Milk no longer foams

Hello, my DeLonghi Perfecta 5500 does not foam up the milk properly anymore.
I read in the forum that I might
have to
change the seals
.

Can someone please tell me how this

works? Do

I have to screw on the lid of the milk container

?

Thank you in advance

I have a DeLonghi Perfecta 5500 and most similar automatic machines have the same situation and challenges.

If the frothing isn't great or just not happening, it’s most probable that you have a leak in the steam chain or technically called a vacuum. The basic idea is this...

An automatic machine creates heat to make the water hot, which in turn creates steam. Then it sends that steam to the "frother" pipe via a coupling and to the milk container.

Here’s the important part - If anywhere in this chain there is an air leak, the milk won't froth.

For the DeLonghi Perfecta and similar machines, most times the leak comes from the little adapter that connects the milk container to the machine - called a coupler. If you take a closer look at the coupler, you'll see that it has two little pipes.

https://espressodolce.ca/product/as13200286-delonghi-coupling-5513214821/

In the image, you can clearly see little rings. One is green, one red and one black. FYI - the "smaller" black one is usually the culprit of this weakness.

You can buy a new coupler for around 15$, but that part is more complicated to change, but it's totally possible to do it yourself, such as shown on this video (YouTube).

If you want something simpler, just buy new rings and change them. It's super easy and cost-effective. Here are the part numbers for the Perfecta; there are relatively easy to find online with these numbers.

5332196000 - Green O'ring
5313217751 - Black O'ring
5332177500 - Orange O'ring

I personally shop on espressodolce.ca for my parts. You can find others but here's the link to see the parts in question.

https://espressodolce.ca/product-category/delonghiparts/

If you want to test a temporary solution, one trick is to apply a bit of Teflon tape around the tip of the coupler on the machine (white tape used by plumbers to fix leaky pipes and connectors).

This will "simulate" a newer O'ring (tighter fit). If in fact this ring is the weak one, the Teflon tape will correctly close the vacuum system and then milk should come out of the dispenser. You can try the same with the other rings.

The Teflon tape is just a temporary measure, but enables you to have decent coffee, in the meantime.

Cheers,