With its innovative brewing system, the Nespresso Vertuo is one of the most popular home coffee machines on the market. However, in order to enjoy delicious lattes, espressos, and a variety of other specialty coffee drinks, the machine needs to be working properly! So, what if your Nespresso Vertuo is not pumping water?

If the Nespresso Vertuo is not pumping water, it’s because the tank is air-locked and, therefore, the valve isn’t functioning properly. You can fix this issue by ensuring the tank is properly connected to the base and running the cleaning cycle. 

In this article, we are going to help you find out exactly why your Nespresso Vertuo isn’t pumping water, as well as step through the detailed instructions as to how to fix whatever problem you are encountering. 

Why Isn’t My Nespresso Vertuo Pumping Water?

Before we dig into the solutions to fix your Nespresso Vertuo that isn’t pumping water, you first need to understand why this is happening in the first place! 

There are 4 reasons why the Nespresso Vertuo isn’t pumping water:

  • The tank is not properly connected to the base.
  • The valve is malfunctioning. 
  • There is an air blockage or airlock preventing the water from pumping. 
  • Your Nespresso Vertuo is not working properly. 

Now, we’re going to find out how to establish which of these issues you’re facing, as well as the solutions you should use to fix each one. 

For your convenience, we have set up the list of problems and solutions in order of easiest to most time consuming. 

We recommend that you start with the first tactic and work your way down to the last one, as you may solve your problem and get the water pumping again in just a few seconds. 

The Tank Isn’t Connected to the Base

If your Nespresso Vertuo isn’t pumping water, one of the most common reasons why is that the tank is simply not correctly connected to the base. 

Properly adhering the tank to the base is essential as the water runs down through the valve at the bottom of the tank, in through the base, and then up through the machine to make your coffee. 

Solution: The very first thing you should do is remove the tank completely. Then, reattach it to the base and ensure it fits perfectly. If you are having trouble properly connecting the tank to the base, you should re-read the user manual which explains the primary setup. 

The Valve Is Malfunctioning

The next problem that may be occurring with your Nespresso Vetuo is that the valve is not functioning properly. 

Sometimes, the valve gets stuck and will not open and close when you attempt to use the machine. But don’t worry, that doesn’t mean you need to contact Nespresso and get a technician in! You can fix the valve issue yourself. 

Solution: Very carefully so as not to break the valve, you can reach your fingers into the tank and pull the valve up, then push it back down into place. This may have solved the problem and started the water pumping again. 

But don’t worry if it didn’t, because the next solution will almost surely do the trick. 

There Is an Air Blockage

Most Nespresso Vertuo users report that when their machine wasn’t pumping water, it was because there was an air blockage somewhere in the line. 

In order to find out if an air blockage is what’s causing the problem, you can use the following instructions.

Solution: If there is an air blockage, you need to run the cleaning cycle on the Nespresso Vertuo. But luckily, it’s incredibly easy to do so. 

  • Pour out the water in the tank. 
  • Replace it with just a few centimeters of hot water. 
  • Ensure there is not a coffee pod in the machine.
  • Press the ON button 3 times quickly. 
  • The cleaning cycle will automatically initiate it. 

If this tactic does not work the first time, you should try it 2-3 more times. In between each cleaning cycle, it’s important that you take the tank off the base and refill it with a few centimeters of hot water. 

As well, you can try manually pulling the valve up during the cleaning cycle to ensure the hot water is getting through the line during cleaning. 

Nespresso Vertuo Is Broken

Finally, if none of the above tactics did the trick, it may be time to admit that your Nespresso Vertuo is simply malfunctioning or broken. 

Solution: In this case, there is nothing you can do yourself, and you will have to contact Nespresso in order to either get a replacement machine or send your Vetruo in to have a technician take a look and find out what’s going on. 

The Bottom Line

As promised, you now have all the information you need to not only understand why your Nespresso Vertuo isn’t pumping water, but also the several solutions you can try right now to fix it! 

Hopefully, you are back to enjoying delicious homemade speciality coffees from the comfort of your home.