# Steam in Group Head



## ollyparkhouse (Apr 14, 2020)

Hi everyone.

For the last few weeks my machine (Gaggia Classic) has been playing up a little. So i turn it on, and wait for it to reach temperature. However when i start the brew, it spits out a tonne of steam before any water comes out.

The only way i can get a decent brew is by emptying the pressure of the steam so i can get water.

I took it apart to check the solenoid, as i do regular descale and purly puff cleaning. However it was clean with no scale blocking. So the only thing i can think of is either i have a failed joint/gaskett somewhere or the boiler is heating the water too high (thermostat dead)

Has anyone else had this issue? Was it the thermostat?

if i replace, there are a few options. 100, 107, 145. I drink retty much expresso (very rrely capuccino)

many thanks for your help


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## El carajillo (Mar 16, 2013)

Brew stat 107 deg Steam stat 145 deg.

Are you refilling the boiler when first turning on and after steaming ? Refilling until water flows from steam wand ensures boiler is full.


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## ollyparkhouse (Apr 14, 2020)

Hi.

so i generally have 1-2 coffees a day, so the water tank always has water it in. So i simply turn the machine and wait for until the machine is ready.

Before i would clip in the potafilter and pour the coffee.

Now i have to press the brew button to let the steam out and then clip in the portafilter to brew the coffee.

I am not using the wand at all. the steam comes out of the group head.

The wand function works if i switch it to that mode with no issue

thanks


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## _shakeyjake_ (Dec 16, 2016)

After your last coffee, and completing steaming, do you turn it straight off? Or do you after steaming, turn the steam switch back to brew temp and run the pump to purge the steam out of the boiler, to get it back to brew temp?

It sounds like your turning it off after steaming. This means there is less water in the boiler next time you start. This may mean that a large head of steam builds when you next turn it on. Instead you should purge the boiler of steam after steaming, by running the pump to bring the temp down. This will fill the boiler reading for your next use.

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## El carajillo (Mar 16, 2013)

Brew stat 107 deg Steam stat 145 deg.

Are you refilling the boiler when first turning on and after steaming ? Refilling until water flows from steam wand ensures boiler is full.

After brewing and steaming the boiler is not necassarily completely full. When first turning on you should operate the brew switch to FULLY fill the boiler


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## ollyparkhouse (Apr 14, 2020)

Hi.

i think there is a little confusion.

I do not use the steam option. My utilization is very simple as i pretty much only have expresso. So the steam switch is always in the off position. When i press for water (button on the right) to brew my coffee, this is when i get all the steam coming out of the group head. After the steam dies down then i finally get the water.

If i clip in the portafilter and press for water, the steam goes first and i get coffee spat out everywhere. So to not have this happen i am turning on the water and letting the steam out of the group head before clipping in the portafilter.

thanks


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## allikat (Jan 27, 2020)

Is it a new machine? Or an older one?

If it's an older one, the brew stat has probably stuck. Are the lights doing the right things? Is the brew light going on and off like it should?


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## _shakeyjake_ (Dec 16, 2016)

allikat said:


> Is it a new machine? Or an older one?
> If it's an older one, the brew stat has probably stuck. Are the lights doing the right things? Is the brew light going on and off like it should?


I didn't think the Gaggia Classic has a pressure based brewstat. Was a solid state one (not sure of terminology).

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


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## allikat (Jan 27, 2020)

_shakeyjake_ said:


> I didn't think the Gaggia Classic has a pressure based brewstat. Was a solid state one (not sure of terminology).
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


 It doesn't, it's just a temperature thermostat. But if it's sticking, it'd run the boiler too hot. But as it has 2 thermostats, it's important to reference which one. In this case, the brew temp one, which is part way down the boiler, as opposed to the steam one which is at the top.


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## ollyparkhouse (Apr 14, 2020)

H. the machine is roughly 9-10 years old.

As far as i can see the lights are all doing the right things, although being coulor-blind i haven't really paid too much attention (i can just about make out the difference between the red and green).


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## allikat (Jan 27, 2020)

Here's something to try: Prime it again. Turn on the pump with no portafilter attached, and open the steam valve. Let the water flow from both for a few seconds before turning off the pump.

Just see if it does the same thing after that?


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## ollyparkhouse (Apr 14, 2020)

Hi.

So i ran the above, and steam came out of both for a while, then water.

Made a coffee, but came back 5 mins later to test an again a load of steam came out of the grouphead when turned on (without portafilter) .

One other thing i tried this morning was to completely drain water out of the system. So i let the tan kdrain by running the brew cycle until empty. i also then turned on the steam to empty anything that was left. This ran for quite a bit strangely.

I refilled the tank, but the pump made the awful rattling noise due to n water in the system, but did not suck up any water. Eventually by flicking the steam button on/off several times it eventually kicked in and sucked up water into the pump and boiler.

So potentially that indicates solenoid issue (although it appeared very clean when disassembled).


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## allikat (Jan 27, 2020)

The solenoid hole is is really small, it's easy to miss something blocking it. Poke a pin in there then cycle it a few times.


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