# Gaggia Baby - almost no water flow through filter head



## suiko (Oct 22, 2013)

hi all

People on here were super helpful with problems a couple of years back, so posting again..

I recently descaled my Gaggia Baby (after leaving it a bit too long for a hard water area). It was fine before the descaling.

The descaling went fine, but now I have an issue with almost no water flow through the filter holder apparatus. It will just about make a coffee, but takes about 5 minutes instead of 5 seconds, and I'm worried it will give up altogether. Water seems to be escaping back into the water reservoir, as you can see bubbling in it as the machine is straining to produce a few drops of coffee.

What to do?

Thanks


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## El carajillo (Mar 16, 2013)

Sounds as if you have particles of scale in the solenoid valve if the shower head is clear.

Remove solenoid valve dismantle and clean components paying particular note to the small / tiny ports.

If there is loose scale moving about you may have it block again.


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## L&R (Mar 8, 2018)

Not only the valve, you have to strip it down, wow 5 sec. sounds really coarse


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## suiko (Oct 22, 2013)

Yeah, I don;t know why it was so quick. Maybe I was grinding the coffee too fine?

So is dismantling the solenoid valve a simple job? Do I need any special equipment?


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## L&R (Mar 8, 2018)

Not really, only basic tools: an allen key 4 and а monkey wrench.


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## spoxehub (Oct 24, 2014)

Hang on, hang on.

Are you saying the water flow is slow with the portafilter full of coffee? Given the timings you're quoting above, it might be you're just grinding too fine?

Have you tested water flow volume vs time with no filter attached to the machine?


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## MartinB (May 8, 2011)

roughly 600-660ml per minute is a good test of the pump. Do that and report back


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## suiko (Oct 22, 2013)

I grind it on setting 12 on the Sage grinder. Is that too fine? Yes, with the portafilter full. It always worked fine before (maybe was a bit fast, but it basically worked).

So for the test just see how much water runs through in a minute? For now this would be barely a tablespoonful.

But of course all of this is immaterial for now - presumably first I need to sort the solenoid valve?


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## MartinB (May 8, 2011)

Try toggling the brew switch on and off very quickly for about half a minute - sometimes that can dislodge scale.


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## L&R (Mar 8, 2018)

Do the test without the portafilter, if the water runs normally out of the group, don't touch the valve.

BR


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## suiko (Oct 22, 2013)

Thanks, all. I'll try the test first tomorrow.


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## suiko (Oct 22, 2013)

Tried running the machine for one minute without the portafilter -slightly under two tablspoonfuls of water.

I did manage to make my morning coffee, but it took 27 minutes!

According to instructions below I need to open the machine from the top. I can't see any way to do this on the Baby - there aren't any screws or anything.

https://wiki.wholelattelove.com/images/d/d4/BABIES-CLASSIC_3-Way_Solenoid_Cleaning.pdf


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## L&R (Mar 8, 2018)

Strip it down!


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## suiko (Oct 22, 2013)

Meaning?


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## MartinB (May 8, 2011)

On a baby there are screws under the water container and also one screw under the steamer knob. The Baby model is easy to work on as the lid comes off and the OPV is easy to access.


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## MartinB (May 8, 2011)

plus the 4 allen bolts holding the grouphead in place


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## suiko (Oct 22, 2013)

OK, thanks. Just realised I haven't got my descaler here - presumably I need this to clean the solenoid (I imagine this is what needs doing)?


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## suiko (Oct 22, 2013)

Managed to get the solenoid off, after nearly an hour struggling with the bolts at the bottom. Had to give up at that point as no spanner big enough to wrestle with the brass nut on the solenoid... to be resumed tonight...


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## El carajillo (Mar 16, 2013)

Take care you do not lose or misplace the small "O" rings. and make sure they are correctly positioned on reassembly.

Do not poke the openings with wire or similar.


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## suiko (Oct 22, 2013)

According to the link I posted before, one should use a paperclip to do this - but surely that is a kind of wire?

Edit: Can't open the bloody nut anyway! I fear the machine may be heading for the recycling centre :-(


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## suiko (Oct 22, 2013)

Finally managed to get the solenoid open and clean, after three attempts and hours of work.


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## suiko (Oct 22, 2013)

Finally managed to get the solenoid open and clean, after three attempts and hours of work.

And... lo and behold! It has not really worked

At first a bit of water came through the portafilter, but then I think there was an air lock or something, and the water started pouring back out into the reservoir again. So I had it on for 15 minutes, tried turning it on and off quickly a few times, and it made a loud noise, then went quiet, with no water is coming out of anywhere.

I blew water into the pipe to knock out the airlock, and now water does come through the steam head, but not the portafilter. Instead the water drips back into the reservoir.

Anything else I can do before my Baby goes to the recycling centre?


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## L&R (Mar 8, 2018)

L&R said:


> Strip it down!


Solenoid is the gate only, scale is in your boiler.


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## suiko (Oct 22, 2013)

So... is there anything I can do? I guess not?


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## L&R (Mar 8, 2018)

suiko said:


> So... is there anything I can do? I guess not?


Of course you could save your machine, just clean it properly.


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## L&R (Mar 8, 2018)

You can also check the pump flow before the boiler. Sometimes and pumps slowly die.


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## suiko (Oct 22, 2013)

I'm not sure I'm really up to opening up the boiler, technically speaking. Was hard enough to get the solenoid off!


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## L&R (Mar 8, 2018)

Give it away then


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## suiko (Oct 22, 2013)

I did check the pump flow (earlier in thread). Was about 1.5 tablespoons in 1 minute.


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## L&R (Mar 8, 2018)

One and a half table spoon for a minute? That is close to nothing.

See the end of this video to compare with your pump waterflow.






BR


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## suiko (Oct 22, 2013)

I'm going to have a go at getting the boiler out this weekend. Last chance for this Baby!


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## El carajillo (Mar 16, 2013)

Where about's are you ? is your water very hard ? It is possible that your boiler is partially filled with scale and small pieces will continue to break off and move through the system causing problems.

The best answer is to strip it down and make sure it is completely scale free or you will continue to have problems.

With the outlet pipe from the pump disconnected do you get a good flow from the pump ?


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## suiko (Oct 22, 2013)

Oxford. Yes, very hard water, I think. Btw, do people on here use only mineral water in these machines/ That would seem to make sense if you live in SE England, no?

Which is the outlet pipe?


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## ashcroc (Oct 28, 2016)

suiko said:


> Oxford. Yes, very hard water, I think. Btw, do people on here use only mineral water in these machines/ That would seem to make sense if you live in SE England, no?
> 
> Which is the outlet pipe?


Quite often yes. Waitrose lockhills is just about the best single bottle solution. Volvic & Tesco Ashbeck also get used though are a little bit too soft to be ideal.


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## suiko (Oct 22, 2013)

Thanks. Will see if I can get the boiler off tomorrow.

If it doesn't work and I have to buy another machine, I get the feeling the Classic is the one to go for, and one of the older ones?


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## El carajillo (Mar 16, 2013)

suiko said:


> Oxford. Yes, very hard water, I think. Btw, do people on here use only mineral water in these machines/ That would seem to make sense if you live in SE England, no?
> 
> Which is the outlet pipe?


One pipe comes from the tank. It is the other one, you should get a good flow from this pipe (if not the pump is tired / faulty

As you have stripped the sol / valve this would then indicate a blockage in the boiler system )


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## suiko (Oct 22, 2013)

Thanks. So how do I check if the pump is knackered before taking it out to clean it?


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## grumpyjag (Dec 8, 2018)

Switch it on to brew with the steam valve open (straight away when cold). If your group outlet is blocked it should still pump water through the steam valve, if the inlet is blocked/pump broken it won't pump much.


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