Your Breville Barista Express machine may not enter the descaling mode because of insufficient water filling into the tank, pressing required buttons inaccurately, or other technical issues.
In this post, we will discuss these issues and their quick fixes and share how to descale such machines manually.
Read and learn.
5 Possible Reasons that Prevent Breville Barista Express from Not Entering Descale Mode
You can experience the issue for the following reasons. Check them out and their solutions.
1. The Steam Knob is Switched on
Your Barista Express machine will not enter the descaling mode in such a case. The steam wand and the group head share the same water source. So, the machine will not allow descaling when the steam wand is in use.
Solution:
You can switch off the steam knob and activate the descaling mode again.
2. The Machine is too Old that Does Not Have a Descaling Mode
The descale mode may not be available in some older Breville Barista Express machine models. If you own such an older model, the descaling mode may not work.
Solution:
In such a case, you must manually descale the machine by following the manufacturer’s instructions.
3. The Water Tank is not Full
The Barista Express machines require water tanks full of water when activating the descaling mode. The machine’s descale mode may not work if the tank is filled insufficiently.
Solution:
Filling the water tank with clean water up to the maximum filling line should instantly solve the issue.
4. You Have Pressed The Buttons Incorrectly
The descaling process of Breville Barista Express requires pressing specific buttons in a certain sequence. If you press those buttons incorrectly, the machine will not enter the descaling mode.
Solution:
Ensure that you have pressed specific buttons in the correct order to activate the descaling mode.
5. Technical Issues
It can be a technical issue if none of the above issues prevent the machine from entering the descaling mode.
Solution:
You should contact Breville customer support or a qualified technician soon for professional assistance.
The Manual Descaling Process For A Breville Barista Express Machine
If your Barista Express machine is not entering the descaling mode for any of the above reasons, the only way you can follow is to descale it manually.
Here are the steps on how you can do it.
Step 1:
Make a descaling solution by blending 1:1 water and vinegar. You can also use commercial descaler solutions available in the market.
Step 2:
Fill the Barista Express’s water tank with the solution to the maximum filling line. After that, reinstall the tank into the machine.
Step 3:
Place a large bowl under the machine’s group head and steam wand so it can catch the extracted cleaning solution.
Step 4:
Switch on the machine and wait for a few minutes until it heats up.
Step 5:
When the machine is heated sufficiently, press the 2-cup and the power button simultaneously for 3 to 5 seconds. Release those buttons and wait a while to see the “Clean” light turning on, meaning the machine is in the descaling mode.
Step 6:
Press the 1-cup button and let the descaling solution go through the machine’s group head and steam wand for 10 to 20 seconds. After each descaling session, switch off the machine, wait a few minutes, and repeat the process.
Step 7:
When the water tank filled with the solution empties, rinse it well and fill it with fresh water.
Step 8:
Finally, reinstall the tank and run a few water cycles through the group head and steam wand to remove any remaining.
Your Breville Barista Express Machine is now descaled and ready to brew delicious espresso.
Final Words
After reading the article, you should be well-informed about the reasons that intercept a Barista Express espresso machine from activating the descaling mode. If the above solutions do not work, try a manual descaling process.
You can also face difficulty due to technical faults of the machine. In such a case, contacting Breville customer support or a qualified technician will be wise.
FAQs Section
In short, no. If you do manual descaling correctly, it does not harm the machine.
You can understand it by noticing a little or no change in the water flow and the taste of your espresso after finishing the process. You can repeat the process or ask for professional help in such a case.
You can use a Barista Express espresso machine without descaling for longer. But it is not recommended. The scale buildup due to lack of descaling can negatively impact the machine’s performance and damage it over time.
Reference:
https://www.wikihow.com/Descale-Breville-Espresso-Machine
