This is another post tagged “sad”.
Does your circa 2009 Bosch Tassimo coffee machine have the red descaling light on? And the red light won’t turn off, even tho you followed the descaling instructions in the manual? (It should look like this:)
The problem is the manual is wrong. I don’t know how they managed it, but it’s plain wrong.
Here’s what to do:
- Take out the water filter from the water tank (if you have one). Descaling won’t work with the filter in there.
- Mix up 500 mL of descaling solution in the water supply bucket. You must have at least 500 mL of solution in there or it will run out and you’ll have to start over.
- Put the cleaning disc into the machine and close the little disc door.
- Put a cup that will hold at least 500 mL into the machine (you will probably want to take out the cup stand to make room for it). If the cup won’t hold 500 mL, it’ll overflow and you’ll have a mess.
- This is the key: press and hold the brew button for at least 3 seconds. Now wait 20 minutes.
After 3 seconds the green and red lights will start flashing simultaneously – that indicates you’ve started the descaling cycle, which will run 500 mL of the solution thru the machine and into the cup. It goes slowly, in small bursts over about 20 minutes. When it’s done, the red light will go out. Then flush out the machine by running lots of clean water thru it (per the manual), and put back the water filter (if you want, and if your model has one).
If you stop the machine before it’s done with the full cycle, you’ll have to start over.
This procedure is hinted at in icon-speak (no words) on the little booklet that the cleaning disc comes in. It’s totally different from what the manual says, with the key difference that this procedure works.
Enjoy your coffee.
I would never pollute my precious bodily fluids with that coffee stuff.
You nerds ROCK! thanks so much for the proper info, I have been trying to solve this puzzle for a week now and due to your CORRECT INFO PROCEDURES I am descaling even as we speak. THANKS SOOOOO MUCH again.
Yes, we nerds do rock. That’s why we get all the girls. (Once we, and the girls, are 35 or so, anyway. Before then…not so much.)
Those directions worked! Thanks so much.
I’ve been staring at that light for so long… It’s a good thing that the machine works regardless. MMMM clean coffee. I heart you guys.
OMG!!..you guys are brilliant!! Worked like a charm…the dreaded red light is out and it works like new….back to awesome coffee again. Thanks so much.
If anyone is having difficulties getting the recommended descaler (Dezcal), Home Outfitters sells it. Check often as it sells out quickly.
unfortunately this does not work for me 🙁
have cleaned the barcode screen and code on the cleaning disc too, yet the thing just keeps flashing away.
am reaching for a baseball bat :/
I have flashing lights saying its time to descale. I ordered the Dezcal. Took out filter, filled with water, put in yellow disc, and the water is low light starts blinking. I hold for 3 sec…….nothing, nothing happens! Soooooo frustrated!
red light came on..put in yellow disc and descaler solution–water ready to go..now just orange light is on but nothing…machine won’t kick over to
start anything. tried unplugging it for awhile–clean bar code. Nothing.
Help Please
Marybeth – Did you press AND HOLD the button for at least 3 seconds?
Thank you so much!! I only had one pack of the Dezcal left so this was my final attempt to fix the flashing red light. I used hot water, one package and pressed the button for the few seconds just like you said. Both lights started flashing, a small amount of water squirted out and stopped. I left the room, afraid to watch. I could hear it working for the next several minutes then it stopped. I was afraid to look at the end but when I did, imagine how happy I was when the red light was out. Now I just hope that the next time I need to descale I will remember this solution. Thank you sooooo much!! 🙂
What yellow disc I just put descaler in water tabk and used coffee thing in tray to make it kick over and keep sending water through diddnt work and how do I know if its got a filter water ??
The yellow disc is stored in the back of the machine in a little slot; you have to take out the water tank to find it.
A used coffee disc won’t work – it needs to be the cleaning disc (the yellow one).
If there’s a filter at the bottom of the water tank, you have one. If not, not.
Cheers,
–Dave
Where does one get descaling liquid or whatever it is. I have use the yellow disc alone and of course it did not worok. Can you advise?
Thanks a million! You saved the day!
My question is “what is a cycle?” I followed the instrucitons, did the descaling and such, yet the instructions not “after the descaling is done, rinse out the water tank and run the water through (with service disk in place) once, then 4 more cycles.”
So what is a cycle….does that mean a clean tank plus four more clean tanks?
Thanks,
Pat
Yes, it means run 4 more clean tanks of water thru to flush out the descaling chemical.
Cool beans, thanks for the follow-up
thanks for clear instructions, worked first time. I can just about manage Ikea picture ones but Bosch should know better.
Thanks! What else needs to be said?
Excellent, thanks!!
i followed you instruction and red light s still on please help !
can’t find descaling liquid anywhere
currently trying vinegar water solution
keep your fingers crosses
I have followed the directions twice. Have used up two pouches if descaler. Each time the machine goes through one cycle, and then the green (ready) light comes on and the red descaling light stays on. The machine does not go through a 20 minutes cycle to descaler. I’m getting frustrated.
Time to buy a New one. The red light will not go off.
I am on my second run at de-scaling after speaking with Customer Service after the first failed attempt following these instructions. These are the same instructions that Customer Service gave me. They informed me to call back and if this didn’t work they would retify the situation. I suggest giving them a call before turfing your machine 🙂
Thanks so much. I tried to follow the icon-speak, but didn’t think it was working due to the delay, so I kept starting over again. Your instructions about it going slow and in small intervals was key. I am descaling as we speak. Peace.
Can someone recommend a natural, common alternative to the descaling solution?
Re alternative descaling solutions, see this thread (GIYF):
http://ask.metafilter.com/110773/CoffeeFilter-Cheap-descaledecalc-solution-for-my-coffee-machine
Hope this works. I just started mine.
I don’t have a scale problem here. Does the light come on when scale is detected or after a number of discs?
I’ve had the unit for about two and a half weeks and the light came on.I didn’t have descaler, so just ran tap water through descale filer FOUR times. The light want off.
I chose this unit over Krups Dolce Gusto that I had used and liked and given to my daughter. I liked the variety. Frankly, if I’d known about this nonsense, I would stuck with the other brand. In six months I never had a problem with the scaling. Basic flaw in the system?
i am descaling! thanks. i am using diluted vinegar. I think it should work just fine!
Thanks so much for the VERY IMPORTANT tip. Had I not held down the button for that amount of time, it would have cycled through a normal cycle with no apparent improvement.
Acid is acid whether it’s vinegar, citrus-based, lactose-based, or a proprietary blend. They are identified as acidic because of the Ph. The importance is the ratio of acid to water. Distilled vinegar is 5%. Other acid-based products vary depending upon their packaging (powder, crystal, liquid, etc) and the amount of water added. That’s what makes the company’s own descaling liquid a no-brainer. However, I’m not into spending money for overpriced chemicals that can be reproduced at home.
So, I’m starting with a 1:1 ratio of vinegar and water. If that doesn’t work I’ll double the vinegar. I’ll let you know if:
1. I’m successful.
2. How I adjusted the variable.
3. It was a total flop, I’m buying the company’s product, and I need to go back to 101 chemistry in college.
Woo hoo it worked on the first attempt! The whole process seemed to take longer than 20 minutes. Make sure to fill the container all the way AND periodically empty the collection container. As the solution goes down, add more. I used a pint pitcher and had to dump it a few times.
Thank you so much for the clear instructions. I wasted an hour trying to descale the machine and the stupid light would not go off. I followed your instructions and they worked perfectly!
I am running the descaling programme but it is going on forever – can’t get the programme to end ………!!!!!!!
oh my.. I have been trying for days to figure this out.. The booklet is like Ikea instructions….. Thank you I’m descaling right now the light has turned off. Now the red light does not bug me when I make make coffee. I can enjoy..Not being bothered by WHY THE RED LIGHT IS STILL ON..AHHH It is great thank you.. I should of looked you up sooner..
As an alternate descaling solution, you could consider using a 50-50 mix of CLR and water. That’s what I use and it appears to work just fine.
My green light will not go on; does this mean I need to descale? Where do I get this solution?
i was really beginning to wonder! my red light had been on for a LONG time, and after i couldn’t figure it out (not sure what happened to my manual) i just overlooked it. i had run dezcal through it the best i could, and much crud did come out. i finally googled it today and found this site. i again ran dezcal through it following your instructions. it ran, and ran, and ran…i refilled it multiple times and dumped my cup, and it continued to run. finally it stopped and my red light went off…3 HOURS LATER!! thank you 🙂
Okay, since purchasing my Tassimo, I have had to buy gallons of drinking/spring water because I have a water softener and the instructions (not evident prior to purchasing, mind you) say not to use chemically treated water (what is salt?) And although I have a filter on my refrigerator, I don’t think that takes out the salt, hence, that would cause the Tassimo disks to snap, crackle and pop.
Anyway, question – after descaling, do I keep the cleaning disc in place while I run it through 4 more cycles of just water?
and two – and most importantly – do I still need to use unsoftened water for the cleaning process??? Thanks!!!
I have run the descale twice now – red light still on …grrr and yes I held it for 3 seconds and it went through its process – seemed to take a long time! then I filled it with fresh water even though light was red and have flushed a couple mugs through – now what?
I thought I followed the instructions properly but perhaps not. I pressed the button for 3 seconds (the 1st time it was too long as the language setting appeared on the menu) and the descaling process started. As mentioned, it spewed out some water and seemed to stop. The menu was flashing ‘please descale’ and the lights were also flashing… so I pressed the button again. Was I too impatient? Should I have only pressed it once? I’m sure I pressed it at least 8 times in 20 minutes. After the 20 minutes, it was still flashing ‘descale’ so I don’t know what I did. HELP!!!
If the menu was flashing ‘please descale”, then you don’t have the same machine I do.
Does it look like the one in the picture?
Mine doesn’t have any menu or display. So yours probably works differently.
Mine is the T65 model. It has a little menu above the button. Looks a bit different but I’m experiencing the same problems.
Thanks. Need my coffee! Can get decalz at bed bath and beyond. If you don’t have a store near you, you can it order from them online. Never have a problem getting supplies from BB&B.
Well I fixed the machine! I started the descaling process as before (using only 500ml of water/solution) and only pressed the descaling button ONCE. It started and stopped several times and in about 20 minutes, it stopped on its own. I then cleaned it 5 times and it’s working just fine. I’m so thrilled. I turn the machine on every now and then just to see that the red light ISN’T on!!!!!
MY HERO…worked like a charm 🙂
Thanks so much…on another note…anyone else noticed the shrinking selection of coffee we have available?
Not sure why I avoided doing that…so easy thanks to your instructions! No more red light!
Thanks for info on descaling; however, I would like if anyones Bosch coffee maker acts like its going to vibrate off the countertop? Mine is so loud and the vibration is horrible.
Thanks