On Thursday, November 20, 2014 8:42:37 PM UTC+10:30, Amanda Riphnykhazova wrote:
Can anyone assist with this Chromex CH308 conventional looking espresso machine please? I cant find any reference to this Italian company for a service manual. There may be a forum (SAV?) but it is in French.

When I press the espresso button to brew the coffee, the pump works for about a second and then appears strangulated and stops, thereafter dribbling tiny amounts of coffee out of the portafilter.

Do these pumps go weak or do they just fail please?

I immediately suspected a failed pump but when I open the steam valve, the full pump sound comes on and seems to work fine??

So I unscrewed the metal filter above the portafiler which doesn't look particularly dirty. When I took it off, the pump worked fine and spewed out normal amounts of water from the bare head: I figured that the metal filter is blocked, since not much seems to be blocked above it and I cleaned it. But when I put it back, and put the portafiler back in place (empty), the unit appears strangulated again and no water comes through.

I dont suppose there are two pumps, with one governing the coffee brew and the other governing the steam wand. Does all this just mean that my pump is gone?

Hi,
I have had similar problems with my DeLonghi machine as well. The filter in the portafiler was blocked with very fine coffee grounds. You could not see this and the basket seemed clean. I took a fine sewing needle and started poking each hole through. Made a huge difference. Another thing to check is if the machine needs descaling. I try to do mine every couple of months as we live in a very hard water area. Hope this helps.
Con