Seeing a blinking or solid red light on your Delonghi Magnifica? With a multitude of warning lights, it can be daunting.
Don’t worry, this guide is here to clarify each signal, ensuring you can enjoy your coffee without a hitch. Let’s get to it!
How To Fix Flashing Red Lights On A Delonghi Magnifica?
There are several flashing red light indicators on the Delonghi Magnifica. The red light indicators are different from the error messages that some Magnifica models can show.
Here’s a list of all of them:
The Water Tank Light Is Flashing Red
When the water tank light is flashing red, there are two potential solutions you can try:
The Water Flow Is Too Slow
Most of the time, if the water tank light is flashing red, it indicates that the water flow is too slow. This is often caused by the grinder that is grinding the beans too finely.
With the DeLonghi Magnifica, there is a grind-size dial inside the coffee bean container. Setting 1 is the finest grind while setting 7 is the coarsest.
If the coffee flow is too slow, consider using a coarser grind.
To adjust the dial, follow these steps:
- Press the brew button.
- While the coffee grinder is running, adjust the dial one click towards 7.
- Do not move the dial all the way to 7 in a single adjustment. Instead, change it by one click for every two cups of coffee brewed.
- Try out a different setting until the red flashing light is off.
After adjusting the grind size setting, it’s essential to brew two cups. This ensures any finer grounds left in the chute from previous brews are cleared out.
Brewing just one cup could give a misleading indication of the actual grind size needed.
Even if you’ve selected the correct grind, the red flashing light might not turn off after just one cup. Therefore, always brew two cups after changing the grind size by one click.
Water In The Heating Component Is Too Hot
If the red water tank light on the Magnifica is flashing, it might be because the water in the tank is too hot to brew, which often occurs after using the steam wand briefly.
You can either wait a few minutes for the water to cool down or turn the steam knob to the “I” position to dispense the hot water from the tank.
After you’ve dispensed about a cup of hot water, turn the steam wand off. The flashing red light on the water tank should then go off.
The Coffee Bean Container Light Is Flashing Red
When the coffee bean container light flashes red, it indicates that you’ve selected the pre-ground coffee function but haven’t added pre-ground coffee to the funnel yet.
To address this, you can either add pre-ground coffee to the funnel (found on the top of the machine under the same cover where you pour the beans).
Or switch off the pre-ground function and brew a coffee using the standard grinder function.
The Rinsing/Descaling Light Flashes Red
This light flashing red can be caused by two things:
The Delonghi Magnifica Needs To Be Descaled
When the rinsing/descaling light flashes, it usually indicates that the machine needs descaling.
To do this, you’ll need a Delonghi Descaling Solution.
Descaling Process:
- Remove the water tank and pour 100 ml of the descaler into the tank.
- Fill the tank with water up to the line with a “B” (about 1 liter). Then, place the tank back in the machine.
- Place a 1.5-liter container under the hot water spout.
- Hold the rinsing/descaling button on the machine for 5 seconds to begin the descaling process.
- Open the steam dial. The machine will run the descaling solution through. (Don’t press any buttons until it’s finished as this can mess up the process.)
- Once the water light turns on, stop the process by turning the steam dial back and empty the used solution.
Rinsing Process:
- Fill the tank with fresh water up to the max line.
- Run the machine again with just water to rinse out any remaining descale solution.
- Once finished, turn the steam dial back to stop.
- Refill the water tank.
Your machine is now descaled and ready to make coffee.
Here is a great video made by De’Longhi that explains the process:
The Machine Needs A Coffee Bean Refill
Another reason the rinse/descale light might flash is if the coffee beans have run out. Refilling the coffee bean container should resolve this.
In rare instances, even after descaling and refilling the beans, the light might keep flashing.
This could be due to an obstruction in the grinder, this often goes together with unusually loud noises from the grinder.
You could try to fix it by following the link above. However, if you don’t want to disassemble your Magnifica, it’s advisable to contact customer support.
Should your machine still be under warranty, they’ll likely replace it at no cost. Otherwise, they might offer a significant discount on a new machine.
The General Alarm Light Flashes Red
When the general alarm light flashes red, it indicates that the service door is open.
To fix this, simply close the service door fully. This is the door through which you can access the grounds container, drip tray, and infuser assembly.
Four of The Five Lights Flash Alternately
The infuser is either not correctly in place or is missing. This usually happens if you’ve cleaned the infuser and forgotten to put it back, or if you didn’t install it properly.
Ensure the infuser assembly in the coffee machine is properly inserted and free from obstructions.
Clean any debris from its claws using needle-nose pliers. Check for any obstructions from the small plastic piece above one claw.
If issues continue, unplug the machine, wait, and plug it back in to reset.
Keep in mind that some Magnifica models have a safety feature that prevents the infuser assembly from being removed while the machine is hot.
Always ensure the machine is completely cooled down before attempting to remove or install the infuser assembly.
The Bean Container Light And Alarm Light Flash Alternately
The flashing of these two lights alternately has the same cause as the four lights discussed above.
The difference is that the two lights begin flashing when the Delonghi Magnifica is just turned on with either the infuser assembly not correctly inserted or the service door slightly open.
To address this, press the “Push” button on the infuser assembly until you hear a click, ensuring that the two red claws/buttons snap out. Additionally, make sure the service door is fully closed.
The Bean Container Light And Alarm Light Flash Simultaneously
When the bean container light and general alarm light flash simultaneously, it indicates that the pre-ground coffee funnel is clogged.
Open the cover and use a brush or another appropriate tool to clear the funnel of any blockages from the pre-ground coffee.
How To Fix Solid Red Lights On Delonghi Magnifica?
There are two solid red light indicators on the Delonghi Magnifica:
The Water Tank Light Is On Solid Red
Add water to the reservoir until it’s full and make sure the water tank is pushed in completely until it clicks.
If the red light is still on after this then the water tank may need cleaning.
You can clean it with vinegar and a brush. Especially scrub around the water exit port as this can easily clog and remove any white mineral spots you see.
The Ground Container Light Is On Solid
When the ‘ground container’ light is solid, it indicates that the ground container is either full of coffee pucks or not in place.
First, remove the drip tray and the ground container. Then, empty and clean them both. When removing the drip tray, always ensure that the ground container is completely emptied.
The Delonghi Magnifica does not measure the actual capacity of the ground container. Instead, it counts the number of pucks dispensed since the last time the drip tray was removed.
As a result, if the ground container isn’t emptied completely when the drip tray is removed, it may eventually overfill without providing a warning.
Conclusion
The Delonghi Magnifica’s red light warnings serve as handy guides to ensure optimal machine performance.
Whether it’s adjusting the grind, refilling beans, or regular descaling, each light offers a specific cue for maintenance.
By promptly addressing these signals, you can ensure your coffee remains top-notch and your machine runs smoothly. Think of these alerts as tools for perfecting each brew rather than obstacles.
Thanks for reading!