Keurig Not Dispensing Water or Coffee? 6 Easy Solutions

A good cup of coffee helps you get your day started, but it’s tough to enjoy that perfect cup of joe if your Keurig not dispensing water. There are many reasons why this could happen. Fortunately, there are also ways to troubleshoot and some that are easy to fix yourself.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through several troubleshooting steps that you can take to get your Keurig pumping properly. So, you can enjoy your cup of coffee in the morning again!

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How to Detect Keurig is not Pumping Water?

Following are the possible ways to diagnose the problem of a Keurig not pumping water.

Keurig turns ON and then turns OFF, Keurig 2.0 screen shows blank.
Always prompt the “Add water” message on the screen.
Seems to be stalled in the pre-heating stage.
Takes a long time to drip and not dispense the correct amount of coffee or water.
Undesirable qualities such as tasting bad or having specks in your cup.

6 Common Reasons & Fixes For Non-Pumping Keurig

Luckily, there are many ways to troubleshoot your Keurig coffee maker if it starts giving dispensing problems. Many of these methods can be done from home, saving time and money on repair bills.

1. Not Enough Water in Reservoir

If your Keurig won’t pump water, likely, there isn’t enough water in the reservoir. The reservoir is where the water for brewing is stored, and it needs to be filled to the correct level for the coffee maker to work properly. The water should reach just below the MAX fill line. If it doesn’t, add more water until it does. Once the reservoir is full and tries brewing again.

If it does not work, you can also check the water magnet alignment, which identifies the water level inside the tank. Sometimes the water magnet can get misaligned due to brewing vibrations, so Keurig may not detect how much water is inside the machine and will stop dispensing water.

To align this, tap the tank close to where the magnet is housed. If it doesn’t move, try giving it a little shake. If still no luck, you may need to replace the water reservoir.

2. Turn OFF Keurig Auto-Off Feature

Some Keurig coffee makers have an auto-off feature that kicks in after two hours of inactivity. If your Keurig suddenly stops pumping water and you can’t figure out why it might be because the auto-off feature has been enabled. This feature is designed to save energy by shutting off the machine after it’s been idle for a period of time.

Typically, there are a number of Keurig models that have an auto-off feature. Some of them do not disable this function, and some do. These include K-Select, K-Latte, K-Cafe, and K-Elite.

To Disable on K-Select, K-Latte & K-Cafe:

Powering the brewer off while it is still plugged in.
Press and hold the “Strong” and “10oz” buttons for 3 seconds – the green “Auto Off” will turn off.
Turn the brewer ON and the green light will no longer flash.

For K-Elite:

Press settings, and go to the auto-off (moon icon) option.
Use up and down to turn the option OFF.
When you turn off this option, the moon icon will no longer appear on the screen.

3. Clogged WaterLine

It is important to ensure that your water tank is attached securely when using a Keurig. If the water tank is not properly attached, your Keurig will not work properly. If that is the case, then the problem could be mineral build-up in the waterline that prevents Keurig from pumping water. The first thing you should do is clear the water tank exit. This can be done by following this process:

Removing and emptying the water tank. Also, remove the water filter holder.
Flip the reservoir over and locate the nozzle with the spring. Take something like an eraser end of a pencil and try pushing the spring a few times.

If the spring moves with ease that is the problem with the water line.

Attach the tank back to the machine and fill it with a few inches of water.
Take Turkey Baster and suck up some water.
Splash the Baster directly into the nozzle where the tank meets the water line. This will allow you to flush out the water line and nozzle.
Repeat this several times until the water line runs clear.

After completing this process it is important to run a hot water cycle to ensure the water line is cleaned out.

4. Air Lock In Water Line

Keurig brewer is making a grinding noise but water not coming out, which means it likely has an airlock in the water line. This is caused due to your machine running a brew cycle with not enough water in the tank. To clear a possible airlock:

Unplug your machine and remove any K-cups from it.
Also, remove the water reservoir and drip tray.
Take Keurig with both hands and shake it like a rattle. Keep shaking until you notice water flowing out of the bottom.
Put Keurig back together and try to brew again.

I know it sounds strange, but rapid movement should get rid of the air bubbles inside water lines.

5. Require Descale To Remove Internal Blocks

There may be an obstruction in the tube or it could be clogged with mineral deposits. If this is the case, you can clean out your coffee maker. I recommend you should descale your brewer every three to six months. If you use Hard Water (high mineral content water), then you should descale it more frequently. A low-cost test kit can help you determine whether your water is hard.

Descaling involves using a solution to remove minerals and build-up from inside the coffee maker. This process can be time-consuming and 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.

6. Clogged In Needles

Over time, Needles can become clogged with coffee grounds or calcium deposits. If this happens, the brewer will stop dispensing water or will only dispense a little bit of water at a time.

If you own a Keurig 2.0 model, you can use the orange needle cleaner tool to unclog the needle. If you have a different Keurig model, use a paper clip to remove debris from the needle.

Here’s how to do it:

Turn off the power to the brewer.
Remove the water reservoir from your Keurig.
Eject the pod holder from the machine.
Take out the funnel from the pod holder.
Straighten one end of a paper clip and insert it into the bottom of the pod holder. Move it for a few seconds to remove any clogs.
Rinse the pod holder and funnel with fresh water.
Take a look at the entrance needle inside the brewer’s head. If you see any coffee grounds or calcium deposits, use a small brush or paper clip to clean them off gently.
Reattach all the parts back.
Turn on your Keurig and let it run for a few minutes without brewing anything. This will help clear out any remaining coffee grounds or calcium deposits in the system.

What to do If the Keurig Is Still Not Pumping?

After trying all the above troubleshooting tips, your Keurig still isn’t dispensing water, there could be a problem with the system itself. If you don’t hear motor noise when running, it may be that the motor is broken. If this is the case, the motor or the whole unit will need to be replaced.

To replace the motor, you want to disassemble the brewer and manually change it. But this is not an easy task because there is a lot of work to be done in order to change the motor. Also, the machine warranty will be void when you do this. So, I recommend you contact Keurig Support for help at 866-901-2739. They will be able to help you troubleshoot the issue and get your Keurig up and running again.