Despite DeLonghi being one of the leading brands in the at home coffee making industry, their machines do still have their downfalls. This experience can be frustrating when you don’t know what’s wrong.
In this guide, we’ll talk you through common DeLonghi Eletta problems and how to troubleshoot them.
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What causes an automatic coffee machine to stop working?
The primary cause of an automatic coffee machine to stop working is typically due to some sort of blockage or water clog.
If you think this may be the issue, you should check the tube within the coffee machine for any obstructions. If the tube is clogged, no water or descaling solution will be able to flow through the tube.
If the tube isn’t blocked, your coffee machine may just need a general clean, such as cleaning the spouts to remove any coffee debris. Alternatively, there may be a few settings on the actual machine that may need changed.
Troubleshooting a DeLonghi Eletta
Although it can be frustrating, there may be a couple of parts of your machine that you will need to troubleshoot before you can get back to making coffees.
Unclog the filter
One of the reasons why your DeLonghi Eletta machine won’t work could be because your filters are clogged. The water that pushes the coffee through the filter baskets can become clogged without regular maintenance.
You should be checking your filters around once a week to make sure they’re not blocked.
Set the water tank correctly
Another thing to look for whilst troubleshooting is if your water is pumping properly. If you notice the water isn’t flowing properly, you should make sure the tank is correctly placed in the machine. You should hear a click when placing your water tank correctly.
If the water tank is not positioned properly, an air bubble can form in your system and block the water supply.
- You will need to remove the tank if it is not correctly set and empty it. Next, you should check if the water tank compartment has any coffee debris, if it does, be sure to wipe it away.
- Once you have cleaned away the debris, fill the tank back up and place it back into the machine. Turn the machine off and on again to restart it. To remove the air bubbles from the machine, you will need to let it run for 2-3 cups worth of water.
If you notice your machine is still not pumping water, you should check to see if there is a limescale buildup. Limescale will prevent the water from running through the machine, so you will need to run some limescale solution through the machine to clear this.
Alter the machines settings
If you find that your machine is delivering the coffee slowly, one drop at a time or not at all, you may need to change your grind settings. It could be possible that your grind settings are too fine, causing the coffee to be delivered incredibly slow or not at all.
To fix this, repeat the coffee delivery and turn the grinding adjustment dial one click clockwise towards the ‘7’ on the dial while the grinder is in operation. If the delivery is still too slow, repeat the correction process, turning the grinding dial another click until delivery is correct.
Delonghi Eletta won’t turn on
As obvious as it may be if your DeLonghi Eletta won’t turn on, you should check the main switch to ensure it is actually plugged in properly and turned on. Check a few different plug sockets to be sure it is your machine that’s the problem.
If this doesn’t work, try resetting the machine by unplugging it and plugging it back in and holding down the power button for 30 seconds.
If neither of these work, you will need to contact DeLonghi customer services for further assistance.
Delonghi Eletta not pulling shots
If your machine isn’t pulling shots, this could be due to:
- A blockage;
- Incorrect grind settings;
- There is not enough water in the reservoir.
The first thing you should do is check over your machine. Ensure the water tank is full and correctly fitted into the machine.
If the machine is still not pulling any shots, try to see if there’s a blockage in the filter or spouts. You could use a toothpick to try and scrape excess coffee debris from the spout.
Again, if this doesn’t work, you could have a limescale buildup in the machine which is causing a water blockage.
To descale your coffee machine, read our dedicated guide to descaling your DeLonghi Eletta.
Delonghi Eletta not heating up
Sometimes the machines fail to heat up correctly if they haven’t been used in a while. You should check the ‘keep warm’ setting is set on the machine’s default settings section. You could also consider checking if the firmware is up to date.
The last thing you want to do is start dismantling your Eletta machine, since you may be causing more damage to it.
If the two options above don’t work, check with an appliance technician to see if they can fix the problem.
If your machine is still within its two year warranty, you could contact DeLonghi for a part or product replacement.
Delonghi Eletta has low pressure
When the machine’s pressure is low, it means it can’t make quality espresso. The main issue could be due to a faulty pressure pump. The pump may be leaking, which requires some repair work to fix the problem.
Again, you may have a clogged pipe and will have to carry out some descaling.
DeLonghi Eletta milk frother won’t work
DeLonghi Eletta machines that feature milk frothers are prone to clogging if milk residue is allowed to accumulate inside the frother, blocking the steam outlet.
To clean the milk frother, start by:
- Putting a container just below the nozzle, pressing the hot water button to dispense some into the container and pressing it again to stop this action.
- Once the frother has cooled down, remove it from the machine by pressing the grey button on the top. Dissemble the frother and remove the steam nozzle to check that it’s opening and not obstructed.
- Clean all the frother components with warm water. Once clean, reassemble and place back onto the coffee machine.
How do you reset a Delonghi Eletta coffee machine?
- Start by turning the machine off and pressing the steam dial for 10 seconds until all three buttons blink a sequence.
- Turn on the steam dial and press the one-shot button. The three lights will blink simultaneously, indicating you have restored default settings.
- Be sure to turn off the steam dial.
