Breville BES878 no water from the group head, or no hot water
Cause 1 of 4Water tank empty. Source: Troubleshooting, p. 23
First checkFill the water tank.
Causes and checks
Water tank empty. Source: Troubleshooting, p. 23
- Fill the water tank.
Water tank not fully inserted and locked. Source: Troubleshooting, p. 23
- Push the water tank down until it locks.
Machine needs descaling. Source: Troubleshooting, p. 23
- Descale the machine. See Descale the Barista Pro.
Grind too fine, too much coffee, tamped too hard, or a blocked basket. Source: Troubleshooting, p. 23
- Follow the checks for espresso that only drips. See Espresso only drips from the spouts, or does not flow.
All 4 causes checked. Contact Breville Consumer Support: 1-866-273-8455.
Service
If the checks above do not clear it, contact Breville Consumer Support: 1-866-273-8455, breville.com/us/support. United States (Canada: 1-855-683-3535; Mexico: 800-649-0543). Source: Back cover, p. 84
Other BES878 problems
- Espresso only drips from the spouts, or does not flow6 causes in the manual. First: grind too fine.
- Water does not come through and the machine is loudWater tank empty or below MIN.
- Espresso runs too quickly3 causes in the manual. First: grind too coarse.
- Espresso runs out around the edge of the portafilter3 causes in the manual. First: portafilter not fully inserted.
- No steam4 causes in the manual. First: machine not yet at operating temperature.
- Coffee is not hot enough4 causes in the manual. First: the cups are not pre-heated.
- No crema5 causes in the manual. First: coffee is tamped too lightly.
- Water leakingWater tank not fully inserted and locked.
- Machine is on but stops workingThe safety thermal cut-out may have tripped because the pump or grinder overheated.
- Grinder delivers no coffee2 causes in the manual. First: hopper empty.
- Too much or too little ground coffee in the basketGrind amount does not suit the grind size.
- Too much or too little espresso in the cupGrind amount, grind size or shot volume needs adjusting.
- Grinder is making a loud noiseBlockage or foreign object in the grinder.
Sources
- the Barista Pro Instruction Book, BES878 Series (English, Canadian French and Mexican Spanish edition). Breville Pty Ltd. Document BES878 USCM, revision Q26, 2026, 84 pages, en-US. assets.breville.com (PDF). Listed on the manufacturer's support page. Retrieved 13 November 2026.
Page numbers are the numbers printed in the manual. Where this page and the manual differ, follow the manual.