I thought “Hey this is only $60CAD so I might as well give it a shot”.

Long story a bit longer, I took it home and plugged it in. To my surprise, it turned on and I heard the pump buzzing. The tank was dry so obviously nothing came out.

So far, not bad!

I then poured some water in the tank. 10 seconds later, I had to grab a mop because the water went everywhere: on the counter, on the floor, and on my socks. 

Ugh. Not good.

 Time to open the machine and see what’s going on. 

 Here’s what was wrong with it at a first sight:

The rubber hose from the tank holder to the pump was disconnected. That explained why water from the tank ended up on the floor and on my feet. 

There was a spring inside the hose that was completely rusted. Traces of some descaling liquid indicated the probable cause.

One teflon line from the boiler to the first solenoid valve was missing.

The line from the 3-way solenoid valve to the steam selector valve was disconnected. Orings and clips missing as well. 

Most parts were covered in mineral deposits which points to extensive steam and/or water leaking inside the machine for quite a while.