# Shower Head thoughts.



## Raptorex (Sep 10, 2016)

Is there any point in changing my ally head for a brass version, on my 2005 Gaggia Classic?


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## timmyjj21 (May 10, 2015)

Brass has better thermal mass, so may theoretically be better for shot temperature stability. To be honest I changed mine due to it being so much easier to keep clean. The aluminium reacts badly to backflushing and will oxidise and eventually become pitted and even crumble. I find an old pitted aluminium dispersion plate holds coffee gunge and grinds around the edge of it.

I personally did not like this style:

http://www.theespressoshop.co.uk/Mobile/MobileModels.aspx?ModelID=1976

A number of people got these through a group buy and everyone has been happy with them. However, if you search on the forum I had terrible jetting problems and I found that the plate was a fraction too small to correctly hold the group seal in place. I thought the holes were to close to the edge for good dispersion, but that's just my opinion and other forum members have had no issues.

I now use this one:

https://www.thebottomlesscoffeeshop.co.uk/gaggia-brass-dispersion-plate

I found it significantly better, correctly sized and gives better dispersion. BUT the screw hole for the shower screen is raised up too far to allow an IMS screen to sit correctly. I used a large drill to countersink deeper and it works nicely. I contacted the seller before purchasing to ensure it was plain brass and not chromed.


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## Missy (Mar 9, 2016)

I've got a brass one, much less grim than the aluminium one.


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## Raptorex (Sep 10, 2016)

timmyjj21 said:


> Brass has better thermal mass, so may theoretically be better for shot temperature stability. To be honest I changed mine due to it being so much easier to keep clean. The aluminium reacts badly to backflushing and will oxidise and eventually become pitted and even crumble. I find an old pitted aluminium dispersion plate holds coffee gunge and grinds around the edge of it.
> 
> I personally did not like this style:
> 
> ...


That second head was the one I was looking at.

FMI, why not chromed?

My shower screen is chromed brass and in good condition, mint I'd say.

Thanks for your comments very helpful.

Aluminium + steel + water + heat =corrosion. Just ask Landrover.

 So yes then!


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## timmyjj21 (May 10, 2015)

I suspected I would need to modify it, and didn't want to be drilling through chrome, so wanted the bare brass. I wasn't sure how drilling would effect the chrome at the edges and was concerned it may all start lifting and peeling off due to the heat/expansion/contraction cycle and oxidation at the exposed brass. Without knowing the quality of the product I didn't want cheap chrome lifting.

This is probably just being overcautious as I know my boiler base has little patches of exposed brass internally anyway, and the chrome isn't lifting badly there, but since the seller only had brass, the decision was easy!


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