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new machine, not heating - 2006/04/24 01:30just purchased a gaggia Baby G. Have followed instructions to the letter, but the water is not heating at all??
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dave
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Re:new machine, not heating - 2006/04/24 11:26Lin,
Is this a new Baby Gaggia? If it is a new machine, and you confirm that there is something wrong with it, you may wish to return it for a replacement ... unless it is something simple like an unplugged connection or you consider it less of a chore to simply diagnose and repair it than ship it back.
If the boiler does not heat up after being left on several minutes (it can take 15-20 minutes to fully preheat the system including the grouphead and portafilter), try turning on the STEAM switch.
This will engage the steam thermostat instead of the brew thermostat for controlling the activation of the boiler elements. In the case that the brew thermostat is broken, using the steam switch should still heat the boiler unless you have another problem (or two bad thermostats, which is unlikely). Of course, it will overheat the boiler beyond brew temperature -- you could temperature surf in a pinch to brew a burnt or sour espresso, but really this is a diagnostic step to determine if you may need to replace your brew thermostat.
If the steam switch trick does not work, you may have a blown thermal fuse. On my Gaggia Espresso, the fuse is held onto the top left of the boiler by a small clamp and is wrapped in clear plastic tubing. It is easy to verify that the fuse is open, either by using a multimeter (preferred) or by temporarily shorting the fuse to see if this solves the problem. My Gaggia will still turn on and engage the pump when the fuse is gone, as the fuse only affects the heating element circuit.
If the pump doesn't activate and the lights don't come on at all, then you could have another problem. I haven't looked at the Baby wiring, so it is possible that the fuse could affect the entire circuit, but I don't think so. Check your wiring: unplug the unit and open it up carefully. Do not unplug anything without making careful notes and taking pictures to be sure of where everything went. There are schematics available at partsguru.com but they may not match some (older) machines. Are the elements and thermostats properly hooked up? Any loose wires? (see below for help finding the pieces)
Fuses shouldn't be too difficult to locate: identify the correct temperature rating (and amp rating if evident) and contact your local independent electronics shop and ask them if they sell thermal cutoffs/fuses for small appliances. Should be a few dollars. Places like the Source (aka Radio Shack) don't seem to carry these any more.
Proper thermostats can be harder to find and are reportedly specific to the machine/brand. Speak to your vendor or a shop/service center that deals with Gaggia and can order the parts. These may be expensive (I've been quoted CDN$16-30 each) and require time to order.
You can find an article describing fuse and thermostat replacement here: http://www.coffeecrew.com/content/view/290/27/ -- it is based on the Espresso model but should help you in identifying the locations of the fuse and thermostats. Note that your parts could possibly differ from the specific parts shown here.
DaveDave is an Ottawa resident and Coffee Expert
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dave
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Re:new machine, not heating - 2006/04/24 11:29By the way, Lin:
Welcome to the Coffeecrew!Dave is an Ottawa resident and Coffee Expert
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lin
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Re:new machine, not heating - 2006/04/24 20:14Thanks for the welcome , and the advice. machine is new, arrived yesterday, haven't had a coffee yet. There is something faulty, I can't get any heat and the steamer doesn't do anything?? I am loathe to try anything, will send it back for a replacement. Should not gave been so quick to give away my old Carezza
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dave
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Re:new machine, not heating - 2006/04/24 20:44Sorry to hear it's no go.
Any chance your vendor will do an expedited return, where they send you a new one straight away and have the same courier pick up the defective unit? (Thus saving you waiting even longer without your sweet espresso.)
DaveDave is an Ottawa resident and Coffee Expert
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colin
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Re:new machine, not heating - 2006/04/25 15:53lin wrote: just purchased a gaggia Baby G. Have followed instructions to the letter, but the water is not heating at all??
I got a demo Gaggia once - fresh from the factory.
It wouldn't heat up either. Opened it up. Sure enough. One of the A/C connections was off of the heating element (or a switch tab) so power was not getting to the unit.
Got some pliers. Put it back on - away I went.
This is not the first time I have found issues with Gaggia product. I guess it happens to the best of them.Colin is the Senior editor and creator of the CoffeeCrew.Com Website
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colin
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Re:new machine, not heating - 2006/05/01 11:26Any update on your Gaggia Lin? You kind of dropped off the face of the Earth... or the website at least.Colin is the Senior editor and creator of the CoffeeCrew.Com Website
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