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Is this the end for my Gaggia Classic?

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  • kaanage
    replied
    Re: Is this the end for my Gaggia Classic?

    Or use white vinegar...

    Good to hear you found the problem so easily + how easy you found it to pull apart. They really are simple beasties to service.

    Leave a comment:


  • lucinda
    replied
    Re: Is this the end for my Gaggia Classic?

    Cos - stop using citric acid and start using cafetto espresso cleaner. Its about $24 for a bottle and that should last you close to a year.

    Clean your machine once a month to 6weeks and shell run like a dream.

    Leave a comment:


  • Cos
    replied
    Re: Is this the end for my Gaggia Classic?

    Oh, and the first shot out of the freshly cleaned machine was delicious. I think Im going to pay more attention to maintenance in future.

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  • Cos
    replied
    Re: Is this the end for my Gaggia Classic?

    I only flush every coupla months - maintenance is not one of my strong points.

    Found the problem tho . After a fairly complete disassembly there was no evidence of any significant corrosion, just a little scale. Thought it might be a problem with the o-ring seal on the steam outlet. Cleaned up everything, re-assembled, turned it on, flushed some water through and splash! got squirted from a hairline crack in the pipe between the pump and the boiler. The position of the crack explained how water got to the top of the boiler and into the electrics. Some replacement hose has done the trick, though Ill be watching it closely for leaks.

    Ill be looking for a gaggia agent anyway - now that I know how easy it is to disassemble the thing, I think a new set of seals might be in order, and definitely a blind filter since Ive seen how much gunk accumulates inside the thing and the warrantys long since expired.

    Thanks for the replay, btw.

    Leave a comment:


  • Flo
    replied
    Re: Is this the end for my Gaggia Classic?

    Hi Cos.

    It sounds as though you need to replace the boiler assy. Do a Google search for Gaggia service agents and you should get some joy.

    Changing the boiler is not hard and from memory its not overly expensive. Being Aluminium, the boiler gets a hard life and obviously wont be as durable as brass or copper or stainless. The fact that the aluminium boiler is attached to the brass grouphead really doesnt help the boiler out in the longevity stakes either.

    BTW, how often do you flush with citric acid?

    Leave a comment:


  • Cos
    started a topic Is this the end for my Gaggia Classic?

    Is this the end for my Gaggia Classic?

    Gday All,
    I have a Gaggia Classic thats about 2.5 years old, pulling an average of 4 shots per day (only one coffee drinker in the house). Ive been pretty happy with it, but reading the posts here I find that the little maintenance that Ive been doing on it - regular flushing with citric acid - is a bad thing and has probably caused a fatal problem. You see for a week or so, there was a dripping, hissing sound inside - something was dripping water onto something hot. Then it tripped the houses safety switch - never a good thing.

    Lifting the lid off and getting it hot, I saw water bubbling and dripping away at the top of the U shaped element on the right and spitting towards the switches. Isolating that element, Ive not seen any more water, but when I put that element back into the circuit, the house tripped again. (I am being appropriately careful with mains power) Obviously I have a short.

    So my question is, it is likely or possible that a hole has corroded in the boiler and is allowing water through to the element? This is what it looks like to me. If this is the case, it will require major surgery - is it more cost-effective to replace the machine? Could it simply have parts (bioler) replaced by a professional or a mechanically apt amateur?

    Or is there some simpler problem relating to seals and such that would be easier to rectify? Time is not a factor here, but money is.

    TIA,
    Cos
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