LUCCA A53 / Mini / Vivaldi: Testing the Brew Boiler Heating Element

If your Lucca A53 fails to heat properly, trips the GFCI on start-up, or displays the "120-ECO" or "97-ECO" error code, there may be a fault with the brew boiler heating element. Follow these instructions to test the element with a multimeter.

Tools needed:
- Multimeter

NOTE: Use caution when working with live voltage. If you have limited or no experience with 120V AC electrical systems, consider having your machine evaluated by a qualified technician.

1. Remove the panels from the machine.

2. Start with the machine off and unplugged, then identify the brew boiler heating element legs and remove the power supply connections.


3. Set your multimeter to the resistance setting (Ω) and set the range to the lowest setting. Then touch the probes to the heating element legs, allow the multimeter display to stabilize. When working properly, the La Spaziale brew boiler heating element normally tests at 15Ω (+/-1.5Ω).


4. A significantly higher resistance value or an O.L. reading indicates a damaged element that will need to be replaced. (It's rare for heating elements to test at a lower resistance value.)


NOTE: While rare, it is possible for a heating element to test at a normal resistance value and still be defective. If you've eliminated all other possibilities, proceed with the following test:

1. Plug the heating element power supply connections back in, then plug the machine in and power it on. (Make sure that the machine is connected to a water source or has a full reservoir.)

2. With the machine powered on and just beginning to try to heat, test the black-wire side of the heating element as shown here:

- Multimeter set to read AC Voltage in the 200V AC range.


- Black multimeter probe firmly grounded on the machine's common ground post.


- Red multimeter probe on the bare metal part of the heating element leg that's connected to the black wire.


3. If the machine is on and attempting to heat the brew boiler, you should see ~120V AC at the heating element leg as shown here.


- If ~120V AC is present, then the machine is powering the heating element, but the heating element is not working. Replace the heating element.

- If no voltage or significantly less than ~120V AC is detected at the heating element leg, then the fault is somewhere else in the machine's brew boiler heating circuit. Please reach out to our tech team to continue troubleshooting: Clive Coffee Tech Troubleshooting