# Gaggia classic - spurting everywhere



## Phillikescoffee (Mar 16, 2015)

I've had my Gaggia classic (second hand - its about 10 years old) for a year or so. I'd gotten pretty good with it, but all of a sudden I can't do anything without it spurting coffee everywhere. I've not had this at all before - my preparation and tamping are pretty good - but now I can't even pull a simple espresso.

I've tried several coffees, drastically changing grind settings (Eureka Mignon), I've tried tamping light, tamping hard, nutating, WDT, praying to the coffee gods and sulking. None of these things has worked. When I pour without the portafilter in water comes out fine, although it might well be a bit quicker than it used to be (I never really paid attention to this before so I don't know but it does look like the water is coming out pretty quickly).

Is my machine dead? Or is there a simple fix/something I'm missing?

Thank you very much for your help.

Phil.


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## MrShades (Jul 29, 2009)

Can you video the entire process and post it on here so we can actually see what's happening?


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## GCGlasgow (Jul 27, 2014)

Have you changed the grouphead seal recently?


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## Phillikescoffee (Mar 16, 2015)

I changed it about 6 months ago. There is a little escaping around the edges of the portafilter if I don't tighten it in place hard but the main problem is mad channelling through the puck (sorry - didn't make that clear!). I'd think it was me if it had happened before but I've pretty much never before had channeling (other than the odd time I've had to rush).

I'm away from the machine now but videoing is an excellent idea - I'll do that ASAP. Thank you for your very quick responses!

Phil.


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## marcuswar (Aug 19, 2013)

Two things spring to mind

1) Remove and leaned the shower screen.

2) Is the OPV valve stuck closed so you're getting too much pressure at the puck? Check when you pull a shot that there water being returned to the tank through the second (opv) tube.


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## Glenn (Jun 14, 2008)

Are you using a pressurised basket or a proper one?

If the former and the little plastic plug is not in the portafilter it will spurt everywhere.


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## Phillikescoffee (Mar 16, 2015)

Back from new year and still coffee starved. I use VST baskets, although I have tried both the normal (not pressurised!) basket and the VST. Just to make clear - I've never had anything even close to this happen before and have changed nothing about my technique. I've also tried several beans (fresh and stale). I used a blanking disk and water is coming out of the metal tube so I'm assuming it isn't a stuck OPV?

I took the grinder right back to chattering burrs, then gave it about a half a turn twist which normally puts it in the ballpark as I'd got completely lost from trying so many variables (this has been what has been happening no matter what I do). The following happened, covering my sideboard in mess:











It has been doing this no matter what I do







... a bit worried it is very poorly.


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## Jumbo Ratty (Jan 12, 2015)

to my untrained eye the flow rate seems excessive,, too much fluid in too short a time.

Doesnt sound like theres anything wrong with he machine judging from the sound in the video


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## h1udd (Sep 1, 2015)

That looks like you haven't ground anywhere near fine enough .... I wonder if there is an issue with your grinder ? Anyone near you with either a classic or a grinder that you get together with to eliminate what machine is at fault


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## Drewster (Dec 1, 2013)

GCGlasgow said:


> Have you changed the grouphead seal recently?





Phillikescoffee said:


> I changed it about 6 months ago.


I'd change it again... and give the shower-screen etc a good clean as well.

If "nothing" has changed then it'll only cost a fiver or so and eliminate at least one likely candidate.

Nothing lost well OK a fiver lost...........


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## noelweston (Oct 7, 2012)

Is it possible that the thermostat has failed? I vaguely seem to remember mine going haywire when the brew 'stat failed; it might be worth changing both?


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## Phillikescoffee (Mar 16, 2015)

Right - I'm going to do a thoroughly clean and fiddle with the grinder as I'd been focussed on the Gaggia. If that isn't it I'll get a new group head. The temperature control seems fine (coffee is about the right temperature when it isn't all over my clothes). I gave the shower screen a quick wash but it was pretty clean.

Thank you so much for your help - I don't think there's anywhere else I'd expect to get so much knowledgeable (and nice!) feedback within minutes. Definitely need to donate a few pennies, Glenn!


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## marcuswar (Aug 19, 2013)

Phillikescoffee said:


> I used a blanking disk and water is coming out of the metal tube so I'm assuming it isn't a stuck OPV?


The metal tube is the exhaust pipe for the solenoid valve not the OPV. The OPV should be venting water back into the water tank via the second silicone tube. I tended to push most of this tube back up into the machine so it isn't submerged in the water and so it's easier to see a stream of water returning to the tank so its obvious it's working.


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## MrShades (Jul 29, 2009)

Having watched the video now, I think it's more likely to be the grind/grinder than anything else. It's simply pouring much too fast. Have you 'serviced' the grinder recently, changed the burrs or removed them for cleaning?

Perhaps you can tell us more about your grinding - what weight of ground coffee, in what basket (standard Classic double?).

If you can grind as you have done, and then spread some of the ground coffee on a white piece of paper (spreading the out so that we can see the particle sizes) - and photograph the grinds with a reference object (5p piece) then that may help also.

If it were me, I'd take the grind tighter before fiddling too much with the machine - and see if you can actually choke it. Take the grind to 'chirping' and then back off very slightly, and see what comes out (probably quite slowly). You should get something close to talcum powder that will easily choke your machine.

So - stage 1 - actually TRY to choke the machine. Stage 2 - back off slightly from the choking point.

If you read this thread, it seems that historically a few folk have had issues with uneven grinding on the Mignon: http://coffeeforums.co.uk/showthread.php?10510-Grinder-problems-eureka-mignon


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## MrShades (Jul 29, 2009)

marcuswar said:


> The metal tube is the exhaust pipe for the solenoid valve not the OPV. The OPV should be venting water back into the water tank via the second silicone tube. I tended to push most of this tube back up into the machine so it isn't submerged in the water and so it's easier to see a stream of water returning to the tank so its obvious it's working.


Yes, I agree with Marcus - and you really need to be certain that the OPV is functioning (you should see water being returned to the tank during the pour via the shorter in-tank rubber tube). If the OPV has stuck and the full pressure of the pump is being thrown at the puck (god knows, but more than 15 bar probably) then you'd probably get something similar to what you're seeing.


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## Phillikescoffee (Mar 16, 2015)

Okay - so I'm a bit of an idiot. I took the grinder apart and there was a bit of something stuck in the burrs. I think this was making it sound like the burrs were touching when they weren't so when I was trying to calibrate the grind it was much too large (can't believe I didn't notice this with the number of pours I did...) Anyway, once cleaned I've managed to calibrate the grinder again and get a decent pour - yay!

I must have forgotten to recalibrate after using the grinder for aeropress or knocked it or done something stupid before I'd had caffeine... Thanks again for all of the help. I will now also pull the second tube up further to keep an eye on the OPV.


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## MrShades (Jul 29, 2009)

Great - glad it was an easy fix!


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