Conversion to electronic Low Water Detection in water tank (Duetto, Alex and Vivi)
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This fully reversible conversion removes all moving parts to give completely electronic low water detection in the internal plastic water storage tank for a cost of a few pounds and eliminates all moving parts. This mod was completed on my Izzo Alex Duetto.
All Izzo machines Duetto, Alex and Vivi, use the same Gicar unit and wiring scheme for low water detection. It’s a unit I like a lot, because it’s, reliable, relatively cheap and readily available (at least in the UK). Best of all it has a beeper built in for the low water alarm circuit. Izzo operate this circuit by means of a micro-switch and sprung platform. As the weight of water in the tank reduces (as it’s used), the tank rises slightly and the pressure is removed from the micro-switch, this breaks a circuit to earth from a pin on the Gicar box , releasing the function of the boiler heating element and pump. The beeper sounds letting you know more water is required. In all probability, this modification would work for ANY machine using the same (or similar, as long as it had the function) Gicar unit.
The engineer in me always found the solution workable, but not elegant, partly because I thought there was a better way and partly because 4 springs a platform and a micro-switch, simply is not elegant. It could also be a little variable and often a lot of water could still be in the tank when it cuts out….or even too little! I was pretty sure the Gicar used a similar type of circuit for this water tank detection via micro-switch as it does for the Boiler autofill probe. (the subject of an article I want to write soon and why I like Izzo machines a lot). I made a few enquiries with Izzo and received a copy of the Gicar technical schematic…