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Error code · La Marzocco · Espresso machines

La Marzocco Espresso Machine Message: Filter Alarm

Filter Alarm means the alarm is on and all the buttons flash. The manual says to do the required maintenance on the water filter or replace it. No action is needed on the espresso machine itself.

Medium · inspection needed

Low: a maintenance reminder for the water filter that does not stop the machine.

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Code
Filter Alarm
Maker
La Marzocco
Equipment
Espresso machines
Applies to
Linea PB and Strada AV

What does La Marzocco Filter Alarm mean?

Water filters have a limited life, set by time or by the volume of water that has passed through. The machine keeps track of this, and when the service point is reached the CPU makes all the buttons flash and shows Filter Alarm. The manual puts the action on the filter, not the machine: perform the required maintenance on the water filter or replace it, and nothing needs to be done on the espresso machine itself. A filter left past its life lets scale into the boilers and changes the taste of the coffee, and a clogged one can restrict flow so much that the machine reports fill or flow problems later. So the alarm is a reminder and not a failure, and the machine keeps working while it flashes.

Affected models and control systems

La Marzocco Linea PB (display software, Operating Manual V3.2) and Strada AV (MAN.16.1.01 V1.0).

Code numbers and their meaning can change between control generations. We match the full model and control before acting on a code.

What you may notice

  • Filter Alarm on the display
  • All the buttons flash
  • The machine still makes drinks
  • Water tastes different or the flow is weaker

Possible causes

Likely causes — what usually sits behind Filter Alarm on this control. A technician confirms which one it is before any part is replaced.

  • The water filter has reached its service point
  • The filter was replaced but the reminder was never cleared in the machine
  • A cartridge that clogged early because of heavy sediment in the supply
  • Low water pressure through the filter housing

Safe checks before calling for service

✓ What an operator can do
  1. Look at the water filter and find its service date.
  2. Do the required maintenance on the filter or replace it, as the manual says.
  3. Check that there are no leaks at the filter housing and its connections.
  4. Make a drink and see whether the buttons stop flashing.
  5. If the alarm stays after the filter work, note it and tell the technician.

How a technician diagnoses Filter Alarm

  1. Confirm Filter Alarm and the filter's installation date.
  2. Inspect the cartridge and housing for sediment and age.
  3. Measure flow and pressure after the filter.
  4. Check how the alarm is cleared in the machine's settings.
  5. Confirm that the alarm no longer shows with the new filter in place.
! Leave this to a technician
  • The filter connects to the machine's water supply and a poorly seated housing can leak onto electrical parts.
  • A clogged filter can starve the pump and boilers, so the machine must be checked afterward.
  • Clearing the reminder in the machine may need the programming menu, which a technician handles.

How Filter Alarm differs from similar codes

The alarm concerns the water filter. The machine's own parts only come into it if the alarm persists after the filter work.

Technical reference

Maker documentation
La Marzocco owner support
Edition
V3.2 - 12/2015 (La Marzocco S.r.l.)
Models / control
Linea PB and Strada AV
Section
Troubleshooting, printed pp. 104-105 (PDF pp. 104-105)
Checked
October 2026

We use the maker's document to read the code and do not reproduce it. Always confirm the complete model and control before applying these steps.

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Filter AlarmQuestions about La Marzocco Filter Alarm
Do I need to touch the machine?

No. The manual says no action is required on the espresso machine itself, only on the filter.

Can I keep making coffee?

Yes, but scale and taste suffer the longer the filter is left alone.

It still flashes after a new filter.

The reminder may need clearing in the machine, or the filter may not be detected. Tell a technician.

Book a visit

Need help with La Marzocco Filter Alarm?

A technician confirms the cause on site and gives you the price in writing before any work starts.

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