Keurig K-Brew + Chill Leaking Water? 4 Fixes

Where K-Brew+Chill Water Really Comes From

Most K-Brew+Chill leaks are really overflows from the drip tray. After every cold brew, a 1-minute Cold Auto Rinse sends water into a tray that holds only 7oz, so three cold brews fill it. Empty the tray, and check that it's back in place before each cold brew ends. Next, check the Chill Tank lid and the pod holder.

This brewer holds water in three places, and that makes it different from other Keurigs. There's the 70oz reservoir for brewing, a Chill Tank with about 11.5 cups of water for cooling, and the drip tray, which also catches the automatic rinse. A puddle usually comes from one of those three, and where it collects tells you which.

There's no separate "iced mode" water path that strains the seals, as some guides claim. Every pod brews hot through the same brew head, and COLD then sends the coffee through coils in the Chill Tank. Everything below is from Keurig's K-Brew+Chill Use & Care Guide unless we say otherwise.

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Find the Source First

Dry test: empty the drip tray, dry the counter and the brewer, and put a paper towel under each side. Run one HOT brew with no pod, then one COLD brew with no pod, and let the Auto Rinse finish. Wet spots on the towels show you where the water is coming from.

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Quick Checks

• Is the red full indicator showing on the drip tray?
• Did you take the drip tray out to fit a tall cup and not put it back?
• Is the Chill Tank lid pressed down firmly all the way round?
• Is the water reservoir fully seated in its base?
• Has the brewer just been moved without emptying the reservoir and Chill Tank?

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Fix 1: Empty and Reinsert the Drip Tray (Works About 45% of the Time)

The drip tray is the most common source of a K-Brew+Chill "leak." After every Cold brew, a Cold Auto Rinse starts on its own. RINSE blinks, you'll hear noises, and water runs into the drip tray for about a minute. The tray holds 7oz, which Keurig says is enough for three Auto Rinse cycles. After that, the next rinse spills over the edge.

Signs it's this one: water at the front of the machine, mostly after cold brews, or a red indicator showing on the tray.

1. Slide the drip tray toward you, keeping it level so it doesn't spill.
2. Empty it, rinse it and wipe it with a damp, soapy cloth.
3. Slide it fully back into place.
4. Watch for the red indicator on the tray. It appears when the tray needs emptying.
5. Make emptying the tray a habit about every three brews, especially if you mostly brew cold.
6. Tall cups: if you remove the drip tray to fit a larger cup, Keurig says to put it back as soon as the brew finishes. The Auto Rinse runs straight afterward, and with no tray, that water goes onto your counter.

Time: 2 minutes
Cost: Free
Success Rate: About 45%
Difficulty: Easy

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Fix 2: Keep the Handle Closed Until the Cycle Ends (Works About 20% of the Time)

Lifting the handle too early releases water that is still moving through the brew head. On the K-Brew+Chill, the cycle isn't over when your cup stops filling. The K button stays lit until the brew is complete. After a Cold brew, the Auto Rinse keeps running for about another minute, and Keurig says not to open the handle until RINSE stops blinking.

Signs it's this one: drips or a splash from the pod area when you lift the handle, usually straight after a cold coffee.

1. After brewing, wait until the K button goes dark.
2. For Cold brews, move your cup away once the K button goes dark and put it somewhere else. Leave the handle closed while RINSE blinks.
3. Lift the handle only when RINSE has stopped blinking.
4. Take out the used pod each time. Keurig says to remove it after brewing.

Time: 1 minute of waiting
Cost: Free
Success Rate: About 20%
Difficulty: Easy

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Fix 3: Stop Pod Holder Overflow (Works About 15% of the Time)

Water and grounds overflowing around the pod holder mean water is going into the pod faster than it can drain out. That happens when the exit needle is clogged, the pod holder isn't clipped in properly, or the pod is being reused. Keurig warns that a reused pod may not line up with its original holes, and water and grounds can overflow.

Signs it's this one: a wet pod area, grounds around the holder or in the cup, and short cups.

1. Use each pod only once, and don't use pods that have already been punctured.
2. Take out the pod holder. Lift the handle, grasp the front of the holder with both hands, and pull until it releases.
3. Clear the exit needle. Find the silicone valve under the exit needle, on the inside bottom of the holder, and push a straightened paper clip into it to loosen grounds. Then rinse.
4. Remove the pod holder filter by pressing its two tabs and pulling it up. Wash it, then push it back in.
5. Refit the holder. Line it up with the opening using the two front ribs as a guide, then snap it into place from the top. A holder that isn't snapped in can let water escape around it.
6. Clean the entrance needles. With the handle held up, push a paper clip into each hole on the underside of the lid. Lower the handle and run two brews with no pod.

Time: 10 minutes
Cost: Free
Success Rate: About 15%
Difficulty: Easy

Safety: the needles above and below the pod are sharp. Never put your fingers in the pod holder.

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Fix 4: Check the Chill Tank and Reservoir (Works About 10% of the Time)

The Chill Tank and the reservoir are the two places that hold water all the time, and both leak for simple reasons. The Chill Tank can be overfilled past its Max Fill tab, or its lid can be left loose. The reservoir can sit slightly out of its base. Moving the brewer with either one full sloshes water out.

Signs it's this one: water on top of or around the Chill Tank lid, or on the reservoir side after refilling.

Chill Tank:

1. Remove the lid. The water should reach the Max Fill tab and no higher.
2. If it's overfilled, take out the excess with a turkey baster or cup (our own suggestion), then dry the top of the machine.
3. Wipe the underside of the lid with a damp, lint-free cloth.
4. Put the lid back and press it down firmly, as the manual specifies.
5. When refilling later, pour slowly and stop as soon as the CHILL TANK light goes out.

Reservoir:

1. Lift out the reservoir and look for cracks, especially around the base.
2. Wipe the base and the socket on the brewer, and clear any debris that stops the reservoir sitting flat.
3. Reseat it firmly, then fill it and leave it for 10 minutes on a dry paper towel. A wet towel means the reservoir itself is leaking. Ask Keurig support about a replacement before you buy a third-party one.

Moving the brewer: Keurig says to turn it off, unplug it, and empty the reservoir before moving it. Empty the Chill Tank too before storing or transporting it.

Time: 10-15 minutes
Cost: Free
Success Rate: About 10%
Difficulty: Easy

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When DIY Won't Work

Unplug the brewer first if water is coming from underneath the housing, and don't use it until you know where the water is from. The brewer contains a heater, pump, fan and cooling module, so an internal leak near electrical parts isn't something to wait out.

Call Keurig at 1-866-901-BREW (2739) if:

• Water collects under the brewer with the drip tray empty, the reservoir seated, and the Chill Tank at Max Fill
• The dry test shows a wet paper towel under the middle or back of the brewer
• Water appears after the brewer has been sitting unused

Keurig says the K-Brew+Chill isn't user-serviceable beyond cleaning and descaling, so don't open the housing. The limited one-year warranty covers defects in the US and Canada. You'll need proof of purchase and a Return Materials Authorization (RMA) number from Keurig before sending it back.

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Prevent Leaks

• Empty the drip tray about every three brews. Cold brews fill it faster because of the Auto Rinse.
• Put the drip tray back straight after brewing into a tall cup
• Keep the handle closed until RINSE stops blinking
• Use each pod once, and clear the exit needle whenever you see grounds
• Fill the Chill Tank only to the Max Fill tab, and press the lid down firmly
• Empty the reservoir and Chill Tank before moving or storing the brewer
• Descale every 3 months, or when DESCALE lights. The steps are in our K-Brew+Chill not working guide.

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FAQ

Why does water come out of my K-Brew+Chill after the coffee is done?

That's the Cold Auto Rinse. After every Cold brew, the brewer runs a rinse by itself for about a minute, and the water goes into the drip tray. Keurig says the rinse keeps QuickChill working at its best. It's normal. Just keep the drip tray in place and the handle closed until RINSE stops blinking.

Does the Chill Tank water ever need draining?

Only before you store or move the brewer. Otherwise, the water stays in the tank, and some of it slowly evaporates. You top it up when the CHILL TANK light comes on, which Keurig says is about once a year.

Is it normal to see water in the drip tray when I haven't brewed anything?

Only from the last Auto Rinse or brew. If fresh water keeps appearing in an emptied tray while the brewer sits unused, the reservoir or an internal part is leaking. Run the paper-towel dry test and contact Keurig if the water isn't coming from the reservoir.

My leak started after descaling. Is that related?

Foam can come out during descaling, because the solution reacts with the scale. If the reservoir was lifted out or knocked during the process, reseat it firmly. If it's still leaking after the fresh-water rinse, go through Fixes 3 and 4.

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Related Guides

• K-Brew+Chill not working: lights, pumping, partial cups and descaling
• K-Brew+Chill coffee not getting cold
• Keurig leaking water: all models
• Keurig clogged needle fix

Sources: Keurig K-Brew+Chill Use & Care Guide.