# A New Gaggia owner



## yusuf7869 (Jan 26, 2018)

Hey Guys,

just received my Gaggia from a fellow member and excited to test it out. Will be hopefully asking questions if they have not already been asked in cleaning and mainting it.


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## Stu (Jan 3, 2018)

Nice grinder and machine setup









Enjoy the adventure in getting to know the machine and perfecting your espresso shots.


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## El carajillo (Mar 16, 2013)

Steam knob ???


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## yusuf7869 (Jan 26, 2018)

El carajillo said:


> Steam knob ???


Funny Story it broke before i got it







. No harm ordered a new one. Drip tray and other bits were being cleaned when i took the photo.


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## yusuf7869 (Jan 26, 2018)

Stu said:


> Nice grinder and machine setup
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks @Stu cant wait.


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## yusuf7869 (Jan 26, 2018)

So the machine i bought has problems







. it seems there is a leak from the shower head (maybe just requires a gasket change) but the most concerning one is a leak from the steam faucet. it needs a proper deep clean and service by the looks of it.


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## El carajillo (Mar 16, 2013)

The group seal in the brew head is a common item that requires changing, they tend to go rock hard and cease to seal well. Usually requires "digging" out / breaking up. Sometimes they can be "jacked" out using two screws with the points ground off.

Steam wand leak is very common and even after a replacement they soon begin to weep / leak.


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## yusuf7869 (Jan 26, 2018)

Thanks El Carajillo. is that also the reason why the wand still drips and if you've just steamed it still lets out steam or is that another problem all together?


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## El carajillo (Mar 16, 2013)

Yes the same problem as the boiler is still under pressure. The actual problem is that the end of the shut off spindle is a tapered rod which fits into a brass seat, the brass is soft and wears made worse by over tightening to stop the flow = more wear. There are photos on the forum showing the components and some members have dismantled the valve and refurbished them but personally I did not find it successful.

To remove the steam valve remove the two allen bolts then use a broad flat screwdriver to lever the valve out, note the "O" ring seal.


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## yusuf7869 (Jan 26, 2018)

i was worried you'd say that







. im gonna see if any of the members actually have a spare stem valve/faucet otherwise.


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## El carajillo (Mar 16, 2013)

They all wear the same:yuk: Contact Mark Aka GAGGIAMANUALSERVICE on the forum


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## yusuf7869 (Jan 26, 2018)

Have been opening the gaggia bought from a fello member and was sold on the basis that it was descaled quite regularly. Quite disgusted how the gaggias state is in.


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## Jony (Sep 8, 2017)

That's shocking.


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## Riz (Oct 19, 2015)

It seems that there have been quite a number of issues with this machine looking back over this thread. Maybe you should raise this with the mods or even @Glenn if the machine wasn't advertised properly on the forum.


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## ashcroc (Oct 28, 2016)

Riz said:


> It seems that there have been quite a number of issues with this machine looking back over this thread. Maybe you should raise this with the mods or even @Glenn if the machine wasn't advertised properly on the forum.


Just looked at the ad it sold on. Used in a soft water area combined with collect from Guildford rings alarm bells.


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## yusuf7869 (Jan 26, 2018)

well upset that i might be ripped off plus all the extra cost that this is gonna cause me. hope the boiler still works after the heavy descaling


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## J_Fo (Dec 24, 2017)

Yusuf, can I ask how easy it was to open the boiler up?

I descale regularly but there was a period when I didn't and I'm a bit worried about build up....

Thanks


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## yusuf7869 (Jan 26, 2018)

Jon_Foster said:


> Yusuf, can I ask how easy it was to open the boiler up?
> 
> I descale regularly but there was a period when I didn't and I'm a bit worried about build up....
> 
> Thanks


It was quite easy. I followed the below link






this was provided to me by a good friend. Its easy to follow. Iv not completed my cleaning yet so havent put everything back together yet. Make sure you number the wites and get a new boiler gasket, solenoid and opv gasket while you've opened it up.

after removing the cables theres four screws that hold the boiler in. Four screws that hold the boiler and shower head together and four scres that hold the Opv and solenoid.


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## yusuf7869 (Jan 26, 2018)

Some additinal phtos of the cleaning work so far


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## J_Fo (Dec 24, 2017)

yusuf7869 said:


> It was quite easy. I followed the below link


Thanks man, good luck with it, I reckon you should ask to be reimbursed for the price of a boiler...


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## CitizenScientist (Dec 29, 2017)

Just an FYI, here is what we deal with on the steam valve. It's brass on brass contact, and the "seat" (if you can even call it that) in the body is extremely narrow, so that equals not too much sealing surface. Leaks result from wear and tear damage and overtightening, but also from what's called microchanneling, which is a form of corrosion. You can see it on the needle with a high power magnifying glass, but it would also affect the seat. Everything internal is pretty small. I've tried making what amounts to a washer out of PEEK that could be driven down into the body to form another, softer seat, but without too much luck so far.


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## ashcroc (Oct 28, 2016)

CitizenScientist said:


> Just an FYI, here is what we deal with on the steam valve. It's brass on brass contact, and the "seat" (if you can even call it that) in the body is extremely narrow, so that equals not too much sealing surface. Leaks result from wear and tear damage and overtightening, but also from what's called microchanneling, which is a form of corrosion. You can see it on the needle with a high power magnifying glass, but it would also affect the seat. Everything internal is pretty small. I've tried making what amounts to a washer out of PEEK that could be driven down into the body to form another, softer seat, but without too much luck so far.
> 
> View attachment 32640
> View attachment 32641


Every time I look at those photos I'm left wondering why they didn't bevel the edge of the seat to match the angle of the pin.


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## yusuf7869 (Jan 26, 2018)

Finally got my steam valve but the water intake pipes are just not shifting the mould in them.









Iv tried steam cleaning them, soaking them in sterilising fluid. So iv ordered some new pipes from ebay. Any ideas on if the pipes need to be cut the same as the originals i.e. The "v" shape?


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## ashcroc (Oct 28, 2016)

yusuf7869 said:


> Finally got my steam valve but the water intake pipes are just not shifting the mould in them.
> 
> View attachment 32670
> 
> ...


Think it's to stop them sucking on the bottom of the tank restricting flow.


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## yusuf7869 (Jan 26, 2018)

ashcroc said:


> Think it's to stop them sucking on the bottom of the tank restricting flow.


ahhh makes sense. thanks @ashcroc


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## GCGlasgow (Jul 27, 2014)

yusuf7869 said:


> Finally got my steam valve but the water intake pipes are just not shifting the mould in them.
> 
> View attachment 32670
> 
> ...


Have you got a link for the pipes?


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## yusuf7869 (Jan 26, 2018)

GCGlasgow said:


> Have you got a link for the pipes?


https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CLEAR-SILICONE-Tubing-Hose-Pipe-Pond-Aquarium-Fish-Tank-Air-Pump-AFS-Tube-FDA/130771449103?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&var=430096423715&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

5 mm inner diameter and 9 mm outer diameter


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## CitizenScientist (Dec 29, 2017)

Me too. It would only be one more operation on the machine tool that cuts these, with a cutter with an angle that matches the needle. Doing it would barely increase tha cycle time of making one. I'd also say that their continued production of them made this way is so they sell more of them. They are a pricey bit of work.


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