My beer tap isn’t keeping the beer cold: what should I check?
Is your Krups or Philips beer dispenser no longer keeping the beer cold? Is the indicator light still red, or is your beer coming out lukewarm even after waiting for several hours? Find out how to repair your BeerTender or PerfectDraft beer pump. Start by checking the simplest possible causes: the keg, the machine’s location, the seals, the ventilation, and then the electronics.
THE POTENTIAL CAUSES FOR THIS FAULT:
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Beer keg not sufficiently chilled
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Beer dispenser placed in a location that is too warm
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Worn or incorrectly positioned seal on the beer pump cover
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Beer dispenser fan clogged or faulty
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Faulty electronic circuit board in the beer dispenser
WARNING
Before you do anything to your appliance, make sure you disconnect it from the power supply.
There is a risk of electric shock.
The beer cask hadn’t had time to cool down
A beer dispenser does not chill a keg instantly. With a Philips PerfectDraft beer dispenser, it often takes 12 to 15 hours for a keg to reach around 3 °C. With a Krups BeerTender beer dispenser, it is advisable to place the keg in the fridge several hours before use.
The best approach: put the keg in the fridge the night before. The tap will then only need to maintain the temperature, rather than cooling the entire keg from room temperature.
If the keg has only just been fitted, wait a while before assuming there is a fault. A red indicator light or a temperature that is still too high may simply mean that the cooling process is underway.
The beer tap is situated in a place that is too hot
A beer pump will not cool properly if it is installed in direct sunlight, near an oven, against a wall or in a room that is too hot. To produce cold air, the machine must also dissipate heat. If air cannot circulate properly around the appliance, the temperature may remain too high.
Leave a few centimetres of space around the beer tap, especially at the back and on the sides. Do not place tea towels, trays or any other objects against the ventilation grilles.
A simple test: move the machine to a cooler room for 2 to 3 hours. If the temperature starts to drop, the problem is likely due to its location or a lack of ventilation.
The lid seal on the beer machine is worn or incorrectly positioned
If the door does not close properly, warm air will enter the beer dispenser and cold air will escape. The beer dispenser may then cool down very slowly, remain above the set temperature, or cause the fan to run almost continuously.
Check the seal around the door or the keg compartment. It must not be cut, hardened, crushed, misshapen or displaced from its position.
Close the door onto a sheet of paper. If the sheet slides through without any resistance, the seal may not be tight enough, which suggests that your appliance is not properly sealed.
If the seal is cut, hardened or misshapen, check, for example, whether a seal compatible with your Philips PerfectDraft beer tap is available.
Buy a tap nozzle for your beer tap here
The fan in your beer dispenser is blocked or faulty
The fan is used to remove the heat generated by the cooling system. If it is blocked by dust or has stopped turning, the beer dispenser may switch on as normal but will no longer be able to cool the keg.
Unplug the appliance, then check the ventilation grilles. Remove any dust using a soft brush, a dry cloth or a vacuum cleaner set to low power. Do not use water on the electrical parts.
If your model allows it, also clean the fan and the metal radiator behind the grille. Dust blocks heat dissipation and can prevent the coffee machine from cooling properly.
If the fan has stopped working or is making an unusual noise, check whether a replacement fan is available to repair your BeerTender or PerfectDraft beer dispenser.
The circuit board in your beer tap is faulty
The circuit board may be at fault if the beer dispenser switches on but is no longer able to cool the keg. Depending on the model, it controls the display, the indicator lights, the ventilation and the cooling system.
There are certain signs that may indicate this: the temperature does not drop after 2 to 3 hours, the display is frozen, the indicator lights are flashing abnormally, or the cooling system starts up and then switches off too quickly.
If these symptoms are confirmed, note down the exact model number of your beer dispenser before looking for a compatible Krups, Philips, PerfectDraft or SEB electronic circuit board..