If your Keurig starts flashing lights and won’t turn off as soon as you try to use it, then chances are there’s something wrong with the brewer itself. There are several reasons why this can happen, so it’s important to troubleshoot the issue properly.
Fortunately, I’ve put together some troubleshooting steps to follow when your Keurig lights start flashing and bring it back to proper function ASAP. Let’s get started!
Keurig Flashing Light Meanings and Troubleshooting
The blinking pattern on your Keurig can tell you what kind of troubleshooting you might need to do. There are a few flashing light error codes, each with a specific meaning. If your Keurig light is blinking, it’s essential to figure out which pattern is displayed before starting any fixes.
| Keurig Blinking Light Pattern | Meaning |
|---|---|
| All Lights Flashing | Change the Charcoal Filter Perform Water Brew |
| Keurig Add Water Light Flashing | Blockage in the Valves Air Lock in Waterline |
| Add Water, Heating, and Medium Cup Size Flashing | Perform Three Only Water Brew Cycle |
| Brew Button Flashing Red | Keurig Heating Up and Ready to Brew |
| Clock and Power Buttons Flashing | The Machine Needs a Reset |
Keurig All Lights ON Solid
When your Keurig coffee maker starts flashing all lights in sequence and won’t turn off, it typically means a problem with the charcoal filter or needle. These lights include the ‘Add Water,’ ‘Heating’ and ‘Medium Cup’. Most often, these are blue lights, but you may have a different color in your model. To resolve this problem, you need to follow below steps:
1. Check the Reservoir Alignment
Make sure the Cold Water Reservoir is correctly seated. Remove the reservoir, fill it with fresh water, then put it back on. Ensure alignment is correct. Double-check to ensure the tank’s water filter is properly sitting in the filter holder.
2. Perform Water Brew
Once the tank is properly seated and filled, run only water brew on the 6 oz. or 8 oz. size into a measuring cup. Make sure there is no K-Cup in the cup holder. If the size you chose is the same as the amount of dispensing water in the measuring cup, this means your brewer is fixed. If not, move to the next step.
3. Change the Charcoal Filter
If you are using a Water Filter in your reservoir, remove it from the reservoir. Then run only water brew of any size (6 oz. or 8 oz.) into a measuring cup. If the amount of dispensing water is the same as the size you selected, then you need to change the Charcoal Filter (for best performance, replace the filter every 2-3 months.). If the expected amount of water was not dispensed, continue to the final step.
4. Run Three Water Brew
If you do not use a filter in your reservoir or if the volume was not measured correctly when you replaced your filter, then run the cold water-only brew cycle three more times. If the lights stop flashing, your troubleshooting is successful, and you’re ready to resume regular coffee brewing.
On the third try, if you are still not getting the exact flow amount in the measuring cup, you need to clean the exit needles and brew again.
If none of these work, contact Keurig Customer Service at 1-866-901-2739 for further assistance.
Keurig ‘Add Water’ Light Flashing
If Keurig’s “Add Water” button light is still blinking even with the water tank filled to the MAX mark and properly fitted into the brewer, there may be one of two things wrong.
Clear the Valve
The Keurig may indicate a low water level in the reservoir due to possible blockage in the valves that connect the reservoir to the brewer. So, it would help if you cleaned the valve before fixing anything else.
- First, remove and empty the water tank.
- Flip the water tank over and inspect the valve at the bottom. If you see any obstructions, clean them with a cotton swab dipped in vinegar.
- Next, look at the nozzle where the tank meets the brewer if you notice anything lodged, clear this area as well.
- Rinse the reservoir with soapy water and fill it with fresh water to the MAX mark. Reattach the water tank and run a brew water-only cycle.
The Add Water light should now be off, and you’re good to go. If not, your Keurig waterline might have Airlocked.
Clear Air Lock From Waterline
Air Lock in the waterline is one of the reasons that the Keurig brewer is not read the water level. This is caused due to your machine running with not enough water in the tank. To clear a possible airlock:
- Unplug your brewer and remove the coffee pods from it. Also, eject the water reservoir and drip tray.
- Take Keurig on both hands and shake it like a bartender. Keep shaking it until you see water flowing out.
- Put Keurig back together and try to brew again.
I know it sounds strange, but rapid movement should eliminate possible air bubbles inside water lines. After trying the above procedure, if the “Add Water” button is still blinking, then time to contact Keurig support.
Keurig ‘Descale’ Light Flashing
If your Keurig Descale light is flashing this indicates that your brewer needs cleaning. Because of regular use, calcium will build up on the inside surfaces of your coffee maker, and will affect the taste and quality of your coffee and shorten its lifespan. As a result, this can cause the coffee maker to stop working. So, I recommend you to descale your Keurig brewer at least once every 3-6 months. If you use Hard Water (high mineral content water) in your Keurig, you should describe it more frequently. You can determine whether your water is hard with a low-cost water tester.
Descaling involves using a solution to remove minerals and build-up from inside the brewer. This process requires descaling solutions. You can buy the solution by itself or as a pack that comes with rinse pods and filters to make it easy to keep your Keurig clean.
Note: Ensure that remove the water filter from the water reservoir if applicable.
- Empty the water tank and pour the one Keurig descaling solution bottle into the empty water reservoir.
- Also, fill the water in the empty solution bottle and pour it into the reservoir.
- Press the flashing DESCALE button to dispense the solution.
- Repeat until the water reservoir is empty.
- Once complete, rinse the water reservoir with fresh soapy water.
You’re Done!
Keurig Brew Button Flashing Red Light
The flashing red light on the BREW button is normal for Keurig K15 and K-Mini Plus models. The red light should become steady when the coffee maker is heating up and ready to brew. But if it continues after 3 minutes, try pressing the brew button again. If that doesn’t work, unplug it and wait a minute before plugging it back in.
Also, the Keurig flashing red light can happen when you try to brew a coffee with a K-cup that has already been used once before or not sitting correctly. So, ensure that you remove and change the K-cup to be seated correctly.
If that doesn’t work, you may need to contact customer service at 1-866-901-2739.
Keurig Elite Clock & Power Light Flashing
If you find that your K-Elite is flashing its CLOCK and POWER button lights simultaneously, don’t panic. It just needs a reset to fix the problem. Unplug the power cord from the wall for at least one minute before plugging it back in again. You should be good to go! You can also try unplugging the brewer for at least one minute and then plugging it back in. The reset should fix the problem.
Keurig Milk Frother Flashing Light (K-Cafe)
One of the most common issues with K-Cafe Frother is that it will stop working when the lights start flashing. There are two different light flashing alerts on the Keurig Frother. The first alert is if the light on the frother base is pulsing on and off, it may be because you’re probably trying to froth while it’s brewing. If so, wait until the coffee has finished brewing. Once the brew cycle is complete, it will automatically.
The second alert is all lights flashing on the frother base. If this happens, check to ensure there is enough milk in the frother, the whisk is properly placed in the frother, and the frother mug is correctly connected to the base. If everything is set up correctly, try turning the frother ON again. If none of these work for you, then contact Keurig’s customer service.
How To Fix Keurig K-Duo or Compact All Lights Flashing
Sometimes when your Keurig Duo or Compact coffee maker starts flashing all the lights, it can be a little intimidating. But you don’t need to worry about this. The lights are just telling you that the needles of your brewer are probably clogged, and you need to clean them before using them again.
