After few months of use of my semiautomatica, I have to report a problem that occurs to the portafilter.
When I bought (used) the machine, I changed the gasket with an original (I hope...) one.
Then I started to use the machine.
At the beginning the portafilter could be locked in a safe way, with the handle at about half of the front of the machine.
In the days, the portafilter began to lock less firmly, with the handle remaining more and more to the left.
At the end, during an extraction, my father heard a loud bang and suddenly the water started to come out from the sides of the portafilter.
Since that time the portafilter has begun to lock firmly again.
At first I had not given importance to this issue, but now the story has been repeated exactly in the same way.
I thought about the possible causes, and I am convinced that this is due to the water that infiltrates progressively under the gasket, lowering it and making more and more difficult to lock the holder.
Then, when there is too much water under the gasket, it ejects the water and goes back to his place (and so the water starts to come out from the sides because the portafilter is not locked anymore).
If this explanation is true, it is a defect that will repeat over and over again.
Someone else has observed it ?
Could it be due to defective gasket?
I'm guessing what should I do with it.
alberto

HI Albetro, My guess is that you don't actually have the right gasket in there. I had a similar problem when I had new gaskets several times and finally I found out that the gasket for the Semi is not quite the same as the one for the T1/A3 or the other Elektra's with the 58mm group. It is just a little thinner. The problem is not major since it will eventually compress, and the problem goes away and even before that if you don't leave it too loose it won't pop off, but it sure is nicer with the right gasket because the line between tight enough and too loose is fine. I think many techs who only work on Elektra's commercial machines don't know this and that was why I got the wrong gasket the first few times. (it is so close it looks right).

Stefano knows these machines better than anyone and I'm sure he'll correct me if I'm wrong.

Thank you Hugh,
actually I'm suspecting that something on the gasket could be wrong.
The problem is that when I buy gaskets from local dealers, I get pieces of rubber shaped in some way but I have no idea how to check they are really original parts.

http://espressocare.com/index.html

Stefano, linked above will definitely send you the right part. Obviously since you are located in Italy and so is Elektra, there ought to be a source closer to you since the machines come from there. Then again, gaskets are so light that I bet shipping from the US wouldn't be all that bad. If you call Stefano, he'll either send it to you or give you a better, local source. (That was how I found my first Elektra - I called him to check prices and he told me that he'd be happy to send me one, but pointed out that there was a local dealer almost in my town, which I hadn't realized).