Picked up 7 broken units on eBay (all in one sale). 2 Precision, 4 Nano and a Pro (I believe). Many of them have the low water issue. I’ve had them going in a bath of coffee descaler (Brew Rite) for several hours. So far, one of the Nanos appears to be working now. If I can fix one more, it will pay for the entire investment.
Questions: What is the strongest thing I can use for cleaning (to hopefully fix the low water sensing issue)? This cleaner has calcium carbonate, which I believe is alkaline. Not sure if I should dump that and if it doesn’t work, flip sides and go acidic with citric acid? Interested to hear your points of view.
The one with no heat is a Precision, so it’s easy to open up. Saw somewhere on Google that I can try replacing the triacs in the circuitry (yes, I’m handy with a soldering iron and have hot air station too). Any info on things to try on that one or should I go ahead and look at circuitry?
Is there any way to open these Nanos? Since these have been deemed dead and are not subject to warranty (that I know of), I’m not afraid to use a drill or saw (carefully) and glue/clamp/whatever after the fact. I enjoy the challenge of fixing these. I now have 3 working units and would’t mind giving a few away if I get them working.
Also, one of the Nanos has weird temp readings - the temp goes all over the place and seems to rise to 200+ degrees even though the water is around 150. So, what could’ve gone wrong there?
Interested in any thoughts on any of the above, thanks!
Brian
The recommended cleaning solution for cleaning any of the Anova family of products is 50/50 water to vinegar: https://support.anovaculinary.com/hc/en-us/articles/204567914-How-do-I-clean-my-Anova-Precision-Cooker-. The strongest chemical you could use is whatever you feel most comfortable using, considering the materials used. Personally, I’ve gotten no where when trying the vinegar bath method with any of my immersion circulators, so I use a common household descaling agent. There isn’t much information on other chemicals to use, as using anything other than what they recommend can void the warranty. I’d suggest play around with chemicals you’re familiar with and check to see they don’t etch the components.
Good for you, I guess? Googled it, found this: https://youtu.be/X6x_xokMgiY. No idea if it will be helpful or not.
Nothing that I can find online. I’d suggest trying to pop it open along the seams, if you’re not worried about any warranty, just keep in mind you could irreparably damage the unit.
So many things: could be a faulty connection with the temperature probe, could be a problem with the thermostat, the display itself, and any one or combination of the components in between. Make sure everything is clean, dry, and then cracking a multi-meter and logic probe would be the only advice I could give you.
Thanks for the thoughts! Yes, as for opening up a Nano, I’m not worried about warranties in this case. Since I have 4 that are not working I’d love to see if I could end up with 2 that are and just have some leftover parts. If I get good at this, I could see myself buying more dead ones online and building some of these on the side. I got these 7 units for a total of like $120, so turning a couple of them into parts to save others is totally worth the sacrifice.