Breville Dual Boiler BES920 Not Working? 5 Fixes for Common Problems

The Dual Boiler Tells You More Than Most

The Breville Dual Boiler (BES920) has an LCD, two boilers and a pressure gauge, and its book uses all three to tell you what's wrong. Most "not working" problems are a dial or a wait. A flashing HOT WATER light at switch-on means the hot water dial is open. A beep means the steam lever is open. No water from the group head usually means the machine hasn't reached temperature yet: the POWER button stops flashing when it's ready.

After that, the book's answers are about the shot, the tank and cleaning. The gauge has a built-in test: if it won't reach 9 bar, an empty Dual Wall basket tells you in seconds whether the problem is your coffee or the machine. And E1, E2 or E3 on the screen means a fault you can't reset. That's a call to Breville.

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Try This First

• Close the hot water dial and the steam lever, then switch on again.
• Wait for POWER to stop flashing. A flashing temperature on the LCD means it's heating, or the temperature dropped during use.
• Check the tank latch. FILL TANK with a full tank means the tank isn't pushed in with the latch closed.
• Read the LCD. CLEAN ME!, NEW FILTER and FILL TANK all have simple fixes. E1, E2 or E3 does not.

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What the Screen and Lights Mean

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Fix 1: Close the Dials and Let It Heat (Works About 25% of the Time)

The BES920 checks its controls at switch-on. If the hot water dial is open, the HOT WATER LED flashes. If the steam lever is open, or was used before the machine reached temperature, it beeps. Until it's at operating temperature, the group head won't deliver water, and POWER keeps flashing.

Signs it's this one:

• A flashing LED or beeping right after switching on
• POWER still flashing, or the temperature flashing on the LCD

1. Turn the HOT WATER dial to CLOSED.
2. Move the STEAM LEVER to CLOSED.
3. Wait until POWER stops flashing, which is the book's sign that the machine is at operating temperature.
4. If the machine sat idle for an hour, it went into Power Save. Press any button except POWER, or operate the steam lever or hot water dial, to wake it.

Time: A few minutes
Cost: Free
Success Rate: About 25%
Difficulty: Easy

Auto Off: after 4 hours idle, the machine turns itself off completely. You can disable that in the Advanced Features menu (A OF) if you'd rather it didn't.

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Fix 2: Latch the Tank and Use the Right Water (Works About 20% of the Time)

The tank has a latch. If it isn't closed, the machine reads the tank as empty: FILL TANK appears, and it can't make coffee or hot water. The water itself matters too. Breville warns against highly filtered, demineralised or distilled water, and its troubleshooting table links that water to pumps that keep running, very wet and spitty steam, and a leaking hot water outlet.

Signs it's this one:

• FILL TANK with water in the tank
• You use distilled, reverse-osmosis or "zero" mineral water
• Wet steam or a dripping hot water outlet

1. Push the tank fully in and close the latch.
2. Fill with cold, filtered tap water, not distilled or demineralised.
3. If you've been using low-mineral water, switch, run a few shots and some steam, and see whether the symptoms stop.
4. If they persist, contact Breville, as the book says.

Time: 5 minutes
Cost: Free
Success Rate: About 20%
Difficulty: Easy

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Fix 3: Fix the Shot, Then Test the Gauge (Works About 25% of the Time)

"Pressure gauge not reaching 9 bars" sits in the same troubleshooting row as "espresso runs out too quickly". The causes are a grind that's too coarse, not enough coffee, too light a tamp, or stale beans. Shots that only drip are the opposite: too fine, too much coffee, too hard a tamp, or a blocked basket. The book also gives a machine test that separates a coffee problem from a pump problem.

Signs it's this one:

• The gauge needle stays low and the shot gushes
• Or the shot only drips and the gauge climbs high

1. Running fast: grind slightly finer, increase the dose, tamp at 22-33 lb (10-15 kg), then trim with the Razor.
2. Only dripping: grind slightly coarser, lower the dose, ease the tamp, and clear the basket holes with the fine pin on the cleaning tool.
3. Use fresh beans. The book suggests drinking them 5-20 days after the "Roasted On" date.
4. Use the Dual Wall baskets with pre-ground coffee and the Single Wall baskets with fresh-ground.
5. Machine test: fit an empty Dual Wall basket, either 1 CUP or 2 CUP, and press MANUAL. Over 5 bar = the machine is working, so go back to steps 1-4. Under 5 bar = call Breville.

Time: 10-20 minutes
Cost: Free
Success Rate: About 25%
Difficulty: Moderate

If the needle doesn't move at all, the book's check is a rubber disc in the 1 CUP basket (no coffee) and a shot. If the needle moves, the gauge works.

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Fix 4: Run the Cleaning Cycle and Backflush (Works About 15% of the Time)

CLEAN ME! appears after 200 extractions. The cleaning cycle cleans the shower screen and back-flushes the group head. Breville also recommends a quick clear-water backflush after every coffee session, to purge fine grounds and coffee oils from the brew water paths.

Signs it's this one:

• CLEAN ME! on the LCD
• Shots tasting flat or bitter, slowing over time
• A blocked steam tip (weak or no steam)

Cleaning cycle:

1. Put the 1 CUP Single Wall basket in the portafilter, then the cleaning disc, then 1 cleaning tablet.
2. Lock the portafilter in, fill the tank with cold water, and empty the drip tray.
3. Press MENU until CLEAN CYCLE flashes and PUSH shows.
4. Press the illuminated MANUAL button. It counts down from 370 seconds.

After each session (clear-water backflush): cleaning disc in the basket, portafilter in, press 2 CUP, let pressure build for 20 seconds, press again to stop. Repeat 5 times.

Steam tip blocked: clear it with the pin on the cleaning tool (more in our Breville steam wand guide). If it stays blocked, unscrew the tip with the tool's spanner, soak it in hot water, and refit it.

Time: About 10 minutes
Cost: A cleaning tablet
Success Rate: About 15%
Difficulty: Easy

NEW FILTER: replace the tank's water filter. Breville says every three months or 10.6 US gal (40 L), and the alert's timing follows the water hardness you set (Hrd1-Hrd5).

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Fix 5: Descale Both Boilers (Works About 15% of the Time)

The Dual Boiler's descale is more involved than a single-boiler machine's, because both boilers are drained by hand through valves behind the DESCALE ACCESS cover. Allow about 1.5 hours.

Signs it's this one:

• A descale alert on the LCD
• It's been a long time, especially on hard water

⚠️ Safety: hot steam can be released when the boiler valves open. Switch off and let the machine cool for at least 1 hour first, keep a cloth over the drip tray, and don't overtighten the valve screws. The program runs with the machine plugged in, so you can't unplug it for this job. The one-hour cool-down and a cloth over the drip tray are the protection.

1. Empty and refit the drip tray. With the machine off and cooled, hold 1 CUP, then also POWER, for 3 seconds (rSEt appears). Press UP or DOWN to dESC, then MENU.
2. Remove the grey silicone DESCALE ACCESS cover on the lower front. Put a cloth over the drip tray.
3. With a flat-head screwdriver, turn the right screw counter-clockwise until the valve is fully open and the boiler drains. If no water comes out, hold 1 CUP for 3 seconds. Close it clockwise when empty. Then do the left screw the same way.
4. Empty the drip tray. Empty the tank, remove the water filter, add the descaling solution and fill with cold water to MAX. Lock the tank in.
5. Press 1 CUP. The boilers fill with solution and heat, with a countdown. Water may flow through the group head.
6. Press 1 CUP to flush: drain both boilers again (step 3), empty the tray, rinse and refill the tank with clean water to MAX. The countdown runs 20 minutes.
7. Repeat the flush once more, then press POWER to exit.

Time: About 1.5 hours
Cost: Breville descaling powder (one is supplied)
Tools: Flat-head screwdriver
Success Rate: About 15%
Difficulty: Advanced

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When DIY Won't Work

Call Breville (1-866-BREVILLE, 1-866-273-8455) if:

• E1, E2 or E3 shows on the LCD. The book says it's an error you can't reset.
• The machine stops working while on, or steam pours out of the group head. The book says to turn it off, wait 60 minutes, and call Breville if it persists.
• The empty Dual Wall basket test reads under 5 bar.
• Wet steam or a leaking hot water outlet continues with normal tap water.

The book is clear: "Do not attempt to open or repair the machine." For anything beyond cleaning, go to Breville Consumer Support or an authorized repairer.

Resetting your settings: Advanced Features → rSEt restores every programmable value to default. That's 200 °F shot temperature, 275 °F steam, Auto Off on and water hardness Hrd3. It undoes settings, not faults.

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Keep It Running

• After each session: a clear-water backflush, 5 × 20 seconds.
• At CLEAN ME! (200 shots): the cleaning cycle with a tablet.
• Every 3 months or 40 L: a new water filter.
• Always: cold, filtered tap water, never distilled.
• Before storage, transport or frost: drain both boilers completely.
• Before every shot: purge the group head for 5 seconds (hold 1 CUP).

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FAQ

Why won't my Breville Dual Boiler reach 9 bar?

Usually the coffee: too coarse, too little, tamped too lightly, or stale. Breville's test is an empty Dual Wall basket and the MANUAL button. Over 5 bar means the machine is fine, so adjust grind, dose and tamp. Under 5 bar means call Breville.

What do E1, E2 and E3 mean on a BES920?

Breville's book says each is "an error that cannot be reset by the user". Note the message and call Breville Consumer Support. Codes such as 00-12 that appear in repair forums come from technicians' service logs, not from Breville's owner documentation.

Why is my Dual Boiler's portafilter leaking?

The book lists four causes: the portafilter not rotated fully to the right, grounds on the basket rim, a wet basket rim or wet portafilter lugs, or too much coffee. Dry everything before dosing, wipe the rim and trim with the Razor. Turning past centre won't damage the seal, the book says.

What temperature does the BES920 brew at?

The default shot temperature is 200 °F (93 °C), adjustable from 190 to 205 °F (86-96 °C) under SHOT TEMP in the menu. The steam boiler defaults to 275 °F (135 °C) and can be adjusted in Advanced Features.

Why does the coffee puck stick to the shower screen?

The book calls it normal. The dry-puck feature creates a slight vacuum that occasionally holds the puck against the shower screen instead of leaving it in the basket.

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Related Breville Guides

• Breville Error Codes and Lights: alerts across Breville's machines, including BES920 E1-E3
• Breville Not Heating Water?: shot temperature and pre-heating
• Breville Steam Wand Not Working?: blocked tips and purging
• Breville Leaking Water?: auto purge, tanks and seals

Sources: Breville Dual Boiler BES920 Instruction Book (USCM Y23), including its troubleshooting pages 27-31.