Can I fix this myself?

Yes, this is routine maintenance rather than a repair. Follow the steps above using the consumable the manufacturer specifies, and if the message returns immediately after a correctly completed cycle, treat it as a service call.

Where do these steps come from?

They are transcribed from the Barista Pro Instruction Book BES878, p.20. We do not repair machines and we do not publish a fix we cannot cite to the manufacturer.

Will this code clear on its own?

Maintenance prompts clear when the cycle they are asking for is completed in full — stopping partway usually leaves the counter running. Fault codes clear when the underlying condition is corrected, not by power-cycling past them.

Breville FLUSH: FLUSH alert — Causes and Fixes

Routine maintenanceUpdated August 3, 2026

Breville · Barista Pro BES878

FLUSH — FLUSH alert

Routine maintenance

What the machine is reporting

The LCD will display a FLUSH alert when a cleaning cycle is required. The cleaning cycle is separate from descaling.

Likely causes, most likely first

Cleaning (back-flush) cycle interval reached

What to do

1. Run the flush cleaning cycle as described in the manual, using the supplied cleaning disc and a Breville cleaning tablet.
2. Note this cycle is separate from descaling.

Source: the Barista Pro Instruction Book BES878, p.20. Transcribed from Breville's own published documentation — we do not repair machines and do not publish fixes we cannot cite.

When to stop and call a technician

The machine trips a breaker, smells of burning, or shows scorched wiring.
Water is leaking from inside the chassis rather than from the tank, tray or portafilter.
The fault involves the boiler, a pressure valve, the heating element or the pump itself.
The code returns immediately after a correctly completed reset or maintenance cycle.
The machine is under warranty — opening it yourself usually ends that cover.

Never bypass, disable or remove a safety device — a thermal fuse, pressure relief valve or lid interlock is the part standing between a fault and a fire. Do not open a pressurised boiler or work on mains wiring.

Machines this applies to

What the fix needs

Cleaning tablets
Detergent clears the coffee oils in the brew path — a different job from descaling.
Find on Amazon

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. These are category searches, not product endorsements — always use the consumable your machine's own manual specifies.

Other Breville codes

DESCALE — DESCALE alert
CLEAN ME! — Clean Me!
CHANGE FILTER — Change Filter
CLEAN / DESCALE light — CLEAN / DESCALE light — flashing vs solid
ERR — ERR error message on LCD
Operation Error — Operation Error on the touch screen

All Breville error codes →

Frequently asked

What does Breville FLUSH mean?: The LCD will display a FLUSH alert when a cleaning cycle is required. The cleaning cycle is separate from descaling.
Can I fix this myself?: Yes, this is routine maintenance rather than a repair. Follow the steps above using the consumable the manufacturer specifies, and if the message returns immediately after a correctly completed cycle, treat it as a service call.
Where do these steps come from?: They are transcribed from the Barista Pro Instruction Book BES878, p.20. We do not repair machines and we do not publish a fix we cannot cite to the manufacturer.
Will this code clear on its own?: Maintenance prompts clear when the cycle they are asking for is completed in full — stopping partway usually leaves the counter running. Fault codes clear when the underlying condition is corrected, not by power-cycling past them.