# 2nd gaggia baby - time to move on?



## planetf1 (Feb 7, 2010)

My gaggia baby has just ground to a halt... literally. The lower boiler section appears to be blocked, but descaling doesn't help. the solenoid valve looks ok and is descaled. I've previously tried backflushing with cleaner too...

On my last gaggia baby I ended up splitting the boiler and clearing out some gunk which helped for a while, but eventually it was unserviceable & replaced ... with this one.

I don't descale the water I put in, and live in a hard water area. I've also not been good at proactively descaling, only doing it when flow is reduced (with lactic acid based descaler).

Today I tried to spit the boiler to investigate on this 2nd machine but am struggling with one of the bolts -- despite being as careful as I could the head is smoothing out & it's looking impossible to undo. Drilling out could be the only option... This machine was a factory reconn and I note the boiler has been slightly leaking already (quite a lot of scale around join), and I'm sure the bolts have been messed with before and over tightened.

Obviously I could persue a repair, but replacing a boiler is pushing the price up. I'm seriously wondering whether it's time to call it a day on the gaggia and move to a different design, as well as start on a better routine of descaling/using filtered or bottled water.

Obviously the rancillo siliva is the most recommended, but it's a huge price step up from the gaggia baby, which to be fair has always given me great coffee when working - and I love the large solid portafilter (I bought a pro one - like the fact they're all the same size). Is the rancillo easier to maintain? last longer? Are there others that are more robust? I do wonder if the Al alloy boiler in the gaggia is not the best plan

thoughts?


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## planetf1 (Feb 7, 2010)

I should add that whilst the ease of use of an auto is partly appealing (mostly to reduce mess) I'm quite capable of making wonderful coffee and grinding my fresh beans appropriately & wonder if a machine could do it as well! Additional complexity also worries me. Something bullet proof and simple may be better


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## Glenn (Jun 14, 2008)

Whatever you do, start looking at the water that goes into the machine.

I use Volvic bottled in my Alex Duetto and this should make time between descales a lot longer than if I threw unfiltered London water though the boiler.


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## Charliej (Feb 25, 2012)

Glenn said:


> Whatever you do, start looking at the water that goes into the machine.
> 
> I use Volvic bottled in my Alex Duetto and this should make time between descales a lot longer than if I threw unfiltered London water though the boiler.


Not to mention that unfiltered London water tastes faintly of the way a urinal in a busy gents toilet smells whatever way you drink it.


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## HDAV (Dec 28, 2012)

Well worth considering a filter on your drinking water tap yes another thing to maintain but does make a difference! You could go for a brita type jug or a plumbed in unit. There are plenty of options machine wise really just down to budget, space and taste.


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## planetf1 (Feb 7, 2010)

HDAV said:


> Well worth considering a filter on your drinking water tap yes another thing to maintain but does make a difference! You could go for a brita type jug or a plumbed in unit. There are plenty of options machine wise really just down to budget, space and taste.


thanks - yes good points.

My hot water boiler, and fridge both already have filters, I also have a third tap I don't use which has a filter - obviously needs replacing before use, so I guess I could use that to fill the reservoir. How good is filtered water compared to bottled (it is easier!) . How often would you proactively descale something like the silvia?

I'm sceptical of the gaggia boiler construction. I guess it survives a few years but not sure it's up to longer term. Maybe I'm just angling for an excuse to order the next step up machine


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## HDAV (Dec 28, 2012)

Gaggia recommend descaling every 6 weeks for hard water areas 12 weeks otherwise iirc might be worth getting hold of the silvia manual and having a look. If you already have a filter tap get a new cartridge and try filling from that, once you have scale it's hard to remove and when solid lumps start moving around that's when you will have issue!


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## Charliej (Feb 25, 2012)

Well just to play devils advocate here a new boiler can be had for your baby for ~£40 compared to what a Silvia costs and a Silvia isn't 4 times as good as a Classic or Baby in terms of what a new one can be bought for.

I would suggest fixing the boiler, getting into a routine so that it doesn't scale up and put what you have in cash for a machine atm to one side and save up for the next level above any single boiler machine.In fact a Nuova Simonelli Oscar, whilst it may not be a the best looking machine around could be had with OPV and antivac valve mods and an upgraded Sirai Pstat for around ~£600 and for the money will knock seven bells of shit out of a Silvia. Then there is of course the second hand machine route.


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