De'Longhi WATER CIRCUIT EMPTY message: re-priming

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A WATER CIRCUIT EMPTY message on a De'Longhi means the machine's internal water circuit has lost its prime, and the documented fix is to place a container of at least 100 ml under the hot water or steam spout and press OK; the machine pumps water through until the circuit is full and stops on its own.

The refill, step by step

1. Check the tank is filled and seated all the way in.
2. Place a container with at least 100 ml capacity under the hot water/steam spout.
3. Press OK when the display asks to start filling.
4. Let the machine run; delivery stops automatically once the circuit is primed. Empty the container and carry on brewing.

How a circuit empties itself

Air gets into the lines whenever the pump pulls from an empty tank: run the tank dry mid-brew, lift the tank while a drink is pouring, or store the machine after its empty-circuit frost-protection routine, and the next start finds air where water should be. The message is the machine refusing to dry-fire its pump and heater. Priming through the spout replaces the air with water in about a minute. The habit that prevents it: top the tank before it hits the minimum mark rather than after the machine complains.

If the message returns immediately

A circuit that empties again right after priming points to the tank valve or scale. Reseat the tank firmly and check the little valve at its base moves freely; scale jams it part-open and lets the line drain back. A descale cycle with De'Longhi's descaler when prompted keeps the valve and lines clear, and the descaling walkthrough covers the procedure.

When to stop

If pressing OK produces pump noise but never water, or the machine loops the message through multiple full tanks, the pump or an internal line is the problem and that is a De'Longhi service case. Persistent air in a circuit is also the classic symptom the documented fix cannot reach when a seal has failed, so stop repeating the cycle and get the quote.

Related reading

• De'Longhi PrimaDonna display messages
• How to descale a De'Longhi Magnifica
• Coffee machine error codes: the full index
• Fix your coffee maker hub

FAQ

What does WATER CIRCUIT EMPTY mean on a De'Longhi? The internal water circuit has lost its prime. Place a container of at least 100 ml under the hot water/steam spout and press OK; the machine refills the circuit and stops automatically.

Why does my De'Longhi keep losing its water prime? Usually the tank ran dry mid-brew or the tank valve is sticking, often from scale. Keep the tank topped up, reseat it firmly, and descale when prompted.

The machine pumps but no water comes out during the refill. Now what? Stop repeating the cycle and contact De'Longhi support. A pump that cannot move water through the spout is beyond the documented fix.

Sources: Maestosa, message WATER CIRCUIT EMPTY. All pages are official De'Longhi help center articles, fetched and verified for this article.