Keurig coffee machines are a great way to make delicious coffee in a matter of minutes.
Keeping your Keurig well-maintained will help it last for years and let you get the most out of your coffee machine.
If you’re planning on storing or transporting your Keurig, it’s important to drain the internal water tank.
You can either drain your Keurig by letting the machine empty itself, or either disassembling it in order to drain the water manually.
However, Keurig machines make it hard to access the internal reservoir, so this can be a daunting task if you don’t know what you’re doing.
But don’t worry, because we’ve got you covered!
In this handy guide, we’ll teach you how to access and drain your Keurig’s water tank in just a few simple steps!
So let’s jump right in!
How To Drain Your Keurig? Two Easy Methods
There are actually two different methods for draining a Keurig; the first method is quick and simple and lets the machine empty itself, while the second involves disassembling the machine to drain the water manually.
We’ve covered both methods in these handy step-by-step guides, so you can drain your Keurig quickly for storage or empty it for a deep clean.
Draining A Keurig Without Disassembling It
First of all, let’s take a look at how to drain your Keurig without taking it apart.
This method is simple, and only takes around 5 to 10 minutes. Here’s how to do it:
1. Empty Out The External Reservoir
First, you need to empty the water out of your Keurig’s external reservoir.
This method involves tricking the Keurig into thinking it’s using the water in the external tank, so it will start to automatically use the water from its internal reservoir.
Pour out all the water, but don’t put the tank back in the machine just yet.
2. Putting The Tank Back In
Here’s where things get tricky. If you look at the bottom of your water tank, you’ll see a small disc that moves up and down.
This is actually a magnet, and it’s what normally tells the Keurig that there’s water in the reservoir; when there’s enough water, it will float the magnet up until it connects with a magnet inside the Keurig.
However, you can actually lift the magnet up itself to fool the Keurig into thinking there’s water in the tank.
To do this, reach inside the tank and lift the magnet up as high as it will go.
Then, still holding the magnet, carefully replace the reservoir onto the Keurig.
If the flashing light turns solid, it means that the magnet’s made a connection with the magnet inside the Keurig, and you can start running the machine as normal.
3. Start Draining The Water
You’ll need to put a large cup or drip tray under the water nozzle for this step, as your Keurig will start pulling water through.
Because there’s no water in the external reservoir, the Keurig will automatically switch to its internal reservoir.
All you need to do now is sit back and let your Keurig drain itself.
You may need to run a second cup, but you’ll soon see a message on the Keurig’s display asking you to “ADD WATER”.
4. Remove The Last Few Bits Of Water
You’re not done quite yet, though, and there is still some water left over in your Keurig’s internal tank.
To get rid of this last bit of remaining water, switch to the small cup setting. This will pull the last bits of water through.
You may need to do this a second time, but eventually the display will show “PRIME”, like it did when it was first set up.
This means that almost all of the water in your Keurig has been drained, and it’s ready to be stored or transported!
Draining A Keurig By Disassembling It
The second method of draining a Keurig is a bit more complicated, and involves disassembling your Keurig to drain it from the inside. Here’s what you need to do:
1. Get Your Supplies
For this method, you’ll need a couple of tools. These are:
- A flathead screwdriver
- Needle-nose pliers
- A plastic straw
It’s also a good idea to study the manual thoroughly beforehand so you’re familiar with the parts of your Keurig machine.
2. Remove The Top Of Your Machine
Start off by removing the pod compartment handle from the top of your Keurig machine.
To do this, you’ll need to remove the screws fixing it to the rest of the machine.
Lift up the pod compartment handle like you would if you were putting a pod in the machine; on the bottom of the lid, beneath where it says ‘KEURIG’, you should see two screws.
Use your screwdriver to remove the screws and loosen the top of your machine.
Then, gently pull the top forward to remove it from your Keurig, exposing the internal tubing of your coffee machine.
3. Detach The Tubes From The Internal Tank
Next, you need to find the two silicone tubes that connect to the internal water reservoir of your Keurig.
One of these tubes is connected directly to the top opening of the water tank, while the other is connected to an L-shaped opening on the back-right of the tank.
To loosen and detach the tubes, you just need to pull them out of their openings. However, they’ll probably be secured in place using zip ties.
You’ll need to use your needle-nose pliers to wriggle them off of the metal connectors so you can remove the silicone tubes.
Carefully shift the zip ties off the connector until you’re able to pull the tube out.
You can also snip the zip ties to save time, but you’ll need to replace them when you’re using your Keurig again – reattaching them can be a frustrating task!
4. Pour The Water Out The Top
With the connecting pipes removed, all you need to do now is invert your Keurig to let the water pour right out of the internal tank.
This lets you get pretty much all of the water out in just a few seconds!
When you’re ready to use your Keurig again, all you need to do is reattach the tubes and screw the top back on, and you’re ready to go!
Final Thoughts
Draining your Keurig is an important step to take when you’re storing or transporting your coffee machine.
Now that you’ve learned how to drain your Keurig, you can use this guide to help you empty out its water in minutes!