If your Keurig stopped working, yet it turns on and sounds like it’s running, your Keurig is *probably* not broken. It just won’t pump water through the machine. ONE OF THE FIXES BELOW SHOULD CHANGE THAT! Even if you think you’ve tried “everything,” I think there’s a very good chance that your solution is somewhere on this page.

An extremely common problem with Keurigs is that something blocks the water from getting from Point A (the water reservoir) to Point B (your coffee cup). The blockage might be in the needle that punctures the K-cup. It might be in the hose that leads to the needle. It might also be in the valve at the bottom of the water reservoir. It could even be deep inside the bowels of your Keurig coffee maker.

All of these problems can be fixed! And you can probably do most, if not all, of the fixes presented here right this minute.

“Standard Operating Procedure” for just about any coffee maker malfunction of this type is to descale the machine. We will cover descaling at the END of this article. Skip down there right now if you like! But in all honesty, if your Keurig won’t pump water through the machine, it’s likely that you already need to do more than just descale.

We’re going to start with the easiest fixes first. Then we’ll move on to increasingly more complicated ways to fix your Keurig.

Here are some shortcuts that will skip down this page to each repair method:

• • • KEURIG FIX #1: CLEAN THE K-CUP HOLDER AND POKE THE NEEDLE WITH A PAPERCLIP
    • KEURIG FIX #2: PLUG THE EXTERNAL OVERFLOW DRAIN WITH YOUR FINGER
    • KEURIG FIX #3: FORCE WATER INTO THE RESERVOIR DRAINAGE VALVE WITH A TURKEY BASTER
    • KEURIG FIX #4: CLEAN THE RESERVOIR DRAINAGE VALVE BY HAND
    • KEURIG FIX #5: GIVE THE INTERNAL WATER HOSE A MASSAGE
    • KEURIG FIX #6: CLEAN THE CHECK VALVE
    • KEURIG FIX #7: OPEN UP YOUR KEURIG AND UNCLOG THE MAIN HOSE
    • HOW TO DESCALE A KEURIG

And here’s my standard disclaimer: Follow Keurig’s instructions at all times and be aware of the terms of your warranty. Anything you do based on the advice on this page is your decision, and you (not me!) will be responsible for any damage or personal injury that results. In other words, don’t yell at me if things go horribly wrong with one of these fixes.

I don’t think anything truly bad will happen, but you know … gotta cover my rear. So let’s get down to business!

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KEURIG FIX #1: CLEAN THE K-CUP HOLDER AND POKE THE NEEDLE WITH A PAPERCLIP

This first fix is probably the most common, and it’s also one of the easiest things you can do.

First, take out the K-cup holder (H, below). Clean it with dish soap and rinse thoroughly. Check for any obstructions. Also clean and check the K-cup Pod Assembly Housing (J) where coffee drains into your coffee cup. You should do this regularly anyway, unless you enjoy being gross.

Then move on to cleaning out the Entrance Needle. All you need is a paperclip or a thumbtack or something skinny like that. A flashlight might help, too.

Here’s what you need to do:

1. Unplug your Keurig and remove the water reservoir.
2. Press the handle and open the lid. Inside that lid should be an “Entrance Needle” with three holes in it. The Entrance Needle is where coffee comes out.
3. Stick a straightened-out paperclip or some other skinny tool up into each of the holes. See if you can dislodge any gross stuff that’s blocking water flow.

A lot of people have reported that this little “trick” DOES work! But if it doesn’t, fear not. Just move on to the other fixes described below.

Here’s a better look at what you’re aiming for. Below is a nice, clear view of how one person cleaned out the Entrance Needle on a Keurig 2.0 with a thumbtack! It literally took her about 5 seconds.

The first part of the video just shows that the Keurig doesn’t work. Skip to 2:15 to see the part where the needle gets cleaned out.

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KEURIG FIX #2: PLUG THE EXTERNAL OVERFLOW DRAIN WITH YOUR FINGER

This fix is arguably easier than Fix #1 above, but it’s less common.

I’m not entirely sure if every Keurig model has an overflow drain. If yours does, it should be located just above the water reservoir. Here’s what you do:

1. Fill the water reservoir with water. Don’t use any coffee.
2. Start brewing. I know, there’s little or no water coming out.
3. With your finger, plug the overflow drain. Just hold your finger over the opening.

I’m not a Keurig engineer, so I’m not 100% clear on why this works for some people. I guess we can hypothesize that plugging up the overflow drain forces pressure from the water pump to move through the hoses instead of being vented out due to a blockage.

This forced pressure should unclog whatever is preventing your Keurig from pumping water.

To see this fix in action, watch the Youtube video below. The “good part” starts at about 2:45.

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KEURIG FIX #3: FORCE WATER INTO THE RESERVOIR DRAINAGE VALVE WITH A TURKEY BASTER

Finally, a chance to use your turkey baster on a day other than Thanksgiving! If you don’t have one, this one should do the trick.

This fix is based on the assumption that the drainage valve that sits at the bottom of your water reservoir is clogged with gross stuff. If you’re in the habit of leaving water in your reservoir 24/7, you might be especially susceptible to this condition. Anyway, here’s what you do:

1. Fill about one-third of your water reservoir with water.
2. Suck some of that water up into your turkey baster. If you have one of those squirting syringes (sans needle), that might work, too.
3. Firmly press the turkey baster down onto the valve where water drains out.
4. Squeeze! Force that water into the valve. Repeat until the reservoir water is filthy.
5. Dump out the dirty water and repeat until there’s no more filth. Then run a few cups of clean water through the machine.

Here’s a video of this Keurig fix in action. This guy gets to the point pretty fast—the good part starts at about 00:50.

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KEURIG FIX #4: CLEAN THE RESERVOIR DRAINAGE VALVE BY HAND

This fix basically does the same thing as the turkey baster above: You’re cleaning the valve where water exits your reservoir and goes into the Keurig machine.

If the turkey baster magically fixes your “broken” Keurig, I would still recommend cleaning the drainage valve by hand anyway. Using water pressure to unclog the valve is one thing, but that doesn’t mean it’s clean clean.

Here’s what you do:

1. Remove the water reservoir from the machine and turn it upside down.
2. Use a small brush and a bit of dish soap to remove dirt and grime from the valve.
3. Try to get at the other side of the valve (inside the reservoir) as well.
4. Rinse thoroughly and run some clean water through the machine.

That’s basically it! Here are some pictures, followed by the obligatory video.

Below is the video of the valve-cleaning in action. This guy kind of rambles, so skip to about 1:40 if you ain’t got all day.

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KEURIG FIX #5: GIVE THE INTERNAL WATER HOSE A MASSAGE

Now you’re gonna need a screwdriver! Specifically, a Phillips screwdriver. If none of the above fixes have worked, this fix is the least-complicated of the “complicated” fixes on this page.

In a nutshell: You’re going to take off the top lid of your Keurig, look for a dark spot inside the white hose, and pinch/massage that dark spot until it gets dislodged. The dark spot might be a clump of coffee grounds that have been sucked up into the Entrance Needle, or it might just be grime.

Here’s what you need to do:

1. Remove the two screws from under the front end of the Keurig lid.
2. Lift the handle, open the lid, and jimmy the lid off. This might take some maneuvering and back-and-forthing.
3. Press down on the handle as if you’re going to make coffee, and then start a brew cycle (no coffee pod, of course).
4. As the water is trying to flow through the tube, look for the obstruction and start massaging the hose where it’s darkest.

The combination of flowing water + the hose massage should dislodge whatever is plugging up the hose.

Also, let’s acknowledge that the first picture below makes the Keurig look like a robot. Fixing Keurigs is fun!

The video below is very annoyingly out-of-focus, but this guy does a pretty good job of explaining what he did and how. Hopefully your hose massage has a happy ending! Sorry, I just couldn’t help myself. The good part of the video starts at about 3:00.

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KEURIG FIX #6: CLEAN THE CHECK VALVE

Alright, let’s ratchet up the difficulty just a bit. You will need a Phillips screwdriver, a nail clipper or wire cutter, and a small zip tie to replace the one you’re gonna cut off from the hose. A syringe would come in handy, too, but it’s not required.

This fix is very similar to the hose massage above, but in this case you’re going to be removing and cleaning out the “check valve.” I don’t know if that’s the official name of this part, but that’s what the guy in the video below calls it. Sounds good to me.

Here’s what you need to do:

1. Remove the two screws from under the front end of the Keurig lid.
2. Lift the handle, open the lid, and jimmy the lid off. This might take some maneuvering and back-and-forthing.
3. Cut off the zip tie that secures the rear hose to the check valve (see photo/video below).
4. Disconnect the hoses from both ends of the cylindrical check valve.
5. Clean the check valve in whatever way you see fit.

Also, since you’ve got the machine open anyway, it wouldn’t hurt to stick a syringe into the open tube (nearest the front of the Keurig) and blast some water through there. This way, you’ll also be accomplishing the goal of Fix #5 above: cleaning out grime from the front part of the hose.

If you do this, make sure the syringe nozzle completely seals the hose opening, or you may have water where you don’t want water. A small syringe probably won’t cut it. If your syringe is too small and you don’t feel like buying a bigger one (like this one on Amazon), just try blasting air into the hose. That might work, too. Or maybe even shove a Q-tip in there! I dunno. Get creative.

The nice man in the video below suggests blowing into the check valve, running water through it, or soaking it in vinegar. I suppose your cleaning method will depend on what kind of grime you see in the valve and what you’re willing to put in your mouth. If you want, you can skip the first 30 seconds of this video.

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KEURIG FIX #7: OPEN UP YOUR KEURIG AND UNCLOG THE MAIN HOSE

If you’re all the way down here, you must be really desperate! This fix is gonna take some time, most of which will be spent removing your Keurig’s outer casing and then putting it back together.

Doing this will almost certainly void your warranty if it’s still in effect. But if you’ve truly got nothing to lose, then go for it!

You will need a Phillips screwdriver and a wide-gauge syringe. A Youtube commenter believes it’s a syringe with a catheter tip.

That would make sense since catheter tip syringes are made for flushing out catheter hoses. This one on Amazon looks like it should do the trick. One Amazon reviewer actually mentions that she used it to unclog her aunt’s Keurig. Bam! There you go.

MAKE SURE YOU UNPLUG YOUR KEURIG BEFORE DOING THIS! It would be almost impossible to remove the outer casing with the machine plugged in, but I felt the need to say that anyway.

Here’s what you need to do:

1. Remove the outer casing from your Keurig (watch the first video below).
2. Disconnect the hose from the steel heating tank.
3. Stick a wide-gauge syringe (“catheter tip,” apparently) in the hose and blast water through it. Don’t forget to put a cup in place to catch the water! Repeat this step a few times until the water comes out clean.
4. Put your poor Keurig back together.

Watch the video below to see how this strapping young man removes the outer casing from his Keurig. Yours might be slightly different if it’s not the same model. He struggles a bit, and you will, too. Just be patient and try not to break anything.

Is your Keurig naked at this point? Good. It should be. Now comes the easy part!

If it seems hard to squirt water through the hose, that’s probably due to the obstruction you’re working to clear out. Press hard on that syringe! You got this.

The video below looks scary because the guts of the Keurig are exposed for the world to see. Don’t freak out. If you can get the outer casing off, the actual unclogging part is really easy. The part you want to see starts at about 2:10.

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HOW TO DESCALE A KEURIG

Regardless of brand, it’s true that coffee maker maintenance is crucial to keeping your coffee maker running. If you haven’t been descaling regularly, that’s probably the main reason your Keurig stopped working!

Descaling is good—and necessary—preventative maintenance, and you should do it at regular intervals. Descaling removes all of the impurities and gunk that water leaves behind. Keurig recommends descaling every 3 to 6 months, depending on how much coffee you’re brewing.

We’re going to look at two different ways to descale your Keurig. The first is straight from the user manual of the Keurig K-Elite (Amazon link). I imagine the descaling procedure for most (or all) Keurigs is probably either the same or similar.

Still, if you have your user manual handy, take a look at it. If you’re too lazy to go looking for it, you can search Amazon for your Keurig model and see if the manual is available on the product page. I bet it is.

The second descaling procedure uses plain ol’ distilled white vinegar and comes from our old friend Youtube.

Keurig Descaling Instructions (Keurig K-Elite)

Naturally, Keurig recommends that you use Keurig-brand descaling solution (Amazon link). Below is a video that shows the descaling steps and, below that, you will find a slightly shortened version of Keurig’s descaling instructions. If you really want to read the manual itself, here’s the PDF that this came from.

What you’ll need:

1. a large ceramic mug (and Keurig specifically says: no paper cups!)
2. fresh water
3. Keurig® Descaling Solution
4. access to a sink

This descaling procedure will take about 45 minutes. Make sure there isn’t a pod in the machine. Empty out the reservoir. And if you’re using a Keurig® Water Filter, remove it and set it aside.

This video shows exactly the same steps that are written out down below.

STEP 1: Press the power button to turn off your Keurig. Pour the entire bottle of Keurig descaling solution into the empty reservoir. Then fill that empty bottle with water and pour that in the reservoir, too. Turn on the brewer, put your mug on the drip tray, and run a brew cycle. Select hot water and the largest brew size.

STEP 2: Repeat the brew cycle until the add water light turns on. Again, don’t use any pods! Turn off the “Auto Off” function if your Keurig has that. Leave your Keurig powered on and leave it alone for at least 30 minutes. Then toss out whatever’s left in the reservoir and rinse it thoroughly.

STEP 3: Fill the reservoir with fresh water up to, but not beyond, the MAX fill line. Put your mug on the drip tray and run a brew cycle (no pod!) using the largest brew size. Discard the contents of the mug, and repeat this rinsing at least 12 times with the largest brew size. You might have to refill the reservoir while doing this.

Hooray! Descaling complete.

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Descaling With Distilled White Vinegar

The video below shows more-or-less exactly the same steps as outlined above, but DomesticEngineerDad uses straight vinegar instead of the Keurig descaling solution.

A lot of people clean their coffee makers with vinegar because (a) it’s often a lot cheaper than brand-name descalers, and (b) it’s something that a lot of people already have in the house.

But is it better? Depends on who you ask. Many insist that vinegar works just as well as Keurig’s descaler, and there are others who will argue that Keurig’s product works better.

If you’re on a tight budget, go ahead and try the distilled white vinegar first. The one major drawback is that vinegar has a really strong taste and smell, so you may need to run more coffee-less brew cycles to flush out the machine completely.

And while the Dad guy in the video below uses 100% vinegar for descaling, I personally recommend diluting your vinegar with water. A 50/50 mix is good, as I noted in my article about how to clean a coffee maker. But Video Dad is super-hardcore, so he doesn’t dilute.

Just do whatever you’re comfortable with. If you dilute your vinegar and find that you have to descale again sooner than you were expecting, try a stronger concentration next time, or go with the more expensive Keurig descaler.

The important thing is that you descale regularly! That really is the key to making your Keurig (or any coffee maker) last a long time.

Oh, and this article wouldn’t really be complete without mentioning the Brief History of Keurig Green Mountain that I wrote not that long ago.

You might find it interesting if you want to read about Keurig’s transformation from small town coffee roaster to diabolical corporation to whatever you think Keurig is today. And there’s also the side-narrative of how their founder went from rich to ultra-rich … and then back to just being rich again. Juicy stuff!

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