Sanremo · 2 and 3 group
Sanremo F18 — PSSR examination & servicing
F18 machines are used in modern coffee houses, high-street independents and bakeries 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 Sanremo F18 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 F18 matters to the Sanremo owner
An energy-efficient, mid-to-high volume choice popular in modern London coffee houses.
In practice you will find it in modern coffee houses, high-street independents and bakeries — 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
- £35 + 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
- Energy-efficient designs often run tighter boiler tolerances and lower standing pressures — worth checking the gauge against our calibrated test gauge rather than trusting the machine's own display.
- Boiler configuration varies by build, so we confirm the vessel count when you call and quote against the right band.
- 2-group boiler 2.11 US gal (~8 L), 3-group 2.64 US gal (~10 L); boiler element 3.5/4.5 kW plus a 0.5 kW 'small boiler' element and 0.2 kW per group. Parts catalogue Ed. 01/2023 splits the steam tap into 'until 12/2022' and 'from 01/2023' drawings — the revision breakpoint to check before ordering steam parts.
Verified boiler data
What is actually inside this machine
| Configuration | Steam boiler |
|---|---|
| 2 group | 8.6 L |
| 3 group | 10.0 L |
Manufacturer's published boiler capacities. Where a maker publishes no figure we say so rather than estimate.
Service interval. No calendar interval is published. The F18 manual separates daily routine maintenance (automatic group backflush with detergent plus daily cleaning) from 'scheduled maintenance (technician)', and explicitly recommends signing a maintenance
Fault finder
What actually goes wrong on a Sanremo F18
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 |
|---|---|---|
| No water from the group, or none anywhere | closed mains/filter tap, clogged water-intake coupling filter, or clogged nozzle/gigleur | open taps, remove and clean the intake filter, check resin regeneration, clean the nozzle/gigleur. |
| Machine full of water but not heating | Sanremo lists operator error first: main switch set to '1' instead of '2'. Real causes are burnt-out element and failed temperature sensor | turn the main switch to '2', if still no heat, element and temperature sensor. |
| Taps drip when closed, or leak under the knobs only while opening | two different seals: faulty sealing gasket or a foreign body in the seal seat (closed drip), worn tap spindle gaskets (leak on opening) | replace the respective seal, clear debris from the seat. |
| Coffee leaks around the portafilter rim or over the basket edge | worn group gasket, uneven/damaged filter edge, dirt in the filter-holder seat, clogged shower screens | replace group gasket, clean seat and screens, discard damaged baskets. |
| No steam or no hot water | clogged steam nozzle, scale-blocked internal dispensing ducts, failed steam tap, or failed hot-water dispensing solenoid | clean nozzle, descale the delivery circuit, replace tap or solenoid. |
| One group hydraulically blocked and will not flow even after cleaning | 'blocked group head' - Sanremo treats it as its own condition, distinct from a dirty screen | Sanremo's official purge: blind baskets in, add hot water, purge (also applies to Cafe Racer and F18-SB). |
| Doses inconsistent (volumetric models) | Sanremo lists 'faulty volumetric doser' without further operator-level diagnosis | technician callout. |
| No water delivered from the group. | Mains or filter tap closed; clogged filter on the water-intake coupling; clogged gigleur. | Open the taps; remove and clean the intake filter; clean the gigleur and check the water purifier regeneration. |
| Boiler fill-level display flashes, or the boiler fills continuously. | Boiler fill malfunction, or a faulty level sensor when the level keeps flashing with continuous fill. | Switch off for at least 5 seconds and restart; if the level keeps flashing or the boiler keeps filling, have the level sensor tested and replaced. |
| The water does not heat up. | Burnt-out heating element or a faulty temperature sensor (Sanremo gives no operator-level fix). | Call technical assistance; test element and probe before replacing either. |
| Doses are not regular on the volumetric version. | Faulty volumetric doser (Sanremo names the part, not the sub-fault). | Technical assistance — flowmeter/doser circuit. |
| No steam, or no hot water, is delivered. | Obstructed delivery nozzle, scaled delivery circuit, or a faulty steam tap / hot-water solenoid. | Clean the nozzle; descale the delivery circuit; replace the tap or solenoid. |
These are faults documented for this model, not a generic list.
Common parts
Common parts for the Sanremo F18
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 |
|---|---|
| #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 |
| #0020 | Pump Head Rotoflow |
| #0093 | Sirai Pressure Switch |
| #1497 | Parker Pressure Switch |
| #1578 | Solenoid O Rings Bag Of 100 |
| #1586 | Shower Plate 52 X 5mm |
Parts most often needed on this model
| Part | Number | What it fixes |
|---|---|---|
| Group/portafilter gasket ('under-cup seal' H8,5) | 10502160 | The group seal is the standard wear item for leaks at the portafilter. |
| Group mesh shower | 10058104 | Clogs with oil and scale; clean or replace at service. |
| Injector D.8 | 10042046A | The gigleur/injector that blocks and kills flow to a group. |
| Steam tap revision kit (19/05/2020) | KREVRUBF18A | Seal kit for the pre-2023 F18 steam tap; a matching upgrade kit (KUPGRUBF18A) exists. |
| Level probe, max | 10112064A | Scale on the probe causes continuous fill / fill alarms. |
| Boiler heating element 3.5 kW, 2-3 group IRCA | 10455188A | The element named in Sanremo's 'water does not heat up' row. |
Questions
F18 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 Sanremo F18?
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 modern coffee houses, high-street independents and bakeries 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 Sanremo F18 need examining?
The Written Scheme of Examination sets the interval, and for a commercial machine used in modern coffee houses, high-street independents and bakeries 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 Sanremo F18 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 Sanremo machines covered
Call and we'll price your F18 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.