DISCONTINUED – VBM Domobar Junior HX Espresso Machine

Sorry for the delay. We can special order a boiler, but it is usually not worth to fix  for mainly 2 reasons:

a) current cost at time of this response is estimated to be about $400 (subject to change without notice or update to this response), and/or

b) when a weld is destroyed by water corrosion, there is a very high likelihood that other parts will be affected and may need replacement, which will drive up the repair cost even further.

We are sorry that we did not have better news for you. If you wish to continue with ordering the boiler, please email us using the contact us form.

Sorry, we are uncertain which 3 cup basket will fit.

It can be a bad pump or a bad brain unit. At this point, the machine should be checked by a professional. The machine should not allow to be heated as there is a possibility that the heating element can dry burn out.

We are sorry to hear you are having difficulty. Unfortunately, it is difficult to learn to steam milk when coming from a larger sized machine. Use the steam knob to control the steam pressure.

In over 90% of cases, this points to the grind. However, you can test the machine under the Brew Pressure paragraph.

This VBM Lollo steam wand should work, BUT the valve output will need to be moved from a 45 degree angle to straight horizontal to the left. The machine would need to be cold and unplugged. Remove the body by removing the three screws on each side. Unwind the nut holding the copper tube inside and slide away. The tube can still be engaged with the back of the valve. Then loosen the holding nut on the inner wall. Rotate the valve and tighten the holding nut while holding the valve on the outside. Tighten nut on copper pipe, BUT be super careful to not twist the pipe as some customers have done. Remove old steam wand and use inner components to put in new steam wand.

When they leak. There are three versions of this gasket.

We suggest the machine should be checked by a professional. You may need a pump, a tank switch, a heating element, or maybe just a wire replaced. It is not good just to guess as it can cost more in the end.

Check the switch behind the lever. It may be sticking, needs adjustment, or replacement.

Please review the questions and answers below as these questions have been answered already.

Please read first section about brew pressure gauge.

Sorry to hear about this. This is why we do not like machines on Ebay. Please use the contact us form with your machine details and all items missing. We will provide you with a quote

Sorry to hear about this. This is why we do not like machines on Ebay. Please use the contact us form with your machine details and all items missing. We will provide you with a quote.

Every 6-12 months as it is easier to remove the old gasket as well as the screen getting warped unseen by the naked eye.

We would suggest running a descaler through the grouphead only, and then with the blind. Please remove any water softeners or filters present in the reservoir before descaling.

If the problem persists, it is pointing more to the fineness of the grind as the pump pressure check with the blind is showing the machine is operating at maximum pressure.

Sorry, this one is puzzling. It could be the heat exchange ris losing water (water turning to steam, OPV leaking, or grouphead solenoid valve is leaking). Try a 8-10 second flush of water through the group if the machine has been idle for 3 or more minutes making espresso.

It could also be your grind as the blind is the ultimate test for maikng sure the pump works and maximum pressure is attained. Grind fineness has an impact more often than not.

Lastly, it can be an erratic pump.

Test the pump pressure with the blind.

If it stays consistent, then it is your espresso preparation or grind.

If it is not consistent, then it could be a clogged water softener filter (if you have one), a bad pump, or an OPV that is malfunctioning.

If it is not consistent, check to see if the pump pressure drops when the heating light turns on. If this is the case, then you do not have enough voltage or amperage to the unit, and this becomes an outlet electrical issue.

Please review.

We are pretty certain it is not the pressurstat. It could be the water level probe, but then the machine would try to fill the boiler. The beeping is for the reservoir.  We would suggest by replacement replacing the switch first, then the brain unit second.

Please use the need help /contact us link on our web site with the information above, and let us know if you want us to ship you a new heating element or if you want to send the machine in for repair.

We strongly suggest putting a surge suppressor on the outlet to lessen the chance of this happening again.

Please search our web site for F15 and F277.

Some customers have purchased our 2 hole tip, not a perfect fit, but it does slow down the steam flow.

Yes, turn it off when not using within 2 hours.

Rubbing alcohol on a terry cloth works best to clean the stainless.

Backflushing with detergent should be performed once every 50 espresso shots.

Soften the water with a V725 and try to never descale.

Sorry, we have been unable to test this Lelit Flow Control kit on the VBM as the grouphead design does not allow the paddle to have range of motion. We already stated this issue on the Lelit Flow Control Device page.

However, we are working on a solution for it to work. But, we have no timeline.

Unplug the machine from the wall outlet and allow the machine to cool fully. Remove the wrap around body panel and check the pump to make sure it is not rubbing any metal. Rotate the pump on its axis if needed to adjust.

The noise can be a loose top cover. When putting on the body, push and hold it forward, and insert the screws. This will make a tight fit for the top cover.

The refill of the boiler at the power up the unit is normal and normal when it does not do it. It is based on how much evaporation occurs when the units cools down. When the boiler refills, a vibration pump does make more noise then when under pressure extracting espresso.

You can reverse it. However, replacing a part does not always solve the cause. Check to see there is no limescale inside the valve. Check the condition of the old and new end gasket to see if there are any indentations. If there are, then the knob is being turned way to tight.

There are many reasons for a heating element to burn out. Sometimes limescale is an issue. But, there are other reasons.

There are literally thousands of VBM Junior customers since 2008 who have not had a heating element burn once, and very, very few burn twice. To have 2 in one year surely indicates a cause.

First, the boiler refill valve could be blocked, damaged, or defective, preventing water from refilling the boiler and keeping the heating element submerged in water.

Second, if there is a water softener in the reservoir, it may be weighing down the reservoir switch. When this happens, the machine thinks the reservoir is full when in fact, it is not. Then the machine calls for water to refill the reservoir and there is no water. Sometimes, the pump and the heating element will burn out. Also, the switch under the reservoir platform may have been reset too high and again, it runs out of water before the switch indicates it. Please note that VBM sets up the switch to turn off the machine's heating element about 1/4 full.

Third, if there is more than 4 ounces of water pulled out of the water wand, the water level can drop faster than the machine can refill it. This would cause the heating element to damage. This can happen on numerous different brands of heat exchanger machines like the VBM.

Lastly, if the VBM espresso was sitting idle, it is possible that another appliance created a small surge to the machine. The first places to damage are the heating element, the heating element wires, the safety thermostat and/or its wires, and/or the power switch. We have seen this before on many brands.

The bottom line is figuring out the cause.

We sincerely apologize as we misunderstood. This is not the avenue for warranty. For any warranty, please use the contact us form on our web site - please include full purchaser's name and address, date of purchase, and serial number. We can either send the parts for you to self repair or you can request a repair authorization to  ship the machine in for repair. Just state this.

For the future, this Q&A is to provide information for pre-sales questions, limited technical support, maintenance questions etc. It is not for warranty requests. Have a great day!

We have this procedure to check some things.

Please go through these steps.

The body will need to be removed (3 screws on each side OR 2 on each of the three sides) after unplugging the unit from the electrical outlet. Check the switch under the reservoir for damage. Check all wiring. Check the wires behind the power switch. Some versions had a safety thermostat, so please look inside. Otherwise, the VBM Junior espresso machine may need to be evaluated by a professional.

All electrical parts, starting with the heating element,  will need to be checked with a multi-meter for voltage and continuity. You can also try our support section.

All electrical parts, starting with the heating element,  will need to be checked with a multi-meter for voltage and continuity.

The only time the brew pressure should be read is when extracting. The brew pressure gauge does NOT measure the pressure of the vibration pump. It measures the resistance of the fineness of the grind, the amount of coffee in the basket AND the tamping pressure.

At all other times it can be anywhere from zero bar to 12 bar.

Q. Without a portafilter installed, after the initial flush.
A. Can be zero to 12

Q. When portafilter with tamped ground installed.
A. Can be 1-14 depending upon the resistance created by the grind fineness, the amount of ground coffee in the basket, and the tamping pressure.

Q. During the first 6-7 seconds and before the first drop.
A. The pressure will usually drop to zero bar and then take up to 9 seconds to get to 8 or more bar. However, if the resistance is not enough in the basket, the gauge may not even go over 1 bar.

Q. And the next 20 seconds. 
A. If the resistance is enough in the basket, the gauge should be in the range of 8-12 bar.

Backflushing requires backflush detergent, not descaling products. These are two different cleaning protocols.

For backflushing or backwashing of the grouphead, please review our short backflushing procedures.

For descaling without the water softener in the machine's water reservoir, please review our heat exchanger descaling procedures.

Since you are using the water softener, which should be recharged twice per month minimum, descaling becomes less necessary which can increase the life of the machine. Think of limescale like cholesterol. The number of timer per year to descale becomes a guess because everyone's water hardness is different. This is why we recommend preventative procedures for all espresso machines, like the in tank water softeners.

The inline water softener is a better method for the Vibiemme espresso machines as the BILT takes 15 hours of soaking in the pitcher of water.

Sometimes, the switch behind the grouphead needs to be inserted further into the machine. With the machine unplugged from the electrical outlet, loosen the nut holding the switch on the outside by 2 rotations. Remove the body panel by removing the three screws on both sides. Tighten the nut on the inside of the switch. This part can be difficult as the crescent wrench needs to be angled. Test and see if it improves.

If not, the following switch should be a replacement.

The blind filter test shows if the pump can achieve 8-9 bar pressure in 7-8 seconds which is the norm for a vibration pump. The OPV usually will allow water out at 10-11 bar depending upon the setting of the OPV.

Since your pressure does not go up with coffee, this can be a grinder or grind fineness issue as the blind filter shows the pump in the normal range.

We would suggest you descale the pump and the grouphead without opening the steam or hot water wand as you do not want descaler in the boiler.

The other area to look for is a blocked gicleur in the grouphead mushroom. It is part number 3 on page 6 of the grouphead diagram.

Temperature is usually not related to pump pressure. Not having a portafilter in the grouphead with coffee can make the temperature decrease faster or a blocked up vacuum breaker valve on the boiler.

Please review our tech support white paper.

Or check out our video!

Yes, but shipping via UPS is extra-expensive, and the package is too big for USPS. In addition, there is risk of damage on any machine going to Guam.

Thank you for your order. Any ULKA pump on our web site with a wattage rating of 41 watts to 52 watts will work on your machine.