DISCLAIMER: These tasks described here as well as the video presentations are not intended to be all-inclusive instructional videos nor offer advice on appliance repair. They merely illustrate the process. The information here as well as the videos take a lot for granted such as, but not limited to, your knowledge, ability, and safety around electrical devices, proper choice and use of hand tools, techniques to ensure personal safety, protection of property, fire safety, and more. By viewing. listening to, or watching these videos, and/or attempting the procedures on this page, or following any repair or maintenance instructions on the Hottop USA website, you assume all responsibility and release Hottop USA and all its employees and contractors from any and all liability. If you do not accept these terms and/or your local laws prohibit such a release of liability, you may not watch or use the information contained herein.

NOTE: Before attempting any cleaning or repair procedures, always read the full instructions and always refer to the step-by-step procedures. You can find these instructions in the Hottop Coffee Roaster Repair Procedures on our website. Additionally, our Video Education Center also has a number of helpful repair videos to augment those step-by-step repair pages. Refer to these before attempting any of these tasks and as necessary during the process.

• A #1 and an assortment of #2 Phillips screwdrivers. The #1 is handy for the two lower main fan retaining screws. A long and medium length #2 will take care of the rest. The long ones are handy when working on some of the interior parts to keep hands away from edges and allow better line-of-sight.
• While not required, a magnetizer/demagnetizer to make screwdrivers magnetic can be used to make it a lot easier to get screws started in tight places.
• A small, pocket-size slot screwdriver. This is necessary to remove the manual eject knob on the back cover. It's the only slotted screw on the machine.
• Needle nose pliers – these are handy for removing and installing the various wire connections. A second, small pair is handy for removing and replacing the little retaining spring nut on the eject mechanism hinge pin as well as pulling the delicate K thermocouple connectors off the rear of the control panel.
• Also optional is a magnetic pickup tool to retrieve dropped screws. A lot more convenient than turning the roaster upside down and shaking it!
• A volt-ohm meter is a valuable tool for diagnoses. We can guide you though its use. The most common use is testing the heating circuit. Check out our two videos on the subject: Understanding the Heating Element Circuit and then one called Testing The Heating Circuit.
• A pair of long thin tweezers is a handy tool for those of us with larger fingers and less dexterity. These can be used to hold a screw in place when getting it started into its threads.

When doing repairs on any model iteration of a Hottop KN-8828 Coffee Roaster (B, B2, P2, B-2K, etc., etc.) there are a few spots of difficulty you may run into. Here are a few tips that can help things go more smoothly:

THE TOP COVER – The stainless steel top cover (the outer shell) can be a bit tricky to install. The tabs which fit under the front bezel need to be held in place in order to start the two screws at the rear of the cover. Two things can help here. The first is using a long enough screwdriver that keeps your hands away from the rear edges of the cover and will also allow you the correct angle to start and drive the screws.
The second tip is to get help. Having someone hold the cover in place while you start the screws makes this a lot easier.

SIDE COVERS – The black side covers can be a challenge. They have tabs at long the top edge that fit into slots in the machine's metal framework, and there are molded locating tabs along the bottom edge as well. Finally, there is a small tab that fits into a slot at the 90 degree bend above the cooling tray area.
To remove or replace a side cover, the best tip is to loosen the four screws that hold the base onto the machine. Two are located under the rear feet (remove the rubber feet to access these) and the next two forward of those, one on each side. Unscrew each in turn, then reinsert about 1 to 2 turns. This will give a bit of “play” that makes the space into which the side cover fits greater. Having an assistant also helps here. They can hold the top section up while you fit the side cover making sure all “tabs and slots” match.

DRUM MOTOR – There are instances that have the potential to make this a bit tricky. The problem comes when reinstalling the motor. The multiple heat/cool cycles have a tendency to release internal stresses in a machine and can change the alignment just enough to make getting the screw holes lined up difficult. Here's what I do: Start the two upper screws which hold the motor's bracket to the roast chamber rear wall. Turn them almost to the point they are snug, but not quite. Now start one of the lower two screws. Choose whichever one seems to be aligned the closest to its threaded hole. Depending on how far or in what direction the last hole in the bracket is off will determine the course of action. Front to back alignment can be dealt with using a pair of adjustable pliers to bend the motor bracket. Lateral alignment can be dealt with by laying the roaster on the side opposite of where this last screw goes (last-screw side up). It is best to have the control panel removed from the machine for this step to keep it safe. Press the sides together until the holes line up. Once again, it is good to get help for this; one person holds the parts in alignment and the other starts the screw.

REAR COVER – Alignment of the screw holes here can be the same problem as with the motor bracket, although less severe. Start with the bottom screw on each side, and in pairs work your way up, aligning each and seating (but not tightening) each screw as you go until you finish with the top two (there are a total of eight).

GENERAL TIPS

• If I were asked what is the most important thing to remember when working on this or any other appliance, it would be, "READ THE INSTRUCTIONS!" Yes, every step is important, that is why we wrote them. Skipping one little line, one "NOTE:" or one sentence can have a huge impact in understanding the procedure.
• Don't overtighten screws that either hold plastic parts in place or screw into plastic parts.
• Whenever starting a threaded piece of hardware (screw, nut, bolt, etc.) place it in position and turn it counterclockwise to begin while pressing down with the driving tool. You will feel a sort of “click” as the threads align. When that happens stop and rotate clockwise. The screw should go in fairly easily now without cross-threading.
• When removing screws from an assembly examine them for color, thread type, length and any other identifying characteristic. Separate them accordingly so they go back from whence they came.
• When inserting a screw into a new panel (such as when a -2 upgrade required the replacement of the horizontal frame member) the threads in the new panel may be a bit hesitant to accept the screw. As the screw becomes more difficult to turn, unscrew it about one turn, then continue. This will clean out the threads. Anyone who has ever used a tap to create threads in metal knows this trick!
• Organizing your workspace is important. Having room to work is important, but what to do with all those parts? Placing related parts in ziplock bags works great! For example, if you have all the parts and screws for the eject mechanism together in one bag, it makes reassembly a lot easier and eliminates guesswork.
• Most things go back together the way they came apart and the reverse order in which they came apart. Number the bags as you remove things and then all you need to do is install them in reverse numerical order. Place a note inside each bag with a description of the parts and observations you make while disassembling the roaster. A week later when the replacement parts arrive (or even a day or two later after you finish cleaning parts) and you are putting it back together, you won't have to wonder where the different screws go.
• Lay a towel on the work area before beginning. This will protect the work surface, protect the roaster from wear and tear, and if you drop a screw or two, they will be far less likely to roll away.