ECM Synchronika/cleaning and maintenance
From Whole Latte Love Support Library
Recommended Cleaning Products
The best product for backflushing, cleaning grouphead components, and cleaning filter baskets is a backflushing powder like Urnex Cafiza.
Cleaning Portafilter and Baskets
Backflushing
Backflushing is the process used to clean out the shower screen and brew group. The cleaner will remove the old coffee oils and deposits, as well as prevent coffee from building up on the shower screen.
Maintaining Your Espresso Machine - Backflushing
Group Head Cleaning
The grouphead should be taken apart on a monthly basis to remove scale buildup, remove coffee residues, and improve shot flavor.
How To Clean E61 Brew Group Mushroom, Jet and Top Valve
Steam Wand Cleaning
After each use, the steam wand should be wiped down, and then purged by running a few short bursts of steam. Make sure that there is no milk left on the wand. The steam wand should be cleaned daily once the machine is finished for the day. Milk residues quickly build up on the steam wand, so it's important to keep it clean to prevent blockages from forming.
How to Clean a Steam Wand
Replacing the Group Gasket and Shower Screen
For the average home user, the group gasket should be replaced about every six months to a year. When the group gasket is worn out, it becomes hard, and no longer creates a good seal between the portafilter and the grouphead, so you may begin to notice some leaking. When a group gasket is really old, it can be extremely difficult to remove from the machine, so even if you don't experience any leaking, replacing the group gasket on a yearly basis is a good idea. The document on the right shows how to replace the group gasket and shower screen. You don't have to replace the screen once a year, as typically it can simply be cleaned.
Replacing the Group Gasket on Your E61 Machine