50+ Keurig Coffee Makers Problems and How to Fix Them (2022 Update)

At Blue Box Cafe, the topic of discussion at this moment does not involve reviewing a set of specific Keurig models. Instead, the subject matter is 50+ Keurig problems and how to fix them.

What has helped me gather all this useful information is user feedback. This is why it’s so important to leave an honest review and share your concerns regarding your precious Keurig coffee maker. No matter where in the world you’re using it!

The thing about Keurig machines, both affordable and high-end ones, is that they’re very dependable and durable. Nevertheless, problems occur from time to time. It’s only natural, isn’t it? As long as you know how to solve them and as long as the problems don’t arise too frequently, your coffee maker is alright.

Even then, no coffee lover wants to deal with issues like the Keurig not heating or the machine failing to dispense water. Or worse, the coffee tasting weak, bitter, or burnt. In that case, it’s always better if you know how to fix such issues like a pro.

Just keep one thing in mind though. That regular maintenance has the ability to drastically minimize the chances of these problems taking form in the first place. The very first step you should be taking when it comes to any type of repair is unplugging your coffee maker and allowing it to cool down.

1. Keurig Not Working

This is a very common complaint about most Keurig coffee makers. The web is flooded by users from all over the world sharing the same concern and trying to find the best solution.

Keurig not working all of a sudden or Keurig stops working after a short period of time. These are issues that may be common but they’re certainly not something you should be worried about. Around 10-percent of Keurig buyers face the same problem, which can be fixed quite easily if you ask me.

The reason behind this, more often than not, is the type of water you’re probably using. You should know that well water contains all kinds of minerals, this includes calcium. Then there’s also debris that tends to build up within the water lines of the machine, thus making it almost impossible to work.

But you can breathe a sigh of relief in knowing that the problem is not a technical one. You can easily fix it. And here’s how.

•  If the malfunction is because of calcium scaling, then de-scale your Keurig coffee maker using vinegar and water solution. Let the coffee maker soak in this solution for at least 30 minutes.
• Just remember that the method of treatment here is not recommended by Keurig. But if you still go ahead with it, the warranty might become void.
• Then perform the task of flushing the machine with just clean water a few times. And now try to start it.
• When you’ve come to know that your Keurig coffee maker isn’t working, try troubleshooting. Run the machine several times using only water without the K-cup.
• Another effective remedy is clearing the coffee maker’s dispensing line with a paper clip. But only after you have turned off the Keurig and even unplugged it. What this does is help in getting rid of all the leftover coffee grounds stuck in the dispensing line.
• You can also just blow some air into it with the help of a straw for a quick clean-up.

2. Keurig Not Brewing

It’s frustrating when you wake up to a Keurig that simply doesn’t want to brew. What do you do then? Well, it’s alright if your machine isn’t brewing. The issue is a common one. Most Keurig products on Amazon have many users complaining about the same problem in the reviews section.

So why does this happen? Chances are that your Keurig coffee maker contains a build-up of debris deposit. Most likely that’s the reason for the machine not being able to brew your delicious cup of morning coffee. In fact, this also is one of the reasons for bad-tasting coffee.

Other factors include air bubbles, not enough warm-up time, and machine parts not placed or seated properly.

Now it’s time to discuss the potential fixes.

• For clearing debris deposit, I have listed the instructions in the “Keurig not working” section above.
• In the case of air bubbles, you should first fill up the water tank till the brim. Give the thing a few shakes, gentle shakes obviously. But please make sure the coffee maker is switched off and unplugged.
• What you’re doing here is getting rid of air bubbles that might be trapped inside the machine. Air bubbles tend to interfere with the process of brewing, no doubt.
• The troubleshooting task here also involves checking the different components and parts of the Keurig machine. Are they seated properly? Is the placement correct? Just do a quick run-through to be sure.
• Another possibility is that maybe the warm-up time is insufficient. So next time around allow the coffee maker to warm up properly and then brew.

These instructions are useful and effective even if you have a Keurig mini. The solutions are applicable to all models of the Keurig coffee maker.

3. Keurig Not Dispensing

Here’s another common problem many Keurig users complain about on the internet. The dispensing issue mainly arises due to potential clog. This also explains why the coffee maker leaks water at the time of heating.

So how do you resolve the problem? Here’s how.

• For unclogging your Keurig machine, run a cup of clean water through it. Don’t forget to clean the coffee maker’s needle and spout too. Along with draining the machine with the help of a paper clip.

4. Too Much Debris and Scale in the Dispensing Line

Calcium scaling and debris accumulation are common if you have been using your Keurig coffee maker regularly for around six months. In that case, here’s your first option in terms of solution. Run your machine without a K-cup a few times.

If that doesn’t do the trick, then here’s something else that might work. Mix some vinegar with water and add this solution to the machine. Let it soak for around 45 minutes. You can even get a proper Keurig descaling solution if you wish.

After those 45 minutes, flush out all the vinegar-water solution simply by cleansing the coffee maker with clean, fresh water. This gets rid of calcium scaling, no doubt. And it might even resolve the issue.

Once again, I would like to mention that the vinegar-water approach is not recommended by the brand.
You can also clear the coffee maker’s dispensing line using a paper clip. Chances are there are leftover coffee grounds in there that need to be removed. Feel free to also blow some air into the line with the help of a straw for a quick clean-up.

5. Air Bubbles in Keurig

Start by filling the water tank of the Keurig machine till the brim. But first, switch off your coffee maker and unplug it. After filling it up, shake the water reservoir gently a few times. This helps in eliminating possible trapped air within the machine.

Please don’t underestimate this particular approach because trapped air does indeed have the ability to interfere with the coffee maker’s brewing process.

6. Keurig Parts/Components Not Seated Correctly

This doesn’t take much time to resolve. In fact, if you fail to correct the problem, then it might lead to your Keurig not brewing at all.

The most common component that shifts out of alignment is the magnetic water reservoir. So perform a quick check just to make sure everything is in place.

7. Keurig Insufficient Warm-up Time

This is not the machine’s problem, let me make that very clear. You’re not allowing your Keurig coffee maker to warm up sufficiently. So how can you expect the brewed coffee to be hot enough, taste good, or brew properly?

Let the machine warm up the water sufficiently, and then start brewing.

8. Keurig is Not Turning on

Your Keurig coffee maker just refuses to turn on first thing in the morning. Not an ideal way to begin your day, right?

When you plug in the Keurig machine and press on the power button, the power icon appears at the right bottom area of the coffee maker’s touchscreen display. What also appears is the welcome note. But if these things don’t happen, it means there’s a problem with the machine itself or the touchscreen.

Try unplugging and plugging it back again. Do that once more just to be in the clear. If that doesn’t work either, then use another power outlet. More often than not, this resolves the issue without having to contact the customer care of Keurig.

9. Keurig is Turning on and Shutting Off on Its Own

Is your precious Keurig coffee maker turning off and on as if it has a mind of its own? If yes, then why do you think that is? Maybe it’s because an inbuilt timer is set.

Whatever the case, here’s how you can tackle the issue.

For Keurig Mini models

If your Keurig mini coffee maker is in a sedentary state for over 90 seconds, then it’s going to go off all by itself. Not many Keurig users know this. So you have to press the power on button for starting it again.

For Keurig Elite models

First off, please check if the light indicator for auto-off is illuminated or not. It’s green in color. If it is, that means your Keurig machine is ready to turn off automatically 2 hours after your last brew.

And if you don’t want that to happen, you need to disable that auto-off switch. You can do so by pressing on the black button of auto-off. This turns off the green-colored light.

For Keurig Platinum and Special Edition models

Once again, the auto-off green light must be on. If that is set, then your Keurig is bound to turn off on its own after a set period of time. For disabling auto-off, go to the programming part of the menu. Press the left button multiple times. When you do that, the auto-off feature gets disabled.

10. Keurig Breaks Down While Brewing

It’s highly unlikely for a Keurig coffee maker to break down at the time of brewing. However, in case it happens, you don’t need to worry because there is a solution to everything.

What happens sometimes is machine vibrations tend to dislodge the magnet of the water reservoir. And that, in turn, interrupts your Keurig’s brewing cycle. So if that’s the case, set the magnet straight. Place it in the correct position back again. And then resume the brewing process to savor every sip of your favorite coffee.

11. Keurig Brews Too Little Coffee

No caffeine-lover wants a Keurig machine that prepares a small amount of their favorite coffee beverage. Am I right? I know that none of us at Koobies coffee would like that. So why should you make do with it! With that in mind, here’s how you can get to the bottom of the issue.

Water line clogging is often the culprit here. When the water line gets clogged, the amount of coffee that comes out of the brewing process is drastically reduced. And water line clogging is a very common problem with Keurig. It’s because these water lines are quite fragile.

Another potential reason could be coffee grounds and debris clogging the water line. The solution, in both cases, is very simple.

Run the brewing cycle using only water and not K-cups. Do this a few times. You can even use a needle for taking out all the debris and coffee grounds from the line. After you unclog this water line of your Keurig, your coffee servings are definitely going to be the perfect amount as before.

12. Keurig is Leaking Water After Brewing

The leakage problem is a very common one with Keurig. Now that doesn’t mean your expensive coffee maker is broken or damaged. It just implies that machines are not perfect. And that you have to sometimes put in a little bit of effort for them to work properly.

In the case of inadvertent leaks, these can be quite irritating to deal with. Especially when all you want is a cup of hot, steaming coffee first thing in the morning.

So why is your Keurig coffee maker leaking? Most likely, it’s because the machine’s upper gasket has gone missing. Or it’s not accurately placed. Let me tell you that the gasket of Keurig coffee makers is positioned around the machines’ puncture needle. So a leakage often indicates that this gasket is not placed in that spot.

And if the gasket of your Keurig model is missing, it means you have to get a new one. However, more often than not, the gasket is there but just not exactly where it’s supposed to be. This means you need to adjust the thing so that it creates a solid seal with the K-cup and incoming supply of water.

Don’t neglect the misalignment because it can open the door to the coffee grounds leaking out. And when that starts to happen, you won’t be a happy or satisfied Keurig user. The mess this kind of a disaster creates can be quite annoying to deal with.

In most scenarios, when you move the gasket of the coffee maker down by one-third of an inch, the leaking issue gets resolved. So all you have to do is close the tiny gap between the puncture needle and K-cup.

13. Keurig is Preparing Odd-Tasting Coffee

Have you changed your coffee brand recently? If not, then there’s no reason for your coffee to taste odd. So why does it still do? It’s highly likely the difference in the taste is an outcome of scale build-up within your Keurig coffee maker.

The advanced models of Keurig are equipped to provide alerts whenever descaling is necessary. Even so, a thorough clean-up once every 2-3 months is crucial if you use your coffee maker regularly. And that I know you do, so don’t neglect frequent cleaning.

User maintenance is a huge part of owning and using a Keurig or any other brand coffee maker. Particularly if your machine gets regular water for the brewing process. Regular water tends to give rise to more scale formation inside the brewing line. On the other hand, when using boiled or filtered water, the development of scales is not so speedy.

Even mineral build-up increases the chances of your coffee tasting bad. So you have every reason at this point to descale your Keurig coffee maker. You simply have to mix a little bit of vinegar with water for preparing the descaling solution. I have discussed the descaling procedure in the “#1 Keurig not working” part of the article.

14. Keurig Shows “add more Water” Error Message

Fill up the water tank to the brim and then check if the error message appears again. Does it still persist? If yes, then here’s the solution.

Remove the reservoir to clean the thing using soap. Wash it thoroughly and then dry with the help of a soft, non-abrasive cloth. Not every Keurig water tank is dishwasher-friendly. This means you’ll have to manually clean by hand.

After cleaning, fill up the reservoir again till the maximum level and then place it into the coffee maker properly. Does the message still appear? Most likely, the answer is going to be no.

15. Keurig is Not Dispensing Water

Another issue many Keurig customers complain about is water not coming out of the machine. Keurig models leaking water or not being able to dispense water happens for all kinds of reasons. The most common one is a clogged water line. When the water line gets clogged, it can have an impact on the brewing cycle.

This explains why your one and only Keurig machine isn’t brewing. A clogged water line gives rise to many such problems. So you better know how to fix the issue. It’s very simple by the way.

• Operate brewing using only clean water a few times. Meaning no need to include K-cups. This, more often than not, gets the job done.
• Then there’s descaling the water lines to eliminate clogging. Speaking of getting rid of the clogged particles, use a needle for removing the leftover debris and coffee grounds as these too might be preventing water inside the coffee maker from seeing the light of day.

16. Keurig Not Heating

Why is your fancy Keurig coffee maker not working? It’s a simple question, right? And the answer involves troubleshooting and resetting the machine. Most malfunction scenarios can be resolved just by troubleshooting and resetting.

But what if that doesn’t fix the problem? Then it means the reasons might be slightly complicated. Keurig doesn’t draw water, Keurig gets stuck during the brewing cycle, Keurig doesn’t dispense water, etc. All these are related concerns.

Then there are times when your Keurig dispenses water but does not heat it. And that brings into the picture the failure of the heating mechanism. Keurig’s heating device installed inside tends to shut down due to overheating issues. And that’s when the water present inside the machine is not pumped properly.

Another reason for your Keurig not heating could be the water pump not functioning on max. efficiency or not functioning altogether. And sometimes, coffee grounds and debris get accumulated, which causes clogging. That, in turn, leads to Keurig malfunctioning.

As for the potential fixes, here they are.

• If it’s the build-up of debris and coffee grounds, you have to make it a point to get rid of them. I have discussed the proper instructions for this undertaking in the “Keurig not working” (#1) section of the article.
• What about if the water pump of the Keurig is at fault here? Meaning if it isn’t working, then maybe you’re dealing with issues like “add water.” But you can avoid it simply by cleaning the coffee maker’s water reservoir.
• To make the water pump function on its max. efficiency, don’t be afraid to hold the brewing button for a couple of seconds.
• Also consider the likelihood of repairing the Keurig coffee maker’s water pump.
• And the last approach that is likely to work is using hot water to prepare your favorite caffeine-infused beverage.

17. Keurig Doesn’t Reset

In this section, I’m going to show you how to reset your Keurig coffee maker. This is very important if you plan on using and keeping your Keurig machine for years to come.

However, resetting the coffee maker is easier said than done sometimes. There are many users that complain about the machine simply not resetting. This issue arises as a result of the malfunction.
Let me first list down the reasons and then I’ll get to the solutions.

Maybe your coffee maker isn’t assembled properly. This includes the magnetic water reservoir not being sealed as it should be. Another reason could be air getting trapped between the various components, which causes the malfunction. Then there’s also the possibility of some fault in the internal system. Like the device or computer not working properly.

Whatever the case, here are the instructions for resetting.

• Turn off your Keurig coffee maker, unplug it too. And leave it be for a few minutes.
• Then plug in your machine and begin the brewing cycle again. When unplugging fails to work, perform the following steps.
• Take out the water tank of the coffee maker before plugging. Let your brewer remain unplugged for a few minutes without the reservoir attached.
• After that, plug and then power the machine. And after that, replace that reservoir.
• When you open and close the holder of the K-cup, it resets the appliance if the brewing cycle is interrupted.

18. Keurig Shows “Prime” Error Message

How about the time when your perfect Keurig coffee machine starts displaying the “prime” error message? What does this denote? That water is refusing to come off the machine’s reservoir.

In that case, why is water failing to come out? It could be because of clogging or improper alignment. The most common causes of this “prime” error message are a dirty water reservoir and water leakage at the time of heating.

So it goes without saying that you need to clean that dirty water reservoir. When you’re taking out the water tank and then replacing it after cleaning, make sure no air bubbles are present inside. Also, properly align the water reservoir.

After you’ve replaced it post-cleaning, run the brewing cycle using just water. This is to check if your Keurig coffee maker draws water or refuses to do so. Fill up the water tank to the maximum. Place a mug below the dripper for filling the water. This allows thorough flushing out and also paves the way for the proper drawing of water.

19. Keurig Gets Grounds in the Cup When Brewing a Partial Cup

Let’s say you’re brewing a partial coffee cup; and each time you brew, you get coffee grounds too. And sometimes the partial cup doesn’t brew at all. If that’s the case, try descaling and cleaning. Usually, these steps bring your coffee maker back to life.

At the time of cleaning, please ensure you include both the exit needles as well.

20. Keurig Doesn’t Stop Pumping Water

Is your Keurig machine continuously pumping water right from the second you turn on the power until you turn it off? If so, eliminate worries such as serious damage or costly repair. Chances are you only have to unplug your coffee maker, take out the reservoir, flip the machine upside down, shake it a little, and tap the base a couple of times.

I know that the solution here sounds a bit silly. But, trust me, it works 9 out of 10 times.

Another thing you can do is use bottled, filtered, or tap water instead of distilled water. When using a Keurig coffee maker, it’s highly recommended to avoid soft or distilled water.

21. Keurig Descale Light is on

This is the red light that provides the descaling alert. Often times, users forget to do the most basic stuff like descaling the coffee maker. So if that red descale light is on, the only way you can turn it off is by actually descaling your Keurig appliance. Particularly if you enjoy consuming coffee on a daily basis.

22. Keurig Leaks During Heating

I won’t lie to you, the likelihood of your Keurig coffee maker leaking during preheating is on the higher end of the spectrum. This is a very common issue. More often than, the culprit is clogging.

So you can resolve the problem simply by cleaning. Make sure the job involves cleaning both the exit needles too. Along with the K-cups holder! Make it a point to also check the bottom valve located below the water reservoir. Even this should be clean or cleaned.

Begin by turning off your Keurig coffee maker. Remove the reservoir. Then flip the machine upside down. Shake the appliance a little bit before tapping the bottom 4-5 times. Now you can assemble everything back in its rightful place. This eliminates clogging and leaks, at least in most scenarios.

23. Keurig Leaks From the Bottom

It’s a very simple problem to fix if you ask me. You just have to use common sense to figure out why your Keurig coffee machine is leaking from the bottom. It’s either because of the rubber band installed at the base of the water tank or there’s a seal or hose tear within the Keurig machine.

If the guilty component is the O-ring, then you’ve got to replace it. But if the offender is the seal or hose inside your coffee maker, then consider disassembling the whole appliance.

24. Keurig is Tripping the Circuit Breaker

Is your newly constructed house equipped with GFCI/AFCI breakers? Let me tell you that these breakers and the latest models of Keurig are not and cannot be besties. Keurig K-Elite and Keurig K-Café models cause problems in a newly constructed home.

Unfortunately, there’s no fix here. You just have to return your fancy unit.

25. Keurig Also Pours Coffee Grounds into the Cup

When you use soft water with your Keurig coffee maker, you’re increasing the chances of coffee grounds landing in your freshly brewed cup. In that case, switch to using tap water or bottled water.

The brand itself doesn’t recommend soft water. So here’s how you can fix the issue. Fill up the water reservoir using tap or bottled water to run a few brewing cycles. But do this without adding any K-cups. Mostly, this should eliminate the problem landing in your cup of coffee every time and ruining the whole sipping experience.

Keep in mind that regular cleaning is necessary. Get the brewing head cleaned more frequently. As you can understand by now that keeping your Keurig coffee maker nice and clean has its own benefits. It can prevent many problems from springing into action.

26. Keurig is Preparing Burnt or Bitter-Tasting Coffee

This might not be such a common issue but it certainly is a very important one. You’ve bought a Keurig model just so you can enjoy a cup of your favorite coffee at your convenience, right? So what’s the point when the coffee is tasting bitter or burnt!

So how do you resolve a problem like this? The primary cause of bitter or burnt coffee is oil build-up inside the machine. And the only way to get rid of this mess is to clean your Keurig regularly.
It’s important and even necessary to eliminate dirt and coffee grounds from all the parts of the machine. Especially if you’re a regular coffee drinker!

27. Keurig is Preparing Weak Brewed Coffee

Now I’m not denying that different coffee K-cups offer different brewing strengths. But what happens sometimes is that K-cups, no matter the brew strength, deliver weak coffee. So it’s not always Keurig’s fault. Whatever the case, I have a solution for everything here.

Light roast K-cups prepare too weak coffee

Not every caffeine-lover prefers bold coffee, am I right? Some enjoy light roasts as well. However, the sad part about a few lighter roasts is that their brew strength is just super-weak.

At the time of brewing light roast, water passes through the coffee K-cup quickly. Meaning Keurig machines are designed that way. So the contact time between the coffee grounds and water is not much. And this leads to a weak caffeine-infused beverage. It’s more like flavored coffee water instead of what you signed up for.

Now enough with describing the problem. What’s the solution here? It’s simple if you ask me. Just go for a stronger brew next time.

You could also brew two cups without all that water. The more recent Keurig coffee makers give you the wonderful opportunity to select the size of the cup. So you can opt for a smaller size, smaller than what you normally choose. Meaning if your standard cup size is 8 ounces, feel free to select 6 ounces.

You can brew 2 K-cups for one single mug of coffee. This should give you the desired strength.

Reusable pods prepare weak coffee

The solution here is much the same as the previous one. Go for a stronger or darker roast if you want your coffee to be bolder. As for ground coffee, choose a finer grind size.

Weak coffee, irrespective of brew strength or cup size

Now it’s safe to say that your Keurig is to blame for this. And not the K-cup or type of roast you’re using. This is a clear indication your Keurig coffee maker is dirty and requires descaling.

28. Keurig Water Reservoir blue light keeps blinking

What does this mean in layman terms? That your Keurig coffee machine’s water reservoir needs more water.
It goes without saying that all coffee makers demand a certain level of water supply for activating the brewing cycle. So when the water level is low, there’s no chance your Keurig will begin brewing. And that’s what the blue light indicates.

29. Keurig power button is not working

Are you installing a new Keurig coffee maker? Or are you powering up an existing one? Either way, here’s how you can get rid of the “power button not working” issue.

Plug-in the appliance. At this point, it’s important to find out if the power outlet you’re using for your coffee maker is actually working or not. So trying plugging in another appliance just to check. Once that is in place, press on and hold on the machine’s power button till the Keurig actually lights up. The message “welcome” should appear on the screen instantly.

Perform another check for the water reservoir. Make sure it’s seated properly. When the reservoir is not in place, meaning when the magnets between the Keurig body and reservoir are not in contact with each other, then it’s likely your coffee maker is going to power down.

If none of this works, maybe the problem lies with a faulty cord. So unplug your Keurig and check if the cord of the machine is affixed securely to the body. If there’s any possible or visible loose connection, it means replacement.

30. Keurig not Hot Enough

There’s a protocol every Keurig creation follows in order to perform the brewing cycle. I’m sure you would agree with me on this. It starts by heating the water in the integrated tank. Then comes pumping. That’s common sense, isn’t it?

So what happens when the pumping action starts before the water heats up properly? The automatic response of the machine is to turn off the heating mechanism just to ensure safety. And that is why your coffee isn’t hot enough.

What you have to do to correct the problem is to let this heating mechanism of Keurig know that all is okay. And you can do so by unplugging and then re-plugging the coffee maker. Power down the machine and then power it back up again. Now reset the reservoir. Press on the brewing button for 5 seconds in order to activate the purging of water inside the tank.

Now it’s time for cleaning and descaling your Keurig. After that, burp the machine, which means turn it upside down after removing the drip tray and water reservoir for pouring out water. Tap the bottom a few times to eliminate coffee grounds and other debris that often tends to clog up the coffee maker. Now refill and plug in your Keurig to try again.

31. Keurig getting stuck on preheating mode

What many users don’t realize is that Keurig automatically enters preheating mode once you add fresh water in the reservoir. But that doesn’t mean it’s normal for the coffee maker to get stuck in that preheating mode. This only happens when there’s some or the other form of an obstruction within the water nozzle.

You’re free to access the nozzle. All you have to do is open the top, which you already do for adding a new K-cup pod. And, in here, use a paper clip for clearing out the obstruction. The brand Keurig provides you with a needle cleaning tool with many of the models.

Just make sure to let the water present inside your coffee maker cool down first. And also keep in mind to turn off the Keurig for the task.

There’s another repair suggestion I have for you. Take a straw and try to blow the potential obstructions off the needle configuration. Consider this as the last resort once your Keurig machine cools down after a few hours.

And the last solution involves overriding the process of preheating simply by adding hot water into the reservoir. Very hot water, mind you. Although this seems like a temporary fix instead of permanently resolving the issue.

32. Keurig unable to brew a full cup

I’m certain you know there are needles in your Keurig coffee maker that puncture the K-cup foil lid. So it’s only possible for these needles to get clogged with the coffee grounds. Even the flavorings from other types of beverages can cause clogging. On top of that, minerals from the water keep building up in your coffee machine.

So you have every reason to thoroughly clean your Keurig using hot water and vinegar. Trust me, it can save you a lot of trouble. Speaking of saving trouble, switch to filtered or bottled water instead for preparing coffee.

Make sure to wash all the removable components of the coffee maker using soap and warm water. Including the water reservoir. Pull all the internal filters too, then don’t forget to replace them properly post-cleaning.
Once the cleaning part is over, run several clean hot water cycles through your Keurig appliance.

33. Keurig is noisy when drawing water

Your Keurig may be brand new and right out of the box and still not be a quiet machine. To be honest, Keurigs are a little bad-mouthed for their slightly noisy operation. But if your model is making a lot more noise, then you can fix the issue simply by descaling.

Water lining clogging due to coffee grounds or minerals pushes the Keurig to function harder, thus creating more noise. There’s no doubt your coffee maker is susceptible to forming scale or mineral build-up.

No wonder Keurig and experts at Koobies coffee highly recommend using filtered water. As for tap water, make sure you filter it if the water has high iron content.

34. Keurig carafe not working

This issue, more often than not, is associated with Keurig 2.0 models. The carafe of this particular series is specially designed for aligning with just 2.0 coffee makers. Please keep that in mind.

Also, remember that an incorrectly aligned carafe means no brewing action. So try removing your Keurig’s drip tray for allowing the carafe to be placed properly.

35. Keurig power is faulty

Sometimes it’s possible that your Keurig coffee maker might turn on or off right during the middle of a brewing cycle. Or you just wake up to a Keurig that’s refusing to start even after you press on the power button. All these scenarios I have described may not be that common, but the chances of such problems occurring are not unlikely.

The potential causes are magnetic water tank sealed incorrectly, air bubbles, or the mere fact that maybe you haven’t plugged in the power cord. So check if the cord is securely plugged in first. If it is, then press on the machine’s power button. Hold it there for a few seconds. This might tell you if something is wrong or faulty with the display.

The last thing you can do is make sure the auto-off feature of your Keurig is not on. Because if it is, then it’s only natural for your coffee maker to turn off automatically after 90 minutes or 2 hours of inactivity. Turn that feature off if that’s how you like it to be (#9 Keurig is turning on and shutting off on its own).

36. Keurig screen problems

The more recent models of Keurig feature a very useful touchscreen display. But many users have complained that this display blanks out. Then there are times when just using the touchscreen is also not possible. These issues are very common by the way. So how do you fix them?

You try unplugging and then plugging back your coffee maker. Now I know this seems like a temporary fix. But you have to do this if the problem occurs only rarely, which is quite the case.

37. Clogged filter and water lines

This should explain why your Keurig coffee maker isn’t pumping water. Or why it’s pumping less water. In most scenarios, the factor responsible for this malfunction is the type of water you use.

Well water and tap water contain tons of minerals, including calcium. Now, this is bad news considering how common mineral build-ups are in coffee machines. And when minerals accumulate like that, water lines get clogged. So what are you supposed to do when that happens? The answer is descaling and cleaning your Keurig.

38. Air trapped inside the water line

Wait, what!? Is this even a possibility? Unfortunately, yes. The problem does sound simple but there’s not much you can do about it.

Start by removing your Keurig coffee maker’s water reservoir. Then fill it up with clean water to about a quarter. Place it back again. Now it’s time to rapidly lift the tank up and down consistently until you see tiny air bubbles springing up from the bottom water intake spot. Keep at it until zero bubbles appear.

Then fill up the water reservoir completely and then power up your Keurig. It should be up and running. The trick is quite simple for pushing the air trapped inside the water line into the reservoir.

39. Keurig pump is damaged

It’s only natural for different parts or components of a machine to wear out over time. So when a Keurig coffee maker pump gets totally damaged, you’ve got to replace it. But make sure you buy the same model. The new one has to go with the existing features of your Keurig. Otherwise, you’re just welcoming more trouble and ruining your favorite flavor of coffee.

But first, it’s important to perform a complete check. Maybe a general fix is just what your coffee maker’s pump needs. The task involves using a screwdriver, plastic thumb-tack, toothpick, and a small-sized, sharp-end parking knife.

Now just follow the instructions discussed below.

• Take off your machine’s top cover for inspection. With the top off, you’ll be able to see the parts responsible for creating the ruckus.
• Now it’s time to find out the very reason you cannot enjoy your favorite coffee in the morning. Look for the blade responsible for feeding water into the machine’s pack. Under this blade, there’s another one along with the rubber hose. So with the help of a toothpick, very carefully and slowly poke the 3 holes installed in the top blade.
• You might also notice coffee grounds stuck here. Get rid of them too. Then check the ends of all the hoses, make sure there aren’t any blockages there.
• Once this is well taken care of, place the parts back into the machine properly.
• Time to test the coffee maker. Fill up the water reservoir with clean water and run the brewing cycle. Expect nothing but positive results at this point.

40. Keurig coffee not the same after descaling

There’s only one possible reason why your delicious coffee doesn’t taste delicious anymore. The descaling process, as you already know, involves the use of vinegar. So this particular substance might be the culprit. And here’s how.

• Maybe you forgot to remove the filter from your Keurig coffee maker for the descaling procedure. And the chances are it’s packed with vinegar after descaling. So this means you have to take out and replace these filters.
• Or the water reservoir you just descaled and cleaned still contains a little bit of vinegar. So why don’t you unplug your coffee machine first and let it cool completely? Then discard the existing water and add some clean water into the reservoir.
• Another possibility is that your Keurig model features plastic parts, which have the ability to absorb the odor of vinegar. This explains why you get the taste of some of it in your favorite cup of coffee.
• So at such times, open the Keurig completely to fill it with only hot water. Run several cups for allowing all the unpleasant vinegar smell to fade away completely.

41. Keurig shows “water under pressure” error message

A message like this means clogged exit needles. You can fix it very easily though. Use a paper clip for cleaning those exit needles. It’s as simple as that, believe me.

42. Keurig shows “oops” error message

Now, this might be a problem only with Keurig 2.0 models. Since these coffee makers feature special functionality and the latest technology, more advanced issues springing into action from time to time is inevitable.

One of the new features in the Keurig 2.0 coffee makers doesn’t allow you to use Keurig K-cup knock-offs. This means if the K-cup isn’t equipped with a white ring circling the edge, the Keurig will simply not brew that cup. And that is what displays the “oops” error message. It translates

 “oops, the pack cannot be used in this brewer. Please use one of the many Keurig brewed seal packs available out there.”

But how do you tackle this particular issue? First off, you check if the K-cup has that seal or not. If not, then you know what to do. Buy a new K-cup that’s Keurig-approved. What about a workaround approach? It takes the form of a Freedom Clip. Now, this is specifically designed for tricking your Keurig coffee maker into believing it’s brewing Keurig-certified K-cups.

However, let’s assume the error shows even when you’re using the correct type of K-cups. What then? The solution is very simple here.

Keurig 2.0 models are armed with a laser for verifying the quality of the K-cups. So maybe this laser is dirty or blocked, so it doesn’t read correctly. With time, the lens tends to become obstructed due to debris, coffee grounds, and coffee oils. It’s only natural for this to happen.

Just use a clean cotton swab for clearing the laser lens very carefully. Where is the thing located though? On the left-hand side of your Keurig coffee maker. When cleaned properly, the “oops” error should stop showing up.

43. Keurig mold problems

It goes without saying that all coffee makers, Keurig or otherwise, demand maintenance and upkeep. And when that doesn’t happen as often as it should, the risk of harmful bacteria forming is very high. So if your coffee is tasting strange, then maybe it’s because of this bacteria or mold formation.

How can you prevent such a tragedy from taking place? It’s simple, just clean your machine regularly. Once every 3-6 months is advised by the brand itself. The cleaning part also includes descaling the coffee maker.
As you already know, vinegar is the best solution for getting rid of bacteria from the tubes and valves of Keurig. A vinegar and water brew cycle is also highly recommended for clearing out every possible unwanted element. Run a few cycles if you can.

Even cleaning out the water reservoir using a non-abrasive, damp cloth is necessary. Whatever you do, don’t wash your expensive Keurig brewing system in your dishwasher. If some of its parts are dishwasher-friendly, then those are safe to put in there. Not anything else!

You can also include baking soda along with vinegar and water if you’re looking to fix and not prevent mold and bacteria. Add this solution into the water reservoir and allow it to sit inside for a few minutes. Run a few brewing cycles. And after that, please make sure to run some more brewing cycles with just clean, fresh water.

44. Keurig trickles while brewing

Once more, just like #42, this problem is specific to Keurig 2.0 coffee machines. That’s because the more recent brewing technology doesn’t dispense water in the form of a stream, it trickles your coffee instead.
The goal here is to receive the size you selected, right? So how it comes to you doesn’t really matter now, does it?

However, if you’re getting partial cups unnecessarily, then try cleaning the coffee maker’s exit needles. And also try descaling your Keurig.

45. Keurig auto-on feature not working

If you have a Keurig 2.0 model, you might face this issue. So first you need to understand that the coffee maker is not going to brew if you don’t put enough water.

Another action on your part that is likely to cancel the brew is moving the carafe or lifting the handle after activating the auto-on feature.

46. Keurig spitting coffee grounds and coffee from top

Wet coffee grounds jumping out from the top instead of simply dispensing into your cup. This can create a huge mess for you to clean up post-brewing. So what’s the solution to the problem?

Maybe the bottom puncture needle is clogged. So use a paper clip to unclog the thing. Otherwise, all that pressure coming from your K-cup won’t stop going to the top.

Another possibility is that the seal of the K-cup you’re using is not tight enough for stopping the leak. Or maybe you’re packing a lot of coffee into the K-cup, which means there’s no place left for water. Now that you know what you’re doing wrong, it’s time to make it right.

47. Keurig top doesn’t close

Sometimes after you unclog the needles and check the tubes just to make sure everything is alright, the top refuses to close.

You look inside to find the metal tongue located behind the holder for K-cups completely locked in and rigid. So much so that the bar responsible for sliding over that tongue into the groove refuses to budge. And that means it becomes impossible for you to force the handle shut against all that pressure.

You obviously didn’t do anything to create this problem. So what can you do to fix it?

Remove your Keurig’s upper cover and the two screws. You might find a piece of plastic keeping the mechanism from shutting. This has happened with a lot of users, and nobody knows how the plastic piece got there in the first place. Anyway, just remove it for your machine to open and close like new.

But if there’s no such plastic piece, then try this. Turn your Keurig upside down to drain out the water for removing the screws. At this point, the cover should go down on its own.

48. K-cup is stuck

For some reason, your K-cup is stuck. So how do you remove the thing from your Keurig coffee maker?
K-cups are installed into large inserts, correct? So when they’re stuck, remove that large insert. Lift it out carefully and gently using needle-nose pliers.

After that, you’ll spot a tiny pin placed upward. This does the job of piercing the pods. Swing the small gate outward to remove the cup. What happens now is the mechanism in charge rotates forward to release the K-cup.

49. Keurig warranty concerns

The manufacturer provides a standard warranty of 1 year for repairing or replacing your Keurig purchase at zero cost.

Needless to say, the warranty Keurig provides doesn’t cover misuse/abuse or any such damages caused by you or anyone else who tries or tried to service the Keurig coffee maker. Only when this is done by an authorized professional assigned by Keurig does the brand cover consequential or incidental damages caused by any defects.

The same applies to scenarios where you choose to replace an original Keurig part or component with a non-Keurig one. The warranty becomes void in that case.

50. Keurig customer care concerns

The customer service phone number is 1-866-901-2739. You can call anytime between 7 in the morning till midnight (Eastern Standard Time), all 7 days throughout the week.

For returning your existing Keurig machine, call this number to receive an authorization number first. Otherwise, just sending it back without getting this number leads to Keurig returning the coffee maker back to you without performing any servicing.

51. Keurig authorized repair center concerns

You can call the number listed above for instructions regarding the location of the nearest Keurig repair center. Whatever the problem, if the damage or issue is severe, please don’t try to rectify it on your own. That might just invalidate the warranty of your expensive Keurig brewing system.

Conclusion

Just the idea of waking up to no coffee sounds daunting, doesn’t it? Your Keurig coffee maker not working is something you absolutely dread, am I right? But problems are a part of the machine and life. So it’s better to be prepared to deal with issues rather than not expect them at all.

I have discussed as many as 50+ Keurig problems and how to fix them. The fact that most of them are common concerns means you’re not the only one having to deal with them. More often than not, the solutions are quite simple to carry out. All you need is just a little bit of time and effort.
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