Experiencing issues with your Keurig K-Duo not pumping water on the K-cup side? You’re in the right place. In this guide, we’ll walk you through some simple steps to troubleshoot and fix this common issue.
Refer to this article if the carafe side of your K-Duo is not working properly. Let’s dive right in to get your Keurig brewing perfectly again.
How To Fix A Keurig K-Duo That Is Not Pumping Water?
Here is the short answer:
- Unclog the tubes by using a turkey baster or straw to push water through the tubes.
- If the add water light is on, make sure the tank is full. If the light stays on, shake the tank and fill it to the max line.
- Use a paperclip or maintenance cup to clean the needles and vinegar to clean the tank.
- Run a descaling cycle to remove any residue.
- If all else fails, reach out to Keurig’s customer service.
Let’s dive deeper into these solutions below!
There Is An Air bubble Or Scales Clogging The Tubes
If your Keurig K-Duo coffee maker isn’t pumping water, it’s usually because air or hard water deposits are blocking the tubes.
This can happen when the machine tries to draw water, but the tank is empty, it ends up sucking in air instead.
Or if you haven’t cleaned your K-Duo for a while, mineral buildup can occur. These minerals can block the tubes, preventing water from flowing through.
Here is how to unclog the tubes of your Keurig K-Duo:
- Fill your K-Duo water tank halfway.
- Use something like a turkey baster to suck up some water from the tank.
- Put the turkey baster on the water suction port that takes water into the tank.
- Press the “K” button to start brewing and at the same time, squeeze the baster to push water into the machine.
If you don’t have a turkey baster, a straw or a syringe could also do the job.
If the above steps didn’t work, you could try another way:
- Remove the water tank from the coffee maker.
- Attach a tube to the water suction port in the coffee maker that draws in water. Make sure the tube fits well.
- Fill the tube with water.
- Blow air into the other end of the tube.
The tubes inside should now be unclogged from any scales or air bubbles.
This solution doesn’t only work wonders with your Keurig K-Duo. It could also help you clear a blockage in a Keurig K-Mini, and unclog the Keurig K-Slim.
The “Add Water” Light Is On
When the ‘add water’ light on your Keurig K-Duo is on, the coffee maker won’t be able to pump water.
To fix this issue, start by ensuring there’s enough water in the water container.
If the container is full but the ‘add water’ light stays on, try shaking the container a bit. This can help unstuck the floating device that detects water, which may be stuck due to mineral build-up. Cleaning the tank with a mild detergent can stop this from happening again.
Another thing you could try to get the water light off is to fill the water tank to its highest mark to ensure enough pressure on the water intake port.
If these steps don’t solve the add water light problem, refer to the full guide on what to do if the ‘add water’ light doesn’t turn off.
Clean The Needles And Water Tank
If the previous two fixes didn’t solve the issue, the Keurig K-Duo might not be pumping water because the water tank or the needles could be blocked.
Clean The Needles
To clean the needles of your Keurig K-Duo, you can use a maintenance cup or a paperclip.
With the maintenance cup, turn off your coffee machine and fill the cup halfway with water. Place the cup inside the machine, open and close the lid five times, remove the cup, and turn the machine back on.
Alternatively, you can unclog the needles with a paperclip. Unplug the coffee machine, turn it on its back, and open the lid. Use a paperclip to clean the three holes around the needle located in the lid.
The needle in the K-cup holder can also get clogged. Clean it by taking out the holder, disassembling it, and using a paperclip to clear the hole in the needle. Then rinse it with water.
Reassemble the machine, run water through it to clear out remaining grinds, and optionally descale. Your machine should now be ready to brew coffee again.
Clean The Water Tank
To clean your K-Duo’s water tank, start by removing the tank and emptying out the water. Then, fill the K-duo’s water suction port with vinegar and let it sit for roughly 30 minutes.
While you’re waiting, take a brush, add some vinegar or a light detergent, and scrub the water inlet on the water tank. Inside this inlet, you’ll find a small spring. Make sure this spring is entirely free of mineral deposits or other types of build-up.
Your Keurig K-Duo Needs Descaling
After attempting the three previous solutions, it’s recommended to perform a descaling cycle on your Keurig K-Duo. This helps to eliminate any remaining scale or residue that might have been dislodged when you were fixing the blockage.
I wrote a full guide on how to descale your Keurig K-Duo, but here is the short version:
- Add Descaling Solution: Empty the water reservoir and remove the water filter if it’s there. Pour an entire bottle of Keurig descaling solution into the water tank. To maintain a 1:1 ratio, fill the same descaling solution bottle with water and add that to the tank. It’s okay if the tank is not filled to the max.
- Start Descaling Process: Place a large cup on the drip tray. Press the pod button, choose the 12 oz cup size, and press the “K” Button. Discard the liquid in the cup. Then, select the 12 oz cup size on the carafe side, press the “K” button again, and turn off the heating plate. Let it sit for 30 minutes without lifting the lid or unplugging the machine. The descaling solution will clean the heating element and tubes. Note: do not press the “K” button again even if the “add water” light flashes to avoid getting air bubbles in the tubes.
- Rinse and Clean: After 30 minutes, discard any remaining descaling solution, clean the tank with soap and water, and refill it with fresh water. Rinse both the pod and carafe side four times using the 12 oz button.
- Turn Off Descale Light: To deactivate the descale light, press the 8 and 10 oz buttons at the same time for three seconds. Now, you can brew coffee as usual.
The Last Thing You Could Try
If none of the previous solutions helped, your final option is to reach out to Keurig’s customer service.
If your coffee maker is still under warranty, they’ll typically replace it for free. Even if your warranty has expired, they often offer a significant discount on a new machine.
Conclusion
The Keurig K-Duo is a good coffee maker that can sometimes face issues like not pumping water on the K-cup side.
We’ve covered various solutions to this problem, from unclogging tubes to descaling. By following these steps, you should be able to resolve the issue and enjoy your favorite brew once more.
Are you having any other problems with your Keurig K-Duo? Don’t hesitate to check out the guide I wrote on troubleshooting the Keurig K-Duo!
Thanks for reading!