Your Coffee Maker Makes Weak, Watery Or Cold Coffee

Has your espresso coffee machine suddenly begun making weak-looking coffee, which is also cold to boot? Here we reveal the possible causes for this problem and how to resolve it.

THE POSSIBLE CAUSES FOR THIS ISSUE:

• The brewing mechanism is furred up with limescale

• The temperature control thermostat is faulty

• The temperature sensor is defective

• The safety thermostat has been activated

• The heating element is defective

• The circuit board is defective

WARNING
Before you do anything to your appliance, make sure you disconnect it from the power supply.
There is a risk of electric shock.

The brewing mechanism is furred up with limescale

The brewing mechanism is responsible for making the hot drink, e.g. coffee, and it does this completely automatically and without the need for human intervention. If it's burnt, blocked or furred up with limescale, it will not close properly and too much water will be added to the water-coffee mixture. The resulting coffee will be both very light in colour and unpleasant to the taste. If this is happening in your case, we recommend cleaning your coffee machine. Should this not resolve the issue, you will very likely need to replace it.

Purchase a descaler

The temperature control thermostat is faulty

The temperature control thermostat cuts off the water once it's reached the right temperature. If it's faulty, the water produced will not be hot enough, preventing the coffee from brewing to the right strength. Your coffee may thus end up weaker and lighter in colour than normal. If this is happening in your case, you will probably need to replace the temperature control thermostat.

The temperature sensor is defective

Some coffee machines are fitted with a temperature sensor. This sensor serves both to regulate the water temperature and signal to the main circuit board (PCB) that the correct temperature has been reached. If it's defective, the water produced will not be hot enough and the coffee will not brew to the right strength. The coffee may thus end up weaker and lighter in colour than normal. If the sensor is faulty, you will need to replace it.

The safety thermostat has been activated

The safety thermostat cuts the electricity to the coffee machine's heating element if it overheats. Overheating is usually caused by a build-up of limescale impeding the heating tubes. Check the condition of the tubes and descale them if necessary. If the thermostat is defective or activated, the coffee produced by the machine may be weak in colour, and cold.

Purchase a descaler

The heating element is defective

The heating element heats the water before it's dispensed. If it is defective, it will no longer be able to heat the water. This could result in the coffee produced being weak in colour, and cold. If this is happening in your case, you will probably need to replace the heating element on your coffee machine.

The circuit board is defective

The main circuit board (PCB) manages all the functions of your espresso coffee machine (switching on, pump, heating element, etc.). If everything else detailed above has been checked and the water still isn't heating up, it may be that the circuit board needs replacing. You can either replace this yourself or call on the services of a manufacturer-approved engineer.