# Classic - no water from group but only when hot



## Andy635 (Aug 27, 2011)

My 2001 Classic has started to have problems. One morning I pressed the coffe switch & it just went clunk. After a bit of research I came to the conclusion it was the pump so fitted a new one. That seemed to work except when the machine got hot, it stopped working.

Next up, I tried removing, dismantling & cleaning the 3-way valve & opv. They weren't that dirty & didn't seem to be scaled up. Even so, I soaked them in descaling solution. I realise now that I've messed up my opv setting since I fully stripped it. Still the same result though - works when warm but stops when properly up to temp. Tried a full descale & I was getting some rubbish out both the group & in the drip tray when I back-flushed.

I thought about pulling the boiler & stripping that but when I tracked down a gasket (£2.55) it was £5.00 delivery (by courier !). I'm not sure if that will fix it.

Apart from this show stopper problem, I would like to get a new Rose holder block (DY0036/A) but the only place selling them (on ebay) had sold the last one. My outlet pipe (CF0149) has split too. Nobody seems to do those.


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## ChiarasDad (Mar 21, 2010)

When it's hot and you hit the brew switch, what exactly happens? Do you hear the sound of the 3-way solenoid triggering? Does the pump make any sound at all? Does it sound like it's labouring? If you separate the intake and OPV hoses, is there water going into the intake hose and out of the OPV hose? And finally, how hot does it have to be before this happens? Does it correspond with the brew thermostat temperature and the state of the brew thermostat, or is it just when the machine is warm beyond a certain point?

I don't have a theory that I'm working towards with these questions, I'm just trying to get enough details to be able to think about it a bit.


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## Andy635 (Aug 27, 2011)

When you hit the brew switch you hear the solenoid trigger & the pump runs. No water comes out & after a short while the pump note changes.

I've just removed the boiler & valves (it was a right fiddle with the boiler in place) & stripped the valves again. this time I found lots of scale blocking the passages in the boiler block so I'm giving everything another clean.


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## Andy635 (Aug 27, 2011)

Ok, just put it all back together & it works . . . for a while. Once it's been on for 20 mins or so I don't get any water through the group head. You can see the overflow pouring back into the reservoir.

Is this because I messed up my opv setting?


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## ChiarasDad (Mar 21, 2010)

Sounds like everything is running, but the outlet is blocked. I suppose it could be the OPV diverting the flow at too low a pressure -- at least it seems plausible. Alternatively, I wonder if you might still have a limescale problem. For what it's worth, I use Durgol (you can find it on Amazon) which is just crazily fast and effective -- run a bottle of that through it per directions and you will be well assured that whatever problem remains isn't scale.

Other than that, no good theories. It really sounds like a blockage problem.


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## Andy635 (Aug 27, 2011)

Thanks. I've ordered some Durgol from Amazon (expensive!) so I'll see how that goes.

Only other thing left to do is split the boiler.


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## MikeHag (Mar 13, 2011)

Two more things you could try:

1. Perhaps it's an electronic fault in the solenoid box

2. Rather than spend more on potentially false diagnosis, see if any if the gaggia engineers have an idea.

Try David at http://www.domesticespresso.co.uk


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## RoloD (Oct 13, 2010)

Durgol Swiss Espresso is indeed expensive! But it seems to be basically amidosulfonic acid which you can buy for £3.80 a kilo (about a tenth of the price of Durgol).

Does anybody know anything about this stuff? It seems like a better alternative to citric acid.


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## gaggiamanualservice.com (Dec 22, 2009)

try this first, http://coffeeforums.co.uk/showwiki.php?title=How+to+check+if+the+solenoid+is+blocked

mark


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## ChiarasDad (Mar 21, 2010)

I didn't know that, RoloD. Thanks.


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## Andy635 (Aug 27, 2011)

Well I tried the Durgol & it didn't seem to do a lot - not surprising as I'd already descaled the machine.

As I've stated, it works when cool but after 10 mins it won't flow water. I can hear a click which will be the soleniod. I have had the solenoid block off but I suppose it won't hurt to pull it again.

After splitting the opv I've tried various settings (from all the way clockwise & back up) without any success.

It certainly seems to be a temperature related problem.

Anybody know where I can get a new rose holder block (DY0036/A) & boiler gasket (DM0041/082)?


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## gaggiamanualservice.com (Dec 22, 2009)

hi i can sort you out with both parts you need

regards

mark


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## ~ Sea Chief ~ (Sep 20, 2011)

Hi- a quick idea to test the pump/ ie any component bar the boiler as it were: not sure its rule-book, and Ive only seen a gaggia of any sort only a week ago (!- Im ok at taking stuff apart/ fixing stuff tho).. so my pump needed much general farting about to sort out but I dinnae want the heating elements on/ cooking a dry alu boiler- so I took the plugs off element tops, hereby allowing cold water in/ out (finally)/ no stress on the elements whilst trying to sort other stuff.

A few times I panicked when the pump strained/ no water appeared from group.. but, w'out heaters on, I had time to think clearly that it just might be a blockage; indeed it was as calcium detritus was blocking the tiny hole behind the shower plate (ie the block, not the screen thngy). Any help?


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## Andy635 (Aug 27, 2011)

Still no joy.

I pulled the boiler unit out, removed & stripped the opv & 3-way valves. They were both clear.

Fault remains - flows when cold, doesn't when hot.

This is obviously a temperature related problem. What can cause this?


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## Andy635 (Aug 27, 2011)

Ok, I'm now convinced it's the actual solenoid (DB1645/001) that's at fault.

When cold, you can hear the solenoid shunt but when the machine gets hot the solenoid seems to die.


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## Andy635 (Aug 27, 2011)

Success!

The Classic's working again. It looks like it was the solenoid after all. Unfortunately you have to buy the solenoid and the valve which seems a bit wasteful of a perfectly good valve but there you go.

Now all I have to do it get the OPV dialled in to the correct setting.


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