DeLonghi ECAM22.110.B no water during flushing, infuser moves then returns, pump not starting

User question

Delonghi ECAM22.110.B water no coming during flushing and also during coffe preparing .
Infuzer is going up for moment stop then going down , pump not start

Artificial Intelligence Response

Direct answer to the question

For a DeLonghi ECAM 22.110.B / Magnifica S, the symptom:

• Infuser/brew unit moves up briefly
• Stops
• Moves back down
• Pump does not start
• No water during rinse/flushing or coffee preparation

usually means the machine is aborting the brew/rinse sequence before it reaches the pump stage.

The most likely causes are:

1. Upper brew piston microswitch not being activated — very common.
2. Infuser or upper piston is stiff/jammed due to dirt, scale, or lack of lubrication.
3. Transmission/spindle mechanism worn or slipping, so the infuser does not reach the correct upper position.
4. Motor Hall sensor / position sensor fault.
5. Less commonly: control board fault, pump triac fault, or heating fault.

Because the pump never starts, do not immediately replace the pump. First check why the control board is sending the infuser back down.

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Detailed problem analysis

In this machine, the pump does not start immediately. The control sequence is approximately:

1. The brew motor moves the infuser upward.
2. The infuser presses against the upper brewing piston.
3. The machine must detect the correct upper position using:
   • upper position microswitch,
   • motor position feedback / Hall sensor,
   • motor load/current monitoring.
4. If the position is accepted, the motor stops.
5. Then the pump starts and water is pushed through the thermoblock and brew unit.

In your case, the machine moves the infuser up, pauses, and returns it downward. That means the control board is probably saying:

“The brew unit did not reach the correct position, or something is wrong mechanically/electrically, so I will cancel the cycle.”

Therefore the pump is not starting because the machine never reaches the permitted pumping stage.

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Most probable faults

1. Upper brew piston microswitch fault

This is one of the most common causes.

The upper microswitch tells the control board that the infuser has reached the top position. If this switch is:

• broken,
• dirty,
• corroded,
• disconnected,
• not physically pressed by the mechanism,

then the machine will move the infuser up, fail to detect the top position, and send it back down.

Typical signs:

• Infuser moves up but does not stay there.
• Pump does not start.
• No water comes out during rinse or coffee.
• Sometimes the motor sounds normal, but the cycle is cancelled.

What to do:

1. Unplug the machine.
2. Remove the side/top covers.
3. Locate the microswitch near the upper brewing piston/generator area.
4. Disconnect the switch wires.
5. Test it with a multimeter in continuity mode.
6. Press the switch manually.

Expected result:

• Released: open circuit or no continuity.
• Pressed: near 0 Ω / continuity.

If the reading is unstable or does not change, replace the microswitch.

Also inspect for water leakage above or around the switch. A leaking upper piston seal can drip hot water/minerals onto the switch and corrode it.

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2. Infuser dirty, dry, or mechanically stiff

If the infuser is stiff, the drive motor may not be able to push it fully upward. The controller may detect excessive load and reverse the motor.

Remove the infuser and inspect:

• side rails,
• moving piston inside the infuser,
• O-rings,
• coffee residue,
• old grease,
• cracks or deformation.

Clean the infuser with warm water. Do not use aggressive detergent. Let it dry, then apply a small amount of food-grade silicone grease to:

• infuser side rails,
• moving parts,
• O-rings if accessible.

Do not over-grease. Excess grease attracts coffee powder and makes the mechanism dirty again.

Also check the vertical guide tracks inside the machine. Coffee residue can accumulate there and increase friction.

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3. Upper piston/generator jammed or scaled

The upper brewing piston is the part at the top that the infuser presses against. If it is blocked by scale or coffee deposits, the infuser may hit resistance before the microswitch is triggered.

Possible symptoms:

• Infuser moves up but stops suddenly.
• Motor sounds strained.
• No pump activation.
• Machine may make a brief mechanical pause, then reverse.

Check:

• Can the upper piston move slightly when pushed?
• Is there heavy scale around the upper piston?
• Are the seals swollen, dry, or leaking?
• Is there coffee residue blocking the shower screen/outlet?

If the upper piston is heavily scaled or leaking, it may need cleaning, seal replacement, or complete replacement.

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4. Transmission spindle or carriage wear

The infuser is moved by a motor-driven transmission screw/spindle. If the spindle nut or carriage is worn, the motor may rotate but the infuser may not reach the exact position required.

Typical signs:

• Excessive vertical play in the infuser carriage.
• Grinding, clicking, or slipping sounds.
• Infuser nearly reaches the top but reverses.
• Problem gets worse over time.

With the machine unplugged, check for abnormal looseness in the brew unit carriage. Some play is normal, but large movement or slipping indicates transmission wear.

Possible solution:

• Replace spindle nut if available separately.
• Replace the complete transmission/drive assembly if badly worn.

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5. Motor Hall sensor / position sensor problem

The brew drive motor usually has a feedback sensor that allows the control board to count motor movement. If this feedback is missing or incorrect, the controller may lose track of the infuser position and abort the cycle.

Check:

• connector on the motor sensor board,
• broken wires,
• corrosion,
• loose plug,
• cracked solder joints,
• damaged magnet/sensor.

A Hall sensor fault can produce symptoms similar to a bad microswitch: short movement, stop, reverse.

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How to separate pump fault from brew-position fault

Because your pump does not start during flushing or coffee preparation, it may appear that the pump is faulty. But in this case, the pump may simply not be commanded on.

Try to test the pump in a mode that does not depend on the brew group position.

On many DeLonghi machines, you can test water flow through the steam/hot-water circuit:

1. Fill the water tank.
2. Make sure it is correctly seated.
3. Turn the machine on.
4. Select steam/hot water function according to the normal user procedure.
5. Open the steam knob.

Possible results:

Result	Meaning
Pump runs and water/steam comes from steam wand	Pump is probably OK; problem is brew-position, microswitch, upper piston, or drive system
Pump hums but no water comes	Airlock, blocked flow path, scaled thermoblock, blocked valve, or weak pump
Pump completely silent	Pump not powered, faulty pump, thermal protector, wiring, triac/control board fault

If the pump runs from the steam wand but not during coffee/rinse, focus on the infuser position detection system, not the pump.

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Practical diagnostic procedure

Step 1: Basic checks

Before opening the machine:

• Confirm water tank is full and correctly inserted.
• Check that the drip tray and grounds container are properly inserted.
• Check that the service door is closed.
• Remove and reinstall the infuser.
• Clean the infuser thoroughly.
• Power-cycle the machine using the rear switch or unplug it for several minutes.

If the same up-stop-down movement happens again, continue.

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Step 2: Clean and lubricate the infuser

1. Switch off and unplug the machine.
2. Remove the infuser.
3. Wash it under warm water.
4. Move the internal piston by hand if possible.
5. Let it dry.
6. Apply food-grade silicone grease lightly to sliding areas.
7. Reinstall.

Do not use petroleum grease, WD-40, cooking oil, or general-purpose machine oil. These are not suitable for food-contact coffee machine mechanisms and may damage seals.

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Step 3: Watch the movement

With the infuser installed, observe carefully:

• Does it reach the upper piston?
• Does the motor sound strained?
• Does it stop before full height?
• Is there clicking/slipping?
• Does it reverse immediately after touching the upper piston?

Interpretation:

• Stops before reaching top: mechanical jam, dry rails, drive problem.
• Touches top then reverses: microswitch not triggered, upper piston issue, Hall sensor error.
• Motor spins but carriage barely moves: worn transmission nut/gears.
• Very short movement only: position sensor/Hall sensor or control logic issue.

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Step 4: Test the upper microswitch

This is the most important electrical test.

Unplug the machine before measuring.

Use a multimeter:

• Disconnect microswitch wires.
• Measure continuity across the switch terminals.
• Press and release the lever several times.

The switch must change cleanly every time.

If it is intermittent, replace it. Intermittent microswitches can pass a test once but fail during actual operation due to vibration or weak contact pressure.

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Step 5: Check for leakage around the upper piston

Look for:

• white scale deposits,
• brown coffee residue,
• water marks,
• corrosion on connectors,
• wet microswitch,
• damaged O-rings.

If water has leaked onto the microswitch, replace the switch and repair the leak. Otherwise the new switch may fail again.

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Step 6: Test the pump separately

If possible, activate hot water/steam output.

If the pump works through the steam wand, the pump and main pump drive are probably functional.

If the pump is silent in every mode, then check:

• pump wiring,
• pump coil resistance,
• thermal fuse/thermal protector on pump if fitted,
• pump triac on power board,
• control board output.

A typical vibration pump is a mains-voltage component. Do not test it live unless you are qualified to work safely with mains voltage.

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Electrical checks for an engineer or technician

If you are comfortable with electrical testing:

Pump coil

With the machine unplugged, disconnect one pump terminal and measure pump coil resistance. Depending on the pump model and voltage, it is often in the range of several hundred ohms to a few kilo-ohms. An open circuit means the pump coil is failed.

Microswitch

Should switch clearly between open and closed.

Thermoblock

If the machine never reaches ready temperature, pump operation may be inhibited. The thermoblock resistance is commonly tens of ohms, depending on version and supply voltage. Also check thermal fuses for continuity.

Motor feedback sensor

Inspect the small sensor board on or near the brew drive motor. Look for:

• loose connector,
• broken wire,
• oxidized contacts,
• cracked PCB,
• damaged magnet.

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Safety notes

This machine contains:

• mains voltage,
• high-current heater circuit,
• hot thermoblock,
• pressurized hot water/steam,
• sharp sheet-metal edges.

Before opening:

• unplug from mains,
• let the machine cool,
• do not bypass safety switches during normal operation,
• do not touch live circuits unless qualified.

If testing live, use proper insulation, RCD/GFCI protection, and one-hand working practice. If unsure, take it to a service technician.

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Practical guidelines

Recommended order of repair:

1. Clean and lubricate the infuser.
2. Inspect upper piston for stiffness/leakage.
3. Test/replace upper position microswitch.
4. Check drive transmission for wear or slipping.
5. Check Hall sensor and wiring.
6. Only then suspect pump or control board.

For your described symptom, I would check the upper microswitch and upper piston area first. The pump is probably not starting because the machine cancels the operation before the pump is allowed to run.

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Brief summary

Your DeLonghi ECAM22.110.B is most likely stopping because the control board does not detect the infuser in the correct upper brewing position. The main suspects are the upper brew piston microswitch, a stiff/jammed infuser or upper piston, or a worn drive transmission. The pump may be good; it is probably not being activated because the brew cycle is aborted early. Clean and lubricate the infuser first, then test the upper microswitch and inspect the upper piston/drive mechanism.

Disclaimer: The responses provided by artificial intelligence (language model) may be inaccurate and misleading. Elektroda is not responsible for the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of the presented information. All responses should be verified by the user.