Re: Input Water Temperature on HX Machines

"ferret" <nobody@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:bsudncvJpJORz_jeRVn-uw@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Jack Denver wrote:
>
>> The reality is a situation that is in between. That is to say, given the
>> normal interval between shots, during the time the water is in the HX it
>> picks up enough heat to almost (if not entirely) erase any variation in
>> starting temp. Some machines may be better than others in quickly
>> heating the contents of the HX.
>
> So there is likely some range of temperature the input water could be and
> still come out the the output of the heat exchanger at or close to the
> optimal temperature. I'm just wondering how big a range that is. I doubt
> it's as large as the range in tap water temperatures we get around here.
>
> I only bring this up because even PID controlled systems do best with a
> relatively constant temperature input. Color film developing setups many
> times have a separate device that tempers the water to within a certain
> range before it goes into the warming tub to keep the developing tanks at
> the proper temperature which is then maintained by a PID or similar
> device. Now those have to maintain their temperature to a 1/10 degree
> which is a bit more than I'd expect of any machine I could afford.
>
> I'm leaning toward something like the Zaffiro or whatever the Quick Mill
> equivalent is at this point since the input temp wouldn't be an issue and
> I make milk drinks fairly rarely anyway. I'm willing to give up a bit of
> convenience in frothing to get more consistent straight espresso. I know a
> dual boiler machine would also do this, but the budget isn't likely to
> stretch to one of those unfortunately.
>

Depending on where you live and the quality of your tap water, a proper
plumbed in setup often requires some sort of water treatment, either with
softening cartridges (plus or minus RO/Calcite) plus a water filter, or
maybe both. I'm using a wholehouse softener right now but before I had two
of those large blue undersink filter holders with a softener in one and a
carbon filter in the other. The total volume of the two cartridge holders
plus tubing has to be more than half a gallon. Those cartridges and most of
the tubing was below the sink, an area which is pretty warm in my house.

Assuming you would need some sort of water treatment, it is very likely that
by the time the water reaches the espresso machine, at least during periods
of normal usage, the input water has had time to more or less equilibrate
with room temperature.

ken


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