Nespresso Vertuo Pop Leaking Water? 5 Fixes (Pop and Pop+)

What Nespresso Says About a Leaking Vertuo Pop

Nespresso's whole troubleshooting answer for a leaking Vertuo Pop or Pop+ is two lines: "Check that the water tank is well positioned. Descale if necessary." Most leaks are one or the other. Two more causes aren't faults at all: a full drip tray or capsule container, and water that collects inside the head after cleaning or descaling. Nespresso's answer to that last one is to wipe it dry.

What the manuals don't contain matters just as much. No Vertuo manual lists a seal, O-ring or gasket for owners to replace, and none gives a Pop the model number "BNV220". The Vertuo Pop's codes are GCV2 and GDV2, and the Pop+ is GCV6 and GDV6. If the water keeps coming back after the fixes below, it's a call to Nespresso, not a part to order.

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Pop or Pop+?

The fixes are the same, but the two machines are built a little differently, and it changes what you check.

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Try This First

• Lift the tank off and put it back so it sits fully home. That's Nespresso's first leak check.
• Look in the head after a cleaning or descale. Water there is expected. Dry it with a cloth.
• Empty the drip tray and the capsule container.
• Watch the button. Orange and white blinking 3 times, then steady (the Pop+ manual says "blinking orange 3 times before steady white"), means descaling is due.
• Check where the water is. In front, in the tray area, is usually trays. Underneath, near the tank, is usually the tank.

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Which Fix You Need

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Fix 1: Reseat the Water Tank (Works About 35% of the Time)

It's the first line of Nespresso's remedy for "leakage or unusual coffee flow" on the Pop and Pop+. A tank that's slightly off its seat can let water out at the connection instead of into the machine.

Signs it's this one:

• Water under or behind the machine
• It started after refilling or washing the tank

1. Lift the tank off and wipe the base of the tank and the area it sits on.
2. Refill it with fresh drinking water.
3. Put it back so it sits fully in place.
4. Dry the counter and make one drink while you watch where any water appears.

Time: 2 minutes
Cost: Free
Success Rate: About 35%
Difficulty: Easy

Model note — Vertuo Pop: its tank is only 0.56 L, so it gets refilled often. Each refill is another chance to seat it slightly off.

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Fix 2: Empty the Drip Tray and Capsule Container (Works About 20% of the Time)

Water on the counter in front of the machine is often just a tray that's full. On the Pop+ the drip tray, capsule container and cup support are three separate parts, and the container fills after 8 espresso or 5 mug capsules.

Signs it's this one:

• Water in front of the machine, not underneath
• The container is full of used capsules

1. Open the head so the last capsule ejects.
2. Remove and empty the capsule container and the drip tray.
3. Wash the container, cup support and drip tray in hot water with a mild, odorless detergent, as Nespresso's cleaning steps say.
4. Refit each part fully, then make a drink and check again.

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

If coffee residue is building up in the head, run the cleaning program (Fix 3).

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Fix 3: Dry the Head After Cleaning or Descaling (Works About 15% of the Time)

The Pop+ manual says it after both its cleaning and descaling procedures: "Water may accumulate inside the machine's head during cleaning. If this happens, please dry visible parts with a clean dry cloth." Find water there right after a cycle and it's this, not a leak.

The cleaning program itself, from the Pop+ manual, is worth doing monthly anyway:

1. Rinse and refill the tank.
2. Open the head to eject the capsule, and empty the capsule container.
3. Remove the cup support and put a container of at least 1 L (34 oz) under the outlet.
4. Close the head and turn the lever to lock.
5. With the machine on, press the button 3 times within 2 seconds. It runs about 7 minutes, and water starts after about 2.
6. When the light is steady, wash the container, cup support and drip tray, then dry the visible parts of the head with a clean, dry cloth.

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

Nespresso suggests cleaning monthly, when you see coffee residue in the head, or after a long break.

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Fix 4: Descale (Works About 20% of the Time)

The second line of the leak remedy is "Descale if necessary." The alert is orange and white blinking 3 times, then steady light, and Nespresso says the machine can be used "only a few times" after it appears. The procedure takes about 20 minutes and can't be paused.

1. Fill the tank with 0.5 L (17 oz) of water and 1 unit of Nespresso descaling liquid.
2. Remove the cup support and put a container of at least 1 L (34 oz) under the outlet.
3. With the machine on, close the head and leave the lever in the unlock position.
4. Hold the button for at least 7 seconds until it blinks orange rapidly.
5. Within 45 seconds, open and close the head, leave the lever unlocked, and hold the button for 7 seconds again.
6. Turn the lever towards lock and press the button once. The first phase runs and stops by itself.
7. Rinse the tank, refill it with fresh water, and press the button to rinse. When it stops blinking rapidly, it's done.
8. Wash the container, cup support and drip tray, and dry any water in the head (Fix 3).

Time: About 20 minutes
Cost: Nespresso descaling liquid
Success Rate: About 20%
Difficulty: Easy

Don't mix up the button holds: 3 seconds switches the machine off, 7 seconds (twice) starts descaling, and 5 presses within 3 seconds is the factory reset. The lever-down holds you'll see in some guides belong to the Vertuo Plus, not the Pop. More detail is in our Vertuo descaling guide.

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Fix 5: Contact Nespresso (Works About 10% of the Time)

If water still collects under the machine with the tank seated, the trays emptied, the head dried and a fresh descale done, the water is coming from inside. No Nespresso manual we've read lists a user-replaceable seal, and the manuals say not to open the machine. So skip the O-ring kits and call.

1. Note your machine code from the label (GCV2/GDV2 for a Pop, GCV6/GDV6 for a Pop+).
2. Call 1-800-562-1465 in the USA or 1-855-325-5781 in Canada. Elsewhere, use the details in the "Welcome to Nespresso" folder or at nespresso.com.

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

Warranty: the Pop and Pop+ manuals don't print a warranty length. The US Vertuo Next manual from the same family gives one year, so check your own paperwork rather than assuming two.

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When DIY Won't Work

Stop using the machine and call Nespresso if:

• Water pools underneath even with the tank fully seated
• The button shows the error pattern: orange blinking rapidly twice, then a long off
• The cord or plug is damaged, or water has reached them

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Keep It Dry

• Seat the tank fully after every refill.
• Empty the capsule container and drip tray before they fill. On a Pop+ that's every 5 mug capsules.
• Clean monthly with the 3-press program.
• Descale as soon as the alert appears.
• Dry the head after every cleaning or descale.
• Before a long break or frost, empty the system as the manual describes.

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FAQ

Why is my Vertuo Pop leaking from the bottom?

Start with the tank. Nespresso's first check for "leakage or unusual coffee flow" is that the water tank is well positioned. Then descale if the alert has been showing. If water still collects underneath, contact Nespresso. There's no seal listed for owners to replace.

Why is there coffee or water in the capsule container?

The manuals don't list it as a fault. Their care steps have you empty the container and wash it with the drip tray and cup support, and run the cleaning program monthly or whenever coffee residue appears in the head. If the container fills with coffee on every brew, contact Nespresso.

What model number is a Vertuo Pop?

Nespresso's manuals list the Vertuo Pop as GCV2 and GDV2, with no rebadged versions named, and the Pop+ as GCV6 and GDV6. Other codes you see in retailer listings, such as BNV220, don't appear in the manuals we read, so go by the code on your machine's label.

Does the Pop+ leak differently from the Pop?

The troubleshooting answer is the same: seat the tank, then descale. The Pop+ has a bigger tank (0.75 L, or 1.1 L on the Deluxe) and separate drip tray, capsule container and cup support. Those are three places to empty and refit properly.

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Related Nespresso Guides

• Nespresso Vertuo Pop Not Working?: the full Pop fault list and light meanings
• Nespresso Vertuo Pop Red Light?: what the orange and red patterns mean
• Nespresso Vertuo Next Leaking?: the same remedy on the Next
• Nespresso Leaking Water: leaks across every Nespresso family

Sources: Nespresso user manual for the Vertuo Next, Vertuo Pop and Vertuo Plus (combined manual); Nespresso Vertuo Pop+ user manual; Nespresso Vertuo Next US user manual (warranty).