# My Classic has gone bonk.



## m4lcs67 (Mar 16, 2014)

Hey folks.

Have been away from the forum for quite some time, although I am still making and drinking wonderful coffee everyday with the equipment recommended on the forum and also the skills and advice given by you good peeps.

Although tragedy has struck in the shape of my trusty 6 year old Gaggia Classic dying on me. Here is the deal. A few days ago I was getting everything prepped for the first coffee of the day when there was a distinct lack of water pressure coming out of the brewhead. After several attempts at getting it going still nothing, so I decided to dismantle it. removed the showerscreen and dispersion plate. Gave everything a clean and put it all back together. Put my blank basket into the portafilter and backflushed it a couple of times. then re-assembled. That seemed to do the trick.

After a few days I came to it this morning and the same lack of water pressure happened again. Well rather than dismantling everything again I backflushed some Caviza through the system, but still the water was piddling out. I then decided to check the pressure using the gauge I made when I did the opv mod. Obviously the mod says to set the pressure to 9bar and that is what I set it to 18 months ago. Now I checked things this morning and it has gone out to 11-12bar. Hmmm. Don't quite understand what is going on as I use standard (non pressurised baskets since the mod) and just attempting to run just water through at such a high pressure it should be gushing out). I don't know if the pump is on it's way out. We live in an area with lovely water and no limescale as well so that won't be an issue. As chance would have it however I live close to a Gaggia service centre and have taken it into them to take a look at. I have done everything I can think of. Only downside I am without machine for a week while they look at it. On the positive side I have my grinder and cafitierre, so all is not lost.

So that is my tail of woe. We'll see when the repair bill comes in.


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## hotmetal (Oct 31, 2013)

Hello again! That's a shame. I hope they don't reset your OPV to standard in the process of fixing it, but hope it's an easy fix. A week of cafetiere coffee isn't so bad if you have a grinder and fresh beans.


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## m4lcs67 (Mar 16, 2014)

Cheers hotmetal,

In the event they mess up the pressure I will be able to put it back with all the kit I have. Socket and pressure gauge fixed to an old portafilter. Strange how t has gone so out of calibration though??? Ho hum!!!


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## Jumbo Ratty (Jan 12, 2015)

I reckon its a backflushing issue. Backflushing seems all well and good with just water but nothing clears my machine as much as 3 grams of caviza a week.

Just my thoughts.


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## m4lcs67 (Mar 16, 2014)

Hey folks,

Still without my Classic since it went up the wall last week. Finally got a call from my local Gaggia repair centre yesterday quoting £85 for a service and £28 for a replacement steam valve. Don't know if that sounds like an ok price? My Gaggia is 6 years old and has been modded with a Silvia steam wand and I have also done the opv mod on it. It has had a load of coffee through it in that time, so I can't really grumble.

Yes you can get a brand new one for £219 off amazon, but it is the vastly inferior 2015 model. So by spending £113 having my current machine fettled would be a better option.


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## Jumbo Ratty (Jan 12, 2015)

*gaggiamanualservice.com*

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*

Join Date
Dec 2009
Location
lancs/west yorks

Because Gaggia already have it it may be better for you to go ahead with them.

But as an alternative you could try the forum member above, who is in the same area as you and I have seen him being highly recommended on here.

http://coffeeforums.co.uk/showthread.php?1557-gaggia-manual-service


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## timmyjj21 (May 10, 2015)

Well, you have been quoted the price of a seconhand machine. Buy another one off the forum, then you would have 2! And you can sell the first broken one to get some money back!


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## russe11 (May 12, 2012)

Jumbo Ratty said:


> *gaggiamanualservice.com*
> 
> *
> *
> ...


Mark would probably do yours in part exchange. He has a number of machines available, all striped cleaned with new gaskets and ready to go and with with upgraded solenoid.

Give him a try?


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