Keurig Won’t Turn On – A Straightforward 5-Step Guide

Your Keurig won’t turn on? Jump into our guide and find out possible reasons for Keurig malfunction and how to fix it so you can make coffee again.

Ready to start a new day fresh and chirpy with a hot cup of coffee? 

Preparing your Keurig machine for the brewing ritual, pressing the buttons, and… Nothing.

Is your favorite coffee maker dead? 

Okay, don’t panic. There are a few potential reasons why your Keurig won’t turn on. 

Stay with me because I spent hours researching what could be the potential problem, and I mastered the subject.

We will go through all of the possibilities and see what can be done to fix it.

Let’s start!

Why Your Keurig Won’t Turn On and Can You Fix It On Your Own?

What to do when your reliable Keurig coffee maker lets you down? 

If your Keurig doesn’t turn on, do not panic!  

There are a few possible reasons why it won’t turn on. But the bad news is that some of those problems cannot be solved immediately.

Now, let’s go through the list of possible problems and see what you can do about them.

Check The Power Source and The Cord 

The first thing to check is the cord plugged into the power outlet. Funny but true, it’s a common problem that can be solved fairly quickly.

But, if this is not the case, and your Keurig coffee maker is not working even if it’s plugged in, you have to look further. 

Now, try to plug it into another power outlet. That way, you will know if it’s because of the power outlet or if it’s definitely a problem with your coffee maker.

Plug your Keurig into the power outlet that you know it’s working. If you still can’t turn it on, now you know there’s a problem with the machine.

Next, check the power cord on the machine. Although power cords are usually pretty strong and durable, they still can get damaged. It can be cut or chewed. (You guys with the pets probably know what I’m talking about????)

Also, if the power cord is used, pulled, or bent too many times, wire connections can go loose. That means the machine won’t have proper power flow. 

The good news is that the power cord can be replaced. But, if you’re not good with tools and electricity, leave the troubleshooting to professionals.

Try To Turn It Off And On

Well, this one is kind of obvious, but first, check if your machine is actually turned on.

Your Keurig coffee maker has (depending on the model) an ON/OFF switch on the back of it, and power button, or a touchscreen button.

1. The first thing is to turn the OFF and ON the switch. 
2. Then, try pressing the power button. 
3. If the power button is not lighting up, try holding it for 10 seconds and see if it goes on. 

If your machine still doesn’t turn on, don’t worry. There are still a few things to check.

Is The Water Reservoir In The Right Place

The water reservoir not being placed properly can be another reason why the Keurig coffee maker can’t turn on. 

Check if the water reservoir is properly attached to the body of the coffee maker. If it’s not perfectly settled in the spot, the machine won’t be able to run a brewing cycle or possibly even turn on. 

Make sure everything clicks easily into place. If you struggle to attach it and have to use force, stop! Try again carefully, without forcing anything. You don’t want to break some important, small piece of plastic. 

Now, try again to turn it on and cross your fingers that this was the issue.

What Is Thermostat And Why It Can Cause Problems 

To be honest, I don’t know anything about electrics, except that messing with them can be dangerous if you don’t know what you are doing.

If you’re anything like me, I strongly recommend you not to do this on your own. Guys from Keurig will take care of it gladly.

NOTE
Kerug brewer comes with one year warranty. If something goes wrong with your coffee maker in that period of time, they will fix it for free or replace it with a new one. If your machine is still under warranty, don’t try to open it and fix it on your own because it will void the warranty.

Anyhow, I did some research on the subject.

All coffee makers have a thermostat built-in inside of them. It’s responsible for the perfect temperature of your cup of joe.

It monitors the temperatures in the machine and prevents it from overheating. It’s actually a switch that opens and closes the circuit based on the temperature inside the coffee maker.

A flawed or damaged thermostat can definitely be the reason why your Keurig brewer won’t turn on. 

The good news is that the thermostat can be replaced easily, and your Keurig machine will brew like a new one. 

Sadly, you won’t enjoy your favorite cup of latte this morning.

The Worst Scenario: The Motherboard Is Down

The core part of your coffee maker is the circuit motherboard or simply the control board. It’s the part that controls all the electronic components and makes them work together. 

Obviously, if the control board isn’t working or it’s damaged, your Keurig coffee maker is useless. 

Again, this isn’t something you should try to fix on your own. But, the control board can be replaced with a new one. 

Keurig Won’t Turn On After Descaling 

Keeping your Keurig brewer clean and taking care of the limescale regularly can surely extend its lifespan. And it will also make a much better-tasting brew.

So, when the Keurig descale light starts blinking, don’t be lazy to pop in the descaling solution run a cleaning cycle.

But, sometimes, the descaling process can trip a thermostat switch because of the too-high temperature. 

That switch can be reset. But to do that, you need to disassemble the whole Keurig coffee machine, and that’s not an easy job.

If you’re handy with electronic appliances, you can maybe do it by yourself, but you can always leave it to the professionals.

How To Reset a Keurig 

The last thing you can try before calling Keurig customer service is to reset the machine.

Unfortunately, most of the models don’t have a reset button. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t reset them.  

Here is how to reset two general types of Keurig machines: 1.0 and 2.0.

Keurig 1.0 models are classic and simple models, which are way easier to reset.  

1. Open and close the K-Cup lever. 
2. Turn it off and unplug it from the power outlet.
3. Remove the water tank. 
4. Leave it like that for an hour or two. 
5. Add water to the tank, reattach it, plug the machine into the outlet, and turn the switch on. 

Keurig 2.0 coffee makers are a little bit more complicated to reset. There are overall more complicated with their computer and fancy display. Ironically, they still don’t have a simple reset button. 

1. Turn off the machine, unplug it, and remove the water tank. 
2. Get rid of the air bubbles from the inside of it by turning your machine upside down and tapping it lightly on the side. 
3. Leave the machine unplugged for about an hour or two. 
4. Reattach the water tank filled with fresh water, plug it into the outlet, and turn the switch on. 
5. Go through all the settings and set them as preferred, and then press the brew button.

If all works out, you will be able to continue using your Keurig machine as usual. However, if your machine still won’t turn on, it’s time to contact Keurig customer support.

Bottom Line 

So, that’s it.

There are different issues that can be the reason why your Keurig coffee maker won’t turn on.

Luckily, some of those can easily be fixed, such as a damaged power cord, a power malfunction, or a displaced water reservoir.

But, the problem comes when you have an issue with some electrical component, like a faulty thermostat or control board.

In that case, you’ll have to contact Keurig support and find another way to get a hot cup of coffee this morning.

Your Keurig is ready for brewing again? Here’s a list of the best dark roast K-Cup coffees to try out.