All you want in the morning is the perfect cup of coffee. And you have filled in your Keurig coffee maker with water and k-cup pods to get the process started. But your machine keeps flashing ‘add water’ instead of brewing coffee.
Seeing ‘add water’ sign constantly even after filling the reservoir is a common issue faced by Keurig users. The reasons for this can be the use of unfiltered water or presence of mineral deposits in the pipes.
So, in order to make sure that you don’t face this problem ever again, here’s outlining the reasons for it and some easy solutions. Read on!
Why Does Keurig Say “Add Water” But It Is Full?
If your Keurig is constantly saying ‘add water’ even after having a full reservoir, you have the following factors to blame for it:
1. Mineral and dirt deposits left in the tank
If the mineral and dirt are clogging up the interiors of the water tank, you are going to get the ‘add water’ message even with a full reservoir. If you use hard water for the machine on a daily basis, mineral deposits start collecting on the water hose. Eventually, the connector gets blocked from all that deposition.
As the hose is filled with mineral and calcium deposits, the system keeps asking for more water. This is a common issue with several Keurig models that have digital front displays, such as Keurig K-250 and Keurig K-Elite.
2. Putting unfiltered water in the tank
Many people use simple tap water for the tank. Though there is nothing wrong in it, the only issue is that this water is full of mineral deposits, debris, miniature particles, sand particles, and more.
Such substances are stuck in the machine’s outlet pipe as slosh. Since the debris blocks the way, the connecting water pipes cannot suck water in the pump because the line is jammed.
3. Incorrect installation of the tank in the coffee machine
Chances are that you regularly fill in the tank with water and clean it off. When this happens a couple of times every month, the water reservoir might get a bit loose from the base.
The connecting base of the tank is loosened from the coffee machine due to cracks or bends in the joints. Therefore, water fails to reach the actual brew unit and you keep getting the ‘add water’ sign.
4. Not enough water filled in the reservoir
The tank has a mark and you need to fill water up to that mark. You might have filled up the tank but the water level has not reached the desired mark.
It might make the ‘add water’ sign to keep popping up in the machine. So, make sure that there is enough water in your machine each time you turn it on. If you keep trying to pump less water for a long time, the machine will stop pumping water completely after a while.
How to Fix The “Add Water” Sign on Keurig?
Now that you know what makes the ‘add water’ sign come up repeatedly, let’s get you familiarized with the solutions. So, you can deal with this in five ways –
1. Descale the machine regularly
The best thing you can do is to run a quarterly descaling of your Keurig machine. Keurig has its own descaling solution, which is the best fit for the job. Remember that you don’t want to use something that’s too harsh and can damage the interiors.
Also, give the detachable parts of the machine a good wash every week. Just do these two things and the suction will run smoothly. You will not have to worry about the ‘add water’ sign any more.
2. Fill the tank up to the marked level
If you want your coffee brewing experience to go smoothly, remember never to overfill or underfill the tank. You should fill the tank up to the mark in the machine.
When you underfill the tank, you get the ‘add water’ message. On the other hand, overfilling makes the machine pump excess water in its k-cup pods. Fill the right amount of water to let the pump suck up enough water to brew the quantity of coffee you want.
3. Go only for bottled or filtered water
The new models of Keurig have water level detectors fitted in. So, there’s one less thing for you to worry about. But you still need to remember to use only filtered or bottled water for the brew.
As mentioned before, the deposits and debris from unfiltered water collects in the water pipes, causing slosh.
So, if you are in a hurry and use tap water maybe once or twice, your machine will not react much to it. But don’t make using unfiltered water a habit.
4. Avoid pressurizing the tank during reattachment
In all your haste, you should never try to pressurize the tank back in its spot. If you do that, your machine will fail to pump water as needed.
Give a gentle press from the top and let it reattach in one swift motion. Additionally, do not attach the tank until the outer part has completely dried after washing. Moisture on the exterior might make the connector slip from the attachment area.
Now, if you keep trying to push the tank forcibly, the base will develop scratches and cracks. Therefore, be patient and gentle during the process and you will not get the ‘add water’ sign.
5. Reset the Keurig machine before using
The water tank might need a bit of resetting every now and then to start working properly. You can try one of the three methods to reset the machine –
Unplug and plug:
Switch the coffee machine off and let the power cable remain unplugged for thirty minutes. Then, plug it back once more and see if things work fine.
Taking out the water tank:
The process is almost similar to the previous one. Only in this case, you take out the water tank and let it sit for thirty minutes separately. After that, reattach the tank and power the device on to reset the device as usual.
Resetting digital Keurig:
If you have a digital Keurig, the two methods mentioned above will not work. Try the given steps in that case:
- Press and release small and medium cup buttons
- Press the menu button thrice to see ‘6:09’ on the clock.
- Hold the medium cup button and press the menu and the small cup button again
- Release both the small and medium cup buttons at one go.
- Let the device stay on for half an hour to be reset completely.
Also, keep in mind that trying to reset the device will not do much help if the problem is with debris. You will have to clean up and descale the interiors to stop seeing the ‘add water’ sign.
6. The last resort – Blowing air in the overflow pipe
If all the four ways mentioned above have failed to help you, chances are that your machine needs professional assistance. But let’s take one more attempt at fixing the device before you call the professionals.
So, open the cap of the water tank and fill about half of it with filtered water. Then, take the overflow pipe and keep blowing air in it for at least fifteen seconds or more.
It is a crude way to clear up any internal obstructions through the air pressure. And it might give the head start needed to get the machine running.
Hopefully, you have fixed the issue and your machine is running just fine now. If it is still giving you trouble, you might need to call a professional to look into the machine. Alternatively, you can contact the customer care helpline of Keurig for further assistance.