Coffee maker lights play a vital role during the brewing process. Through the lights, you get to know if your Keurig coffee machine is running smoothly or not. On that note, let’s discuss why Keurig lights keep on blinking and how you can fix them in case of a problem.
Keurig lights keep blinking because the tank filter or the puncture needle is not placed correctly or has blockages. Besides, when the Keurig brewer is interrupted or overworked, it becomes uncertain of what to do next, causing all the lights to blink.
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Reasons Why Various Keurig Lights Keep Blinking
Here are proven reasons why various Keurig lights are blinking and what you can do to fix them:
Keurig All Lights Flashing
The main causes all Keurig button lights are blinking are the charcoal filter and the puncture needle. The other cause could be the brewer system being unsure of what to do next. It mostly happens due to an abrupt interruption on what the coffee machine was working to achieve. These interruptions result from a breakdown in sensor signal or power change.
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How To Fix: First, try to reset the Keurig brain to return it to the usual operation mode. Keenly follow the steps below:
Step 1: Turn off the coffee machine. Ensure there is no operation going on, and the lights are blinking.
Step 2: Press the auto-off button and hold it for some seconds.
Step 3: Press the two-cup sizes and hold the buttons until the lights go out. For Keurig brewers with more than two-cup size options, press and hold the large serving size and the medium.
Step 4: When all the lights switch off, release the cup size buttons. At this point, the coffee machine should automatically turn itself on, ready for your next brew. But if it fails to do so, switch the brewer on by pressing the power button.
Additional Actions To Fix Keurig ‘All Lights Flashing’
If the steps above don’t work, fix the charcoal filter and the puncture needle by doing the following:
- Pour out all the water from the reservoir.
- Locate the valve at the tank bottom and check for blockages. Eliminate them, if any.
- Ensure you place the charcoal filter correctly in its holder.
- Refill your tank with clean water and return it to its place.
- Take out the cup pod from the Keurig brewer, select the cup size, whether 6 oz or 8 oz, and run water only brew cycle. If the volume of water collected in the measuring cup matches the size you chose, your brewer is in check. However, if not, you might have to replace your charcoal filter.
- If the problem persists, thoroughly clean the puncture needle and run a brew cycle with water again.
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Keurig Descale Light Blinking
The primary reason ‘Keurig Descale Light’ blinks is clogging/blockages is due to material buildup. The water you use for brewing contains minerals like calcium and magnesium. Failure to clean your brewer regularly causes these minerals to accumulate in it.
How to Fix: Descale the coffee machine with a descaling solution or white vinegar. Once you are done with the descaling process, the light will automatically turn off. With the K Duo Keurig models, you have to press-hold the 10-once and 8-once buttons for some seconds.
But if the light remains lit, run another brew cycle with the descaling solution. Probably the mineral content is so high, or you have stayed for quite a long time without descaling your brewer.
Keurig Add Water Light Flashing
Probably, the water level in the water reservoir is low. But if the water reservoir is full, but the ‘Add Water’ light keeps blinking, possible causes include:
- You use distilled water, making the brewer’s sensor fail to detect it. That’s because the water level sensors for most brewers are electrical and work by sensing the mineral count in the water. Failure to detect distilled water makes the coffee machine assume there is no water in the water reservoir.
- You have not placed the water reservoir on its Keurig base properly.
- There is a blockage in the water tank.
How to Fix: The following troubleshooting options will help fix the issue:
1. Check the water reservoir to see if it is settled correctly on the Keurig base. You can take it out and place it back the proper way.
2. If that fails to work, remove the water reservoir, empty all the water, and thoroughly clean it. Turn the water reservoir upside down and examine the valve at the tank’s bottom. Get rid of clogs, if any. Also, inspect the base unit valve and ensure it is not clogged.
3. Make sure you use bottled or filtered water in your water reservoir. Distilled water is not an ideal option for brewing because it completely lacks minerals. Therefore, some brewers cannot detect it.
4. If the options above fail to work, the other alternative would be to descale your coffee maker.
Brew Button Blinking Red (K-Mini Plus and K 15)
When the Keurig coffee maker is heating up, the brew button often flashes red. The red light later becomes steady during the brewing process. With that, there is nothing to worry about.
However, it should concern you if the brew button continuously flashes red for an extended time than usual. In fact, if it goes beyond three minutes, contact the manufacturer for further guidance and assistance.
Also read: Bugs In a Keurig: Why & How To Get Rid Of Them
Frother Light Flashing
With the Keurig K café, you get two frother alerts. If the frother base light is pulsing, it is possible you are attempting to froth your milk when the coffee machine is still preparing the brew. You will have to wait for the brewing process to complete. Thereafter, the frother will start to function.
If all Keurig frother base lights are blinking, it can be because of these three reasons:
- Inadequate milk inside the frother.
- The frother is not securely attached to the brewer’s base.
- The whisk is not attached inside the frother properly.
How to Fix: Check the milk level in the frother and add more if not enough. Also, ensure that the whisk and the frother are correctly placed and attached.
Power Button and Clock Blinking
This error mostly happens to Keurig K-Elite coffee makers. In certain instances, the problem makes the clock to reset.
To fix the problem, unplug the brewer from the wall power outlet. Thereafter, plug in the coffee maker back to the power source and press the power button. Contact the Keurig support desk if the issue persists after doing this.
Must read: How Often Do I Change Keurig Filter?
Final Thoughts
I believe by now you know why your Keurig lights keep blinking. Luckily, there is nothing serious to give you sleepless nights. That’s because most of the blinking lights issues are easy to fix, and some are not even problems. In just a few seconds, you will see your brewer up and running again.