# need help with my gaggia classic



## hassan (Apr 28, 2015)

i have problem with my gaggia classic some time i noticed when

i want brewing a shot the water flow into outlet tubing

and when i removed a portafilter and switch on, the water flow

from the grouphead and the outlet tubing at the same time.

This is not always happen but from time to time it does and i also opened the machine and i take off the 3 way solenoid

and i opened and clean it but still nothing change

pleas help









thank you .


----------



## SmnByt (Feb 23, 2015)

Is the OPV sticking, have you removed and cleaned/de-scaled that?


----------



## Kyle548 (Jan 24, 2013)

Sounds like your OPV.

The solenoid isn't going to be the issue at all.

If if you close the OPV a little, what happens?

There will be pressure, but there should be hardly enough to open the OPV while flushing from the group - the OPV shouldn't really open at all unless you are putting it under about 10bars of pressure.


----------



## hassan (Apr 28, 2015)

i will try to removed and cleaned the OPV and see what will happens

thank you very much .


----------



## marcuswar (Aug 19, 2013)

What do you mean by the "outlet tubing" ?

If you mean the silicone one going back into the water tank then, yes, this is from the OPV. Could be a bit of scale stuck in there causing it not to close properly.

If you mean the brass pipe going to the drip tray then this is more likely to be the solenoid valve not closing properly.


----------



## hassan (Apr 28, 2015)

marcuswar said:


> What do you mean by the "outlet tubing" ?
> 
> If you mean the silicone one going back into the water tank then, yes, this is from the OPV. Could be a bit of scale stuck in there causing it not to close properly.
> 
> If you mean the brass tray then this is more likely to be the solenoid valve not closing properly.


yes i mean the pipe going to the drip

thank you


----------



## marcuswar (Aug 19, 2013)

I'd check the solenoid valve then.


----------



## hassan (Apr 28, 2015)

marcuswar said:


> I'd check the solenoid valve then.


i opened the 3 way solenoid and it seem clean

do i need to change the 3 way solenoid valve or only need to change the solenoid coil ??


----------



## marcuswar (Aug 19, 2013)

Do you regularly back flush with a blind basket?

Its either some scale stopping the valve fully closing or , as you say, the solenoid coil may be weak. I'm not sure how you'd test this though.


----------



## hassan (Apr 28, 2015)

marcuswar said:


> Do you regularly back flush with a blind basket?
> 
> Its either some scale stopping the valve fully closing or , as you say, the solenoid coil may be weak. I'm not sure how you'd test this though.


sorry my English is weak , when i mean i opened the 3 way solenoid i was mean i take it off out off machine

and i open it and i check , there is no scale and seem like new

thank you.


----------



## marcuswar (Aug 19, 2013)

I know in the past people have checked the solenoid valave and thought it was clean but subsequently found that a very small piece of scale was blocking something inside. The holes in the valve are very small. It might be worth just soaking it in some descaler (citric acid) solution just to make sure.

Failing that I can only think, as you suspected, that it's the solenoid coil that needs replacing.


----------

