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How To Drain A Keurig: How To Empty Water From Keurig – Easy Guide

If you’re a coffee-lover, you probably already have a coffee maker in your home that gives you your savory cup of coffee every morning. If you own a Keurig Coffee maker, then you have something that performs a fast delivery of your coffee. It can do this since it stores about a cup of water inside the housing.

The Keurig system is a personal single-cup system. It always has a source of hot water inside, at least a cup. This is important so that the coffee maker can brew gourmet coffee in less than a minute.

how to drain a keurig

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If you want your coffee brewer to be in the best working condition, it is important to empty the water of the machine’s interior. You also need to always empty water from its water reservoir.

This coffee machine does not have a drain plug. So. you need to find a way to drain the water out of the appliance.

Most Keurig coffee maker comes with an internal water tank and rubber tubing. This should be drained if you will not always be using your machine.

If you are going to travel and you plan to take your Keurig with you, then it is important to drain out the water tank. Draining the water tank is also important if you are packing the machine for a move, if you are shipping the machine, or if you are going to store it for a long time.

What You’ll Need To Drain Your Keurig

IMAGE PRODUCT DETAILS  
Keurig K-Elite Coffee Maker
  • To drain a Keurig, you’ll need to own a Keurig.
  • If you don’t own a Keurig, or are looking to buy a new working Keurig, here is our recommendation.
Brew Rite Coffee Maker Cleaner
  • In a step of draining your Keurig, you will need to clean out your Keurig.
  • To do this, we recommend the Brew Rite Coffee Maker Cleaner
Keurig Direct Water Kit
  • If you never want to drain your Keurig again, purchase a direct water line kit!


You also need to drain your Keurig if you want to deep clean it if you have put some substances in the reservoir by mistake. If you don’t drain the inner water reservoir, it can be a breeding ground for mold or bacteria. And it can definitely also affect the taste of the coffee produced. You need to clean it with bleach or vinegar before using the machine again.

If you don’t drain your Keurig coffee maker and you store it in a cold environment, water can freeze inside the brewer and cause it to be warped or damaged. If your brewer has been kept in a below-freezing environment, make sure to warm it at room temperature for at least two hours before using it. So here is our guide on how drain water from keurig, and how to empty a keurig with ease!

how to get water out of keurig

How to Drain Water Out of a Keurig Coffee – How To Empty Water From Keurig

You can drain water out of a Keurig Coffee Pot in two ways. One is by tuning the machine to brew and letting it drain itself. The other is by disassembling the coffee machine using the manual to guide you. Here is a guide on how to empty keurig 2.0 internal tank, and how to drain a keurig k40!

Draining Keurig Coffee Maker Without Disassembly

You don’t have to use tools with this method. The time it takes to drain the Keurig coffee pot is from 5 to 8 minutes. Here’s how to get all the water out of a keurig.

This is a very simple method. It is a good one if you don’t have enough time since you can easily empty your Keurig for storage this way.

First, empty the water reservoir.

This method plays a trick on the Keurig so that it will seem like the reservoir is full of water so that it starts brewing. This will then let the Keurig drain all the water that is stored inside the internal water tank. Here are the steps to draining a Keurig without disassembling it

Step 1. The float in the external reservoir should be adjusted.

You will find the message “Prime” displayed on the LCD once the machine has completed brewing. This message is given when the tank of the Keurig is empty.

Adjust the float when you have emptied the water tank. Look inside the reservoir, and you will find a metal disk on one side near the bottom.

This metal disk is designed to determine the amount of water that is still in the reservoir.

The floating magnet should be pulled so that it reaches the top of its track. Then give it a little push so that it will stay there. Put back the lid of the reservoir. If you want to understand the mechanism of the reservoir, you can check your Keurig manual for this. So. when the disk is in the full position, the Keurig will behave accordingly.

how to completely empty a keurig

Step 2. Let the Keurig start brewing.

To start brewing, press the brew button. Make sure to put a cup under the spout before your press brew. There is no need to put a coffee pod since you are just draining the machine, and your water reservoir is empty.

Still, you can use the water you’re draining to make yourself a cup of coffee.
With a cup or jug to catch the remnants of water that is drawn out of the machine, run a brew as you usually would.

Step 3. Wait for the “Prime” display.

Check your LED display. When the machine says ‘Prime,” then the brewing is completed. Sometimes, the machine will give the message to add more water. When this happens, you should perform the procedure again. You need to adjust the float again and replace the reservoir. Then repeat the brewing process.

The LED display should now say “Prime” once the second brewing is done. This means that your machine is completely drained. The internal reservoir is now empty.

Draining Keurig 1.0 by Disassembly

Step 1. The pod compartment handle should be lifted, and the screws that are affixing the top removed.

In this method, access to the water tank is not through the bottom of the coffee maker. Instead, the piece on top will be removed to access that top of the water tank directly.

There are two screws that you need to locate. Then with the use of a flat-head screwdriver, you need to remove both screws. When this is done, you can now remove the top part of your machine. This is the part that reads ‘Keurig’ on the front.

how to drain keurig coffee maker

Step 2. Remove the top of the machine.

The loosened top should then be gently pulled forward and upward so that it can slide off the Keurig. When this is done, the inner tubing of the coffee maker will be exposed.

Step 3. Be sure to detach the silicone tubes from the internal water tank.

Look for the two tubes that are connected to the top of the internal water tank. One of the tubes is shaped like an L, and it is facing sideways.

The other tube comes straight out of the top. Loosen the zip ties so that these tubes can be removed. There are two ways of doing this.

You can grasp the zip ties with the needle-nose pliers and shake to loosen. Then detach the tubes. You can also cut the zip ties before detaching the tubes. You can only do this if you have replacement zip ties that you can attach later

emptying water from keurig

Step 4. Pour out the water by inverting the machine.

To get water flowing out of the L-shaped opening, invert the brewer. This process is quite slow since the water cannot come out freely. It needs a way for air to displace the water being drained.

To make this process faster, you can use a thin straw that you can place over the opening of the detached tube. This tube is the one on top of the water tank. This can help airflow into the water tank to be improved. This can speed up the draining process.

You need to drain the tubes until no water is left in the tank.

Step 5. Put the machine back together again.

You need to attach the silicone tubes back once the draining is completed. If you simply shook the zip ties down, then you can wiggle them back up to secure the tubes. If you cut the ties, then you should replace the zip ties with new ones so that the silicone tubes ca be firmly put in place.
The top that you had previously removed should be reattached using the screws that you have removed.

Another Method of Draining the Keurig by Disassembly

The tools you will need in this method are a flat-head screwdriver, needle-nose pliers, a Phillips head screwdriver, and a plastic syringe or straw. The time needed to drain a Keurig using this method is from 10 to 15 minutes. This step can be daunting as Keurig does not make it easy to access the internal tank.

You must read your Keurig manual thoroughly first if you want to drain it by this method. The manual will not tell you how to drain your Keurig. But it will tell you the location of the different components. You need to read it well so that you don’t damage your coffee machine.

The main idea is to disconnect the hose that connects the Keurig water tank or reservoir to the internal pump. The hose’s location will depend on the type of Keurig machine you own. You need to follow these steps for disassembling your machine.

Step 1. Read the instruction on your manual.

To locate the hose, check your Keurig manual. Your manual will show you the location of the internal drain hose. This will help you to find out if you need to remove the bottom panel or the side panel to access it.

Once you find out its location, you can then easily remove the bottom or side panel so that the hose can easily be disconnected.

Step 2. Remove the bottom or side panel.

First, unplug your Keurig to let it cool down. You need to wait at least 30 minutes so that the machine will cool down. The water in the hot water tank will also have a chance to cool down. This can protect you from being unintentionally scalded while emptying the tank.

Using a flat head screwdriver, remove the screws of the panel. Ensure that the machine has cooled down before beginning the process of disassembly.

Step 3. Disconnect the hose.

The hose is white and is made of plastic. You need to disconnect it by pulling out its fitting. If the Keurig model you have has the hose attached to a cable, you need to cut the cable with a knife. But before you do so, ensure that you have an extra tie that you can use to connect the hose back again.

how do i drain my keurig

Step 4. Drain the water.

Drain the water into a cup by placing the end of the hose near. This will take quite a while to drain. You need to wait for a few minutes, so be patient while doing so.

Step 5. Reconnect the hose and reattach the panel.

Once the tank is drained, push the hose back into the fitting. If it needs a tie, then attach it with a tie. Check your manual on how to attach the panel back to assemble it.

Draining Keurig 2.0 for Storage

The tools needed for this method include needle-nose pliers, a Phillips screwdriver, and a plastic syringe. The time needed to complete this method is from 15 to 20 minutes.

This is quite a long method, but you can easily drain your Keurig coffee pot if you want to keep it for storage purposes. It is important to check your Keurig manual to know where the components of the machine are located. When you have checked out the machine’s design thoroughly, you can then implement the method.
Here are the steps that you need to take to drain the water from your Keurig.

how to drain water out of keurig

Step 1. There is a chrome ring present at the top back of the coffee maker.

This has to be detached first. The ring can be exposed by lifting the handle.

Five snaps fasten the chrome ring to the top of the brewer. You can remove these snaps by pushing in and up with a little force.

Step 2. Close the handle, then turn the brewer upside down. With a Phillips screwdriver, remove the six screws on the bottom.

When this is done, you would have removed the entire front and side panel of your coffee pot. It is important to remove the bottom to accomplish this.

Step 3. Now that the brewer is inverted, you need to open the front of the machine.

If your model has the silver plastic piece, remove this first by sliding it off. Once you have removed the plastic piece, you can slide out the front panel in a similar fashion.

These pieces are attached to hooks. You need to push them laterally to unhook them before pulling them outward. You need to apply great force, especially to the front panel.

Step 4. The brewer should then be put in an upright position.

Remove the two screws near the top of the water reservoir side. Use a Phillips screwdriver to remove them.

When you have removed the screws, the only thing holding the exterior machine together is some plastic snaps.

Using a flat, spatula-like object, the wedge between the top and side of the brewer and start to pry it upwards. Use some force to do this. Work your way all around until the entire top of the brewer has been separated.

The only thing left will be the exterior casing. This has to be removed as well.

get water out of keurig

Step 5. The exterior casing has to be removed so you can see all the internal components.

The exterior case is the only thing that prevents you from full access to the internal components of your brewer. This exterior case wraps the sides and back of the machine. It is affixed to the base of the machine with plastic snaps. Use force to unsnap the exterior from the base to remove it.

Step 6. The water intake system can be removed by detaching the three clips that attach it.

When these are removed, the piece should be disconnected from the two tubes that are attached to it. They are held on by plastic barbs.

Although water will come out, there will still be some remaining inside the black piece. The middle of the black intake piece should be pressed and shaken to drain the remaining water completely. Once done, you can set the piece aside.

Step 7. You need to remove the internal filter by unscrewing the base of the motherboard.

Two screws are holding the entire water tank, pump, and internal filter together. Once you find the screw at the base of the green motherboard, use your Phillips-head screwdriver to remove it

Note that the screws being removed here are a little smaller than the other screws you have removed up to now. You need to separate them so that you know which it is

keurig drain brewer

Step 8. Turn the brewer to the other side.

Remove the screw at the top of the white plastic washer that connects the whole water tank: pump and internal filter assembly to the base. You can now detach the Keurig water tank and pump assembly. Lift and slide out the water tank gently. Be careful not to damage any of the wires.

Step 9. Turn the brewer back to the side of the motherboard.

Then detach the filter which is behind the motherboard from the pump assembly. This is part of the piece that you have just removed.

When the filter is fully detached, make sure you empty it. There is a tube on the very top of the water tank, detach it so that air displaces the water inside while being drained.

Step 10. Detach the tube that leads from the pump assembly to the water tank.

The water will then gush out like a stream, so make sure to direct it over a sink or into a collecting vessel.

Step 11. Water will still be remaining inside the pump assembly, so you need to use a plastic syringe on the entry tube to take it out.

Connect the syringe on top of the water tank to expel water. You will be surprised at how much water the tank still contains.

Step 12. Borrow one of the tubes from the pump and connect the syringe into the entry at the top of the water tank. This will expel any additional water in the tank or lines.

Step 13. You can now reassemble your coffee machine by following your instruction manual.

So now you have successfully drained the water out from your Keurig 2.0 brewer. You can then store your machine safely.

There you go, that’s our in-depth guide on how to fix and drain water out of a keurig, hope we helped! If you are looking to buy a Keurig, we have a Keurig 200 and Keurig K425 reviews!

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About David Dewitt

Hi, my name is David and I come from Columbus, Ohio. I am a amateur photographer, and a coffee lover. I love to write, and don't mind me a cup of joe!