Breville Barista Express Steam Wand Spitting Water – 4 Main Reasons and 5 Solutions

Have you recently purchased a brand new Breville Barista Express coffee machine at your home and experiencing the problem of steam wand spitting water everywhere when you turn on the machine?

In this article, I will actually share the real reasons behind the steam wand spitting water when Breville Barista Expresso machine is turned on.

Also, I will provide their simple solutions to fix this problem quickly on your own.

The simple procedure to fix this problem is as follows.

Step 1: If the Breville Barista Express spits water each time you use the wand, you must first “clean” the steam wand properly.

Place the wand over the drip tray and set the dial to “steam.”

Nothing happens at first.

But after 10-15 seconds, the water starts dripping and turns into steam.

Step 2: Let the steam run for a few seconds, then put it back on standby.

If the Breville Barista Express Steamer Wand is still spitting water, then there can be other factors involved.

Those issues can be water tank leaks, broken parts, or contamination.

Whatever the issue is the main solution is usually proper cleaning and unclogging of the steam wand of your coffee machine.

If the steam wand is damaged or broken, then you must get it replaced with the new one.

Stay tuned to understand all the issues that cause problems in the Breville machine’s steam wand and also know their easy solutions.

Table of Contents

Is Water Supposed to Come out of Breville Barista Express Steam Wand?

Yes, the water automatically comes out of steam wand of Breville Barista Express machine when you just start the machine.

It keeps spitting water until it becomes steam.

When you see that water has converted into steam, then just close the steam.

Now, you can place the steam wand inside the milk and then switch on the steam again.

3 Main Reasons Why Water Comes out of the Steam Wand of Your Breville Barista Express

Following are the main reasons your Breville Barista Express steam wand leaks water and starts spitting it out when you start your machine.

Reason 1: Damaged Water Reservoir

The first and foremost reason for water leaking from your Breville Barista Express is a damaged water tank on your machine.

The machine has two plastic fittings that stretch with regular use and may be causing the leak.

Problems can quickly arise if you regularly plug and unplug the water tank.

If the water tank is damaged or water tank is not cleaned properly, the steam wand can also start leaking out the water when it is turned on.

Reason 2: Drip Tray Leakage

Many Breville users mistakenly believe that the drip tray fills quickly only when something is spilled.

However, the trays collect the drain water from the machine and overflow more often than you might think.

You will usually notice water leaking from the front of the coffee maker.

Reason 3: Lack of Steam Wand Cleaning

It is very important for you to keep the machine parts such as portafilter, group head, and the steam wand clean and debris free.

More often, coffee particles and milk residue get stuck in the portafilter, group head and the steam wand.

They need to be regularly flushed and wiped clean in order to function them properly.

Every 4-5 months, you need to perform a deep cleaning of these Breville machine’s important parts.

Otherwise, steam wand starts spitting water everywhere due to lack of proper maintenance and cleaning.

Reason 4: Damaged Machine Components

Breville espresso machine is manufactured using complex pieces of equipment.

Coffee maker components can wear out and break after certain period of time.

Some of the most common broken parts that cause water leakage through the machine’s steam wand and other parts are provided as follows.

A, Water Tank: If your Breville espresso machine leaks water, it may be due to a burst water tank.

When this happens, you will usually see a small puddle on the back of the machine.

If the tank ruptures a lot, it will leak water fairly quickly.

B, Portafilter: Coffee can spill out of the portafilter and wear down the internal head gasket over time.

In this case, water may leak or drip from the machine, although it is not intended.

This area is also prone to clogging with coffee grounds and oil, so it needs to be cleaned regularly.

Click Here to Learn How to Clean Breville Machine’s Portafilter with Vinegar.

C, Pressure Hose: The hose of the machine pressurizes the hot water before it passes through the portafilter.

Clogged or cracked hoses can cause water and coffee leaks.

A clogged hose can result in poor coffee output and leaks at the bottom of the machine.

Perforated hoses have drip leaks that take longer to notice.

A bursting hose wreaks havoc.

These leaks should be repaired immediately to prevent further deterioration.

Recommended Articles for You:

5 Reasons Why Breville Barista Express Steam Wand Does not Work

5 Steps to Solve Water Flow Issue of Breville Barista Express Machine

3 Best Grind Settings of Breville Barista Express

4 Main Reasons that Cause Programming Malfunction in Breville Espresso Machine

5 Solutions to Fix a Leaking Steam Wand of Breville Barista Express Machine

The best solution to this problem is to wipe and flush the steam wand properly and also to clean and unclog it to remove any internal clogging problems.

You can also remove the water tank and reinstall it properly on the machine.

Also, be sure to clean the water tank and the machine parts before putting the water tank back in place.

Solution 1: Descale Your Machine Properly

This is the first and the most important step you need to perform when you see steam wand leakage issues in your Breville machine.

All types of coffee oil residue, debris and limescale buildup goes away when you properly descale and clean your machine internally.

The best solution for descaling any Breville coffee machine is the company recommended Breville Descaling Tablets.

Use these descaling tablets to properly clean and unclog your Breville espresso machine every 2-3 months at least.

Solution 2: Fix the Damaged Water Tank

A punctured water tank can be repaired to prevent water loss when the Breville Barista Express steam wand starts spitting water.

You can use industrial tape for this.

If the problem persists, please contact the official Breville support team to replace the old water tank with the new one as soon as possible.

Solution 3: Perform Thorough Cleaning of Steam Wand

In order to fix steam wand water leakage problem, you also need to clean it thoroughly and properly.

Just cleaning the tip of the steam wand or cleaning it from outside will not fix this problem completely.

You will need to also clean the other end of the steam wand where there is a pressure cabin attached to a fitting.

If you are using your Breville espresso machine for more than a year, then this fitting part may get calcified and it obviously requires through cleaning.

You need to also clean these parts if you want to completely solve steam wand leaking problem.

I recommend using Urnex Rinza Steam Wand / Milk Frother Cleaner to get the best cleaning results.

Solution 4: Fix Damaged Steam Wand Gasket

Sometimes, the steam wand gasket gets damaged or broken due to years of wear and tear.

This internal part of the steam wand can be removed only by unscrewing it from the machine.

If you find that this part is damaged, then you need to replace it with the new one.

You can get in touch with Breville customer support to get it fixed or replaced.

Solution 5: Clean up the Nozzle

If your Breville coffee machine’s nozzle is blocked or clogged, then also it can affect the performance of the steam wand.

You can quickly fix the problem of water leaking out of the machine by cleaning the nozzle.

To fix this issue, reset the machine’s grind settings.

You can also clean the nozzle with a fine needle or a sharp object. 

A needle at the nozzle head exit can be used to clean the head from blocking and clogging.

References:

https://www.justanswer.com/small-appliance/hygow-breville-barista-pro-spitting-water-steam-wand.html

https://www.fixya.com/support/t27353635-breville_home_espresso_machine

https://www.beanpoet.com/why-is-my-breville-espresso-machine-leaking/

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