All office coffee machines go through a fair amount of cleaning and maintenance over the course of their usable lifespan. And it’s clear to see why coffee machine problems continue to rise. These machines are filled up with coffee beans, cocoa powders, milk, and water on a daily basis. And with so many nozzles, filters, and pumps that need to be cleared out, a few mechanical failures and other coffee machine problems should be expected here and there.
But the last thing anybody wants is for their office coffee machine to stop working in the middle of a jam-packed workday. Not only can this greatly hinder productivity, but it can also pose a large organisational disruption that eats up the time, attention, and energy of your office manager and other staff.
So how do you deal with your coffee machine not working in a swift manner? Or better still, how do you reduce your risks of experiencing mechanical breakdowns and other performance issues?
Today, we’ll be sharing some insights into coffee machine problems and their solutions, alongside providing our top tips for prolonging the life and performance of your own office coffee machine.
Top coffee machine problems and their solutions:
Before we look at how you can prolong the usable lifespan of your office coffee machine, let’s first outline some top troubleshooting tips for common coffee machine problems.
- Water leaking from the coffee machine
- Steam and heating element failure
- Bean grinding is too coarse
- Produced coffee is too bitter
- Coffee machine is overheated or making weird sounds
Here are some of the most common coffee machine problems you’re likely to encounter as well as the best solutions to help get your machine back up and running in time for your mid-afternoon brew.
Water leaking from the coffee machine
Water leaks are amongst one of the most common coffee machine problems experienced today. Depending on where the leak is situated, however, this particular operational problem can be caused by a few different things.
If your machine is leaking dirty water, then it’s highly likely that your drain hose is blocked up. This can be caused by coffee grounds or other bulky waste falling into your machine’s drip tray. Clearing out your drain hose with hot water or a degreaser can rectify this particular problem.
If water is leaking from your machine’s group handle, however, then this could indicate that the sealant between pipes and your grouphead has worn away or has been breached due to some mishandling. This could also be caused by a loose plumbing or water mains connection. This particular issue is best handled by an experienced machine technician.
Steam and heating element failure
It can be frustrating when you try to make a cup of tea or froth some milk with your coffee machine and find that your hot water dispenser is only providing ice cold water or that your steam nozzle isn’t steaming at all. In some cases, this coffee machine problem can be resolved by simply cleaning out your steam nozzle and inspecting whether your machine’s water pipe is cleaned and correctly positioned.
Sadly, if neither of these troubleshooting methods has provided the desired results, then there’s a chance your machine’s heating element has failed. If you suspect that your coffee machine is not working or heating elements have failed, then you will need to sort out a repair or secure replacement parts from a certified technician.
Bean grinding is too coarse
If your coffee machine is failing to grind coffee beans as finely as you may like, then there are actually a few different steps you can take to rectify this particular coffee machine problem. First, check to see if your grinder settings are actually set to ‘fine’. From here, check the condition of your grinder blades. If they’ve become blunt at all, it’s likely they’ll need to be replaced.
Coarser grinding or a failure to grind can also be indicative of a clog or build-up in your machine’s grinder. Again, simply clearing out your grinder can help get your coffee machine fully operational once again.
Produced coffee is too bitter
If your machine has suddenly started to brew coffee that’s increasingly bitter to taste, then it’s likely due to your coffee machine filters being clogged up with old grounds or even due to chemical imbalances in tap water that’s running through your machine. These problems can be rectified by simply cleaning your coffee machine after use and using distilled water instead of tap water. Distilled water will be guaranteed to have less chlorine, magnesium, and other minerals which may contribute to the bitter taste of your brew.
This issue could also easily be caused by your coffee beans becoming stale. Thankfully, this can be solved by simply buying new coffee beans, capsules, and other coffee products for your coffee machine.
And if you’re not sure what kind of coffee beans you want to buy for your office, then you can easily schedule a free coffee tasting for your workplace, courtesy of your specialist here at Corporate Coffee Solutions.
Coffee machine is overheating or making weird sounds
If you have an espresso coffee machine that seems to be overheating or making weird sounds when it’s switched on, then it’s highly likely that your machine is in dire need of a servicing appointment. These coffee machine problems are typically caused by an overworking motor or some of the other mechanical components of your coffee machine working against excess force or pressure.
In order to reduce the risks of your coffee machine experiencing a total mechanical failure, it’s strongly recommended that you call up your service and repair technician to ensure that your machine is inspected and tested to a professional standard.
What to do if your coffee machine is not working
If after all this troubleshooting, you’re still facing the same coffee machine problems (or you’ve even accidentally accrued some new problems), then the best step to take from here is to call a dedicated coffee machine repair service. We recommend securing an appointment with coffee machine technicians who will be able to expertly troubleshoot your coffee machine not working alongside being able to provide routine servicing that ensures preventative maintenance is conducted on your commercial machine.
Our coffee machine technicians at Corporate Coffee Solutions can arrive straight to your office space in order to conduct preventative maintenance on-site. When you book a technical service appointment with our coffee machine technicians, you can also be rest assured that you’re receiving support from highly trained and experienced repair staff with all the most up-to-date technical knowledge. Our coffee machine repair technicians can also provide you with spare parts for your office coffee machine, in the event that they are required.
If your coffee machine is still not working following servicing and repairs with your technicians, then there’s a chance that you may need to replace your coffee machine with a newer model.
How you can avoid coffee machine problems in the future
As you can see, most of the common coffee machine problems on this list can be rectified by routine cleaning and maintenance or servicing. As long as you stay on top of the recommended servicing schedule for your coffee machine, your workplace should be able to enjoy this delectable investment for years to come.
Want to see what a coffee machine can bring to your workplace? Then simply contact the team at Corporate Coffee Solutions today to set you up with a coffee machine that perfectly caters to the size and brewing needs of your workplace.
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