If your Keurig machine is automatically shutting off when you try to use it to brew your morning cup, there’s probably a simple explanation and easy fix for the problem.
The Keurig machine is programmed to shut off in order to prevent water from overflowing onto your counter or flooding the other parts of the machine.
Here are some of the most likely reasons your Keurig machine keeps shutting off and how you can fix the issue at home:
Issues with The Needles
When you place a K Cup inside the Keurig machine and close it, two needles pierce the surface of the K cup.
The top needle goes through the foil top of the cup and the bottom needle goes through the plastic that sits on the bottom.
If the lower needle has become dull or gotten clogged from use, it may not puncture a clean hole in the bottom of the K cup.
Without a clear route for the water to pass through the K cup and ultimately out of the brewer and into the coffee cup, the water can back up and flood the machine.
The Keurig is programmed to shut down before that flooding can occur.
You can visually inspect the top needle to see if it is bent, broken, or clogged.
In order to look at the bottom needle, you may need to pop the entire cup out of the coffee maker.
Do not put your finger in the cup as you risk the bottom needle piercing the skin of your finger.
Water Reservoir Problems
The water reservoir is the large plastic bin that holds the water in storage until you’re ready to heat and use it.
This reservoir is held in place with a magnet so the Keurig machine can sense whether there is water available.
If there is an issue with the magnet that allows the reservoir to move out of place, the Keurig may not recognize that there is water present, stopping the machine from starting the brewing process.
The Need for Descaling
Naturally over time, the Keurig machine can pick up minerals and other components that are present in the water you use to make your coffee drinks.
You may not be able to see it with your naked eye, but this buildup can attach itself to the interior of the coffee machine, making it harder for the water to pass through.
Descaling is the cleaning process that removes any mineral buildup from the components inside the coffee maker.
This is done using a descaling solution you can purchase in stores, or some people use vinegar and water to clean the machine.
ALSO Read: How To Clean Your Keurig Without Vinegar
Keurig Programming Issues
In all Keurig makers there is a small internal computer that holds the programming needed for the coffee machine to run.
If you’re experiencing persistent issues with the machine, this could be due to a programming issue.
You can reset your machine by following the instructions listed in the manual that came with it.
Final Word
Quite often, a small issue that is easy to fix is at the root of the issue with your Keurig coffee maker.
If you are not able to troubleshoot the coffee maker on your own, you can always call the Keurig customer service phone number to see if they can assist you in getting it to work again.
My Keurig machine K-cup Supreme which cost $194 I have had for 4 months shut off and will not come back on after the descaling process was completed. This is a common problem I see on youtube about descaling, why doesn’t Keurig write an article about this and fix the problem.