Originally Web posted Wednesday, 27 May 2009.
Content last modified Saturday, 9 January 2021 .

Normal Sequence of Operations

It occurs to me that some people may receive an 800ESXL for the first time used, in inoperative condition. They may have never experienced the normal sequence of operations.

The following is a detailed description of exactly what our unit does when operated, from the point of first powering it on through various normal operations. Note that the timings are approximate and will vary according to ambient temperature, water temperature, and possibly other factors. It is even possible that some of the details regarding exactly what happens at what moment may vary depending where the water temperature is in the heating cycle.

Unit Off, standby mode: all dark.
Momentarily press Power button.
Power button ring illuminates. Water level LED illuminates. Pump runs approximately 3 1/2 seconds then stops. At that time, the red HEATING LED flashes, approximately once per second. Hot Water and Steam button rings remain dark. If the knob is turned to the steam wand or brew head positions, nothing happens. (The rest of the sequence assumes that, if this is done, the knob has been returned to the center standby position prior to the next step.)
When unit reaches operating temperature, the red HEATING LED extinguishes, and the Steam button ring illuminates.
Turn the knob to the brew head position.
The pump runs continuously for approximately 2 seconds, then pulses approximately once or twice per second for a couple of seconds, then reverts to running continuously, continuing until the knob is returned to the center standby position.

The Power and Steam button rings remain solidly illuminated. The HEATING LED will light solid as needed when the heating element is running.
Starting from the center standby position, turn the knob to the steam wand position. The HEATING LED may flash for awhile, as the thermal block rises to full steam temperature*. Then, the HEATING LED will light solid as the pump commences pulsing once or twice per second, with steam exiting the wand (sometimes preceded by a brief water stream, possibly for a few seconds). The red HEATING LED will remain lit and the pump will continue pulsing as steam continues to exit the wand, until the knob is returned to the center standby position.
Once the knob returns to the center standby position, the HEATING LED extinguishes, the unit pauses for approximately 4 seconds as steam pressure is released, and then the pump runs continuously for about 7 seconds.
Press the Hot Water button.
The Hot Water button ring will illuminate as the Steam button ring extinguishes.
Turn the knob to the brew head position.
The same sequence of operations occur as with the Steam button setting, detailed in step 3 above.
Starting from the center standby position, turn the knob to the steam wand position.
The HEATING LED lights solid as the pump runs continuously, pumping hot water out the steam wand. The process continues until the knob is returned to the center standby position, at which point the HEATING LED immediately extinguishes and the pump immediately stops.

* Site correspondent Grant Ball has more specific information:

I had a look and found that the high-limit thermostat is only there as a safety and bridging it makes no difference to normal operation. The steam pre-heating is by timer which I assume is handled by the IC chip [it is —Sonic]. It is the same every time and on my machine it is 13 flashes of the Heating LED before pulse pumping begins through the steam circuit.

Have any Breville 800ESXL repair tips? Send ’em in! I’ll endeavor to add the seemingly good ones to these pages, at my usual glacial pace. (Please let me know if you want to be credited or remain anonymous. Thanks!)