Gaggia Synchrony Compact leaks after brew cycle

Equipment doesn't work? Troubleshooting? If you're handy, members can help.
corneto
Posts: 4
Joined: 17 years ago

#1: Post by corneto »

Hi all, my Gaggia compact leaks after it completes a brew cycle. I'll try to explain, but I don't know the technical terms well. After the coffee is dispensed, when the group (?) is de-coupled from the water line/spout, water runs backward through the group and leaks from the point of entry. I've checked the circuit throughout the group and water seems to flow unimpeded. Also the flow of coffee has slowed and very little coffee is being dispensed. My guess is that there is a loss of pressure and the water is having a hard time reaching the dispenser. I have never descaled (8 months) and I plan to do so, but could that be the source of the problem? Also, Gaggia says never use vinegar to descale, but I have been warned about commercial descalers and permanently ruining the taste of the coffee. Any guidance is much appreciated!

Thanks, Torin

bukaeast
Posts: 24
Joined: 17 years ago

#2: Post by bukaeast »

Does it leak coffee?
There is a large "o" ring that seals the brewing group and it went on mine. Still there, but broken. If you have the grind setting too fine, it will stall, and it "should" be able to handle the pressure, but it doesn't. After the ring breaks, brewed espresso escapes and dribbles all over the inside of the machine.
You can see it if you open the machine and remove the brewing mechanism. Up above the brewing basket.

paul

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corneto (original poster)
Posts: 4
Joined: 17 years ago

#3: Post by corneto (original poster) »

Thanks Paul. No, it's not leaking coffee. It leaks only water. And leak is a misleading description. After the coffee is dispensed, there is a receptacle on the group which retracts from the water source (the spout) and returns to the pre-brew position. When this receptacle is decoupled from the water source, water rushes backwards through the group and out from the receptacle. So it's really not "leaking" per se. There is water left in the circuit that should have made it to my cup, but due to a lack of pressure it couldn't get all the way through. Or so my amateur analysis concludes.

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jesawdy
Posts: 1547
Joined: 18 years ago

#4: Post by jesawdy »

(FYI, for those that don't know, this is a superautomatic machine)

IIRC, the Gaggia Compact superauto has a brewgroup nearly identical to the Saeco superautos. I have a Saeco Vienna superauto at work.

I'm not quite following where your coffee/water is going or quite how you know that it is even occurring.

The Saeco has a ball and spring check valve in the tube on the outlet side of the brew group. If this valve was stuck open some coffee might back-syphon at the end of the brew cycle, but in the Saeco, this would probably end up in the spent grounds bin, so it would be hard to know it was happening. Some coffee and or water is expected to end up in the drip tray at the end of every cycle when the group de-pressurizes, and IIRC this occurs where the water inlet is to the brewgroup.

Finally, there are several o-rings that can wear and can be lubed with a food-safe lubricant.

OK, I re-read your description and it is water only, but I'm still not sure I follow. Is it still making coffee?

Can you describe again what you are seeing and how you know it is occurring?
Jeff Sawdy

corneto (original poster)
Posts: 4
Joined: 17 years ago

#5: Post by corneto (original poster) »

Hi Jeff, thanks for your reply. I don't know the correct names for all the parts, so it's hard to follow my description I'm sure.
I ran the brew cycle with the machine open, so that I could watch for the source of the water. I held toothpicks in the sensor latches so the machine thinks the door is shut. Let me set the stage so you can follow my observation. There is a white, plastic spout that feeds water from the boiler to the group (I hope "group" is the right word). When the brew cycle starts, the "inlet" arm, in the back of the group, moves into place and couples with this spout, thus creating the closed circuit for the water to travel to the basket with the coffee grounds. After the cycle, the inlet arm decouples from the spout and returns to the starting position. When it decouples, I am able to see the water flow out from this inlet arm and down the inside of the machine. So it seems there is an excess amount of water left in the group's water circiut. When the inlet decouples, gravity pulls that water down through the circuit and back out from where it came.

bukaeast
Posts: 24
Joined: 17 years ago

#6: Post by bukaeast »

Did you try to troubleshhot this with your seller's service department? Probably your best bet now.
paul

corneto (original poster)
Posts: 4
Joined: 17 years ago

#7: Post by corneto (original poster) »

Yes, I did contact WholeLatteLove.com. Big help. They told me to take it somewhere for service.
Here's the latest: I cleaned the machine with Cleancaf yesterday which I think helped. Also, I suspected the coffee we've been using may contribute to the leaking. Yes, I use coffee grounds, hate me if you must. But we switched recently and I think the new coffee may be too fine. When I went back to our old stand-by, the leaks seems to have subsided.

FYI, a few months back I splurged and bought whole beans. The machine leaked every time, even after many adjustments to the amount of grounds and the coarseness of the grind. Sticking with pre-ground since then has stopped the leak, until this past week. But we seem to be back to normal now.

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wesb
Posts: 1
Joined: 14 years ago

#8: Post by wesb »

Corneto,
Did you ever get a fix for this? I have just started having the same issue.

I also found this...
The chamber is fill with coffee grounds again and the water cannot make it to the drain tray, you can replace the O-rings on the white plastic valve and piston gasket on the brew unit, and clean out the small chute to the drain tray from that chamber.

This was the actual problem. Remove the two screws that hold this cover plate in place on the back wall (behind the group) and then remove the cover. There is ground coffee blocking the drain hole for the water to drain into the tray. This causes the return water to back up to a full reservoir and overflow. Clean out the grounds in this area and replace the cover. Took me about 5 minutes to clean this out and test...now no excess water. :)