Rancilio · 2 and 3 group
Rancilio Invicta — PSSR examination & servicing
Invicta machines are used in busy cafés, staff canteens and contract catering running continuous service 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 Rancilio Invicta 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 Invicta matters to the Rancilio owner
Rancilio's high-volume traditional machine, and by a distance the most common Rancilio we examine — 21 of the 24 Rancilio records in our own data are Invictas.
In practice you will find it in busy cafés, staff canteens and contract catering running continuous service — 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
- £55 + 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
- Copper boiler, horizontal, single element. The 2 group is 11 litres and the 3 group 16 litres, so the 3 group is the one that needs the longer drain and refill window.
- The Invicta runs at 1.4 bar on site — slightly above the 1.2 bar we see across the estate as a whole, which is worth knowing when someone quotes you a pressure figure for the boiler.
- Technical data (Invicta manual): single horizontal boiler, 11 L (2-group) / 16 L (3-group), max 0.19 MPa (1.9 bar), 134 C, 75 kg (2-group), 817/1057 mm wide. This is the machine with Rancilio's fullest published fault table - E01-E19 plus W01-W75 and W224 - and the one worth having on the van: it names the hydraulic-module gigleur and the Huba transducer, both of which are missed on a first visit.
Measured boiler data
What is actually inside this machine
| Configuration | Steam boiler | Working | Design |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 group10 examined | 11.0 L | 1.4 bar | 2.2 bar |
| 3 group11 examined | 16.0 L | 1.4 bar | 2.2 bar |
Capacities and pressures recorded across 21 examinations of this model.
Service interval. Counter-driven: the technical menu sets maintenance in months, cycles and pop-ups. W08 warns that preventive maintenance is due; if it is ignored for three consecutive days it becomes E07 and the machine stops. The same three-day escalation
Source: PSSR examination records, 21 examinations of this model, anonymised.
Fault finder
What actually goes wrong on a Rancilio Invicta
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 |
|---|---|---|
| E01 “Boiler level sensor is faulty” — machine will not run properly | The boiler level probe or its circuit: fouled probe, broken wire or a bad earth. | Clean or replace the probe and check its continuity and earth. |
| E02 “Boiler pressure not reached” | Heating fault — element, safety thermostat, contactor or the pressure sensor reading low. | Test the element and safety thermostat first, then the pressure sensor. |
| E03 short circuit in boiler sensor, or E04 interruption of the boiler level sensor | The two halves of the same fault: E03 is a short in the level sensor wiring, E04 a broken wire. | Trace the level sensor loom; the code tells you which failure it is. |
| E10 / E11 / E12 —12 V— missing | E10 pressure sensor 12 V, E11 auxiliary 12 V, E12 power board 12 V. A supply rail fault, not a boiler fault. | Check the 12 V rail and its fuse before touching any sensor. |
| E13 / E14 —24 V— missing | E13 is the 24 V feed to the valves, E14 the 24 V feed to the group display. | Check the 24 V supply and the board connector. |
| E05 IDS link missing, or E06 softener regeneration missing | E05 is a lost data link to the IDS module; E06 means the water softener has not regenerated. | Reseat the IDS connection; regenerate or service the softener. |
| E01 - the boiler does not fill within 20 minutes; machine stops. E19 overpressure may appear as it floods. | No mains water, blocked filter/gigleur in the hydraulic module, fill solenoid not opening, level probe scaled or not connected, or a fill solenoid stuck open. | Check supply and tap, clean the hydraulic-module filter/gigleur, test the fill ELV, clean the level rod, check probe wiring; replace the ELV or probe if faulty. |
| E02 - machine cold, boiler pressure not reached after 45 minutes. | Heating element disabled in the software menu, safety thermostat tripped, contactor blocked, 24 V switching transformer or power board failed. | Select the correct element in the menu, reset/replace the safety thermostat, check the contactor and the 24 V transformer, then the power board. |
| E03 / E04 - machine cold and will not heat; level probe short circuit / interrupted. | Boiler level probe shorted or its wiring broken (E03), or probe circuit interrupted (E04). | Check the probe and its wiring for scale, moisture and oxidation; replace the probe or the probe wiring. |
| E19 - boiler overpressure; the machine stops. | Huba pressure transducer not working or not connected, so the CPU reads full scale; or the machine keeps heating past set pressure. | Check the transducer connection on the CPU board, replace the transducer with its wiring; check the triacs on the power board. |
| W01-W03 - a group delivers no coffee; flowmeter not read. | No signal from the group flowmeter: grind too fine or dose too high (no flow past the puck), blocked group gigleur, group ELV not opening, or a failed flowmeter. | Correct grind/dose, clean or replace the group gigleur/jetbreaker (10701784), test the group ELV, check the meter and its earth. |
These are faults documented for this model, not a generic list.
Fault codes
Rancilio error and message codes
The codes this range can display, transcribed from the manufacturer's error table. If the machine is showing one, the code names the system at fault before any strip-down.
| Code | Meaning |
|---|---|
| E01 | Error reaching boiler level — boiler does not load water, or keeps loading (BOILER OVERPRESSURE E19 also appears as it fills) |
| E02 | Boiler pressure not reached — machine cold, has not reached set pressure after 45 min |
| E03 | Boiler level probe short circuit — machine cold and does not heat |
| E04 | Boiler level probe interrupted — machine cold and does not heat |
| E05 | No IDS connection — IDS cash system not working |
| E06 | Resin regeneration failure — water filter cartridge needs replacing (W09 ignored 3 days) |
| E07 | Maintenance failure — preventive maintenance due (W08 ignored 3 days) |
| E08 | Washing failure — group needs washing (reminder ignored 3 days) |
| E09 | No 5-V services connection — generic 5 V line fault, USB module not working |
| E10 | Pressure transducer connection missing — Huba transducer not connected; reports overpressure |
| E11 | No 12-V services connection — sub-group lights, group and water buttons, and flowmeters not working |
| E12 | No 12-V power board connection — generic 12 V line fault, group and water buttons not working |
| E13 | No 24-V power valve connection — solenoid valves not working |
| E14 | No 24-V display group connection — group display not working |
| E19 | Boiler overpressure — steam pressure exceeded, or machine flooded with water |
| W01 | Failure to read Group 1 flowmeter — CPU received no signal |
| W02 | Failure to read Group 2 flowmeter — CPU received no signal |
| W03 | Failure to read Group 3 flowmeter — CPU received no signal |
| W08 | Maintenance warning — preventive maintenance due on the display |
| W09 | Resin regeneration pop-up — filter cartridge needs replacing |
| W20 | EV line water supply interrupted — boiler does not load water, E01 then appears |
| W21 | EV line water supply short circuit — boiler does not load water, E01 then appears |
| W24 | EV line group 1 interrupted — no water, so no coffee, from group 1 |
| W25 | EV line group 1 short circuit — no water, so no coffee, from group 1 |
| W26 | EV line group 2 interrupted — no water, so no coffee, from group 2 |
| W27 | EV line group 2 short circuit — no water, so no coffee, from group 2 |
| W28 | EV line group 3 interrupted — no water, so no coffee, from group 3 |
| W29 | EV line group 3 short circuit — no water, so no coffee, from group 3 |
| W36 | EV line cold water economizer interrupted — only unmixed hot water from the tea lance |
| W37 | EV line cold water economizer short circuit — only unmixed hot water from the tea lance |
| W38 | EV line hot water economizer interrupted — only unmixed cold water from the tea lance |
| W39 | EV line hot water economizer short circuit — only unmixed cold water from the tea lance |
| W52 | EV line group 1 pre-infusion interrupted — no pre/post infusion in group 1 |
| W53 | EV line group 1 pre-infusion short circuit — no pre/post infusion in group 1 |
| W54 | EV line group 2 pre-infusion interrupted — no pre/post infusion in group 2 |
| W55 | EV line group 2 pre-infusion short circuit — no pre/post infusion in group 2 |
| W56 | EV line group 3 pre-infusion interrupted — no pre/post infusion in group 3 |
| W57 | EV line group 3 pre-infusion short circuit — no pre/post infusion in group 3 |
| W70 | Lighting group 1 interrupted — group 1 sub-group lights not working |
| W71 | Lighting group 1 short circuit — group 1 sub-group lights not working |
| W72 | Lighting group 2 interrupted — group 2 sub-group lights not working |
| W73 | Lighting group 2 short circuit — group 2 sub-group lights not working |
| W74 | Lighting group 3 interrupted — group 3 sub-group lights not working |
| W75 | Lighting group 3 short circuit — group 3 sub-group lights not working |
| W92 | Cup warmer 1 temperature probe interrupted — cup warmer powered but probe not detected |
| W93 | Cup warmer 1 temperature probe short circuit — probe short-circuited |
| W224 | 24-V valve fuse — machine keeps running except the 24 V line; CPU PTC reset after cooling |
Transcribed from the Rancilio error table supplied with the engineer documentation. Codes vary by software version.
Common parts
Common parts for the Rancilio Invicta
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 |
|---|---|
| #35409 | Invicta Expansion Valve |
| #32913 | Invicta Check Valve Kit |
| #32906 | Asco 3 Way Pre Infusion Solenoid Valve 24v 1/8 |
| #32915 | Asco 3 Way Solenoid Valve 24v |
| #2102 | Parker 3 Way Grp Solenoid Valve 24v (Plus 3 housings in) |
| #2841 | Element Protection Thermostat - Original |
| #0398 | Lucifer 3 Way Grp Solenoid Valve 230v (Ruby) |
| #18281 | Parker 3 Way Solenoid Valve 24v |
| #0450 | PARKER 3 WAY GRP SOLENOID VALVE 230V (RUBY) |
| #23371 | PARKER 2 WAY INLET SOLENOID VALVE 230V |
| #29950 | PARKER 3 WAY SOLENOID VALVE 24V |
| #32912 | Rancilio 200l/H Pump |
Parts most often needed on this model
| Part | Number | What it fixes |
|---|---|---|
| Flowmeter, 4 magnets | 34070315 | Group flowmeter - W01-W03 faults and no-dose come from here. |
| Kit, level probe with nut | 10701803 | Scaled or shorted probe gives E01/E03/E04 and wrong boiler level. |
| Group gasket, peroxide-cured (HP) | 36301046 | Main group wear item. |
| Group jetbreaker with screw/20 | 10701784 | Sits above the gigleur; scaled or damaged jetbreaker distorts flow. |
| Heating element 230 V 4300 W with capillary | 33323004 | E02 after the 45-minute timeout usually ends at the element or its fastons. |
| Steam tap body with anti-vacuum valve/19 | 10701621 | Steam tap wear - dripping or stiff wand. |
Questions
Invicta 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 Rancilio Invicta?
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 busy cafés, staff canteens and contract catering running continuous service 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 Rancilio Invicta need examining?
The Written Scheme of Examination sets the interval, and for a commercial machine used in busy cafés, staff canteens and contract catering running continuous service 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 Rancilio Invicta 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 Rancilio machines covered
Call and we'll price your Invicta 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.