Imagine getting up in the morning and picking up a wonderful Nespresso coffee, only to discover that your Nespresso is blinking orange. Of course, you’ll start to wonder: Why is my Nespresso blinking orange?
Luckily, most of the reasons your Nespresso is blinking orange are easy to fix. It could be because it’s overheating, or because it should be cleaned. Plus, did you know that the water levels could get the machine to start blinking as well? Let’s head right into the details!
Why Is My Nespresso Blinking Orange?
1. You Need to Descale the Machine
First things first, look at the light and count the pulses. If it’s blinking three times per second then a steady one, it needs to be descaled.
To get the best flavor from your coffee, you should descale your Nespresso machine regularly. However, it might take some of your time, so prepare yourself!
Here’s how to do it:
- Get your Nespresso descaling kit next to you
- If you don’t have a descaling kit, mix one part water with one part vinegar to make your own
- Empty the water tank and fill it with the descaling agent (the amount is printed on the bottle) or the solution you made
- Put a large container under the coffee outlet and turn on the machine
- To activate the descaling process, follow your model site’s descaling page’s instructions
- Once the cycle is finished, run a couple of cycles with clear water
- Et voilà! Now you’ve properly descaled your machine and, hopefully, that should do the trick!
2. The Machine Needs to Be Emptied
This one could be tricky because the blinking pattern is similar to the first one. However, there’s a slight difference.
Sometimes your machine will blink three times per second. But, it won’t stay steady after blinking like it does when it needs descaling.
When this happens, it means that the capsule container needs to be emptied. Here’s how:
- Make sure the machine is turned off
- Remove the water tank and drip tray from the machine (if applicable)
- Place a large container under the outlet
- Run the cleaning cycle to remove any residue inside the machine
- Lastly, open the lid and remove any used capsules or grounds that are inside the machine
3. The Machine Is Dirty
One of the most common patterns here is two blinks per second. If your machine is doing this, it means that it’s signaling you for a quick clean-up.
It’s important to clean it regularly in order to keep it running at its best. Here’s how to keep your Nespresso machine in tip-top shape:
- Rinse and clean the water tank then fill it with clean water
- Wash the support cup as well
- Empty the capsule container and clean it
- Clean the coffee outlet with a damp, microfiber cloth
- Place a large container under the outlet
- Run the cleaning cycle
- Avoid using any abrasive material and don’t immerse the whole machine in water
4. It’s About to Overheat
When your Nespresso machine’s light pulses or fades, it’s time to give it some rest.
If you’re like most people, you probably don’t think about letting your Nespresso machine rest between uses.
But, there are many reasons to do so. For example, this will help your machine last longer and avoid damage.
You can do this by simply turning the Nespresso machine off or removing the plug from the power socket entirely.
5. The Nespresso Machine Is Facing an Error
Another pattern is two short pulses and one long one. This means that there’s an error in the machine itself.
The Nespresso machine could face a number of issues in its programming. It could be that there is an error in the way the machine is set up. Other times it could be that there is an issue with the barcode scanner.
How to solve this one? Easily! You’ll just need to restart the machine by turning it off and on again.
6. The Water Tank Is Almost Empty
Luckily for you, this one is a short and easy fix as well. When the light flickers on for two seconds and then off for one second, it means that you need to refill the water tank.
You can easily do this by following the next steps:
- Remove the water tank by pulling it out of the machine
- Remove the lid and empty any remaining water
- Wash out the tank with warm water, rinse well, and dry with a soft cloth or paper towel
- Fill the tank with water until it reaches the MAX line on top of the tank\
7. There Are Serious Malfunctions
If the machine blinks five times in just 10 seconds, then this could signal a bigger issue.
This light pattern is reserved for serious malfunctions that can’t be fixed by unplugging the machine and re-plugging it.
However, it can be fixed by a full factory reset. You can simply do this by figuring out which model you have and following its manual guide.
If the light is still blinking after the reset, you can contact Nespresso support for further assistance.
To Sum Up
So, why is my Nespresso machine blinking orange? For many reasons!
Thankfully, you can easily mend all of them. To start, simply descale the machine and then clean it. You can also check on the water levels and remove any used capsules that weren’t emptied.
If you’re still facing any issues, try doing a complete factory reset to get the Nespresso up and running again.
Hopefully, you can now enjoy a sweet cup of cappuccino without worrying about the machine!