# Limescale fragments post descale



## Orabas (Nov 5, 2013)

Right need some advice.

Fitted a new seal today and also backflushed. After that, I followed the descale method described on this forum using the premixed gaggia bottle (grey with red lid).

I ran some clean water through after and noticed some tiny limescale fragments coming out the group. I've now run a good few litres through the group and am still getting these segments.








That's a picture of the drip tray.

Any suggestions..? Another descale? I'm running water through group without showerscreen to stop it clogging.

As per my previous posts, this is a 14 year old machine which has been used about 8 times 14 years ago.


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## El carajillo (Mar 16, 2013)

Have you removed and cleaned the dispersion block behind the shower screen (removed two alen headed bolts ). It is possible this is where the corrosion /particles are coming from.

The block is in contact with coffee in /after brewing and the acidic coffee tends to react with the aluminium.


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## Orabas (Nov 5, 2013)

Thanks for your adviseadvise. I've removed and cleaned that, even tried running water without the block in and still had little particles.

Hopefully the problem will eventually die out.


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## Jumbo Ratty (Jan 12, 2015)

Im not sure what thread you read regarding the descaling, there are a few old ones on here.

On the bottle the instructions only explained to run the solution out of the steaming wand and NOT the protafilter.

Where as some threads on here mention running it through the protafilter. So I found it a grey area.

One of the threads i read on here the person experienced the same as you after they had descaled, scale continuing to come out long after they had flushed what they thought was a sufficient amount of water through after descaling.

After i descaled I reckon i ran at least 8 tanks of water through, maybe more before I felt happy with the cleanliness of the water coming through. But initially hardly any scale was to be seen.


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## Orabas (Nov 5, 2013)

I followed the following instructions in the end. I followed the optional and ran a little through the group.

will keep running water through until it stop I guess. Graef800 arriving in a couple days so hoping for some good results!

- turn the steaming knob OPEN

- turn the power switch ON

- turn ON the steam switch

- turn ON the brew/pump switch.

- run about 8 oz or 250ml of the citric acid solution through the steam wand.

- turn OFF the brew switch

- turn OFF the steam switch

- turn OFF the power switch

Wait 20 minutes, repeat procedure until the solution is used up. DO NOT let the pump run dry!

Optional - you may want to run a few ounces of cleaning solution through your group.

Empty the remaining solution, rinse and refill the reservoir with clean, fresh water. Run at least a litre (quart) of water though the machine in order to flush out the cleaning solution.


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## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

Are they definitely limescale or could they be aluminium?

Descaling both dissolves and dislodges limescale, so limescale fragments after a descale are perfectly normal. They run a chance of clogging some parts of the machine, and an extra couple of run throughs with descaling solution will help to break up the limescale still in the system. If it is limescale you basically just want to keep flushing until it is mostly rid of, and then not worry about it too much, limescale wont do you any harm. Having said this if it has been sat for a long time and has built up significant scale it can do the machine, and the taste of your coffee harm, the only way to be truly sure you have completely descaled a boiler and internal pipes is a full strip down, easy enough to do if you are confident and handy, but it is obviously possible to go wrong.

If the flakes are at all shiny it could be some of the aluminium in the machine breaking down on the surface, I haven't had a classic in a long time, but I think the dispersion plate in the group will show obvious signs of this if this is the case, you can remove it and inspect it. Some people replace theirs with a brass one (if you can find one for sale) which doesn't have this issue. If a Classic owner who has done this or knows what I am alluding to can clarify it would be best!


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## Orabas (Nov 5, 2013)

Pretty sure it's limescale, the small bits are white and I can crumple them a bit.

Is it OK to run water through group without the block and showercreen attacked? Don't want to clog the shower screen up with limescale and have to keep removing to clean


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## Kai (Feb 1, 2015)

I suffered with corrosion of the aluminium block , mind you the Classic is a early one (1995), I presume the corrosion is Aluminuim Oxide which can have a white appearance .

In my case it wasn't lime scale as I live in a soft water area and there was no appreciable scale present when I completely stripped the machine .


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## h1udd (Sep 1, 2015)

If it has an aluminium boiler, then this it what happens when you descale, it will stop as a new layer of scale builds up again ... The microcimbali is renown for this, and why you shouldn't descale too often


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## Orabas (Nov 5, 2013)

Ok cool, doesn't sound like I should be too worried then. Thanks all.


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