Gaggia Accademia: Leaking From the Bottom, Leaking From the Steam Wand and/or Leaking From the Dispensing Spout

Learn what to do when your Gaggia Accademia is leaking from the bottom, leaking from the steam wand, and/or leaking from the dispensing spout.

Machine Is Leaking

From The Bottom

1. Check the internal drip tray to make sure it isn't cracked or overflowing. If the drip tray is overflowing, this may be because the drip tray was removed but not emptied. Anytime the drip tray is removed from the machine while the machine is powered on, the drip tray sensor will reset to zero, tricking it into thinking it has been emptied. To prevent overflow, make sure the drip tray and grounds drawer are emptied any time they are removed from the machine.

1. Older Accademias have an old style drip tray, which has rubber grommets on the back. If one of the grommets is missing, the drip tray will need to be upgraded to the new style, which can be purchase ordered with the SKU GA-17001901.
2. Make sure the spout is aligned properly on the front of the machine. If the dispensing spout is improperly positioned, the machine will leak from the bottom of the door, because water/coffee will be forced into the inside of the door. This can cause damage to electronics that are contained within the door, and will also result in leaking from the bottom. The dispensing spout should be flush with the very front of the square arm that it slides onto.
3. Open the front door of the machine and check the back side of it. There should be a tube sticking out of the door about midway down. This tube mates with the injector nozzle from the brew unit. If this tube is damaged or missing, coffee will spray on the back of the door, which can possibly result in fully brewed coffee leaking from the bottom front of the machine.
4. The leaking is coming from the water tank chamber.
   1. If the water tank is not positioned properly it can cause water to continuously drain from the tank, even while the machine is turned off. This happens when the water tank is inserted far enough to open the release valve, but not far enough to seal with the intake line. Excess water in the water tank chamber is redirected to the internal drip tray through a separate drain hole. When this happens, the internal drip tray will fill and overflow with clear water. Make sure there isn't any debris which could be blocking the tank from seating properly. Then firmly reinsert the tank into the machine, and press down on it to make sure it creates a good seal.
   2. If the machine is leaking from the back left, especially when one of the functions is drawing water through the system, then the intake line is damaged or disconnected. This will require a repair.

From The Wand

If the steam wand is leaking while the machine is on and/or brewing, the steam valve is open inside the machine. It is likely that scale has built up inside the valve, and the buildup is holding the valve open. Try the following to resolve the leak:

1. First begin by descaling the machine using the recommended descaling product.
2. After descaling, flush 4-5 tanks of plain water through the system using the hot water function for the steam wand. This will ensure any debris or scale buildup the descaling loosened is fully removed.
3. If this does not work then the machine should be sent in for repair since the steam valve may need to be replaced.

From Dispensing Spout

If coffee is leaking around the spout assembly, or from the front of it, then it is not properly positioned on the machine. The spout assembly is designed to be removed for cleaning and to make room for larger beverage containers. When the spout is aligned incorrectly it is going to cause coffee to flow through the machine incorrectly. It can cause coffee to leak around the spout, or even leak from the bottom of the front door, because the coffee is being redirected incorrectly.

Here is what the machine looks like when the spout is removed. The spout is not a necessary component; when it is removed the machine will brew a single stream instead of a split stream.

Here is what the spout looks like when it is pushed too far back. The spout can also be pulled too far forward. This is what causes the spout to leak.

The spout should be positioned this way. It should be completely flush with the matching shape of the upper screen assembly. The beveled edges should be aligned, and the rectangular protrusion the e-plus dial attached too should be flush with the spout as well.

If you find a leak specifically on the left side of the machine, here is a video covering the potential causes.

Failure of normal wear and tear items such as group gaskets, seals, and shower screens are not covered under warranty.  Issues due to scale build-up or lack of maintenance are not covered.

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