How to Clean and Descale a Dual-Fuel Coffee Machine (Fracino CON2ELPG)

Last updated: June 2026

In 30 seconds:

• Clean a dual-fuel espresso machine like the Fracino CON2ELPG every day it trades — a 10-minute end-of-day routine keeps it pulling good shots.
• Backflush the group heads, soak the baskets, purge the steam wand, empty the drip tray. That’s the daily job.
• You can’t safely descale a commercial copper boiler at the sink. Prevent scale with a water softener instead, and leave any real descale to the annual service.
• Soften your water and replace the filter every two months. Limescale is the number one killer of commercial coffee boilers.
• Neglect isn’t covered by warranty — and a scaled-up machine means a back-to-base repair that can cost around £210 in collection alone.

Just fitted the machine? Pair this with our LPG coffee machine setup guide so your water, softener, and pump are right from day one. Good cleaning starts with a good install.

Why daily? Coffee oils and milk residue build up fast in a busy van. Leave them overnight and they turn rancid, taint every shot, and clog the group seals. A short clean at close keeps the flavour clean and the parts moving.

Why softening, not descaling? A commercial machine has a sealed copper boiler. Pouring household descaler through it can loosen old scale, jam the valves, and damage seals. The honest answer is to stop scale forming in the first place.

The biggest mistake we see? Traders skip the softener to save a few pounds, then wonder why the boiler knocks and the steam goes weak after one summer. Scale damage is slow, expensive, and almost always avoidable.

What you’ll need

• A blind (blank) filter basket — the solid one with no holes, for backflushing.
• Group-head detergent — a coffee-machine cleaning powder made for espresso machines.
• A group brush — stiff bristles to scrub the group seal and shower screen.
• A clean cloth and a separate steam-wand cloth — keep the milk cloth apart from the coffee one.
• Espresso-machine soak solution — for the portafilters and baskets.
• A spare water filter or softener cartridge — so you can swap on schedule.

Use cleaners made for commercial espresso machines. Bleach, washing-up liquid, and kitchen descaler are not safe inside a coffee boiler.

The daily end-of-day clean (about 10 minutes)

Do this while the machine is still warm. Heat helps the detergent lift the oils. Keep the machine powered for the backflush, then shut down once it’s clean.

1. Backflush each group with detergent. Drop the blind filter in the portafilter, add a small measure of group-head detergent, lock it in, and run the group in short bursts — about five on-off cycles per group.
2. Rinse the groups. Empty the blind filter, refit it clean, and backflush again with plain water until it runs clear. This flushes the detergent out.
3. Clean the baskets and portafilters. Knock out the grounds, brush the baskets, and rinse under hot water. Leave the milk and coffee residue nowhere to dry.
4. Scrub the group seal and screen. Use the group brush on the seal and shower screen while the machine is hot, then pull a blank shot to rinse the loosened grounds away.
5. Purge and wipe the steam wand. Open the steam valve for a second to clear milk from inside, then wipe the wand with its own damp cloth. Soak the tip if milk has dried on.
6. Empty the drip tray and wipe down. Rinse the drip tray and waste pipe, wipe the stainless body, and check whether the softener is due a change.

At close, isolate the propane cylinder at the regulator and switch the machine off. Never leave a hot machine running unattended in a closed-up trailer.

The weekly deep clean

Once a week, go a step further than the daily routine. It takes about twenty minutes and keeps the small parts in good order.

• Soak the portafilters and baskets in espresso-machine soak solution for around 30 minutes, then rinse well. This strips the brown oil film that builds up inside.
• Soak the steam-wand tip in the same solution to clear the milk holes. Blocked holes mean weak, splashy steam.
• Check the shower screens. If they’re pitted or the spray pattern is uneven, fit fresh ones — they’re a cheap part.
• Wipe behind and under the machine. Spilt milk and sugar attract pests in a parked trailer.

Descaling: prevention beats cure

This is the part most guides get wrong. A domestic machine has a small boiler you can descale at the sink. A commercial machine like the CON2ELPG has a 14-litre sealed copper boiler that does not work that way.

Why you shouldn’t DIY-descale it. Strong descaler can loosen old scale in chunks. Those chunks then jam the inlet valve, the level probe, or the safety valve. You can turn a slow boiler into a broken one in an afternoon.

What to do instead. Stop scale forming. Soften and filter the incoming water, and replace the cartridge on schedule. Fracino advises changing the filter every two months as a minimum in hard-water areas. That single habit protects the boiler for years.

If it’s already scaled. Tell-tale signs are a knocking boiler, weak steam, slow flow, or fluctuating pressure. At that point the machine needs a proper service descale, done on the bench by a trained engineer — usually at the annual service, not by you in the van.

The water softener — your cheapest insurance

Every dual-fuel Fracino runs from a fresh-water tank fed by a pump. A softener or filter sits in that water line. It is the single most important part for the life of the boiler.

• Replace the cartridge every two months as a minimum — sooner if your water is very hard or you trade heavy days.
• Never run the boiler dry. Running out of water mid-service can damage the element and the boiler, and it voids the warranty.
• Keep a spare cartridge in the van. A two-minute swap is cheaper than a scaled boiler.

What neglect actually costs you

It’s worth being plain about this. Fracino’s warranty is back-to-base. There are no engineer call-outs to your pitch for the smaller machines — the unit goes to the workshop.

• Collection: around £95.
• Return: around £115.
• Round trip: roughly £210 before any parts or labour — and you can drop the machine to the Fracino workshop yourself to skip the collection fee.

On top of that, you lose trading days while the machine is away. Limescale damage from skipping the softener is not a warranty fault either — it’s wear you could have prevented. Ten minutes a night and a fresh cartridge every two months is the whole secret.

Your cleaning schedule at a glance

When	Job
Every trading day	Backflush groups with detergent, rinse, clean baskets, purge and wipe steam wand, empty drip tray, wipe down.
Weekly	Soak portafilters and baskets, soak steam-wand tip, check shower screens, clean behind the machine.
Every 2 months	Replace the water softener or filter cartridge.
Annually	Full service by a COMCAT 2 Gas Safe engineer — boiler inspection, descale on the bench if needed, gas check.

Looking after a machine well is part of running a tidy coffee business. If you’re still choosing your machine, our Fracino CON2ELPG review covers why it’s the UK’s bestselling dual-fuel espresso machine for mobile trade.

Frequently asked questions

How often should I clean a dual-fuel coffee machine?

Every day it trades. Backflush the groups, clean the baskets, purge the steam wand, and empty the drip tray at close. Add a weekly soak of the portafilters and a softener change every two months.

Can I descale a Fracino CON2ELPG myself?

No. It has a sealed 14-litre copper boiler, and household descaler can loosen scale that jams the valves. Prevent scale with a water softener, and leave any real descale to the annual service engineer.

What’s the best way to prevent limescale?

Soften and filter the water going into the machine, and replace the cartridge every two months. Limescale is the main cause of boiler failure, and softening stops it forming.

Do I need to turn the propane off to clean the machine?

Keep the machine warm for the backflush, then at the end isolate the propane at the regulator and switch off. Never leave a hot machine running unattended in a closed trailer. If you’re unsure about your propane connection, see our LPG hose and regulator guide.

What cleaning products are safe for a commercial espresso machine?

Use detergents and soak solutions made for espresso machines. Avoid bleach, washing-up liquid, and kitchen descaler — they can taint shots or damage the boiler and seals.

How do I clean the steam wand properly?

Purge it for a second after every milk drink to clear the inside, then wipe it with a damp cloth kept just for the wand. Once a week, soak the tip in espresso-machine solution to clear the steam holes.

Does poor cleaning affect my warranty?

Yes. Limescale and running the boiler dry are wear-and-neglect issues, not warranty faults. Fracino cover is back-to-base, so a neglect repair means collection of around £95 plus a return of around £115 — roughly £210 before parts.

Is cleaning a lever machine any different?

The daily routine is much the same, but lever machines have a manual group you flush rather than backflush with a pump. Our Fracino FCL2LPG buying guide covers the lever range if you trade with one.

Keep it clean, keep it trading

A dual-fuel machine is a serious investment — the Fracino CON2ELPG starts from £3,249. Ten minutes a night and a softener cartridge every two months protect that investment, your coffee, and your trading days. Do the small jobs and the big bills stay away.