From:
Nancy.
Question:
This is my second Keurig in the past 4 years and I have tried everything to get this to work. Sometimes the all 3 lights will flash and when I press the button nothing happens. I really hate to go buy another one. The light flash sometimes and when I hit the button it shows brewing but it don’t brew. It sounds like it’s brewing but only for a brief second. Do you have any suggestions?
Response:
Nancy wrote to us a few weeks ago (sorry for the delay writing back Nancy) about problems she is having with her B60 brewer (the same version we have at home and use for our repair guides).
There are two likely problems with this brewer, depending on which stage the issues start to arise. The first (lets call it problem 1) is around the water pump and the ability of the machine to fill the boiler unit from the water reservoir. If one can see the water reducing in the water reservoir, and the machine seems to take about the normal amount of time to do this, then we know that the water pump and associated assembly is working ok. If this isn’t the case the water pump has either failed or is under strain and needs replacement.
Let’s assume the boiler unit gets filled without problem (ie the water pump is ok). If the issues arise when the brewer would normally be feeding water into the K Cup and the coffee filling your cup underneath (we’ll call this problem 2), then the most likely fault is with the air pump (although the solenoid unit can cause problems here too).
So we have a couple of solutions to suggest to fix this troubled brewer, dealing with the last problem first. Please note that of course if your Keurig is around a year old or less then please use the warranty and ask Keurig for a replacement brewer. Keurig’s customer support team can be contacted, toll-free, on: 1-800-361-5628 (for Canadian residents). For those in the USA their number is: 866‑901‑BREW (866‑901‑2739).
Problem 2 Solutions – Keurig Burp or Pump Replacement
Keurig Burp
If the brewer can fill the boiler unit ok and the issues arise with the brewing step, then an air pump can be the cause. A quick, although temporary, solution to this is the Keurig Burp which applies a gentle jolt to the area around the air pump to try to dislodge any obstruction inside the pump. Shown in the photo below the air pump (silver cylinder) sits next to a solenoid unit (blue cylinder) and solenoids are well-known in these classic Keurigs to leak. This moisture can in turn lead to damage for the poor air pump.
By applying a slap to the side of the brewer the force can help the air pump free any corrosion or contamination built-up inside. Our short guide to this procedure can be accessed here.
Pump Replacement
If the Burp hasn’t worked a replacement of the air pump (and the solenoid while one is at it) is the best solution. We have two repair guides that will help with this process. The first deals with the air pump replacement and second with the solenoid replacement. Both come with photos and descriptions of each step required; along with what tools and parts one will need.
An air pump and solenoid will cost around $10 to $20 each and can be purchased from ebay or amazon. Check out our parts replacement section that provides further details.
Problem 1 Solutions – Water Pump Replacement
If the brewer is not able to feed the water from the water reservoir to the boiler, the most common cause is a failure in the water pump. As pictured in the photo below this pump sits at the bottom of the brewer and can pick up significant water damage from any leaks above.
We also have a guide that will take you through the water pump replacement process, again with full photos and descriptions of each step. A water pump will cost around $10 to $20 and can be purchased from ebay or amazon. The part you are after looks like this:
Final thoughts …
If none of these solutions look attractive you do have one last option that is worth a try. Assuming your brewer is well beyond the one year mark for warranty cover, we have heard back from readers who have received a brand new machine FREE from Keurig customer service by just be being persistent (in one case the brewer was three years old!). We wrote about this back in June in a response to an email from Connie. We never heard back from Connie so we don’t know how she got on, but we know this has worked; one can access this response here along with our suggestions.