How to Repair Espresso Machine? -

‘Don’t talk to me before I have my coffee’ if this is your usual morning dialogue then a broken espresso machine causes a lot of damage. But getting a new machine can effectively break your bank. So, repairing the machine can be a viable option.

So, how to repair an espresso machine? You can do that in so many ways, but first, you have to pinpoint what the problem initially is. After that, you can take a look at that and try to fix it yourself.

If you are anything like me, then going for a day without coffee isn’t an option. So, put on your mechanic glasses because I’m about to drop some lessons on repairing an espresso machine.

Remember, I said that depending on the wound, the patient needs medications? So depending on the problem I’m going to tell you what to do. Here are some problems and their probable solutions

Repairing an Espresso Machine: DIY Guide

Espresso Machine Making a Lot of Noise

This is a definite sign that your espresso machine needs some attention. In this case, there can be some parts that need repair or replacement. For example, a broken pump can lead to these noises. Now, check the valve if the valve is okay then probably it’s the coil. Check for damages there.

It’s a process of checking and identifying where the problem is exactly.

The Espresso Machine Isn’t Pumping water

Sometimes there occurs a problem that the machine doesn’t draw any water. You turn it on, and you hear the motor running, but no water is being drawn out that strange. In these cases, first, remove the water softener or the particle filter first.

Get a small hand pump or a turkey baster. Obviously, the one that fits properly and gets a syringe of the same size. Now, turn the machine off, and with the help of the turkey baster or the hand, pump push some water into the hose.

After you are done filling the hose, keep it like that so the water cannot escape, and turn the coffee machine right back on. And turn the hot water switch after. If there’s no hot water switch, then turn the coffee switch on.

After it had sucked the water off the turkey baster, put it back in a bowl of water where the hose isn’t touching anything and let it run for a while.

And voila! After it heats up, the water starts pumping right away. Let this contraption of yours run for a while and put it back together as it was. You got your problem fixed. How simple was that?

But keep in mind, there are a lot of machines now with a thermal block that’s dual-purpose; it runs both steam and hot water. In those cases, before turning the power on, you would want to hit the coffee switch on.

Group Head Has Broken

The rubber circle thing that sits on the face of the espresso machine where you lock the coffee in is the group head. And over time, the rubber can get brittle or even melt with age.

The first red flag about the group head is that after even you lock the handle, water seems to seep out and find its way to the basket. Note that this will affect the quality of your espresso shot.

Secondly, when you lock in the handle, it goes beyond 90 degrees. These two are indicators that you have used the group seals well, and now it’s time to let go. A group seal costs no more than 5 to 10 dollars in the local shops. So replace that as soon as you can.

Slow Dripping or Slow Coffee Making

Nobody likes a machine that’s slow at its job. As a matter of fact, I don’t even like humans that are slow at their jobs. So, what can be the issue in this case? It might just be the solenoids of your espresso machine.

These are the electrical valves of the machine that might be the culprit in this case. Sometimes water passes through when the valves are closed, and that results in slow coffee production. In this case, it sometimes needs replacement.

In order to do so, you first have to remove the fore panel and unhinge the breaker. After that, remove all the nuts, screws, and wires to take the coil of the machine off. And finally, remove the parts that are in dire need of replacement.

Then get a new one and just replace it to run the espresso machine like a new one again.

My Espresso Machine Won’t Turn on

So, the machine isn’t even turning on. This indicates either sillier problems or a bigger problem for which you need an actual espresso machine technician.

First of all, do check if you are fully plugged in with electricity. Some of us did make that mistake before. And then check if the water line is properly connected or not. If those boxes are checked, then the problem is internal.

Now there is always a switch in most of our appliances, actually, it is a fuse barrier. A fuse initially protects your appliances if there’s a sudden surge of electricity blow. This sudden blast of electricity can break your appliances, and a fuse protects you from that.

So, if your espresso machine isn’t starting at all, it can be that the fuse had failed to connect the machine to electricity so check that. And, if that doesn’t solve the problem, check the sensors too. Make replacements as needed.

Final Words

If you are still wondering how to repair an espresso machine then there are some more insightful videos and books online waiting for you. But this isn’t an easy task at all, so DIY at your own risk. Don’t break a perfectly good machine in hopes of repairing it.

A good espresso machine costs a lot nowadays. And in the meanwhile, if you are craving some coffee, local baristas would be more than happy to serve.