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Why Does My Keurig Coffee Maker Say “Add Water”? (Answered)

Keurig coffee maker is one of the most innovative coffee makers with excellent sensors. The sensors and signaling process of this coffee maker can indicate different situations.

After getting the signals, you can also solve the problems. But sometimes, wrong signals can make you worried.

You might be confused about why your keurig coffee maker says ‘add water.’ Generally, you will see that the additional water signal is still showing without reason. So, knowing the causes is essential to solving the problems.

Moreover, learning about fixing the problems and maintaining the coffee maker is necessary.

Keurig coffee maker says “add water”

When the Keurig coffee maker says ‘add water,’ the water reservoir might not be in the right place. A dirty or clogged reservoir can also give such a signal. Scaling inside the machine can give this signal. The Keurig coffee maker can give an ‘add water’ signal if you pour distilled water.

However, a lot of reasons might give wrong signals. But when the specific ‘add water’ signal is presented, that means some particular problems have been raised. Different issues need different solutions.

So, let’s see why your Keurig coffee maker is giving such a signal. Moreover, the solutions to the related problems are provided.

The reservoir is in the wrong place:

The reservoir must be in the appropriate place when making coffee in the Keurig coffee maker. If the reservoir placement is not correct, the water signaling can be wrong.

For example, the machine can give a signal to add more water. The water might be already full or not. But the signal will be to add more water. Placing the reservoir in the right place is the solution to this problem.

Clogged reservoir:

A clogged reservoir is another severe issue. When the water reservoir is dirty or clogged, the water can’t pass through well. Moreover, the sensors can’t check the level of the water. So, the sensors will give the wrong signal.

This problem will not be solved if you don’t clean the reservoir well. You need to clean the dirt and debris from the reservoir thoroughly. Otherwise, the Keurig coffee maker will give the same signal repeatedly.

Less water:

This might be the actual reason why your Keurig coffee maker is saying to add water. Sometimes, you might forget to add water to the water reservoir. Sometimes the water lever is not up to the required level.

So, the Keurig coffee maker sensors will signal that there is no water. Filling the reservoir to the required level is the only way to solve the problem.

Scaling:

Scaling is another common reason your Keurig coffee maker says to add water. The scale might build up inside the machine when you use the coffee maker for a long time.

Scale can be in the different parts of the machine. So, the sensors will not be able to check the water level and give wrong signals.

Cleaning the machine thoroughly is the solution to the problem. The machine will give the wrong signals until you clean the machine and different parts. You can use descaling elements to clean the scale build-up in the machine.

Distilled water problem:

Sometimes, the Keurig coffee maker prefers bottled or tap water. This coffee maker is sensitive to distilled water. So, if you add distilled water to the reservoir, the sensors will not work correctly. As a result, the machine will give an ‘add water’ signal.

Using bottled or tap water in the water reservoir is the solution. But you must provide clean water. Otherwise, dirty water can cause build-up and scale inside the machine.

How to fix a keurig that says add water?

Now that you know different problems might be responsible for the wrong signal of adding water, you might want to know the solutions. So, let’s see how you can fix a Keurig that says add water.

Restart the coffee maker:

The first and simple work you can do is restart the Keurig coffee maker. You must turn off the coffee maker and unplug it from the wall. Then you have to wait a couple of hours to allow the machine to rest.

Then you can plug the coffee maker again and turn it on. The coffee maker is now reset. You can move to the following steps if the problem is still not solved.

Fill the water reservoir:

Then you can fill the water reservoir up to the required level. If the problem is not solved, then move to the next step.

Place the water reservoir in the right place:

After that, you can try to place the water reservoir correctly. Sometimes, the wrong position of the water reservoir can cause problems. But if keeping the water reservoir in the right place doesn’t solve the problem, move to the next step.

Clean the water reservoir:

This step is the most effective. You have to clean the water reservoir. To do this, you must remove the reservoir from the place and then thoroughly clean the water reservoir. You can clean the reservoir with water and other cleaning elements.

Descaling the machine:

You can use descaling elements to descale the coffee maker. Descaling the machine will remove all the dirt and residue from the machine. So, you can follow this step to stop the wrong signaling of the coffee maker.

Fill with appropriate water:

You might know that distilled water causes a problem in the coffee maker and give the wrong signal. So, you have to fill the water reservoir with bottled water or tap water. But make sure to provide clean water.

How do you put water in Keurig?

You might know that putting water in the wrong way can cause a problem in the Keurig coffee maker. So, let’s see how you can put water in the Keurig coffee maker.

  • First, turn off the coffee maker and remove the water reservoir from the machine.
  • Then, you can clean the water reservoir thoroughly.
  • If the water reservoir doesn’t have a scale, you can rinse it properly with water.
  • If the water reservoir has a scale, you have to use a descaling cleaning element in the water reservoir to clean it.
  • Dry the water reservoir well with a paper towel or a soft cloth.
  • Then, you have to place the water reservoir right so that the sensors can’t give the wrong signal to the machine.
  • Then you have to pour water into the water reservoir.
  • You must put water up to the required water reservoir level.
  • Finally, ensure not to use distilled water and bottled water instead of distilled water.

How do you reset the water reservoir on a Keurig?

You might know that the Keurig coffee maker can say ‘add water’ when the water is full. So, you might need to reset the water reservoir to make the machine give the proper signal. Let’s see how you can reset the water reservoir on a Keurig.

Opening and closing of the:

First, you have to open and close the lever of the coffee maker. Then you can reset the water reservoir of the coffee maker.

Turning off the machine:

After that, you can turn off the Keurig coffee maker and unplug it from the wall. Then you have to allow the machine to rest for two hours.

Removing the water reservoir:

Then, you can remove the water reservoir from its place. After removing the water reservoir, you have to allow the reservoir to rest. For doing this, let the machine sit for another two hours.

Placing the water reservoir:

After cleaning the water reservoir well, you can dry it. Then you have to place the water tank right in place.

Reattaching other parts:

Finally, you can reattach all the parts of the Keurig coffee maker. After placing all the parts, you can plug the machine again on the wall and turn on the coffee maker.

This will reset the water reservoir of the machine. Moreover, the entire machine will be reset, and the coffee will be ready to brew again.

Final Thoughts

Sometimes, your Keurig coffee maker can say ‘add water’ when the water is full. This wrong signal can indicate the water reservoir problem. The reservoir might not be in place, or it can be clogged and dirty. Moreover, scaling in the water and distilled water in the reservoir can also do so.