How to Keep Bunn Coffee Maker Pot From Overflowing or Not Filling Up Far Enough by Adjusting the Water Level

This article works best for the Bunn CW Series coffee maker that has the brew water coming directly from a plumbed water source. In other words, your brewer has a water line that connects to your plumbing and draws that water from your plumbing.

The Bunn Coffee Brewer CW Series system is a terrific coffee unit.  When you start the brewer the water will run for a set period of time and then shut off automatically.  If the water pressure feeding into your coffee brewer is too high, you stand a chance of the coffee overflowing the pot before it automatically turns off.   If water pressure running into your coffee brewer is too low, you'll only have a half full pot of coffee when your water turns off.

This article will tell you how to adjust the water level on your Bunn CW series brewer.

If your water is not filling up far enough in your Bunn unit. Try these steps.

1. With the Bunn unit power unit turned on, not actively brewing but "On." Be sure there is an EMPTY coffee pot on the burner beneath the brewer to catch the water.

2. Look for the "Start" Switch. This is the black switch that is located toward the top of the front face of the unit.

3. Press down the black switch and hold it until three clicks are heard. The clicks are kind of like pulses that you'll feel and hear.

4. When you hear the clicks take your finger off the switch right away. (Holding the switch for more than a couple seconds AFTER the three clicks will start the whole process over)

5. After you release the switch, then press it down again. I'd suggest just pressing it once, maybe twice. Each time you press the button tells the brewer to let the coffee run into the pot for two more seconds.

6. Let the pot run. I suggest not using any coffee beans at this point. See how far the water rises in the pot. If it still is not rising far enough, repeat the process and add more seconds. I suggest doing this without coffee so you don't waste coffee on trial and error, plus it is easier clean up if it all spills over.

1. Make sure that the power to the brewer is on. Don't have it actively making a pot of coffee, just be sure the power is on like it normally is. Be sure there is an EMPTY coffee pot on the burner beneath the brewer to catch the water.

2. Locate the "Start" button. This button is black and is located toward the top of the front faceplate with other switches and a light on it.

3. Press the "Start" button once for every two seconds you want taken off the time the water will pour. Don't hold the button down long. If you want to take four seconds off the amount of time you want the water run, press the button twice (2 presses x 2 seconds = 4 less seconds of water running. The more times you press the "Start" button, the shorter the pouring time will get.

4. Once you are done choosing the amount of time you want to take off, press and hold the "Start" button down until you hear three clicks. (Note that this is the exact opposite of what you would do when increasing water pressure)

5. Then let a pot fill up so you can check the level. I'd suggest doing this without using coffee so you don't waste coffee during this trial and error process. Also, if the pot somehow overflows, water is less of a mess than coffee.

If the steps above are not working, I think I know what else you have to do. Basically the coffee machine can be set up so that no one can adjust the water level. In other words, you can disable the water volume level controls. If you've had no luck, it is probably because the machine is set to not allow you to adjust the settings. There is a way to reverse this and enable yourself to adjust the settings.

I have to be honest here, I've never done this particular fix. Everything else you've read so far, I have done a lot of, except this. I just know it from speaking to a Bunn technician.

If you are not sure what you are doing here, call a professional or do it at your own risk.

This should enable the machine to allow you to adjust the settings Here's what I was told, but I've never done:

1) See the panel I have my hand on? Remove this panel by unscrewing the screws.

2) Look inside the machine. There should be a switch (or a 'microswitch' as the tech called it) on the lower right side.

If you are having problems it is likely that this switch is set to "Lock" or in the "Lock" position. If it is, change the switch to the "Set" position. This will allow you to set different water volume levels.

I hope that helps!

If no water is coming out of your Bunn coffee brewer there are any number of things that could be wrong that I have no idea how to fix. That said, there is one method that you definitely want to try before you start to hate your coffee machine. You simply might not have enough water in the reservoir tank. I wrote a very detailed article on how to get the water to come out of the brewer and into the pot.

Click Here to Read The Article

It should help you to get that water flowing again.