If your DeLonghi La Specialista has frozen up, clear software hiccups by resetting it to defaults. That will get you started again.
You should start with a full reset if your DeLonghi La Specialista stop frothing milk, because this clears software hiccups that freeze the system.
Checking for Blockages
On the front you find the control panel. You press down the “x2” and “my” buttons at once and hold them for a couple of seconds. The machine lets you know it’s receiving your command then you press the power button to make it happen.
So that resets the computer inside, and you let it heat back up. Then you’ll attempt a pull of the steam wand, sometimes simply turning it off and on fixes the steam wand.
Next, if no luck with the reset, then check for blockage, the tubing and wand will accumulate debris over time and restrict airflow, preventing steam from being produced. You can attempt to clear any obstructions with a thin tool, cleaning out that passage yourself. This is an easy fix, but a common occurrence when used daily.
Next up are the solenoid valves, these control water flow to the heater. If it fail, steam output drops significantly, and you might see only a small amount of hot water. In this case the valve isn’t fully open so you’ll likely has to replace the faulty valve.
The machine usually recovers its steam function after this replacement.
This will restore the steam function in the machine most times.
It might also be a steam function switch failure. This switch becomes worn with age. It has no sound or indication that it’s on or off. The steam switch is turned by turning the knob but has no effect.
Check the interior connections and wiring, because a bad connection near the switch assembly will cause it to stop working.
The fix: There are a few different fixes depending on what’s wrong.
Check if the water inlet is blocked. If you don’t have water getting to your heater, then it cannot make steam. Check for anything blocking that inlet as well.
Debris and minerals that build up on the inlet will not allow water to get through properly and heat the machine correctly. Cleaning out the inlet often solves the problem for a lot of people. It is worth checking before replacing any parts.
Lastly, there’s the heater itself (the real deal this time). In this case, the thermoblock heater produce the steam; no thermoblock means no steam whatsoever.
So you crack open the machine and take a peek inside. What do you see? It is a metallic object with wiring connected to it. That’s your thermoblock.
You open up the machine to inspect the internals, and you identify the thermoblock as a metallic component with wiring attached.
If this unit is faulty, you will not get steam, so you must replace the entire heater block.
You will need to replace the heater block, which is not inexpensive, if you have a bad heater element. You’ll need to replace the whole heater block.
Replacing your heater is something you should of do if it fails.
These six common frother problems is caused by these factors. So you would try a reset first then switches/blocks and then valves/Heaters.
This is how you save money by doing it in order of diagnosis not replacing things blindly. Then after following this process step by step you fix the issue.