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The Keurig coffee maker brought innovation to the art of brewing coffee. It was faster to use the Keurig brewer compared to the regular coffee maker. It made things easier. All you needed to do was pour water in your Keurig water reservoir, put in your coffee beans, and you get a quality cup of coffee in a minute. Also, with a Keurig coffee brewer, even a newbie in coffee brewing can brew high-quality coffee.
Like any other tool (or machine), your Keurig brewer might develop faults. One of the common problems that your brewer may develop is in the pumping system. Many people have complained about how the pumping system in their Keurig brewer stopped pumping water after a period of extended usage.
There are several reasons why your Keurig might stop pumping water. However, I have compiled the most common reasons for this problem.
Why Does My Keurig Not Pumping Water?
1. Clogged Water Lines
Your lines may be clogged up! If the water flow is blocked by debris or particles, the movement of water through your lines can get shut off. This is one of the primary reasons why your coffee maker stopped pumping water (or could pump very little).
The water you use for brewing your coffee can be the source of this malfunction. If you use hard water for your brewing process, your coffee maker might develop faults. Hard water contains minerals, mainly calcium compounds. These minerals might crystallize out of the water in the lines to form solids. These solids build up in the water lines of your Keurig machine and eventually clog up your system.
This could be prevented by the regular cleaning and maintenance of your Keurig maker at regular intervals. Even still, those calcium deposits in your water lines can easily be removed. Vinegar is the preferred cleaning agent to descale your coffee maker and unclog your lines.
How to Unclog Your Water Lines?
You can unclog your water line in a series of steps.
- Dilute vinegar with water in equal proportions so that the mixture ratio to water in the mixture is the same. Then pour the mixture into the Keurig machine reservoir.
- The next step is to place the coffee cup in the drip tray and run a brew cycle.
- Repeat the second step and run another brew cycle. For severe calcium build-up cases, you can switch off the Keurig as soon as it starts brewing to retain the water in the water lines for a more extended period.
- Let the brewer rest for thirty minutes.
- After thirty minutes, fill up the water reservoir with distilled water and then run another brew cycle.
- Continue brewing until the reservoir is drained completely, at least two cycles with regular water.
If done correctly, your pumping problem should be resolved already. The downside to using vinegar is that your vinegar leaves a particular smell and taste on your coffee machine- in some cases, these smell and taste are undesirable. Hence, most people prefer to use lemon juice to clean up their water. However, in cases where your Keurig develops a funny taste, run multiple cycles with clean water until the taste washes away.
2. Air in The Water Lines
The presence of air in the form of space or gap may prevent water flow through the water lines in your water lines. It is also easy to resolve. Just go through the steps below.
How to Clear Air From Your Water Lines?
Follow these steps to clear air from your reservoir.
- Detach your reservoir
- Fill it up with water.
- Shake the reservoir up and down rapidly and consistently. Doing this expels the air in your water lines. While doing this, you would see air bubbles coming up from the reservoir’s water intake point.
- Keep shaking until the bubbles stop disappearing.
- Then attach your reservoir back to the Keurig and fill it up with water.
- Then power your machine.
Your pumping machine should start working if you follow the steps above correctly. Shaking the reservoir expels the air so that water can flow smoothly through your water lines.
3. “More Water Please” Error
In some cases, your Keurig displays a “more water please” error even when there is enough water in the reservoir. This is due to two reasons; your reservoir is sending false signals to your Keurig or using distilled water. You can fix it too.
How to Fix “More Water Please” Error?
Follow these steps to remove this error
- Fill up the water reservoir to the brim. Then place it back in the unit. If the error message isn’t clear, move to step two.
- Empty the contents of the water reservoir
- Clean it by hand with a non-abrasive piece of cloth.
- Then, check to see that the valve is not clogged at all.
- Afterward, fill the reservoir and place it back in the unit. Ensure you align it well with the Keurig. If it still didn’t work and the error message doesn’t clear up, then move on to the next step.
- In the reservoir, there is a float that usually runs on top of it. If messed up at the bottom, your machine might not get the correct signals of water levels
- Shake or tap the float, and your Keurig machine should get back to doing things correctly.
4. Damaged Pump
If the problem persists after checking your reservoir and your water lines, then the problem might be with your pump. Unfortunately, you can’t repair your pump. You have to buy a new one. It would be best to replace your pump with the exact model you remove from your pumping machine.
The easy way is to take it to the store or an experienced engineer.
What if My Water Lines Remain Blocked?
If a Keurig descaling doesn’t work, the excess deposits have built up in the water lines. Repeat the process with more vinegar solution & leave it for a few hours before removing and rinsing it. Citric acid is useful too for severe build-up.
Lastly, clean the exit needle regularly.
What if Your Keurig Maker is Not Still Pumping?
If you are handy with tools, you can also open up your coffee maker to check if anything is out of place. For this, you’ll need a screwdriver, a thumbtack, and a knife.
Remove the cover under the handle to expose the inner parts of your Keurig. But place proper care to ensure that you do not cause further damage. Check that all the hose ends are attached, and there are no blockages. Once you see that everything is in place, close it up.
Then cover up your Keurig and test your coffee maker. If it isn’t still working, take it to an experienced engineer.
How do You Unclog a Keurig Needle?
Your Keurig needle can get clogged up too. You can easily use a needle, safety pin, or paper clip and scrape out any residue like old coffee grounds from inside the Keurig needle.
Does Warranty Cover a Damaged Keurig Machine?
Depending on the situation, you can fix or replace your Keurig for free by the manufacturer if the warranty is still valid. Always keep your dated receipt! Your device should include a warranty card in the box.
Also, avoid activities that will void your warranty, such as trying to hack the 2.0 pods or refilling disposable K-cups.