As you know, coffee is one of the most popular beverages of all time, with a plethora of strange facts, myths, and legends surrounding it.
Coffee offers a long list of health advantages.
For example, coffee can help you live longer.
Interesting, right.
But what if your coffee machine stops working all of a sudden.
If you are an owner of Breville Barista Express and know how to properly use your machine, then it is a really proud feeling for sure.
But after few months of usage, there could be few issues that you might have faced with this machine.
One of those issues is related to the water.
Sometimes, it happens that no water is coming out of your machine and you wonder why it’s happening.
Today, I am going to talk about this issue in detail.
You will learn the main reasons why your Breville Barista Express has no water coming out.
Fret not!
I will also provide few easy solutions to fix these issues at the comfort of your home.
So, without any delay, lets dive into the topic.
Table of Contents
- Why is my Breville Barista Express Machine not working?
- 2 Primary Reasons Why Water is not Coming out of Breville Barista Express
- 5 Simple Steps to Fix the Water Flow Issue of Your Breville Barista Express
- What to Do When Pump of the Breville Barista Express Goes Quietly
- What to do When You Want to Repair The Machine Yourself?
- How Do You Unclog a Breville Barista Express Machine?
- 5 Important Steps to Unclog the Breville Barista Express Machine
- How Do You Reset Breville Barista Express Machine?
- Final Thoughts
Why is my Breville Barista Express Machine not working?
Breville is one of the most well-known manufacturers of espresso coffee machines.
It includes automated, semi-automatic, and manual models that provide some of the greatest coffee tastes.
The 4-key formula is used in all of their espresso machines, which improves every step from grinding to extraction and microfoam milk quality.
The Breville espresso machine, on the other hand, is not without its flaws.
There might be a blockage, or the grind setting could be incorrect in the machine.
It can happen that your machine is operating ok but no coffee is flowing out of the group head.
Here’s how to solve both of these issues.
Issue 1: Blockage in Group Head
If your Breville Barista Express happen to have a blockage in its group head, then you can try the following solution.
Backflush the machine on a regular basis to avoid clogging the control valve and leading it to underperform.
In a residential setting, backflush your machine without chemicals once a week and with chemicals after 200 shots, whichever comes first.
Backflushing should be done at the conclusion of each workday in a commercial setting.
Backflushing cleans the brew group, shower screen, and three-way valve.
In order to backflush your Breville espresso machine effectively, follow the instructions below.
1. Remove the filter basket and replace it with a backflush disc after disconnecting the portafilter from the machine.
2. In the basket, place the backflush cleaner.
3. Press the 2-cup button after re-entering the portafilter into the brew group.
4. Due to pressure build-up, the machine will become silent after approximately 20-30 seconds and eventually it will turn off.
5. Remove the portafilter when the cycle is finished and check to see if the pill has totally dissolved.
If this does not work, repeat the process without adding any cleanser.
6. Before filling the portafilter with coffee for later use, give it a good rinse.
Issue 2: Grinding Problems
When your machine possesses improper grinding problem, the there are few reasons for the same.
The first reason could be too fine grind setting.
The second reason could be related to the existence of excessive coffee in the basket if the machine isn’t pouring any coffee.
In such a case, you’ll need to modify the grind size and quantity to fix this grinding problem.
A. Set Proper Grind Size
First, you will have to find the grind size locator.
It ranges from 1 (very fine) to 16 (extremely coarse).
Set the grind size to five, however, you may change it later if necessary.
The coffee grind should be fine enough for nice espresso shots, but not powdered fine.
B. Adjust Proper Grind Amount
1. Locate the grind amount adjustment knob on the front of the machine.
2. Turn the knob counterclockwise to lower the grind amount and clockwise to raise it.
3. Set the grind amount to 3 o’clock and make any required adjustments.
4. Try to pull a shot to see whether the modification has worked.
This way, you will be able to adjust the grind amount as per your requirements.
If you properly set these two factors in your machine, then you will not face any grinding problems later on.
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2 Primary Reasons Why Water is not Coming out of Breville Barista Express
When it comes to getting proper water flow out of your Breville machine, there are 2 parts that are mainly responsible for its proper functioning.
The first part is group head and the second part is valve of the machine.
When there are issues with the functioning of these two parts, you will experience improper water flow problem.
Reason no. 1 is group head blockage and the reason no. 2 is malfunctioning valve.
Therfore, a malfunctioning valve and blocked group head are the two most common causes of no water flow from Breville Barista Express coffee machine.
5 Simple Steps to Fix the Water Flow Issue of Your Breville Barista Express
If the machine is vapor-locked, it will only take 6 minutes to resolve this issue.
So, the 5 simple steps are mentioned as follows.
1. The first thing you have to do is to wait for the machine to cool down completely.
Now fill its tank reservoir with the cool and clean water.
2. Clean the group head as well as steam wand properly with either vinegar or soapy water.
3. Keep the cups under the steam wand and brew head.
Cups should be placed beneath the brew head and the steam wand.
4. Switch on power button and open up the knob of the steam wand immediately.
5. Take two minutes and keep it on for the other 2 minutes.
Now, for 2 minutes, switch the brew button off but keep the steam wand open.
Now finally turn off the machine.
In most cases, the water will start flowing from the machine.
If a cup of water is out, it shows your issue is fixed.
If it is still not working, wait for the machine to cool down.
Now, repeat the whole process and check if it is now properly pumping water.
What to Do When Pump of the Breville Barista Express Goes Quietly
In this case, there can be a blockage in the thermos block.
The block when streaming or extracting, 3-way solenoid controls the water flow.
This happens because of the blockage in the solenoid.
The blockage causes all the water to dump into the drip tray and not to its actual destination.
The brewing pressure goes through the steam wand.
Also, check if there is any leakage in the steam wand.
Once you fix these issues, you will have a proper water flow in your machine.
What to do When You Want to Repair The Machine Yourself?
If you want to repair the Breville Barista Express machine all by yourself, then you’ll have perform the following actions.
1. First, you will need to remove five screws behind the water tank.
You will also have to remove two screws near the adhesive holder, and a water exit at the front.
2. Then you will be removing the grinder plate.
After that, you must also carefully pull the cover below the water tank, the three screws, and the bean hopper.
Once you remove all these parts carefully, then you can replace or repair the old worn out parts of your machine.
How Do You Unclog a Breville Barista Express Machine?
Most espresso machines have a water reservoir and filtration system in place.
They also come with steam and hot water nozzles that pour espresso and froth milk for specialty coffee beverages like cappuccinos.
Most espresso machines perform well with routine management and cleaning treatment.
If a clog or blockage arises, the equipment must be properly cleaned to remove that blockage and return to its normal operation.
Cleaning the unit after each usage while it is still warm is preferable.
Because it is pretty hard and tedious to clean the machine after the debris has hardened and saturated inside the parts of the machine.
Regardless of the manufacturer, troubleshooting a Delonghi, Breville, or Krups espresso machine follows the same cleaning routine.
5 Important Steps to Unclog the Breville Barista Express Machine
Step 1: Clean the Machine
To proceed, remove the filter holder and clean the filter of any coffee grounds.
Remove the filter basket and carefully rinse it.
Replace the filter basket in its original position.
Now, to detach the sleeve, unscrew the screw that keeps the steam valve in position and drop down on the steam valve.
To eliminate any powdered creamer residue or other things, it is important to clean it properly.
You can wash the sleeve with warm or hot water and detergent along with a cleansing sponge.
Step 2: Run the Steam
Steam is one of the most effective techniques for removing a blockage from an espresso machine.
Fill a cup halfway with water and place the steam wand inside the frother to make it function.
Allow the water to froth for a few seconds after turning the Steam Selector knob to the “Steam” option.
Switch off the steam selection.
Now, remove skim milk powder from the steam nozzle with a long pin if the nozzle is not steamed.
Close the lid by sliding the sleeve back onto the steam valve.
Step 3: Clean Brew Filter and Unit
Clean the unit and hold the handle.
Now, by pressing the release button, get the brew unit out.
Clean it using a sponge and warm water.
Do not use any type of dishwasher liquid to prevent unwanted results.
Also, clean the permanent filter in the funnel using a clean sponge to remove any coffee grounds.
Dry the funnel and return brew unit back to its original position.
Step 4: Descale Breville Barista Express Machine
Fill up the tank with clean water to descale the device.
Lock the storage tank and use descaling tablets provided by the manufacturer itself.
If you don’t have them, you can order them online too.
Click Here to Get Breville Barista Express Cleaning Tablets.
Now, select “Program” from the program selector, then “Descaling” from the menu.
Set a big container beneath the water nozzle and press “Start” or “Begin.”
I highly recommend to check out this guide to understand the complete descaling process.
Step 5: Clean the Steam Nozzle
Remove the sleeve from the steam nozzle.
While the descaling solution is processing, fill a pitcher with cold water and set the Selector Knob to the “Steam” sign.
Allow the steam to flow for 30 seconds after immersing the steam nozzle in the pitcher.
To decalcify the nozzle, repeat the process three times.
Remove the steam nozzle from the machine and dry it with a cloth.
That’s it and you are done with the whole cleaning and unclogging process of your Breville Barista Express machine.
How Do You Reset Breville Barista Express Machine?
All saved settings on your Breville espresso machine will be reset to default when you press “Reset” option.
Press and hold the program button until the espresso machine beeps three times.
After that, release the button to reset your Breville coffee maker.
The volume and temperature settings for espresso shots will revert to its default.
You may also reset it by putting it on standby, unplugging it from the socket for a few minutes, and then plugging it back in.
You can check out the following video to easily understand the whole resetting process of the machine.
Final Thoughts
The Breville Barista Express coffee machine is one of the most versatile and durable coffee machines in the market.
It can have few water flow issues after its long-time usage.
But don’t worry!
You now have a complete guide to check and understand the whole process of fixing water flow problem.
With the above given 5 steps, you can now easily fix the “no water” problem of your machine.
I highly recommend to regularly clean and unclog your coffee machine to enhance its efficiency and the taste of your coffee.
If you are planning to get the quality Breville espresso machine for your home then do check out my 3 best recommended coffee machines.
No. 1: Breville BES870XL Barista Express Espresso Machine
No. 2: Breville BES880BSS Barista Touch Espresso Machine
No. 3: Breville BES878BSS Barista Pro Espresso Machine
References:
https://www.theindoorhaven.com/breville-espresso-machine-how-to-troubleshooting-guide/
https://www.kevinandamanda.com/breville-barista-express/
https://caffin8.co.uk/blogs/coffee/clean-a-breville-sage-barista-express-coffee-machine