14 main breakdowns of coffee machines and how to eliminate them

Water flows from under the horn.

If you find that the coffee machine is leaking at the junction of the horn with the body, this is not a very serious malfunction, which can easily be repaired by yourself. Most likely, the water flows due to the clogged o-ring at the junction of the so-called “nose” and the body of the coffee machine. Clogging can occur due to anything: fat deposits, wet meal, coffee, foreign objects, etc. In this case, for repairs you only need to rinse the contaminated area and reassemble the horn.

If the coffee machine leaks due to the seal being damaged (cracked or torn), you need to replace it with a new one. Here you should pay attention to the fact that it is necessary to change the o-ring to exactly the same in terms of characteristics. If you just find a similar seal in shape in your home workshop (for example, from a car spare part), you do not need to install it, because the rubber from which such a product can be made may not be sufficiently resistant to temperatures or not so flexible. The same requirement applies to other consumables!

We also draw your attention to the fact that during such repairs of the coffee machine with your own hands, you need to check the horn filter before installing a new seal. Perhaps the filter is clogged with coffee deposits and the breakdown occurred due to the fact that the water under pressure was looking for a weak point of a breakthrough. If you do not clean the filter in time, more serious problems may occur.

By analogy, you can repair or replace any other seal that is leaking. Did you see water running out of the coffee machine? Do not be afraid to repair the problem area yourself. The main thing is to do it on time, until the water reaches the wiring and the electronic unit. Timely repairs can save you from electric shock, and equipment from complete failure.It should also be noted that the reverse situation - when the coffee machine does not pump water, may occur due to a malfunction of the piston located above the brewing unit. You can also try to repair it yourself after a visual inspection.

There was a noise from within, pressure from the horn decreased

If you notice that the water from the coffee machine flows slightly and an extraneous whistle or noise has appeared, then most likely the mesh or the filter itself in the horn has clogged. Rinse it is not difficult, not to mention the fact that such repairs will not take much time. Special products for cleaning a coffee machine or coffee machine from fats are sold. You can also gently remove the specks with a toothpick. The main thing - when repairing the coffee machine on your own, do not scratch the internal containers, because even small scratches will delay the ground coffee, which contributes to the fast clogging of the equipment.

If the coffee machine is noisy and pours coffee poorly, there may even be a reason because the filter is clogged due to too high grinding of coffee beans. Start the repair by opening the coffee bean hopper and checking the grind. If you see coffee dust, adjust the grind manually (many coffee machines have this function). Well, the last reason for extraneous noise is the wear of the internal mechanism of the pump, as a result of which the coffee machine is noisy, buzzing and does not pour water well. In this case, it is possible to repair a low pressure only by replacing the pump.

Extraneous noise + complete lack of work

If your coffee machine is noisy and does not brew coffee, then you need to find the cause of the breakdown yourself. First of all, determine whether the water is heated and its flow in the heated state. If the coffee machine takes water and warms it, but the coffee does not give out, most likely the cause of the breakdown is the formation of an air jam. In this case, the repair comes down to the fact that it is necessary to pass hot water through the cappuccino machine, which should fix the malfunction. If coffee flows from the spout in a weak stream, try flushing the entire system with a special detergent, as all symptoms indicate clogged nozzles. Didn't that help? It is better to take a non-working coffee machine to a service center, as there is already a breakdown of electronics, the repair of which is unlikely to be possible for you.

By the way, the electronic unit should independently signal a clogged system by issuing an error or an exclamation mark on the display (this should be described in the operating instructions). Sometimes the error may not light up because the corresponding sensor is defective, which must be checked and replaced if necessary!

Buttons do not work

If the coffee machine does not respond to the buttons or other possible commands, there may be several causes of malfunctions. First, check if there is water and coffee in the appropriate containers, as most modern coffee machines will not turn on in the “idle” position. Secondly, carefully look at the display, which can immediately indicate a specific error. After a visual inspection, you can proceed to a more serious repair - remove the front panel and use the multimeter to ring all the buttons for power. About, how to use a multimeter, we already told you.

Sometimes the buttons do not work due to the fact that before that they were filled with coffee and now they stick. You can remove sticky dirt with a cotton swab dipped in alcohol. They did everything, but failed to set up buttons on the coffee machine? It is better to contact specialists, as the problem may lie in the malfunction of the electronic control unit, and in this case, the repair of the coffee machine is much more complicated. Those who are “friends” with the tester and know how to check the integrity of the circuit are advised to consistently check all elements of the circuit. Maybe the coffee machine does not work due to a fuse blown or some resistor malfunctioning.Replacing a broken component on the board is easy if you know how to do it.

no power

If the coffee machine doesn’t work at all, we recommend that you proceed first by analogy with the instructions for DIY iron repair. First check the integrity of the cord and the power in the outlet. After that, pay attention to whether the door of the coffee machine is closed. In most modern models, protection against switching on with the brewing unit door open is installed and, possibly, the equipment does not start for this reason. If you couldn’t find any obvious reasons, proceed to disassemble the case and alternately ring with a multimeter all sections of the circuit from the electric cord to the thermal protection elements. Did not find a malfunction? It is better to take the coffee machine that has broken down for repair to a service center, especially if it is under warranty.

We also recommend that you look at the repair instructions for the coffee machine, which turns off:

The technique does not see coffee

Sometimes it happens that the coffee machine does not see the coffee, although it is poured into the tank. This happens for many reasons: the control unit has failed, the engine is not working, or the coffee maker with a funnel is faulty. Here, again, a visual inspection and a tester will help find the malfunction. If you find that the internal mechanism is covered with coffee dust, it means that the coffee maker broke and as a result coffee dust got into the engine compartment. Repair of the coffee machine in this case comes down to the fact that you need to replace the engine yourself, but if it is not advisable, it is easier to buy a new coffee machine.

Here I would also like to paint another "disease" of coffee makers and their analogues - the lack of coffee. Such a problem may occur due to the clogging of the brewing device or the degree of grinding of coffee beans is too small. If your coffee machine does not pour coffee or serves too little, try setting a higher degree of grinding or cleaning the brewing unit.

The light comes on or an error on the display

If the coffee machine gives an error (as in the photo below) or the indication on the front panel lights up (the lamp blinks), first of all, review the operating instructions. Manufacturers of coffee machines in the booklet must indicate all possible errors, the causes of their occurrence and DIY repair methods.

Most often, the problem occurs due to a malfunction of a sensor. In this case, you can try to repair the coffee machine by thoroughly cleaning and flushing the system. Did not help? Check that all containers are fully inserted and that the float is working in the water tank. Usually, a thorough visual inspection and familiarity with the instruction manual helps to quickly fix the breakdown. With coffee machine errors, everything is much simpler. If you even lost a little book in which all error codes are indicated, the Internet will help you! On the official websites of most modern brands of coffee machines, tables are provided with all possible errors depending on the model of equipment, which will allow for faster repairs at home.

Water does not heat up

Very often you can see various complaints on the forums, they say the coffee machine does not heat up, but it works or just weakly heats and does not give out steam. Here, as in the case of a malfunction of the dishwasher, the heating element - the heating element - most likely broke. In addition, there may be no water heating due to controller failure. All you can do is ring the heater and the controller with a multimeter, which will allow you to find the problem part of the circuit for its further replacement. Weak heating of the water, in fact, like the situation when the coffee machine does not heat the water at all, is very common due to the poor quality of drinking water (it is too hard).

The cappuccinator is out of order

It often happens that the cappuccino machine does not work in the technique, as a result of which the coffee machine does not whip or whips milk badly and does not make milk foam.Typically, a coffee machine does not foam for two reasons: poor milk or clogged air ducts that create foam. Milk should be pasteurized, fat content from 2.5 to 3.5%, not powdered. Regarding clogging of the air ducts, this can be due to poor maintenance of the coffee machine. After you make coffee with whipped milk, be sure to rinse the cappuccino machine with clean water for 2-3 minutes. If you neglect the washing, after a while the channels become clogged, and instead of foam, the coffee machine will serve hot milk, which in any case will entail a bit of labor-intensive home repair.

Most modern coffee machine models include an automatic wash function. If it is missing, clean it yourself carefully. Please note that no solid or sharp objects should be used to flush the air ducts. If you damage the hole, the cappuccino maker may stop functioning at all.

Another similar reason - the coffee machine does not suck in milk when you turn on the desired mode. In this case, we recommend that you check the pump and the milk supply system in which the blockage most likely occurred.

The filter in the water tank is dirty

Replacing the water filter in the coffee machine is a very responsible job. If you replace the filter incorrectly, an air lock may form in the system, the pump will start to idle and then fail. By the way, the idle operation of the pump can cause the coffee machine to make noise but not work.

The correct filter change in the coffee machine looks like this:

• turn the filter upside down with the inlet and outlet;
• completely fill it with tap water;
• pour water into the appropriate reservoir of the coffee machine;
• complete the installation.

Does water flow through the nozzle or is the pressure too small? Before repairing, try also to see how clean the filter is in the tank.

Water is not displayed

If the coffee machine does not respond to water, although the tank is full, most likely the problem is in the corresponding sensor - a float. Check if the float is working as follows: pour water into the tank and see if the float floats up. If the sensor remains at the bottom, it may be flooded or clogged with debris. Try to clean the workplace of the float, and disassemble and dry the sensor itself. Did not help? Replace the item with a new one, which will be the whole repair.

The reason that moisture gets into the float and as a result the coffee machine does not see water in the compartment may be because you are pouring hot water. You do not need to do this, because in this case, air comes out of the float and when the liquid cools, a vacuum occurs, which sucks water into the sensor.

The pressure gauge broke

Sometimes during operation of the coffee machine, the pressure control system, the manometer, fails. In this case, you can try to repair the breakdown by cleaning the tube that goes to the pressure gauge. If the coffee machine repair did not complete successfully, then you need to look for a manometer with the same characteristics and make a replacement.

Does not grind grain

It also happens that the coffee machine does not grind coffee during work. Here, the repair comes down to the fact that you need to disassemble the case yourself, find a coffee grinder and thoroughly clean it. As a rule, high-quality cleaning helps to solve the problem and repair this simple breakdown. A similar breakdown - when the coffee grinder does not capture grains, is solved very simply, you just need to correctly set the degree of grinding. If, after this, the mechanism does not pick up coffee, it is better to contact the master.

Coffee capsule problems

Well, the last thing I would like to tell you about is why coffee machines do not pierce capsules or as they are also called tablets. The piercing mechanism is quite simple, therefore, most likely, you do not need a coffee machine repair, but recommendations that will allow you to properly break through the capsule.It all depends on how you send the tablet to the piercing receiver. You must carefully drop the tablet so that it falls flat on the piercing surface, and then gently press the lever. The slightest bias can cause the mechanism to not squeeze the pill or not toss it back. With proper puncture, the result should be the same as in the picture.

Similar materials:

• How to choose a coffee machine for home
• How to get a profession electrician
• Low voltage - what to do