Troubleshooting a Coffeemaker

A person pulling a full pot of coffee from the coffeemaker.
  • 1-2 hours
  • Intermediate
  • 0-5
What You'll Need
Vinegar
What You'll Need
Vinegar

A coffeemaker can suddenly stop working for several different reasons. Most of the time it is a mineral build-up that is causing your coffeemaker to have problems. This could alter the taste of your coffee as well as do damage to your machine. Being able to understand the problem before it gets out of hand will save you the hassle and money of having to buy a brand new machine. Below are a few tips and hints to help you know what to look for when your coffeemaker starts to give your problems.

Symptoms

If your water is not properly flowing into your pot then it could be a number of things, this is the most common problem that your coffeemaker will face. But regardless of the problem maybe it can be very easily fixed.

Water Clog

There are a few different things that you should check whenever your water is not properly flowing in your coffee maker. The most common problem that this indicates is that the tube in your coffee pot is clogged, preventing any type of liquid to easily flow through.

It could also mean that your timer or even the thermostat could be defective or bad. You should also check the pump valve if none of these options above seem to be the matter. Water not flowing through could indicate problems with your pump valve such as it being stuck or broken. One last thing to look at when your coffee pot is not allowing water circulation is to check the heater in your coffee pot. Your heater could very well be broken.

Diagnosing Malfunction

When you have decided to take matters into our own hands and try to figure out the coffeemaker's problems yourself, there are a few necessary precautions you should take first. Before you open up your coffeemaker and begin to poke around, make sure that it is unplugged.

If your coffee is not staying warm after you have brewed it then you should take a look at the element as well as the keep warm switch on your coffeemaker. Be sure that your auto shut off switch is also in the right position.

If your coffeemaker seems to be leaking or steaming way more than it should then you should check the tubing in your coffeemaker. This could easily be remedied by making sure it is properly installed into your coffee pot.

If your coffee doesn’t have the strong taste that it used to and only seems to be getting weaker then you may have a problem with the plate that will spread out all of the water right above your basket. Check to see if it is clogged, cracked or even broken completely.

Prevention

One of the easiest things to do to keep your coffeemaker working like new longer, and avoid troubleshooting, is cleaning it regularly. A simple way to keep your coffeemaker clean it by flushing it out with vinegar. This will clean it out thoroughly and get rid of any clogs.