# Gaggia Classic: Gone from lack of water pulling through to NO water!



## MarcEvans (Jan 23, 2013)

Hi guys,

My wonderful Classic isn't happy. Yesterday I noticed a considerable loss in pressure/water coming through the group head. It was down to a tiny, unusable trickle. I followed a tutorial this evening on how to clean out the solenoid and now there is NO water coming through at all.

Any ideas? This is a cry for help because I cannot take another espresso-less morning tomorrow!

(I regularly change the gasket and clean the shower screen/group head etc)


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## MrShades (Jul 29, 2009)

Do you hear the "click" of the solenoid when you hit the brew switch? (ie is it actually actuating?)

It sounds like either the solenoid valve needs a further good clean because it's not actuating properly or something is blocking one of the holes - or the solenoid simply isn't actuating (possibly cabling or dodgy solenoid).

I'm assuming that when you hit the brew switch you get a "click" of the solenoid, and then no water - but water flows back into the tank via the OPV return pipe?


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## MarcEvans (Jan 23, 2013)

Mr Shades,

I don't think I'm hearing a click from the solenoid, but its difficult to tell as there is the click form the switch. Does this mean that I might have put it back in incorrectly? When I removed everything and stripped the solenoid back it seemed to be pretty clean.

Water comes out of the steam wand when activated.

While I was in there I also altered the brew pressure as advised. Could this have anything to do with it?


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## timmyjj21 (May 10, 2015)

Do you have an ammeter to test if the solenoid is dead? That's probably the easiest! It not, open the machine and press a chopstick onto the solenoid, then turn the machine on and off quickly and you can usually feel the solenoid click through the chopstick. Of course live electricity, danger, no responsibility taken, etc. Not always a very sensitive test but better than nothing and with the lid off you can also listen for it clicking too.


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## No big name! (Oct 25, 2012)

Whatabout leaving the brew switch on, and turning the machine on/off at the socket? May be a better chance of hearing the solenoid


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## MarcEvans (Jan 23, 2013)

Thanks for the advice guys. I resorted to taking everything apart again, removing and cleaning the solenoid and putting it all back together. Hey presto! It works! Crisis averted.


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## Rhys (Dec 21, 2014)

MarcEvans said:


> Thanks for the advice guys. I resorted to taking everything apart again, removing and cleaning the solenoid and putting it all back together. Hey presto! It works! Crisis averted.


What was it, a bit of loose scale?


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## MarcEvans (Jan 23, 2013)

Rhys said:


> What was it, a bit of loose scale?


It must have been although I could see nothing visible.

I'm having the exact same issue once again. I was sure once I stripped it all down again, cleaned and reassembled that it'd work like the last time, but no. Still a tiny trickle of water coming through the group head. Steam wand seems to work as last time.

I wonder if I need to just buy a new part this time?


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## MarcEvans (Jan 23, 2013)

Also, when I stripped it down again today I remembered that one of the holes on the solenoid is not drilled out correctly. I remember coming across this somewhere here before?


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