If this exists as a problem, I could not find it on HB.

I just picked up a Gaggia Achille tonight from craigslist. I had read about the leaking problems, but this one seems an order of magnitude above what I've read in the many other threads on this topic.

I filled the boiler to fill, and then turned it on. Less than 10 minutes later the boiler was near empty and water was flowing out of the base. I did not lift the lever during this time.

Turns out that the Reset Thermostat is leaking. What is the solution to this? Secondly, what looks like a blob of rust on the base is underneath a clear epoxy-like coating. I can't scratch it - is this normal with the Achille machines?

-phillip

I think the resin may be normal, not sure, some kind of melted/ over applied insulation- seems to happen around elements only on mine.

Your plastic washer and bolts that hold the boiler to base look more rusted than mine- in my case the water used to run down the boiler from the hx inlet.

Are you saying the water is leaking from the safety cut out hole only? If so I think I would bung it with JB weld or suchlike and test the machine. If the project looks like like a goer. Drill out the epoxy and find a way to repair the safety housing.

Is that what it is called, a safety hole? My safety hole is leaking! Potty humour aside, yes, all of the water is leaking from there, but only when the boiler is running (and within minutes). Is there a gasket in there that is not shown on the exploded diagrams? What should be preventing the leak? Do I need to order a new thermostat? I'm not even sure how to take that out to inspect it. Thank you for giving your help.

-phillip

No idea, it's probably a thermowell, I can tell you for sure your reset thermostat is not leaking because it's not even in the water. The thing we are talking about is just a tube, pull off that spring clip and the gubbins will slideout. Now you have a hollow tube sticking into the boiler. It's cracked or bent or something.

So yes, technically the hole has a hole in it which needs filling. No doubt one of the badgers will be able to correct the lingo.

I took the panels off, fired her up once again, and now there is no doubt: It is the probe thermostat housing that is leaking. Unless I can order a new boiler, then I assume that I now have a very expensive paper weight?

-phillip

edit:

Could the housing be filled with the same metal, and then drilled out to accept the probe? Any idea who could do something like this? If not a specific person or company, then what kind of company would have that sort of skill in-house?

edit II:

This seems worth trying - http://www.jbweld.net/products/water.php

You could:

- Try to weld it again. Using something like JB Weld or taking it to someone who welds stainless steel.
- Remove the housing, make a thread (bigger diameter than the hole) and a new housing... I think this could be more difficult.

I took a look at mine and it's in great shape, no sign of rust near the heat element prongs or this housing for the probe. But at the same time, some of the welds of the boiler has a very fine rust layer. If this is coming from the outside, I think I should brush it and cover with something, maybe some high temp silicon?

I think the Achille boiler is made of a thin steel, I wonder how much pressure it was designed for. Hopefully the HX seems to be a very tough stainless pipe, I think it would be impossible to crack it as it's very hard to go over 8-9 bar using the lever.

Márcio.

Phillip you should be able to take to someone who tig welds and get it repaired.

I would be curious to see what it looked like from the inside also.

If it is a soldered/brazed connection then I would go that route for the repair (not tig weld)

But anything like that you just have to get it apart and then make the call, but it should be able to be fixed.

ANeat wrote:Phillip you should be able to take to someone who tig welds and get it repaired.

I would be curious to see what it looked like from the inside also.

If it is a soldered/brazed connection then I would go that route for the repair (not tig weld)

But anything like that you just have to get it apart and then make the call, but it should be able to be fixed.

The process then would be: (1) Cut it open where it is currently welded up by the group head, (2) Take a look at the probe housing from the inside, and (probably) weld that closed (3) weld it back together

Any other repairs or modifications I might want to make if I have it apart?

This seems like one of those jobs where I really wished I knew someone in the welding business to take it to.

Recall that this is a new to me machine. Other than the #11 and #16 gaskets that may need to be replaced, do we know of any other problems that have popped up? There is certainly a voice in my head that says quit while your ahead. Well, I'm not ahead, but I don't necessarily want to go deeper without some glimmer of hope.

Finally, there are knock-offs of Pavoni E.P. like the Le Cara, why hasn't someone done a knock-off of this machine, but spending the extra money to make what HB folk would be proud of - proper gaskets, get rid of the plastic? If nothing else, maybe an HB-underground build?

-phillip

I'm not really familiar with the Achille (other than it seems prone to failure), but from what I see in the pics it is the heating element plate that has the problem not the whole boiler. That said, I would drill out and tap that thermo probe tube. You could put in some kind of thermo probe into a drilled out bolt that you screw into the tapped hole. personally I have had the thermo/cut out on a Pav not trip when the boiler ran dry so I don't believe in them....I would just do away with the cut out...but that would not be to code so I do not suggest anyone else should do it....

Phillip It looks like the boiler is all one piece. Description reads that the the boiler is stainless and looks like it contains the heating element and everything so I wonder what the cost would be on a replacement?

If you want someone that welds to check it out let me know....(I got a tig welder and work pretty cheap) Patrick's idea of tapping out the well sounds like a good option as well if the material is thick enough, certainly worth investigating