# Grinder noise and stalling

Work through these in order. Most "my grinder is broken" emails resolve at step 2.

## Symptom: high-pitched chirp or metallic scrape at low settings

The burrs are touching. Stop using it immediately — running burrs together dulls them in seconds, and that
damage is **not** covered by warranty.

Recalibrate: see [Tandem grinder calibration](../guides/tandem-grinder-calibration.md). If the chirp starts
before click 3, back the zero point off one further click.

## Symptom: motor stalls or hums without turning

1. **Unplug it.**
2. Remove the hopper and empty the chamber.
3. Look for a stone or a foreign object. Green coffee occasionally carries small stones; they survive
   roasting and they will jam a burr set.
4. Open the setting to 30, plug in, and run empty for five seconds. If it runs freely, the jam was the
   cause. Return to your setting.
5. If it still stalls empty, the motor or the controller has failed. That is a warranty repair — see below.

**Do not** put oily dark-roast beans through at an espresso setting from cold. The Tandem has enough torque
for it, but a full 250 g hopper of oily beans at click 2 will stall almost anything.

## Symptom: much louder than it used to be, with a rattle

A loose burr carrier. Unplug, remove the hopper, and check that the upper burr carrier is seated and its
three screws are snug. Do not overtighten — they thread into aluminium.

## Symptom: grind is inconsistent at every setting

1. Burrs need cleaning. Old coffee oil cakes between the burr teeth. Brush both burrs dry.
2. Burrs are worn. After roughly 500 kg the cut degrades. Replacement burr sets are available — email
   support with your order number.
3. Static is clumping the output. Not a fault. Add a single drop of water to the beans before grinding.

## Symptom: grinder runs but nothing comes out

The chute is blocked. Unplug, open the setting fully, and clear the chute with the supplied brush — never
with a metal tool. This is most common after grinding very oily beans at a fine setting.

## Warranty

The Tandem EG-1 carries a **2-year** warranty on burrs, motor, and electronics against defects in
materials and workmanship. It is not a lifetime warranty.

Email hello@emberlane.coffee with your order number and a short video of the fault — the sound is usually
diagnostic on its own. We approve or decline within 2 business days and pay return shipping on approved
claims.

Not covered: burr damage from calibrating the burrs into contact, damage from foreign objects, damage
from disassembly beyond what the manual describes, and any unit bought second-hand.

## Related

- [Tandem EG-1 user manual](../library/tandem-eg1-user-manual.md)
- [Tandem grinder calibration](../guides/tandem-grinder-calibration.md)
- [Warranty](../policies/warranty.md)