Keurig brewers sometimes develop leakage issues, whether it’s water leaking from the top and the bottom, or coffee leaking during the brewing cycle. These issues are caused by a myriad of factors.
However, if the leakage is exclusively at the bottom of the unit, the issue is most likely the water reservoir or one of its components. To fix a Keurig that leaks at the base, you need to find out which part of the water tank is the cause, and repair or replace it accordingly.
Why does my Keurig leak from the bottom?
The most common causes of a Keurig brewer leaking from the bottom include a cracked cold water tank, a bad O-ring, and a worn-out valve seal.
Cracked reservoir
If the water leak is coming from the side on which the water tank is located, it’s likely that the tank has developed a hairline crack or pinhole through which the water is leaking out. Cracks are likely to develop on the water reservoir if you accidentally drop the brewer on the floor.
Bad O-ring
If the O-ring at the bottom of the cold water tank is worn out or misaligned, water will leak out through it.
Worn-out seal
At the base of the water reservoir, there’s a valve that connects to the pump. This valve has a seal, which can wear down with time due to the water pressure.
Typically, the Silicon seal wears down at the point where it attaches to the water reservoir. Water then leaks out through the perished seal.
Leaking Keurig from bottom troubleshooting and fixes
To properly fix a Keurig that’s leaking from the bottom, you need to determine which part of the water reservoir is causing the issue. Then, you should repair or replace the faulty component, whether it’s the body of the water tank, the O-ring, or the Silicon valve.
Repair or replace the cracked water reservoir
To confirm that the cold water tank is leaking, remove it and fill it with water. Then, hold it over the sink or dry countertop and check to see if there’s any water dripping out of it.
If the reservoir has hairline cracks, you can seal them using hot glue or by soldering. However, for considerably larger cracks, the best solution is to invest in a replacement tank. You can purchase compatible replacement reservoirs on Keurig’s website.
Replace the bad O-ring
If a bad O-ring is the source of the leak, replace it with a new one. When placing your order, ensure to specify the model of your Keurig brewer, as different models use different types of O-rings.
Note: To effectively remove the old O-ring and install a new one, follow the procedure outlined video below
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ko0asR7XJGA
Restore/Replace the seal
To restore a faulty seal, use vinegar solution and Silicon grease. First, wipe down the seal and the connector base with the vinegar solution to remove any limescale. Then, simply apply the grease to the water reservoir’s feed.
Next, take out and reinsert the tank a couple of times to evenly spread the Silicon grease. To confirm if the seal is restored, refill the water tank and check if the leakage at the bottom of the brewer has stopped.
If the degree of wear to the silicone seal is significant and restoration is not an option, you’ll have to replace this component. To correctly replace the silicone seal, ensure you purchase genuine replacement parts from Keurig’s website.
Keurig leaking water from the bottom when brewing
Sometimes, your Keurig may leak from the bottom only during the brewing or preheating process. In such cases, the most likely cause is an overfilled cold water tank or clogged internal machine components.
To fix this problem, ensure you only fill the water reservoir up to the max fill line. If the problem is due to limescale buildup. Use a commercial descaling solution or a vinegar solution to descale the machine.
After descaling the machine, ensure you run a rinse cycle to get rid of residual descaling solution that can affect the quality and taste of your coffee. If you used vinegar solution, run at least two rinse cycles.
References
Keurig.com: Troubleshooting Tip: My Brewer Appears to be Leaking from the Bottom
