So I took apart my Factory last night to re-lube the seals (something I've been putting off for a VERY long time - bad idea!), and noticed that the shower screen has a perfect square right in the middle (about 1 sq. cm) of holes that aren't punched out. I doubt this is a manufacturing defect.. so if not, then why would they do this? It seems pretty strange. Does anyone else with a Europiccola or a Factory have a shower screen pattern like this?

Bump? Everyone too lazy to just go and check real quick to satisfy my curiosity?

Also, I've had to take it apart just a few days later and re-lube it again. It seems that the piston seals are starting to degrade. When the machine is hot, it works alright, but each successive heatup/cooldown cycle makes the lever harder and harder to operate. The seals feel a bit sticky to the touch... kind of like how rubber feels when it's lived its life. The machine was built in 2000 with all original parts - is it already time to do a gasket replacement?

Have you been using the machine since 2000? I'm certainly no expert, but the prevailing wisdom seems to be that gaskets and seals should be changed every 1-2 years. Sometimes you read of flukes where someone has used a machine for 10-15 yrs without needing a change, but that's definitely a fluke.

I went 4 years before changing my europiccola g's and s's, and it needed it. Badly.

As for the basket blockage, that does seem weird. But I don't know. My baskets don't have a square block in the middle, but even as I try to clean them thoroughly, sometimes it seems like not all the holes are open. I do think they get clogged/dirty easily and you really have to clean the diligently.

But a square block in the middle seems odd.

I'd also recommend replacing the seals. I did mine less than a year ago and I'm feeling they'll need replacing soon.
Both my Europiccolas have shower screens like that. The patch in the middle without the holes punched through seems to be normal but I've also wondered why. Does anybody know?

Thanks guys.
I bought it second hand in late '07. The previous owner didn't use it more than a few times, and I've been using it pretty much every day at least once or twice.
The interesting thing is that the shower screen gasket is in great shape; it's only the piston seals that are not doing so well. I guess they take more abuse, though.

Can I use a Europiccola gasket set?

The screens on both of my two Gaggia Factory 106 machines appear to not have any such "square" of unpunched holes visible at the center of the outside (bottom) of the screen. The holes appear to be uniformly spaced across the entire screen, including across the central area. I've not, however, had the occasion to "pop the screen" off either machine to hold the screen up to the light to see whether the holes on the outside of the central portion of the screen go all the way through. However, this weekend, for the first time, I inadvertently seriously overdosed a shot, such that the puck pressed right up against the screen - and, to my surprise, the pattern of dots which the screen left impressed on the puck revealed a "dotless" central square exactly matching the central square in oofnik's photos - this despite the clear presence of the holes uniformly across the entire bottom of the screen including across the central square. So, it would seem that at least on that machine, the holes in the center of the screen (forming the square pattern) either do not go all the way through the screen or are blocked in the inside (group/top side) of the screen...

I'll have a better look when it's eventually time to disassemble for gasket for inspection/replacement - but I've not yet reached the point where that would seem necessary... (Though a few more screwed-up "overdosed" shots with the puck right up against the screen and that, sadly, might change sooner than I'd like...)

What are you using to lube the seals? Some lubes can cause elastomers to degrade.

My Screen Looks the same.
I use Dow 111 to lube with works great and its safe.

Yes, Dow 111 does not degrade elastomers and it also has a very high melting point. There are some lubes, however, that do degrade elastomers and which also have a low melting point, so low in fact that use in an espresso machine would cause the lube to melt away; this double whammy results in a chemically degraded seal that also has no lubricant protection.

I'm using this stuff:

It says high melting point and safe for O-rings and gaskets on the back so I figured it would work fine.
I guess it wasn't intended for use on whatever kind of rubber is used in these seals...?

r-gordon-7: You can't tell that they are not punched out by looking at the screen from the bottom. It is only visible when looking through it after taking it off. Sounds like yours is the same as mine.

Well anyway, will this kit work with my Factory? Thanks for all the help.