Re: COSTS OF RUNNING A MACHINE 24X7

Lucky or obsessive? If I had a timer I'd probably end up being a bit OC
about checking, double-checking, triple-checking, etc., the switches and
reservoir level & water connections, making sure that when the timer came on
the machine was good to go. I can't even guess at the number of posts I've
read here & in other forums relating to damage resulting from using a timer
(usually, but not always relating to home machines). If machines had "dead
man" switches that automatically returned to an off position, timers would
be fine. But accidentally let someone bump a switch and the pump runs the
reservoir dry (dead pump & maybe a burned out heating element and other
heat-related damage).

There are some machines I'd be OK using with a timer - I had one for my
chromed pea*** and as long as there was water in it felt safe doing so (It
ended up setting fire to my kitchen when the cleaning lady plugged it in -
but that's another story.).

I'd probably be OK using a timer on some commercial machines (I tried it on
my NS Mac Digit, but it's wired so that when the power is turned off & back
on, it goes into standby mode (I never did figure out how to get around this
feature.) As long as the auto fill & dose meter don't fail or the electric
brainbox doesn't short closed... Oh hell, never mind; I guess it wouldn't be
a good idea to put one of these machines on a timer either).

Rather than a timer, I'd suggest making the kitchen your first stop in the
morning to turn the machine on & then SS&S, before heading back to the
kitchen for your coffee fix. Why take a chance?

Enjoy!
Robert (Tex) Harmon

http://www.tinyurl.com/mb4uj - My coffee pages.
http://www.tinyurl.com/24p7hu - PID kits for Gaggia espresso machines
http://www.tinyurl.com/2cr3e2 - I have things for sale here.
http://www.tinyurl.com/2n2n7u - Basic barista training
http://www.tinyurl.com/2j8jur - Gaggia User's Group
http://www.tinyurl.com/235dfr - BUG is Bunn User's Group (espresso)


"Boston Coffee Party" <BostonCoffeeParty@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:3936a6e5-251e-4049-ae7c-e082061359ce@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
While the comments on the cost in $ has been entertaining, the second
part of the question I think may be more useful IE is there a physical
toll on the machine that should be taken into account. Assuming one
has a drink or two when they wake up and then perhaps one or two more
after dinner from an energy perspective it would seem clear that
putting it on a timer and running it ~6 hours a day is cheaper than
running it 24x7. This is what I have done for ~4 years and have only
had to replace a few small washers, gaskets and such. The biggest
thing I have replaced to date was the vacuum breaker. Am I lucky or
am I missing something?


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