The lights are flashing on your Sage
Flashing lights are the machine’s way of telling you something. Most often it is something simple: the water tank, the bean hopper, or a reminder to clean or descale. Only when those are ruled out is it a fault.
What you can check yourself
- Barista Express: if the POWER button is flashing, the machine is heating up. That’s normal. If the steam light flashes as soon as you switch on, the steam dial isn’t on STANDBY. Turn it back and the machine heats up as normal.
- Are both filter-size lights flashing on a Barista Express? Then the bean hopper isn’t seated correctly. Remove it, clear any beans or debris, and lock it back in place.
- Barista Express: if the CLEAN/DESCALE light is flashing (‘Clean me’ on older models), the machine wants a cleaning cycle with a cleaning tablet. If it is lit solid, it needs descaling.
- Bambino: if all the lights flash briefly, the machine can’t detect water in the tank. Fill it and push it fully into place. If the 2 CUP button keeps flashing, it needs cleaning and descaling.
- Bambino Plus: if 1 CUP and 2 CUP flash in turn, the machine wants a cleaning cycle. If 1 CUP and STEAM flash in turn with 2 CUP, it wants descaling. The Barista Pro and Touch show this on the screen.
Tip: Unplug the machine before you clean it or take parts off. If it needs opening, leave that to us.
Typical causes when the checklist doesn’t help
Heating fault
If the lights keep flashing after you’ve been through the checklist, it can be the heating element, a sensor or the thermal fuse.
Temperature sensor
The machine gets wrong readings and goes into a safety stop.
Descaling that didn’t finish
The descale reminder stays on because the programme didn’t run to the end, or because the scale is stuck.
Control board fault
The electronics report an error even when everything else is fine.
When does it need repairing?
If you’ve checked the tank and hopper, cleaned and descaled, and it still flashes, it needs a repair. Send an enquiry with the pattern and your model, and you’ll get an assessment.
Get a fixed repair priceQuestions and answers
Why are the lights flashing on my Barista Express?
A flashing POWER button means it is heating up. If both filter lights flash, the bean hopper isn’t seated correctly. A flashing CLEAN/DESCALE light means it wants a cleaning cycle. If the steam light flashes at start-up, the steam dial isn’t on STANDBY. If none of that helps, write to us.