I've had my Synchronika for two years, and have noticed that the pump pressure is lower than when it was brand new (was 9, has dropped closer to 7). I followed the instructions to adjust the pressure valve under the machine, and I can easily enough drop the pressure (eventually hits about 2 when loosened a lot) but the highest I can get it, and this is cranking it really hard, is at most 8. The turning of the screw also feels "gritty", and it squeaks a lot. Reading the forums, I see that most people are able to get it much higher, to the point where the OPV kicks in, but that doesn't appear to be the case for me.
I had the shop where I bought it check it out, and they replaced a small hose they said was defective. It seemed like the pressure was improved, but it is dropping again. I'd like to take a shot at fixing this myself, as it's very inconvenient to drag the whole machine in, and they have a long maintenance wait time.
I have read that this problem might be due to scale. Since the machine was brand new, I've exclusively used distilled water with Third Wave Water minerals, so I feel this is not likely the case.
Any help appreciated.