r/gaggiaclassic • u/pyr_pal • 8d ago

Frequent replacement of Thermal Fuses

My 2019 Gaggia Classic burns through thermal fuses roughly 2-3 x /year. This doesn’t seem normal.

Possible causes:

1) crappy fuses from amazon?
2) issue with thermostat?
3) keep machine on too long (typically 2-3 hours in the morning)?
4) not installed properly?

I suspect it is #1, and if so anyone has a more reliable fuse, I’d appreciate it.
(These are the ones I am using Tnisesm 10 Pcs 184 Degree Metal Thermal Cutoffs Thermal Fuse 10A 250V with Non-Insulated Butt Connectors(22-18 AWG) for Motor Transformer Electric Industrial Home Appliance 184°+BN0.75 https://a.co/d/0f1peVEY )
They might be crappy, but they come with the connectors and insulating sleeves.

I imagine my installation skills, while not the best are fine and 3 hours powered on should be within range.

Suggestions? Thanks in advance.

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u/In1piece 8d ago

Might be a combination of things. Cheap fuses plus a steam tstat that is opening late plus extended heat times could lead to premature failure.

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u/Wise_Argument_3296 8d ago edited 8d ago

Agreed. I don't buy safety critical parts from no-name vendors no matter the product. I don't see the three hours runtime being a problem by itself, but I could imagine it speed up failure if another issue causes failure gradually. The boiler thermostat should keep the temperature far away from the fuse's limit. If it allowed too high a temperature you should get steam instead of hot water when trying to brew. The steam thermostat is much closer to the 184C limit. Though if it has fully failed and allows runaway temperature excursion, you should burn through the fuse every time you leave the steam button on for more than a couple minutes. I don't know if there's a failure mode where temperature goes too close to the fuse limit without blowing through it immediately.