Coffeemakers, especially the basic ones with glass carafes, have few inspiring parts and can last for years. But, most coffeemakers are used on a daily basis and at last stop working as well as they did when they were new. When this happens the decision must be made to either fix or replace the machine.
Replacement Carafe
Coffee
If you have a coffeemaker with a glass coffee carafe, this is by far the most coarse part to "wear out", normally by breaking into hundreds of pieces. Fortunately, all the major fellowships make transfer carafes. These are normally readily available and cost far less than an entire new coffeemaker. Sometimes a glass carafe can be replaced by a thermal carafe, but this is uncommon. Thermal carafes have more involved mechanisms, especially on the lid. Although they aren't as easy to break as glass carafes, the lid mechanism can be damaged. You can normally find transfer thermal coffee carafes at the same merchants that sell transfer glass carafes.
Mineral Build Up
If the water isn't flowing through your coffeemaker you most likely have a buildup of calcium and other minerals. This is very coarse in areas that have "hard" water. Fortunately, this can normally be fixed both certainly and inexpensively. Put in order a solution that is 50% vinegar and 50% water, sufficient for a general pot of coffee. Vinegar is a mild acid and will dissolve the mineral buildup in your machine. It is also fully mild - Don't use chlorine based cleaning products (chlorine is quite poisonous)! Run the vinegar solution through your coffeemaker and it should remove the mineral deposits. If the deposits are heavy, you may need to run any batches of vinegar-water solution through the machine. Most of the time this will take care of the problem, but occasionally the buildup is so thick that it fully blocks the flow of water through the coffeemaker. At this point you may need to replace your machine.
Broken Heating Element
If the heating element of your coffeemaker stops working, it's nearly all the time easier (and normally less expensive) to replace the entire machine. Most fellowships do not make transfer parts for their coffeemakers (except for transfer carafes). The only exceptions are the very high-priced top of the line machines that cost hundreds of dollars.
If the heating element of your fifty dollar coffee maker stops working, it's by all means; of course time to replace it.
