The most common problems with pod coffee makers are the lack of water to prepare the coffee. While it is true that this type of failure can occur in any coffee maker, Dolce Gusto brand coffee makers are a little more prone to suffer from it.
In this article, we have compiled all the possible failures that can occur due to this cause so that you will never again have problems with your preparations. We also recommend that you download the user manual of your Dolce Gusto coffee machine, as there you will find valuable information for the proper functioning of your machine.
The injector of my Dolce Gusto coffee maker is clogged
When your Dolce Gusto coffee maker does not supply water, it is most likely that the nozzle is clogged. You must learn to identify the signs that indicate a blockage in this component to avoid further issues; these signs are:
- Not seeing the light of the ignition button (green).
- Not hearing the pump running.
If either of these two conditions is not met, it is probably another problem.
And if you have already verified that the problem is a blockage, you must remove the water injector assembly and follow these steps to unblock it:
- Open the lid of the coffee pod holder, remove it from the machine and lower the lid again to expose the disassembly hole.
- Using a hard straight pin, remove the injector assembly.
- Clean the injector assembly thoroughly under running water, including the nozzle. Use the small pin, usually found on the back of the machine, to unlock the injector, being very careful not to damage or lose the rubber gasket around the nozzle.
- Reassemble all the parts you removed.
Remember that these blockages or obstructions can also be prevented by descaling your Dolce Gusto coffee machine every 4-6 months. This will not only prevent the injector from clogging but also other internal components, which, unlike the injector, cannot be accessed manually, such as the heating element.
The water pump thermal fuse is blown
One of the causes of this problem, although not one of the most frequent, could be the lack of power supply to the pump. Fortunately, this fault can be easy to identify. Pay attention if your coffee maker turns on normally, but you do not hear the water pump running when you operate the brew lever.
If this is the problem, you should disassemble the coffee maker to access the pump and check it. You will see a white wire with a thermal fuse connected in series in the pump’s electrical connections; disconnect the wire to check the continuity. If there is no such continuity, the fuse is blown, and therefore there will be no power to the pump. In this case, you must replace the fuse with a new one.
The water pump is mechanically jammed
We can rule out the above problem; if we see the green light on the power button and hear the buzzing of the pump, this will indicate that it is receiving power. However, if the above works fine but there is no water output, it is because some impurity or residue is clogging the pump’s internal components.
Try to free the internal mechanical components by gently tapping with the rubber handle of a screwdriver while the machine is turning on. If this does not work, disassemble the brewer, loosen the components manually, or purchase a new pump.
It is advisable to buy a new pump, which you can get between 15 and 20 dollars, instead of disassembling and trying to repair the faulty one, as there is a possibility that the problem will reappear over time. Before buying a new pump, be very clear about the characteristics of the one you will replace so that you can buy the same one without mistakes.
The coffee maker only dispenses water when I press and hold the lever
If the coffee maker does not dispense water until you press and hold the lever and you see the red light flashing, it is due to a problem with the coffee pod holder; it may be that it is not properly placed in the place or that the detection system of the pod holder is broken.
It may be a problem directly in the pod holder or the sensor that detects it. A solution to this problem, which is not as recommended for safety reasons, but which may work quickly, is to bypass the output of the control board.
First, make sure that the problem is in the coffee pod holder, and you can check this by bringing a metallic object close to it. If it attracts it, it means that the pod holder is OK; in that case, you should replace the sensor with a new one.
The water tank does not dispense water
The green light comes on, and the pump works, but no water comes out, and the lights start flashing red and green alternately, which means that the pump is not receiving water. In this case, the problem comes from the tank or the pipe that leads the water from the tank to the pump.
First, you should check that the tank valve is working properly; disconnect the tank full of water and press your finger on the valve at the base. If it is working properly, proceed to disassemble the coffee maker to check the interior of the pipes connecting the tank to the water pump to rule out obstructions.
Although it may seem obvious, it is important to remember that the reservoir must be correctly installed in your Dolce Gusto coffee machine. Otherwise, it will not dispense water.
Importance of descaling the Dolce Gusto coffee maker
Every time we use our Dolce Gusto coffee maker, the water that circulates inside it leaves traces of lime and impurities in the internal circuits. Over time can cause obstructions that do not allow the dispensing of water to irreparable damage to the machine. Hence the importance of regularly descaling your coffee maker.
If the problem is that your coffee maker is not dispensing water, you can rest assured that it is not a serious malfunction and can be solved, in most cases, by starting a descaling cycle.
As a little tip, it is also good to listen to your coffee maker every time you start it, during the heating and extraction phases, because, even if it is not dispensing water, with the sounds it emits, you can sense if everything is going well or not with the internal components such as the water pump or the heating element.
If you notice any strange noises, it may mean that a particular part is failing. Surely with a lot of attention and a little practice, you will be able to understand every sound your machine makes, which will help you identify water-related problems and many other malfunctions.
Dolce Gusto Recommendations
There are some recommendations that the Dolce Gusto brand itself gives us for when our coffee maker does not dispense water. Below, we leave you the company’s diagrams so that you can use them as a guide in these cases:
Dolce Gusto recommends learning to distinguish if the coffee maker produces noises or does not emit any sound and to identify if the locking handle can be lifted or is blocked. The brand has several guidelines to follow so that you can be sure to cover and check all possible cases.
