La Cimbali · 2, 3 and 4 group
La Cimbali M39 TE Classic — PSSR examination & servicing
M39 TE Classic machines are used in high-volume restaurants, hotel banqueting, contract catering and busy traditional cafés nationwide. The engineer carries out the statutory PSSR examination, the front-end service and the water treatment on this model — a standalone examination is £295 + VAT, or £500 + VAT with the service included.
Quick answer
Does a La Cimbali M39 TE Classic need a PSSR examination?
Yes, if it operates in a workplace. It carries a single steam boiler with its own protective devices, which is the pressure system in scope. Steam is a relevant fluid under PSSR 2000 and steam systems are covered at any pressure and any volume, so the boiler must have a Written Scheme of Examination and be examined periodically by a competent person.
- Examination only
- £295
- With service
- £500
The machine
Why the M39 TE Classic matters to the La Cimbali owner
The traditional high-output Cimbali — a large copper boiler and heat-exchanger groups, built for continuous service rather than theatre.
In practice you will find it in high-volume restaurants, hotel banqueting, contract catering and busy traditional cafés — which shapes what the examination looks like on site: how the machine is accessed, how long it can be offline, and how much scale it has accumulated.
On the day
- The steam boiler is drained and inspected internally with an endoscope for scale, corrosion and weld condition.
- The safety valve, anti-vac valve and fittings are checked and tested.
- The pressure gauge is verified against our calibrated test gauge, not against itself.
- A 3 group boiler holds more water than a 2 group, so the drain, refill and heat-up all take longer — allow the full appointment window.
- The Written Scheme of Examination names the vessel and the protective devices it covers.
Typical rates for this model
- Standalone PSSR examination
- £295
- Service + PSSR bundle
- £500
- Certified safety valve, if it fails
- £60 + VAT
- Water filter, fitted on a visit
- from £107
- Grinder calibration & deep clean
- £89
- If it does not pass
- Explained in writing
All prices exclude VAT. The additional drain and heat-up time a 3 group boiler needs. We confirm the exact figure on the call.
Filters are fitted on site by an engineer and are not posted out. The filter price applies when ordered with a PSSR examination, service, call-out or water test; booked alone it is charged at the standard call-out.
What we see on this model
- The boiler is the largest in the Cimbali range at up to 20 litres, so it holds far more stored energy than a compact machine and takes materially longer to drain, refill and bring back to pressure.
- Heat-exchanger groups mean the brew circuit runs inside the steam boiler, so scale control on the mains supply matters more here than on most machines.
- 2/3/4-group traditional machine: service boiler 5-11 L on the 2-group, 15 L on the 3-group and 20 L on the 4-group, with a 0.18-0.25 L heat exchanger per group (M39 engineer's manual data table). The fault codes come from the M39 Dosatron TE manual, which shares the boiler/hydraulic codes with the TE Classic; the Classic is not volumetric, so code 66 may not exist on it. Discontinued - absent from Cimbali's current sitemap, but M39-specific valves and elements are still stocked.
Verified boiler data
What is actually inside this machine
| Configuration | Steam boiler |
|---|---|
| C2 (2 group) | 10.0 L |
| C3 (3 group) | 15.0 L |
| C4 (4 group) | 20.0 L |
Manufacturer's published boiler capacities. Where a maker publishes no figure we say so rather than estimate.
Service interval. The engineer's manual has no fixed month interval; maintenance is set by cycles/days in Configuration > Maintenance and fault 096 raises the reminder.
Fault finder
What actually goes wrong on a La Cimbali M39 TE Classic
Owners usually call us with a symptom, not a diagnosis. This is what that symptom most often turns out to be on this machine, and what putting it right involves.
| Symptom | Usual cause | What fixes it |
|---|---|---|
| Machine never reaches working pressure, or is lukewarm and slow | Fault 052 “Boiler heating timeout — 45 minutes”. The manual points at the safety thermostat having tripped, an interrupted element, or the triac card. | Reset and test the safety thermostat, then the element, then the triac card. |
| Boiler pressure erratic or climbing, safety valve discharging, water underneath | Fault 058 “Boiler overpressure” — level probe failure, boiler overfilled, or an element that is always powered. | Check the level probe and filling valve first; a constantly powered element is the dangerous case and needs the contactor or triac tested. |
| Coffee dose varies shot to shot, or a group stops dispensing while the pump runs | Fault 66 “Error in the group that is dispensing” — no water reaching the group, flowmeter fault, blocked circuit or wiring. | Work water supply, then flowmeter, then the group circuit. Note this code is from the Dosatron TE manual and may not apply to a TE Classic. |
| False fills, or the boiler drops and will not refill cleanly | Fault 060 “Boiler-level signal errors”. The manual advises checking earthing and insulation — the level probe reads through the water, so a bad earth or a fouled probe gives a false level. | Clean the probe, check its earth and insulation. The manual also exposes a level-probe sensitivity setting, because conductivity varies with water. |
| Slow heat-up, rumbling element, poor steam, then element failure | Heavy scale and corrosion inside the copper boiler. | Boiler descale and element check. Scale is the single biggest cause of element failure on this machine. |
| Water dripping from a steam or hot-water tap | Tap gland and seat wear. | Tap rebuild, or a complete steam/water valve where the body is worn. |
| Boiler overpressure alarm 058; safety valve discharges, pressure erratic or climbing. | Level probe failure, boiler overfilled, element permanently powered, or temperature sensor out of range (M39 engineer's manual, 058). | Clean/replace the level probe and reset its sensitivity, check the fill solenoid for let-by, check the element relay/triac, replace the sensor. |
| Boiler heating timeout 052 after 45 minutes; machine stays cold. | Safety thermostat tripped, element resistance interrupted (cabling/fastons), or faulty triac card (manual, 052). | Reset the safety thermostat, check element continuity and fastons, replace the element or triac card. |
| Boiler refill timeout 059; no water enters the boiler. | No water, refill solenoid (EV) failure, interrupted wiring or board failure (manual, 059). | Check supply, replace the refill EV, check wiring and board. |
| A group stops dispensing although the pump runs; fault (x)66. | Flowmeter failure, blocked water circuit, or interrupted/grounded wiring (manual, 66). On volumetric Dosatron/Selectron variants only. | Check flowmeter connections and pulses, clear blockages, replace flowmeter or board. |
| Boiler-level signal errors 060; unstable level and false fills. | Earthing or insulation fault, leakage to earth (manual, 060). | Check machine earth and insulation, clean the probe, check probe sensitivity. |
These are faults documented for this model, not a generic list.
Common parts
Common parts for the La Cimbali M39 TE Classic
The components most often replaced on this machine, listed by reference number, as a reference for engineers and owners identifying a part.
| Part no. | Description |
|---|---|
| #18293 | M39 Steam Arm Kit |
| #18328 | M39 Steam Knob |
| #2841 | Element Protection Thermostat - Original |
| #0108 | Flowmeter With Lead |
| #15933 | 44mm Top Piston Shower Plate |
| #15955 | 44mm Bottom Shower Plate |
| #15973 | Cimbali / Faema Brew Grp Temp Sensor - Original |
| #18329 | M32/M39 Boiler Level Probe 90mm |
| #28325 | Steam / Water Valve Kit - Cimbali / Casadio / Faema |
| #1586 | Shower Plate 52 X 5mm |
| #1786 | Teflon Gasket 17 X1 2x 1 Mm |
| #0371 | Shower Plate 60 X 17mm |
Parts most often needed on this model
| Part | Number | What it fixes |
|---|---|---|
| Heating element, 3-group 220/380 V 5790 W | — | Fault 052 / slow recovery; M39-specific element |
| Complete steam/water valve | — | Dripping or non-shutting steam/water tap |
| Pressurestat (Cimbali M21-M39) | C_465 | Pressure drift and short element cycling |
| Conical portafilter/group gasket 71x56x9 mm | 401-261-010 | Leak at the group/filter-holder rim |
| Heating-element flange gasket | 401-194-000 | Weep at the boiler face |
| Gicar flowmeter (volumetric variants) | Gicar 9.0.26.11G / 9.0.56.11G | Fault 66: no-dose / missing pulses |
Questions
M39 TE Classic questions, answered
How a boiler of this size is examined, how often, and who carries the duty — see the complete PSSR guide.
0208 037 9340
How much does a PSSR examination cost on a La Cimbali M39 TE Classic?
A standalone examination is £295 + VAT, because the additional drain and heat-up time a 3 group boiler needs. Combined with a front-end service it is £500 + VAT, which is what most high-volume restaurants, hotel banqueting, contract catering and busy traditional cafés choose, since the boiler has to be drained for the examination either way. We confirm the exact figure on the call.
How often does a La Cimbali M39 TE Classic need examining?
The Written Scheme of Examination sets the interval, and for a commercial machine used in high-volume restaurants, hotel banqueting, contract catering and busy traditional cafés it is typically 12 to 14 months. A 3 group boiler holds a larger volume of water, so scale accumulates faster than in a smaller machine on the same duty and the scheme usually sets the shorter interval.
How long does a La Cimbali M39 TE Classic examination take, and what happens on the day?
A 3 group boiler holds more water than a 2 group, so the drain, refill and heat-up all take longer — allow the full appointment window. The visit runs: the steam boiler is drained and inspected internally with an endoscope for scale, corrosion and weld condition. the safety valve, anti-vac valve and fittings are checked and tested. The gauge is then verified against our calibrated test gauge, the system is pressure tested and held, and the machine is re-assembled, refilled, heated and function tested. The Written Scheme of Examination, signed report and asset record follow within 48 hours.
Other La Cimbali machines covered
Call and we'll price your M39 TE Classic on the spot.
Same-week appointments nationwide, the Written Scheme of Examination issued within 48 hours of the visit, and a fixed price agreed before we travel.