According to Ulka's statement, these pumps should be replaced after “12 to 18 months, or sooner (depending on use)” to “guarantee a constant flow and pressure”. I hereby offer you the set of parts needed to extend this period for years to come. After all, the pile of waste is already big enough. These pumps can work for many years without problems if the wear parts are replaced regularly. The O-ring is most subject to wear and I recommend replacing it every 1 to 2 years (depending on the working hours of the pump). The (white) plastic valve/ball does wear out, but much less quickly, but it must seal neatly for the pump to function properly. The diameter decreases over time and, rarely, if it is too small it can get stuck in the piston. The wear on the rubber valve is most difficult to see and therefore also when it needs to be replaced. The rubber can deform and the valve can become stuck (water can no longer pass through the pump). You can loosen the rubber valve again, but this is usually a temporary solution and the valve becomes stuck more and more often. The rubber valve is an important part because it is on the hot water side and if it does not close properly and hot water reaches the pump, it will break down very quickly. As is often the case: prevention is better than cure. Continuing with a poorly functioning pump will not only result in less good coffee, it will also cause more damage to the pump and can cause other problems in your machine. Replacing the parts is not difficult, but you do have to remove the pump from the machine.

For a video of an overhaul of this pump with these parts, search on YouTube for @marcschiedam, where you will find the video “Fix / overhaul Ulka water pump model E type 5”.

These are the wear parts of the Ulka model E (and EFM) type 5 water pump as it is used in various coffee makers. Such as in some Nespresso, Dolce Gusto, bean and espresso machines. Be sure to check which brand, model and type of pump it is because the parts are not the same for all pumps. If the pump still works, but no (or little) water is pumped, resulting in no/too little pressure being built up, (one of) these parts is/are probably worn out. So with these parts you can repair/overhaul your pump yourself. This concerns the (mushroom-shaped) rubber valve on the high pressure side (see the red circle in Picture 1), the original plastic ball (see the green circle in Picture 1) and the O-ring that seals the piston (see the yellow circle in Picture 1).

The parts are food safe, new and of course unused.

These parts are suitable for the following Ulka models:

EP5

EX5

EP5GW

EX5GW

EAP5

EAX5

EFP5

EFX5

EP5FMSP

EP5FMGW/SP