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A home coffee brewer, released in 2011, manufactured by Keurig. Repair for this device is similar to all other Keurig models.

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Use apple cider vinegar to clean, now it won't work. Help

My mom thought it would be a great idea to use a good 1/2 cup or more of apple cider vingear to clean the Keurig instead of letting me do it. She poored it into the side and added water to it Went to run it through to clean it and now it won't dispense any water at all. I tried cleaning it all out and rinsing it. Did she just kill it or is there a way to save my poor coffee maker.?! Help

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Haven't tried cider vinegar, I've only used white vinegar in a standard drip coffee maker (ones that use filters). I also diluted it down by 50%

Unlike them the Keurig uses a sealed pod that holds the coffee and filter. Only the tube at the bottom that expels the brewed coffee from the pod would need any cleaning (coffee buildup) as the other heater side tube at the top only gets clean water pumped through it. You might have calcium build up over time (Lime). Thats a sign of hard water or using bottled mineral water!

So the issue then is did the straight vinegar damage the heater? I don't think Keurig expected people to use vinegar that way as it won't cut though the lime buildup from the water very effectively. Here is what they expect: Keurig Descaling Solution Give that a try.

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I can't see why apple cider vinegar would kill it. I regularly clean out our coffee machine, but I use a proprietary descaler. These are based on acetic acid, essentially the same acid, but without all the flavourings and stuff.

In your question you don't specify why it doesn't work. is there power? lights? does it gurgle? In my imagination I can see a lump of lime scale becoming dislodged and blocking the heater tube, but without more info........

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I took it apart and the tubes are filled with lime scale but they have zip-ties holding them together.

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My Keurig died after I cleaned it with white vinegar. I called Keurig and they told me that they’ve deduced that vinegar damages keurigs. He said I MUST use descaling solution, never vinegar. Great.

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literally just had this happen to me

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Oh no! I don’t see how some people say they use vinegar all the time and their Keurig is fine. Mine died immediately. Other people’s as well! Vinegar is fine for the regular drip coffee makers - I’ve always used vinegar to clean those - but not for Keurigs. I will buy actual descaling solution next time.

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This just happened to me also. I tried it after reading about scale buildup in Keurig machines. The article recommended using vinegar. There is a video online showing how to clean a Keurig by taking some pieces apart & using a paperclip to unclog. I'm going to try that.

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I used white vinegar on my new keurig I got for Christmas. The two times I have used it the system quit while the vinegar was in the water tank but then when I emptied the vinegar, cleaned the tank and put water back in it then it worked again. I thought mine was damaged as well but it worked fine as soon as I replaced the vinegar with water. I'll use the recommended descaler in the future though.

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I used keurig descaler but it didn't work. I do use refillable pods so I will check to see if there's debris in there cause I fill it full usually. The carafe side of my duo also gets grounds stuck to the water spout, generally have to clean it each time I brew a full pot.

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I took screws out bottom of mine and removed all the covers. Disconnected two clear silicones tubes from motor in rear bottom of keurig and blew compressed air through both. Went from clogged to working like new!!!

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I just used the Keurig descaler and the same thing happened. I doubt it’s vinegar vs their brand of descaler. I’m going to see if there are screws on the bottom and follow the last comment to clear the lines.

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I took my hands and banged on the sides. It loosened the debris and started working again.

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I always delete the white vinegar 50 percent water and 50 percent vinegar on my k slim..had it 3 years never had a problem.i use vinegar about every 2 months.

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Vinegar also. Took four screws out of the bottom and pretty much ripped the unit apart. Took hoses off and sucked hot vinegar out. Puked. Blew 120 psi air in everywhere. Put hoses on. Banged water in it. Glued it back together. Tea time! WOOP WOOP!

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LOL, after not working for a few mo, just by chance decided to try making coffee again & voila! It worked just fine! Now a few months later, STILL fine. I recently bought keurig's cleaning pods, but am afraid to try! 😆

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My coffee maker stopped immediately after pouring vinegar through. I had to turn it on and off at least a dozen times and now it works fine. I replaced the remaining vinegar in the reservoir with water. Unfortunately, I had not cleaned it since I’ve owned it, over a year. 😬 I believe vinegar would work fine. However, you should clean your machine routinely, maybe every couple months. That would prevent blockage of the build up.

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Kymberly Farrell will be eternally grateful.
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