Just like waking up to a hot cup of coffee in your house, offering coffee in your office for both guests and employees is an important asset for your business. Regardless of age, gender, ethnicity and food taste, coffee is usually a great equalizer. A coffee machine offers the best hygienic method of providing a hot cup of coffee to your guests, as they are able to choose their preference while serving themselves. However, it comes with many challenges, from keeping the beans and milk fresh to troubleshooting the machine. Below are four common issues faced by coffee machines and some quick fixes for each.
1. Water Clog
If your coffee maker has a slow inflow of water, there must be a blockage in one of its tubes. This blockage is mostly caused by debris on the liquid tube. Therefore, check your tube to confirm that there are no blockages, and clear them if any are found. Water clogs may also be formed by a faulty timer, thermostat and pump valve. Professional help is required to inspect and repair any of these items as you may risk damaging your coffee machine if you do it yourself.
2. Brewed Coffee Doesn't Retain Its Warmth
You may notice that once the coffee is brewed, it doesn't remain warm as expected. Normally, the heating element may be faulty, causing the issue. In such cases, you can use an electrical tester to check the functioning of the heating element. In addition, you may check the auto shut switch position. If the heating element is the problem, contact a professional for a replacement.
3. Machine Not Powering On
When your machine is not powering on when plugged, check if your fuse is blown, whether the on/off switch is in the correct position and whether the safety thermal switch is tipped. If the problem is the on/off switch, just flip it back to the right position. A tipped safety thermal switch is caused by overheating of the machine — thus, wait for the machine to cool off before tipping it back. In cases where the fuse is blown, call for a professional to diagnose and solve the problem before replacing the switch.
4. Leaking
Depending on the age and quality of your appliance, it is bound to leak at some point. When you notice water patches underneath or on the sides of your coffee maker, confirm if the water is hot or cold. Water leaking is caused by a problem in the tubes; hence, check the tubing system to make sure that it has no issues.
It's important to note that not all problems are fixable by a layman. Therefore, always be in contact with your manufacturer or a coffee machine repairs provider in case of emergencies.
Share15 February 2019
Hi, my name is Pip. I work in the kitchen of a large hotel as a chef. Unfortunately, for a few months, the commercial refrigeration units in the kitchen kept breaking down. The manager of the hotel was very slow to act, so I had to figure out how to fix them myself. I searched the internet and read DIY books. In the end, I realised it was a faulty coil which was causing the problem. I replaced it, and the refrigeration unit has worked flawlessly ever since. Doing this inspired me to use my new found knowledge to fix other appliances, and I decided to start a blog to document my repairs