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Ask The Expert: Shortpotting on the 5000 and 6000 series FETCO Coffee Brewers

Krista — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 19:16:00 GMT

QUESTION:

Hi Shane,

We have a total of six machines on property 2 X CBS52H15 and 4 X CBS62H we cannot get the desired volumes. On The CBS52H max volume is 5 L without the coffee and the timer set at max 360 seconds

The CBS62H max volume is 10.4 L without the coffee grounds in brew basket, timer set at again max 360 seconds. At no time does the water in the tank falls below the siphon level of the tube.

The Tank, refills. The Brew Tubes are clear, used descaling spring to check. I see from the user manual that it could be a simple as the flow disk could be fitted incorrect.

That I have not checked, but 12 pieces? Is there any futher test / check I can carry out. I was thinking of the removing the Flow Disk Completely to see if the volume increases.

Peter

_____________________

ANSWER:

Peter,

I am sorry to hear that you are having issues with your brewers. Let’s see if I can help get you back up and running properly.

First off thank you for your thorough account of what you know so far this is very helpful.

Just to summarize what I understand of what you have told me you are saying that;

1) All six of your brewers are short potting

 Both of the 2 CBS-52H15’s are short potting the same amount and it is the same on both sides for each brewer.
 All 4 CBS-62H’s are short potting the same amount and it is the same on both sides for each brewer.

2) All 12 timers (Double Units) are set to the highest time setting of 360 seconds but still having short potting issue.

3) You have checked and verified that the tank on al the brewers are refilling

4) You removed all of the dispense tubes from all of the brewers and ran a de-scaling spring through all of them to make sure there was no obstruction.

5) And you are checking all 12 flow discs to make sure they are installed correctly.

Now for a few questions:

1) If you were to brew one side at a time vs both sides at the same time does the volume change?

2) Do all 12 timers time for the 360 seconds that they are set for? (360 seconds or 6 minutes)

3) When the brewers are refilling do they fill stop, fill stop, repeat like this throughout the brew cycle or does the fill vale turn on and stay on during the entire brew?

4) Do each of the brewers have its own water filter?

5) When was the last time the filters were replaced?

Please get back to me with answers to these questions and hopefully based on your answers I will have a solution for you.

Shane Blais
Director of Technical Services and Corporate Training

Ask The Expert: Can I brew Coffee and Iced Tea in a CBS-52H-15 Brewer?

Krista — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 14:07:00 GMT

QUESTION:

Can I split the dual tower CBS-52H15-2 to brew coffee and make iced tea?

Jen

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ANSWER:

Yes, it can. You can order an iced tea option with this brewer Z013 just specify which side you want it on. Just so it is clear, this option will brew a half batch of hot tea, then it has to be manually diluted with cold water. Most people have a 3 quart measuring pitcher dedicated for this function.

Shane

Ask The Expert: Which Brewer Works with TPD-30 Dispenser?

Krista — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 13:59:00 GMT

QUESTION:

Can I use the TPD-3.0 with the CBS-52H15-2? If not, which brewer will pair with this dispenser?

Jen

_______________________________________________

Jen,

The TPD-30 will only work with our CBS-61H or CBS-62H models.

To make this easier and faster in the future, our website does have this information. Click on this link http://www.fetco.com/luxus.html, select model series, then the size. When that particular dispenser comes up on the right hand side there is a description and at the bottom of this description the equipment the dispenser can be used with is listed.

I hope this is helpful and please let me know if I can be of any further assistance.

Shane Blais
Director of Technical Services & Corporate Training

Ask The Expert: Outgrown the CBS-2018. Which FETCO brewer should I select?

Krista — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 13:52:00 GMT

QUESTION:

Hi Shane,

I am a distributor. My customer has a CBS-2018 and they like brewing into a carafe. The current unit can’t keep up with production. Electricity available 13 amps, 2 & 1 ground wire, single phase, 120. There is a water outlet for direct plumbing. What model should I move them into?

Thanks,
Jamie

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ANSWER:

Jamie,

If you are not able to increase your electrical, then it is not easy to increase out put. However the CBS-2021eG (120V with 1X 1.7KW heating element and can be plugged into a standard 15amp outlet) is a brewer that auto refills which makes recovery time a little faster and you can the brew two batches in a row without waiting for the brewer to come back up to temperature. After those two batches the brewer will need to recover. The 2018 cannot do this it brews then fills then needs to heat after every brew.

Now you would need to buy separately the Tray Assembly p/n 1102.00009.00 because it does not come standard with the 2021eG because it is supposed to brew into our 1.5 gal gravity pot. With this configuration there is a 2-3” gap between the brew basket and the server however this does not appear to affect the temperature of the end product.

The CBS-2021eG was not designed to be used with this server, but I know some folks who have used it this way and appear to be very happy with it.

If you can upgrade to a 20amp circuit, the CBS-2021eG can be purchased with a 2.1KW heating element, and then you can brew nearly 2 more batches per hour than the one mentioned above.

I hope this is helpful please let me know If I can be of any further assistance.

Shane

Ask The Expert: Grounds Over the Brew Basket

Krista — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 14:28:00 GMT

QUESTION:

Hi Shane.

I have a question keeping the grounds from overflowing into the coffee. We have a CBS 2041e 1 gal. brewer and in order to get our coffee to strong eonugh for our customers we use 1/2 pound per batch. Unfortunately, this can result in overflowing grounds.
Is there an oversized brew basket we can get or perhaps a series of setting adjustments that you might recommend to combat this problem?

Thanks,
Peter

_____________________________________________

ANSWER:

The basket that you are using is the biggest we have that will fit this unit. To be honest you should not need anything more than that. 8oz fits well within specification for this brew basket.

My guess is that you are grinding your coffee just before brewing and you may even have fresh roasted coffee as well which means you have got a virtual explosion occurring in your brew basket when water comes into contact with the grounds. If my assumptions are correct this is not a problem but we just need to make some adjustments to programming.

Making another assumption I would say you do not have any pre-wet set on the brewer so, enter programming following the instruction laid out in the User’s Guide. Once there, go to parameter 1.4 and set it to 7% then advance to parameter 1.5 and set to 10 Seconds. Press hot water faucet to save the changes and turn brewer on. Run a test batch check for grounds in coffee if none then taste. The tasting part of this is critical and I recommend brewing a batch at current settings then at new settings so you can taste side by side.

Shane Blais
Director of Technical Services & Corporate Training

Ask The Expert: Issue Update 32A -- Voltage at the Heating Elements, but Not Heating Water Tank

Krista — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 14:22:00 GMT

ISSUE UPDATE:

Hello again Shane,

The plot thickens, I now have no visible voltage to the element, the high limit is OK, but the voltage across A1 & A2 on the SSR only reads 99Volts.
The other strange thing is the ready light is always on. I assume it is only supposed to light up when the unit has reached brew temperature?
Again, your help is appreciated.

Gwyn

--------------------------------------------------
ANSWER:

OK! If your ready light is always on then the thermostat is satisfied and it will never heat which is clearly indicated by your voltage reading at the SSR which shows that the SSR is open so no heat.

Take a look at the t-stat it should be a digital t-stat with a 2 digit digital display. With the power to the brewer on the t-stat in its current state should be showing a temperature (to read temp over 100°F the two digits along with one decimal point on the display represents the last two digits of the temperature so 5 0. is 150°F. For temperatures over 200°F the two digits along with two decimal points on the display represents the last two digits of the temperature so 0.5. is 205°.

Now typical set temperature on this brewer is 202°F so if it is up to temp it should read 0.2. or whatever the t-stat is set for. To determine set temperature turn adjustment stem CW or CCW slightly and the display will begin to flash. Whatever number is displayed on the t-stat while the display is flashing this is your set temperature.

It is possible that the set temperature is too low and you just need to turn it up by turning the adjustment stem until you get to desired set temperature.

Or if it is at the desired set temperature and the t-stat is satisfied and yet water temperature is cold or only luke warm it could be the T-stat or the temperature probe. I would try replacing the t-probe first then if you still have the same issue then replace the t-stat.

If you have any questions about this please let me know.

Shane

Ask The Expert: UPDATE 32A Voltage at the Heating Elements, But Not Heating Water Tank

Krista — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 15:39:00 GMT

ISSUE UPDATE:

Hi Shane,

Thanks for the reply, the serial number is 600147071386. It is a 120V unit.

Thanks so much,
Gwyn

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RESPONSE:

OK, based on this serial number, this is a brewer that uses a Solid State Relay (SSR). My guess is that the SSR is not functioning or your High Limit (Single shot t-stat) is open. This is assuming that the thermostat is calling for heat, of course. If the t-stat is calling for heat, then you should have 120V from the blue wire on the SSR to neutral. I would suggest that you remove the blue wire from the SSR when taking this reading (of course making sure to observe safe electrical procedures). This will help prevent the possibility of false readings.

FYI—SSR’s and any solid state components, for that matter, are notorious for false readings when using a multimeter so be careful. It can fool the best of us. In addition, because of the way this brewer is wired, your readings at the heating element will always be misleading. See the wiring diagram for clarification.

If the t-stat is calling for heat, then the SSR should close and the heater should start heating; unless, of course, my theory is correct and the SSR or the High Limit is not functioning.

To check the high limit, which of course is mounted at the top of the tank, make sure the brewer is unplugged, then remove both wires from the High Limit. Next, check continuity between each terminal. If you get continuity, then the High Limit is good and, therefore it has to be your SSR that is the problem.

The easiest way to verify this is by taking an amperage reading with your amp clamp. Place your amp clamp on the red wire that goes to the heating element when the brewer is on and calling for heat. If the SSR is working, you should be getting about 15 amps. If you are getting zero amps, as I believe you will, then we have found the culprit. Replace your SSR.

Let me know how this turns out. I hope this information will be helpful.

Shane Blais
Director of Technical Services
and Corporate Training

Ask The Expert: 32A -- Voltage at the Heating Elements, but Not Heating Water Tank

Krista — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 21:50:00 GMT

QUESTION:

Hello,

I have what may be considered a less than intelligent question regarding your double brewer series.
If voltage at the element is 120V should the unit be heating up? I replaced the element thinking that was the problem but both the old element and the new one read approximately 8 ohms. Still, the unit refuses to heat the water tank.
Any input would be appreciated.

Regards,

Gwyn

______________________________________________

ANSWER:

By no means would I consider your question less than intelligent. It is a very good question based on what you are conveying to me and I would call this a sanity check more than anything.

If I assume that this brewer is a straight 120V unit and you have 120V at the heating element then, yes, it should be heating. This is provided that this brewer uses a Mercury Relay to switch power to the heating element. If that is the case, then the voltage present at the heating element should produce heat.

However, if the brewer in question uses a Solid State Relay to switch power to the heating element, then you could very well get 120V at the heating element without producing heat.

If you give me the s/n to the brewer, I should be able to determine if the brewer has an SSR or a Mercury Relay.

Also, is this by chance a 120/208-240VAC unit?

I look forward to your reply.

Shane Blais
Director of Technical Services & Corporate Training

Ask The Expert: 2018 Not Brewing Correctly

Krista — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 20:51:00 GMT

QUESTION:

I have a FETCO Millenia CBS-2018 and it doesn't seem to be brewing correctly. Can you please help?

When I go press the green brew button, it only brews half the decanter and then it takes a long time to brew the rest of the pot. I have to press the brew brew button several times before it will start dripping. What am I doing wrong?

Rocio
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ANSWER:

Rocio,

I am a little confused about what is the problem here so bear with me as I explain the operation of the CBS-2018.

You say that you press the green brew button to start a brew cycle, but the brew button on these brewers should be black. The only thing green should be the ready light that indicates that the brewer is up to temperature. I want to make sure we are talking about the same thing here so please clarify.

Now as far as the brew cycle is concerned, just in case you are not aware this the CBS-2018 cannot brew until the brewer is up to temperature this is indicated by the ready light.

Once the ready light is on, then you can brew by pressing the start switch. During the brew cycle, the dispense valve pulses on and off and dispenses a set volume. These brewers are set up as either 1.8L or 1.9L and this is determined by the length of the liquid level probe. When the brew cycle is complete, the brew light will flash for 90 seconds indicating the drip delay. Once the drip delay is complete, your dispenser should be full. This cycle should take about 5 minutes.

Now, depending on how the brewer is configured, you could have a pre-wet delay programmed into the brewer; which means the brewer will dose water for 5 seconds then stop and delay for 30 seconds then it will begin to brew with the dispense valve pulsing on and off during the entire cycle.

There are a few other things based on programming that could make it look like the brewer is not working, yet it is, but check these things first and let me know what you find.

I hope this will be helpful to you.

Shane Blais
Director of Technical Services
and Corporate Training

Ask The Expert: Shortpotting & Setting Brew Time

Krista — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 20:47:00 GMT

QUESTION:

Hello Shane,

I found your shortpotting video on YouTube and found it hopefully helpful. We have a new unit like the one in the video and the water volumes are constantly having to be recalibrated due to shortpotting. I have already cleaned the little rubber spray valves but have not cleaned the spray plates or checked for blockage in the line between the tank and the electronic valves--I have set the fine tune program settings for water flow to as wide open as they will go and the volume set at 1.24 gallons and we are still shortpotting..... I'll let you know how it goes with the spray plate and blockage in the line...

The question I have for you has to do with setting the brew time on station one. Currently it is set at 14:30 minutes. When I am in the programming mode and change the time down to something like 5 or 7 minutes and then go to hold the stop button down, the system kicks back to 14:30 before it will give me an STO confirmation. On the station 3 and 4 I can change the time by holding down the Stop button, and I can change program settings in advanced settings; it's just that one brew time setting it won't let me change it. Weird, huh?

Thanks in advance,

Dan

______________________________________

ANSWER:

Based on your description of programming I would say that you have a 2042ee or a 2032ee. Is there any chance you could get me the serial number to this brewer I might know what is causing your fluctuating brew volume.

As far as the issue that you are having with brew time. This only happens when you are asking the brewer to do what it cannot do. If you are trying to get a volume of water in a given period of time that the brewer calculates is not possible it will automatically change the brew time that you programmed to a time that is possible.

Now parameters 60 and 61 you said are programmed wide open this should mean you set both to 0.09 which will make the valve open for a longer period of time during each pulse. For the half batch this maybe possible but it may not for the full batch settings. It is unlikely we will be able to fix this until your flow problem is fixed.

Please get back to me with serial number and also remove the cover that is right above the spray heads and take a look at what color the dispense valves are. Please get this to me ASAP so we can fix both problems.

Shane

Ask The Expert: Batches/Hour on an EXTRACTOR CBS-2051e

Krista — Fri, 28 May 2010 19:48:00 GMT

QUESTION:

Hello!

I am just trying to get a precise amount as far as volume your brewers can produce per hour.

I opened the spec sheet for products. I noticed that a brew time is listed (usually around 4 minutes) and then there are the numbers that say batch/hr based on water temperature. Is that the number I am looking at? I assume that number includes the time the brewer needs to refill and reheat water.

So, for instance, I am just making sure that if I were to hypothetically purchase a CBS-2051e Extractor (1.5 gal.), with a 4 min. brew time, if I have 120/208 voltage, and my water is cold, I can expect it to brew a maximum of 7.7 batches/hr, or 11.55 gallons?

Also, I know that each account is different and is dependent on a lot of variables, but can you give me a very general idea about what are the most common voltages and does water typically start off hot or cold?

Thanks so much!

Liz

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ANSWER:

Liz,

Your interpretation of our spec sheet is correct. Of course, if you change a variable such as adding pre-wet and a pre-wet delay, this will increase the actual brew time therefore possibly reducing the number of brews you can accomplish in a 1 hour time period.

Now as far as what is typical from location to location it can be said that in general the majority of all locations will have 120/208V single phase power and water supplied is almost always cold water. Now that brings up another variable which is water supply temperature will also have an impact on the production of a brewer. I.e. The colder that water is the longer it takes for a brewer to heat.

Shane Blais
Director of Technical Services & Corporate Training

Ask The Expert: CBS-2052e20 & Coffee Basics

Krista — Mon, 10 May 2010 18:44:00 GMT

Shane!

My company just purchased a CBS-2052e20 Twin 2.0 Gallon Extractor Brewer for office that will be installed next week.

I just realized that:

1) I need to know how to operate this brewer!
2) What size/type filters do I use?
3) How much coffee do you put in for the different volume levels?

Please help!

Julie

____________________________________________________

Hello Julie,

First ,the operating instructions come with in the User’s Guide that comes with the brewer.

Next, your filter size is 15 x 5.5 and you can order these directly from us or typically through you coffee provider.

As far as how much coffee shouls you use; if you are purchasing your coffee from a Coffee Roaster, they would be able to help you. However, if you are on your own, then I can give you a general range, but it does depend on preference, in most cases.

The SCAA (Specialty Coffee Association of America) recommends 3.25 - 4.25 oz of coffee for every 64 oz of water. So with that said with you have a 2 gal brewer so that would be 256 oz of water which would mean you would need to use between 13 – 17 oz of coffee per 2 gal brew.

I hope this information is helpful and that you enjoy your new coffee brewer. If you need any further assistance please let me know.

Shane Blais, Director of Technical Services & Corporate Training

Ask The Expert: CBS-52H Filling Issue

Krista — Thu, 06 May 2010 17:10:00 GMT

Aloha

I've been working on a 52H with a filling problem. After brewing a few
batches the machine stops filling, while staying in the brew mode. We
have replaced the LLCB,Probe,probe teflon housing,water filter and
fill valve.I've checked all the voltages,neutral, ground etc.We have
installed a water pressure gauge and the pressure reads about 90psi
while brewing and about 100psi when not brewing.Is it possible the
pressure is too high?
Any ideas?

Thanks,

Mark

_________________________

Mark,

This is interesting. Now I am not sure how old your brewer is, but I am
assuming that you have the latest version of the LLCB since you have
replaced it already.

On the LLCB there are a series of LED's. There is a red one which
indicates power, two yellow which indicate power to fill valve or to
t-stat (Fill and Heat terminals) and then there is a green light which
indicates when water is in contact with the LLP.

Can you please tell me if when the brewer will not refill is the green
LED on?

As far as pressure is concerned, the fill valve requires only 20PSI to
open, not to exceed 75PSI. Higher then 75PSI and the valve generally
opens under the excessive pressure. Which is why I am surprised you
are not reporting an issue with the brewer over filling or filling
when it should not be.

This is why I ask the question above, there are many reasons why a
brewer will stop filling like this, so I need some help with process
of elimination.

After the brewer sits for a little while does it fill again?

Have you observed the tank refilling with the tank access cover removed?
Visually checking where the water level stops?

When the brewer stops filling is there power at the fill valve?

I know this is a lot of questions without answers, but I need to ask.

Please let me know ASAP so we can get this solved.

Thank you.

Shane Blais
Director of Technical Services & Corporate Training

_____________________________________

Shane,

After a couple of brews, it stops filling and the green light stays on. After a few minutes, it will start filling again.

Mark
_____________________________________

Mark,

It sounds like we are getting false full readings and there are reasons for this. Which you seem to have addressed some of them; however it is still possible we will need to look at those things again.

First try this when the brewer stops filling lightly tap on the top of the liquid level probe if it starts to fill 5 seconds later this is where we focus our attack.

Also check where the sensitivity jumper is set. If it is set to high and the water has a high mineral content the water could actually be causing the false full readings by bridging. Switch it to lo and see what happens.

Let me know what you find and we will take it from there.

Shane

Ask the Expert: CBS-52H & Liquid Level Control Board

Krista — Thu, 06 May 2010 16:45:00 GMT

QUESTION:

To: Shane

May 5th, 2010

Greetings,

I am writing concerning a replacement liquid level control board. I recently replaced the liquid level control board on a Fetco 52H Coffee Brewer. I replaced an older analog board with the new digital one. I followed the schematics carefully and was sure to connect the wires to their proper terminals. I connected the brown wire to the fill terminal, the black to the heat, the green to the liquid level probe, the orange to the L1 and the whites to the neutral, also I connected the single wire white wire bolted to the chassis to the common terminal.

However, when I turn on the machine I have a problem with the fill circuit. The fill solenoid valve will engage for one second then shut off for two and then engage again and then so on. I checked to make sure that there were no frayed wires or loose connections. Also I made sure that the water sensitivity jumper is set for low. When I look at the liquid level control board the red LED light indicating power to the board remains constant when the machine is turned on and the first yellow LED for fill turns on and off in synch with the engaging of the fill valve solenoid.

I am wondering if I have something connected incorrectly or if I am missing something else that is causing this machine to function improperly. Any help with this matter will be most appreciated.

Regards,

Cameron

____________________________________________

ANSWER:

Cameron,

This is an interesting problem. The first thing I want to focus my attention since you seem to be wired correctly is on the board itself and the LED’s. You mentioned that the red LED is on when the power to the brewer is on which is exactly what it should be. You also mentioned that the first yellow LED turns on and off in sequence with the fill valve; this LED indicates power is being sent to the fill valve so this is normal.

What is not normal however is the valve turning on and off the way that it is. Assuming that the tank is not full and that the brewer is not brewing; so based on this can you tell me if you have ever seen a green LED come on at all? If the green light comes on when the yellow light goes out then somewhere in the system the liquid level circuit is showing full when the tank is not full.

Check this out and let me know what you find. One answer will lead to a bad board another will lead to a potential wiring issue.

I hope this is helpful Information and I look forward to hearing back from you.

Shane Blais
Director of Technical Services & Corporate Training

Ask the Expert:CBS-52H DRIPS ON RIGHT SIDE

Krista — Thu, 06 May 2010 15:55:00 GMT

Comment:

I also have a constantly dripping 52H. Drips only through the right side sprayhead, disc and cutter into the grounds. I don't believe it is overfilling - There is no additional water flow unless the brew lever is turned almost to BREW. At that point the normal amount of water starts to dispense. Also, no drips on the left.

________________________________________

Reply:

Hello,

First a little insight on how a 52H dispenses water for brewing.

The 52H is very unique in that it does not have an actual brew valve. It uses what is called a dispense tube; this tube runs from the brass “spray head” to the tank, inside the tank this tube bends 90° straight up and the end of that tube sticks up above the level of the water inside the tank.

The handle in front of the brewer that you turn to start a brew cycle is attached via linkage to this tube. When you pull down on the handle the tube inside the tank rotates, the end of the tube that was once above the level of water, is drawn under water allowing water to flow into the tube through the spray head and out the flow disc and spray cutter into the brew basket.

So the only thing that stops water from flowing through the spray head is the fact that the dispense tube sits above the level of the water when idle.

Why is it important that you know this? Because now you will understand what I tell you next; the dispense tube has a crack in below the water line and water is slowly leaking into the dispense tube and out the spray head etc…

So this is what you need to do:

Purchase a new dispense tube along with new dispense tube seals.

Dispense Tube                      p/n 1112.00041.00               I would do both sides so buy 2
Dispense Tube Seals           p/n 1024.00024.00               If you do both sides you will need 4 of these
Dispense Tube Seal Tool    p/n 11392                               You will need one of these

Once you have the parts contact me and I will provide instructions on how to replace.

FYI parts can be purchased directly through FETCO If you do not have an account you can use a credit card.

Shane

Ask The Expert: CBS-2052e Overflowing

Krista — Tue, 04 May 2010 21:11:00 GMT

Hello,

I have a CBS 2052 that's overflowing from the overflow tubes,if I brew from left side it overflows on right side and vice versa,if I use hot water dispenser the tank refills and overflows from both sides, I cleaned the probe which was pretty limed up but it's stilled overflowing

Thanks.

________________________________________________

I am sorry to hear that you are having trouble with your CBS-2052. But I think we can get you taken care of, no problem.
Now you say you cleaned the probe and it was pretty limed up and since this is the case I am wondering it the wall of the tank are pretty limed up as well. If you can take the tank access cover off and look inside the tank. (Be careful, make sure power is off and remember tank access cover will be hot) I am guessing that you will find there is lime build up on the tank wall and this is contributing to the problem. This is because not only does the probe need to be clean so it can conduct but so does the tank.
To test this theory ,using a straight edge screw driver scrap the lime off of the tank until you hit metal. A ½’ square area below the water line should suffice. Then place the access cover over the tank opening turn the brewer on and test. If the problem goes away then I would recommend that you de-scale the tank using Dezcal from Urnex www.urnex.com.
I hope this information is helpful and please let me know if you need any further assistance.

Shane Blais
Director of Technical Services
and Corporate Training

Ask The Expert: Can I brew Iced Tea in a CBS-52H?

Krista — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 20:52:00 GMT

QUESTION:

Good Morning!

We love our Fetco CBS-52H. We are interested in also using our CBS-52H for iced tea brew. Is this possible?

I understand that Fetco has a Iced Tea Basket (16" x6" Model # A090) that is available for the CBS-52H. Do I need to make special calibration/ setting changes in order to do so?

Thanks!

Anne

___________________________________________

ANSWER:

Anne,

I am very happy to hear that you are enjoying your CBS-52H

The tea basket that you speak of is special basket it has a smaller hole and it has a bar in front that activates a switch that activates a half batch cycle automatically. This is little tricky to retrofit the brewer, but it can be done.

If you already have half batch switches on your brewer, I would recommend an easier conversion which is purchasing brew basket p/n B001206B1. This is a tea basket without the rail. What you then do is flip your half batch switch to Half and brew tea using the tea basket. If you have the newest style timers (Anything after July 2004) you can actually choose the ratio of water for your tea so that you get hot extract of say 33% (just a random number) and then you dilute the remaining amount manually. This allows you to customize your tea to your taste. The only catch there is that you then can only use the one side for iced tea.

At any rate it makes it far easier and you do not need tech to convert it.

I hope this information is useful and please let me know if I can be any further assistance to you.

Shane Blais
Director of Technical Services & Corporate Training

Ask The Expert: Brew Basket Sensor Error

Krista — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 16:54:00 GMT

QUESTION:

Hello,

I was hooking up a 2042e over the weekend and got an error with the basket sensor. Both sides had the same issue. I was able to bypass the sensor and it brewed properly. It seems that if the bypass worked, the board should be fine. Bad sensors on both sides? The machine is a refurbished model that's being hooked up for the first time at this location.

Thanks for your time,
Chad

________________________________

ANSWER:

Chad,

Were you getting an error code “075’ or did you get the “no bas” indicator?

If it was the “no bas” indicator then first check if the magnet is in place on each basket; this magnet is what activates the brew basket sensor much like with an alarm system with magnetic door or window sensors.

If the sensors are missing, you need new handles that will have the magnets already mounted in place. (Part Number 1023.00089.00)

If the magnets are in place, then double check and make sure the rails hold the basket close enough to the brew body for the magnets to trigger the sensor. You can verify this by pushing up on the brew basket handle if the sensor detects the basket then the rails need to be adjusted up because they have bent down over time with use.

If both these things check out, then it is possible that the sensors are bad and you need to replace these. (p/n 102207)

If this is a “075” error, then you are able to start a brew cycle, but it is interrupted by this error code. This is generally related to the rails needing to be adjusted up because while the brew basket sensor can detect the basket initially when water begins to fill the basket it becomes heavier and the basket then shifts down and the magnets contact with the sensor is broken generating the error “075” making the brewer think that the basket was removed when the brew basket lock should have prevented that.

I hope you find this information helpful. If you need any further assistance, please let me know.

Shane Blais
Director of Technical Services & Corporate Training

Ask The Expert: Cleaning a CBS-51H15

Krista — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 22:12:00 GMT

QUESTION:

Hello Shane -

We are enjoying our CBS-51H15. I would just like to ask what your recommendation is for cleaning our Luxus dispensers? Currently I simply rinse them out at the end of the day, then deliver and empty a ½ - fill of hot water the next morning before brewing coffee (to pre-heat the dispenser as well as give it a hot-water rinse).

Should I clean it any other way? I notice that the stain on the sight glass is increasing.

Michael

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ANSWER:

We do recommend further cleaning.

We recommend a that you use a product called Tabz by Urnex. It is very easy to use and it will clean your brew basket as well.

You just place the Tabz in the brew basket place the dispenser you wish to clean under the brewer and start a full batch cycle, then rinse.

The sight page tubes may require additional help. You should have received a sight glass brush with your dispensers. You should Yes This to help brush any stubborn stains away.

I hope you find this information to be helpful. If I can be any further assistance, please let me know.

Shane Blais, Director of Technical Services & Corporate Training

Ask The Expert: CBS-52H has a Bad Brew Valve?

Krista — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 15:10:00 GMT

QUESTION:

Hello,

I am working on an old 52H that leaks water from the frontal exhaust(?) while brewing, so the pots are overfilling and grounds getting in the coffee. Is this a bad brew valve?

Ethan

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ANSWER:

Ethan,

I am assuming that you are referring to the vent tube on the right side of the brewer. The tank vents into this area and if the tank is over filling this would dump water in to the dispenser on the right side only.

As far as this being a bad brew valve, the 52H technically does not have a brew valve. The brass spray head that you see on either side that the water flows through is a just a channel for water to flow through. Water can flow through the spray head over the grounds and/or if the by-pass valve is open a portion of the water diverts and goes around the outside of the grounds.

The dispense tube (stainless steel tube from tank to brass spray head) is what controls whether water flows or not. When you pull the handle down, the dispense tube rotates about 20° ending up under water level allowing water to flow. When the handle returns at the end of a brew cycle, the dispense tube rotates back and then the end of the tube rises above the level stopping the water flow. Please see page 11 of our User’s Guide (you ca find all of our user' guides on our web site www.FETCO.com).

So, no, this is not a bad brew valve. However, I do need clarification of where the water is leaking from. Is this just on the right side in the left rear corner of the brew basket or is the in the right front corner of both sides?

Shane Blais
Director of Technical Services & Corporate Training