Short answer: the Steam and Hot Water Joystick Assembly replaces your machine's complete original valve assembly. You remove the old valve, pass the new valve through the front panel, fix it with the large brass nut and, last, connect the water pipe to its back with the small brass nut. You need a wrench. This guide shows every step, filmed on a Rocket Appartamento.
Short installation video (about 1 minute 50 seconds, no sound, step captions on screen).
What are the two brass pieces in the box?
Besides the valve itself (with its wand and wooden or black handle), the set comes with two brass nuts. This is what they do:
- The small brass nut goes on the machine's copper tube. It joins the tube to the back of the new valve.
- The large brass hex nut (it has two small screws in its face) fixes the valve to the front panel, from the inside of the machine.
Both are shown in use in steps 7 and 8 below. If the end of your copper tube or the panel hole looks different from the photos, send us a picture before you tighten anything.
Installation, step by step
The video shows the steam side being installed. The last step, connecting the water pipe, is shown on the hot-water side; it is the same on both sides.
1. Open the top cover
With the machine off and cold, open the top cover and find the steam or hot-water valve behind the front panel.
2. Loosen the original valve
Use a wrench to loosen the nut that holds the original valve to the front panel.
3. Disconnect the copper tube and take the old valve out
Disconnect the copper tube from the old valve, then take the old valve out.
4. Compare the new valve
Hold the new valve next to the old one and check that the direction of the wand matches what you chose when you ordered (Downward Facing or Outward Facing).
5. Trial fit
Before you fix anything, check that the copper tube reaches the new valve and that the small brass nut fits on it. This is only a trial fit. The final pipe connection is step 8.
6. Pass the valve through the front panel
Guide the threaded end of the new valve through the hole in the front panel.
7. Fix it with the large brass nut
Put the large brass nut onto the threaded end and tighten it with a wrench so the valve sits firmly in the panel.
8. Connect the water pipe
Last, connect the machine's water pipe (the copper tube) to the back of the new valve with the small brass nut and tighten it with a wrench. The video shows this step on the hot-water side.
9. Switch on and test
Switch the machine on and try the lever. It should open and close smoothly, with no leak at the valve or at the pipe connection. If you see a leak, switch off, let the machine cool and re-check the connection from step 8.
Lelit Bianca, Profitec, ECM and other machines
The video was filmed on a Rocket Appartamento, and the principle is the same on the other machines we list: the whole valve is replaced, the valve is fixed to the front panel and the water pipe is connected to its back. What differs from machine to machine is where the tube and the panel hole sit and how much room you have behind the panel.
The assembly fits the Lelit Bianca V1, V2 and V3. Not sure about your machine? Send a photo of the inside of the machine behind the steam and hot-water controls to service@coweetwares.com and we will look at it with you.
Common questions
Do I need to open the machine?
Yes. This assembly replaces the whole valve, so the top cover comes off. If you own a Rocket R58, R-Cinquantotto, R60V or Bicocca, there is a simpler upgrade that keeps your valve body and does not need the cover opened: see the R58 joystick installation guide.
Which tools do I need?
A wrench (adjustable or ratchet, as in the video). Nothing else is needed for the steps shown.
Which direction should the wand face?
You choose Downward Facing or Outward Facing on the product page. The outward-facing wand has a much wider range of movement, as you can see at the end of the video.
Can I install only the steam side?
Yes. You can order Steam, Hot Water or Both Sides. The steps are the same for each valve.