In detail: do-it-yourself brown electric kettle repair from a real master for the site my.housecope.com.
After two years of operation, the Braun WK-210 kettle broke down: the power button is not fixed, acc. does not turn on / off.
How I disassembled:
Now it is not clear how to disassemble the handle, which contains the problem area (some kind of traction)?
deniis , if you look closely, you can see that the handle consists of two parts (along it there is a seam), you click the latches along this seam. You need to start from the bottom of the handle. When you remove the upper half, you will see metal pins on the top right and left of the handle, and remove them up and then everything becomes clear. The second half of the handle is removed and there is this kind of thrust!
Hooray! thanks to the beer genius!
Do you know how to repair it?
dron , replace the traction that's all. in my opinion it makes no sense to take a steam bath with its repair. she's not worth it!
can I get it in Moscow? And how much can it cost?
Tomorrow I will call the service centers
this thrust, as far as I know, is not ordered. The kettle is generally disposable. It remains to repair only in the following way: in the place where the thrust burst, 2 holes are drilled and all this is fastened with 2 wires from a thin stranded wire. A lot of such teapots have already been restored, the very first 2 years ago, they were not brought for repairs (they may have already been thrown away
)
By the way, it is not its only malfunction, if you do not clean the scale - the disc heating element swells.
Exactly, two holes and wires
Video (click to play).
I would make two times two = four holes, two in each plastic.
If the plastic melts well, then you can simply melt it with a soldering iron. I even restored gearboxes in washing machine engines and still work.
Alexzz, you probably haven't seen this detail.
Yes, I have not. I'm just saying that I often melt plastics with a soldering iron. Well, at the place of the fold, of course, a soldering iron will not work.
And I use a soldering iron to "fuse" a mesh made of thin wire. It is desirable (even mandatory if there is a “lateral” load) on both sides.
Most people's morning starts with a cup of an invigorating drink - coffee or tea. For its preparation, as a rule, an electric kettle is used, since it heats the water to the desired temperature in just a couple of minutes.
However, what if one fine morning everything went wrong? You habitually press the button of the kettle, but it is not fixed, or it seems to turn on, but there is no contact, and the kettle does not work. Problem? Even some! Someone will say: buy a new kettle, and that's the end of it. How much does it cost there - mere pennies ...
In fact - if the button for turning on the electric kettle has broken , then this is not a verdict on the entire device. Practice shows that even a person who is very remote from the world of electronic boards and various chips can make the repair of this unit.
You just need to adhere to simple rules and have a general idea of the subject of repair.
At its core, the kettle button is a thermostat. This unit has a fairly simple design. It provides closing or opening of the electrical circuit depending on the set temperature.
When the required indicator is reached, the circuit is opened and the button is turned off.
The button consists of metal and plastic elements. These are several plates to which the contacts are brought, as well as a plastic pin on which the outer part of the button is located.
When repairing a button, there is no need to use complex and expensive devices, so an ordinary person and even a fragile girl can successfully cope with this process.
The electric kettle is a rather simple device in its design.
hulls;
coasters;
ten;
cord;
on and off buttons.
Before repairing, you need to arm yourself with a tool that will effectively eliminate the breakdown. In this case, there is no need to reinvent the wheel - take a set of screwdrivers, sandpaper to clean the contacts. Sometimes a tester may be needed to check the voltage.
First, we define the location of the button. It can be located at the top or bottom of the kettle body.
The causes of the malfunction and how to fix it (the button is at the bottom):
The button locks, but the kettle does not turn on
There are two possible options - either the thermostat is completely out of order and needs to be replaced, or the contacts that fit the plates are burned out.
In order to check the condition of the contacts, it is necessary to remove the handle of the kettle. This is done using a flat or Phillips screwdriver (depending on the type of screws used for fastening). Remember, in order to get to the button block, you must act carefully, since almost all structural elements of the electric kettle are made of plastic and can collapse due to strong mechanical stress.
If you see that the contact has burned out or is covered with a layer of burning, it means that the reason for the breakdown of the heating device, most likely, is precisely this. It is necessary to carry out work to clean up or restore the contact group.
To remove carbon deposits on the on / off button contacts, you can use a file or fine sandpaper.
After stripping, you need to immediately ring the chain with a tester, if the chain appears to assemble the kettle in the reverse order.
VIDEO REVIEW
VIDEO In this case, the breakdown may be caused by the loss of any fixing element. To eliminate it, it is necessary to disassemble the unit and carefully examine it. If a part has fallen out, reinstall it.
The kettle starts heating the water, but does not turn off
Here, too, the problem may lie in the incorrect operation of the thermostat. Sometimes, to eliminate this breakdown, it is enough to clean the contacts. If this does not help, you need to change the thermostat.
The kettle turns on and off during operation
This means that the power supply is interrupted. The reason for this may be the same carbon deposits on the contact group of the thermostat. The recommended remedy is to strip the wires and plates.
Quite often, under the influence of high voltage, plastic elements melt, which causes the contact plates to come out of the sockets, which entails a violation of the correct operation.
Electric kettle button repair , which is located at the top of the handle, has its own characteristics. The fact is that its main unit, which includes a thermostat and a contact group, is located in the lower part of the case. For repair, see the video with instructions.
VIDEO INSTRUCTION
VIDEO
To connect the key to the “brain” of the button, a special plastic connector is used, which may lose its integrity during operation. It is recommended to use thin copper wire to repair it. Two holes are made in the damaged parts of the connector with a soldering iron, and then they are connected using a wire.
The collection of the electric kettle is carried out in the reverse order.As you can see, repairing a button is a very real task that you can handle on your own.
The electric kettle has become an indispensable attribute of any kitchen and is the bestseller in comparison with other household appliances. This device is widely used both at home, in the kitchen and in the office. But unfortunately, like any electrical appliance, the kettle breaks down after a while. Since the price of this water heater is not too high, it is easier to buy a new one than to repair it. But if you consider yourself a home craftsman, or an apparatus for boiling water is dear to you as a memory, you can try to repair the electric kettle with your own hands.
An electric kettle works on a fairly simple principle, regardless of whether it is an expensive model or a budget one. At the bottom of the device there is a heating element connected to a thermostat, consisting of bimetallic plate ... A tubular heater, when an electric current is applied to it, heats the liquid to a boil. When steam forms during the boiling process, it passes through a special channel to the thermostat, as a result of which the latter turns off the power supply.
If you look at the operation diagram of the device, you will notice that it works on the principle of an iron, and does not differ in the complexity of its design. But before you repair an electric kettle, there are always difficulties when disassembling the case , since the latches (holding the handle) are located differently for different models of units, in addition, the fastening screws can be with a head for a special screwdriver.
An electric kettle is a simple device that contains few elements that can fail. But still, there are common problems, among which the following can be distinguished:
slow heating of the liquid;
the device shuts down prematurely;
the kettle does not turn off;
the device does not turn on;
burnout of the heating element;
water leaks from the housing.
If you notice that the kettle does not heat up the water quickly, then pay attention to the condition of the heating element. Thick layer of limescale on it, formed due to insufficiently good maintenance of the unit, has poor thermal conductivity, which is why it takes more time to heat the water. If the scale is not removed, the heating element may burn out.
In addition, the entire contact group of the device suffers from overheating, as a result of which the contacts melt or burn out.
To get rid of limescale, you can use a regular citric acid sold in stores. It is enough to pour 1-2 bags of citric acid (20 grams each) into the tank, bring it to a boil and leave the heated solution in the container for 30 minutes. After that, the container must be thoroughly rinsed with running water to remove scale residues. If necessary, the procedure can be repeated.
This behavior of an electric water heater is explained by the fact that the device may turn off due to scale formed on the heating element. Since the heating element has a fuse against overheating, it works and breaks the electrical network. To eliminate the malfunction, it is necessary to descale the heaters.
During the boiling of water in the vessel of the apparatus, the steam must be collected under the lid and directed through a special channel to the thermostat. If the lid is not closed tightly, then this does not happen, and the electrical appliance will work without shutting down. If everything is in order with the lid, check that the steam hole on the side of the handle is not clogged with limescale. In the case when everything is in order with the hole, it can be assumed that the kettle does not turn off due to breakdown of the thermostat .
The thermostat at the electric kettle is located at the bottom of the case, and in order to get to it for replacement, you will have to disassemble the device completely.
As an example, a conventional budget device was taken, which does not differ in design from more expensive models - an electric kettle Vitek, Tefal, Polaris, Scarlett and others. By the way, in this model, as in the Vitek VT-7009 (TR), the container is made of heat resistant glass ... So, let's analyze the unit according to the following algorithm.
Repairing a kettle should start with disconnecting it from the mains ... Next, remove the device from the stand (base) and unscrew all the screws on its bottom panel.
After that, it is necessary with special care to pry off the plastic cover on the handle using a thin screwdriver. This should be done carefully because in different models of devices the latches can be located in different places, and it is easy to break them.
Removing the trim reveals the mounting screws. They also need to be removed.
After unscrewing all fasteners, using light force, detach the handle with the cover from the body.
Next, detach the housing from the bottom of the unit.
At the bottom of the case, you will see all the main elements of the device: contact group, thermal relay and heating element.
pay attention to bimetallic plate (on the right in the figure). If damage is visible on it or it looks worn out, then this may be the reason that the appliance has stopped turning off. The plate is not repaired, but replaced with a new one.
But how to disassemble a Bosch kettle if, when you unscrew all the screws on the bottom, it cannot be removed? Those who disassembled such a device faced difficulties, which often ended in a breakdown of the device. Since the process is quite complicated to describe, it is better to watch a video on this topic.
There are various reasons why your boil machine will not turn on.
Faulty electrical cord and plug ... To do this, you need to “ring out” the cord with the tester, touching the probes to the contacts of the plug and the contacts on the base (base). If a break is found, replace the cord with a new one.Poor contact in the stand (base). From prolonged work, the contacts can burn, due to which their conductivity is disturbed. If fumes have formed on the contacts, they can be cleaned using fine sandpaper. But in the case when they are melted, they will need to be completely replaced.Internal switch defective in the device. Since the switch has to experience quite large loads (from 1500 to 2000 W), its contacts can melt over time. This may cause the device to not work. The switch is located at the bottom of the handle, and in case of malfunction it looks as shown in the figure below.In this case, the button must be replaced. But there is a malfunction of the button, in which you can fix the kettle with your own hands without replacing it. If you look at the button from the side, you can see 2 contacts, which in the “on” position close. If on them carbon deposits form , the device will not turn on.
To remove carbon deposits, you can use fine sandpaper, a nail file, or a thin file. To make it more convenient to do the stripping, you will need a small "revision" of the button, namely, removing the sides with a pair of nippers.
Another reason that the device does not want to work can be called malfunction of the mechanical power button ... This breakdown is most often found in the Tefal vitesse model, since plastic slats are built into the handle of the electrical appliance, which transmit the translational movement from the outer button to the inner one located at the bottom of the unit.
After this part breaks, it becomes impossible to turn on the Tefal kettle. To understand in more detail how to repair an item that has broken, you can watch a video that describes one original way to fix a defect.
When repairing electric kettles, both old and newer, the most common breakdown is heating element burnout. The problem with heating elements arises, first of all, due to their overheating due to untimely descaling.
Before you repair a kettle with a disc heater or a heating element in the form of a spiral, it is necessary to disassemble the unit as described above. After that, take a tester and connect the test leads of the device to the output contacts of the heater. If the light on the device lights up, or it emits a sound, then the heating element can be considered serviceable.
How to check the heating element if no measuring device ? It turns out to be very simple. It is necessary to connect zero from the mains to one contact of the heater, and a phase to the other. Next, insert a 220 light bulb into the socket, from which 2 insulated wires are taken out. Touch one stripped end of the wire to one contact of the heater and the other to the opposite. If the light is on, then the heating element is working properly.
If it turns out that the disc heater has burned out, then it cannot be replaced, since it is one piece with the bottom of the electrical appliance, such as in the Scarlett kettle, or Vitek VT-7009 (TR). Therefore, you will have to buy a new unit. Only open-type heating elements can be replaced.
If you notice that water is flowing (leaking) from the reservoir of the device, then it is recommended to use such a device for a while, until scale forms in the microcracks, which can block the seepage of liquid. If this does not help, then you will have to buy a new "boiler" if the warranty period has expired.
Another reason that the reservoir is leaking may be loose connection of the electric heater with the device body (if the heating element is open). In this case, you can tighten the fasteners holding it. If this does not help, then you will have to remove the heating element and change the rubber gasket, which is worn out.
Thus, we can summarize: in some cases it is quite possible to repair the unit for boiling water on our own. But if you do not have enough certain skills in the repair of household appliances, then the best option would be to buy a new kettle. Repair in a service center, from a financial point of view, does not justify itself, and there is no guarantee that the breakdown will not happen again.
VIDEO
Repair of electric kettles: do it yourself, a video and a diagram of how to fix a kettle, a device and a contact group
Repair of electric kettles from A to Z and 7 ways to determine a breakdown
Repairing electric kettles is a fairly simple procedure that you can handle with your own hands. When repairing a kettle, it is very important to know how to find a breakdown and how to safely repair it. Often, all kettles have the same breakdowns: either it does not heat the water, or it simply does not turn on.
Since many teapots are now imported from China, their durability is poor. Less common breakdowns occur with Bosch kettles.
Repairing electric kettles can sometimes be a very exciting experience. For example: if the handle with the lid is solid and it does not come out to attach them separately outside the kettle, because the bolts on which all this is attached are glued near the edge of the door. Even many experienced craftsmen think, how did the Chinese collect all this?
Search scheme for the cause of a breakdown in electric kettles:
Before you fix the device, you need to investigate the mechanism of its operation. There are a lot of manufacturers of electric kettles, but they are all assembled according to the same principle: a contact group (a thermostat located in the spiral base of the kettle) through the socket into the kettle transmits voltage with the help of which the water is heated.
It is imperative, before disassembling the device, to make sure that it is disconnected from the electricity supply.
It is necessary to check the integrity of the contacts near the heating coil of the kettle.
The reason for the breakdown of the kettle can be its boiling with the lid open, as a result of which the plate in which the heating element is installed does not bend and damages the highly heated heating element. As a result of such a breakdown, the thermostat will have to be replaced.
To repair a Tefal kettle that does not turn on, it is necessary to descale the heating element (which is hidden behind the disc element) with a special descaling agent.
If the kettle button does not work, then this may mean a breakdown of the thermostat or resistor (5w12kj), which is responsible for the operation of the heating circuits.
When the electric kettle stops heating, it is necessary to free it from the water, then turn it over, having previously disconnected it from the electricity and turn on the switch on the stand, which is represented by a button.
If the contacts connecting the thermostat to the electrical plug are broken, they must be connected and sealed with insulating tape.
The principle of operation of an electric kettle is an electric heating element. The bimetallic plate is responsible for the release of steam, which heats the water and automatically turns off when the water boils in the kettle. But what if the kettle is broken? In the past, a breakdown of a kettle caused many problems, but in modern times it is not difficult to fix this problem.
If a new kettle leaks, it is not necessary to replace it with a new one. You can wait several weeks until scale forms at the bottom, which will cover all the cracks inside. If the kettle leaks heavily, then you need to contact the service center.
Basic rules for troubleshooting a kettle with your own hands:
If the kettle is leaking, a defective case may be the cause. To eliminate the leakage of water from the kettle, you can use a special sealant and glue to seal microcracks.
It also happens that the kettle has not boiled yet, but the light has already turned off. To do this, it is not necessary to know how the operating principle works, but only to descale it. This problem is often found in Scarlett and Polaris kettles, while Braun and Maxwell kettles have a self-cleaning and filtration system.
If the kettle's light is off, then it is necessary to clean the contacts inside the kettle, which could oxidize.
If the kettle does not work, it must be directly connected to the network and make sure that the outlet is working.
The electric circuit of the kettle is quite simple and similar to the circuit of the iron. There are not many parts in the kettle that can break. In the event of a breakdown, first of all, you need to deal with the heater, which is usually replaced with a new one.
If the kettle does not heat up, then it is necessary to look for the direct cause of the breakdown in the faulty contacts.
The device of the electric kettle circuit, as in any heating element, is quite simple. Any electric kettle has a heating element and a thermal switch - these are the main working mechanisms. Electric current enters the heating element, and from the spiral heat is transferred to the heating element, the water heats up, and the kettle turns off automatically.
It is very important to pour water into the kettle not higher than the maximum mark, otherwise it will spill during boiling, and not lower than the minimum, otherwise the heating element may fail and have to be changed.Kettles Brown and Bosch have a unique system of protection against such damage.
Electric kettle diagram:
The main element of the electric kettle is the heating element, which is responsible for the heating capacity of the kettle; it is located under the metal plate of the kettle. If this element stops heating, it should be replaced.
Inside the heating element there is a network spiral that heats up and supplies heat. Why does the spiral supply heat to the heating element? Due to electrical resistance. Replacing it in the event of a breakdown is also not difficult.
The kettle power button is filled with LEDs and covered with plastic. Disassembling the handle of the kettle in the event of a breakdown can take a long time.
Some kettles have a switch that is regulated by a timer.
To connect the kettle to the network, a group of contacts is used, located at the bottom of the stand and turning into an electrical plug.
The kettle lid is responsible for blocking hot water.
A thermostat or a temperature heating sensor, which is responsible for heating it to a certain degree, can also cause damage.
It seems that studying the device of an electric kettle takes a long time, and eliminating its malfunction at home is impossible, and now the kettle will have to be returned under warranty, but in reality this is not the case. The cause of the breakdown can be identified on your own. First you need to check if the plug is connected to the network. If this worked, and the water does not boil, you need to disconnect the kettle from the electricity and inspect the thermostat in the bottom of the stand for limescale.
Scale can be easily removed by boiling citric acid solution in a kettle. If the heating element burns out, it should be replaced.
What should be done if the kettle is leaking? There may be several options: either wait for a certain time for 2-3 weeks, until scale forms on it, cover up the formed microcracks with a specialized sealant and glue, or contact a service center and replace the device. It often happens that the button for turning on the kettle does not work, perhaps its luminous element has broken.
Frequent causes of breakdowns in electric kettles Scarlet, Saturn, Tefal, Vitek:
Breakage may consist in oxidation of the contacts that are in the handle;
Oxidation of the contacts that are in the relay;
Damage to the wire in the electrical cord, the contacts must be stripped and reconnected;
Damage to the contacts at the base of the electrical plug itself;
Not a working power button.
Progress is running ahead and now wireless kettles have become very popular, but they can also be faulty, although they have written off wired electric kettles from many homes.
Cordless kettle Vitek and the reasons for its breakdowns:
Damage to contacts;
Breaker breakdown;
Breakage of the heat of the heater or coil;
TEN failure;
Burned-out contacts in the power button (in this case, it is better to replace the button with a new one);
Failure of the thermal fuse.
VIDEO
A kettle is an indispensable household appliance in everyday life of every home, because how nice it is to wake up in the morning with a fragrant cup of coffee. And how it spoils the mood if suddenly our house assistant - an electric kettle, suddenly stopped heating the water, but thanks to the elementary scheme of the electric kettle device, repairs can be made on your own and you can enjoy the taste of an invigorating drink without any problems. Do it yourself, or contact the service - it's up to you.
Household appliances for cooking are widely used by mankind, and the leader of them, perhaps, is the electric kettle. Today it is difficult to find an apartment or office where there is no electrical appliance for heating water to a boil.But the service life of any electrical appliance is not eternal and there comes a moment when you turn on the electric kettle, and the water does not heat up.
But do not get upset prematurely and run to the store for a new electric kettle, first you should try to repair it yourself. An electric kettle is one of the simplest household electrical appliances, and in many cases it is quite easy to repair it yourself, even without the skills of an electrical engineer, as the repair technology below will convince you.
To repair an electric kettle with your own hands with knowledge of the matter, you need to familiarize yourself with the principle of its operation. It is easy to do with an electrical diagram. Although there are many models of kettles, they are all assembled according to the same electrical diagram, regardless of their appearance and capacity. There are some differences in the schemes, for example, the presence of a timer, but the basis of the electric kettle circuit is still preserved, and it is surprisingly simple, no more complicated than an electric heater circuit.
The electric kettle works as follows. Through an electric plug, the mains voltage is supplied with a flexible cord to the XP1 contacts of the stand, on which the electric kettle is installed when the water is heated. At the base of the kettle there are reciprocal contacts, which, when placed on the base, are connected to the contacts on the base. Further, the current passes through the thermal switch S1, which is turned on using the key on the kettle and turns off automatically when the water boils. The S2 thermal protection switch is not directly involved in the operation, it is always on and operates only if the kettle is turned on without water. From the switches, voltage is supplied to the terminals of the tubular electric heater, in abbreviated form - heating element. The HL lamp serves to indicate the on state.
From an electric plug of the C6 type, the mains voltage is supplied with the help of a flexible cord to the XP1 contacts of the stand, on which the electric kettle is installed when the water is heated. The contacts are deeply recessed into the support to prevent accidental contact with the human body.
If you look closely, you can see one spring-loaded electrical contact in the depths of each concentric groove. Through these contacts, the supply voltage is supplied to the electric kettle. There is also a contact in the hole in the center, which serves to connect the body of the electric kettle to the PE grounding wire. The PE contact is low-current and does not participate in the work, but only serves to protect a person from electric shock in the event of an insulation breakdown.
How the stand looks like with the cover removed can be seen in the photo. At the ends of the power cord, plug-in terminals are installed, which, in turn, are put on the terminals of the contacts. The photo on the right shows a view of the XP1 connector from the side of the contact block installation.
To transfer electricity from the stand to the kettle, in the center of its bottom there is a counterpart of the contacts of the XP1 connector, which is a grounding pin in the center and two concentric copper rings.
If you remove the lid of the electric kettle, then a picture will open before your eyes, as in the photo. The main element is a two-end tubular electric heater (TEN) bent in the form of an open ring.
At the ends of the heating element there are ceramic-insulated leads from the body for supplying the supply voltage. Steel flat contacts are welded to them by contact welding, onto which cap terminals are put on. There is a hole in the flat contact, and in the union terminal there is a spring-loaded strip with a protrusion. When putting on the terminal, the protrusion enters the hole on the contact, and reliably fixes the terminal, preventing it from spontaneous slipping. To remove the terminal, press the spring-loaded bar with the end of a sharp object so that the protrusion comes out of the hole.
Usually, insulating tubes are put on all the terminals in the electric kettle and the holes with the lock are not visible. Therefore, in this case, to release the terminal from the retainer, the insulation must be pushed aside, as shown in the photo. When installing the removed terminals in place, do not forget to orient them so that it is possible to squeeze the latch, otherwise the repeated removal of the terminal will be possible only with great effort.
To supply the supply voltage, turn on the electric kettle and protect it from overheating, a special unit is used, fixed with three screws or nuts in the center of the heating element circle. In order to remove the unit from the case, you need to remove the terminals from the heating element and unscrew the screws or nuts. In cheap models, instead of a threaded fastener, you can find a fastening with the help of bent metal strips welded to the body, which have to be bent.
Heating elements in electric kettles, depending on their volume, are installed with a capacity of 500 to 2500 W and emit huge thermal energy in a small area. To exclude a fire if the kettle is turned on without water or the lid is not closed (in some models, the open position of the lid does not block the switch), the S2 thermal protection system is provided in the design.
As temperature sensors in electric kettles, round bimetallic plates are used with a recess inside, forming a "tongue" in the center of the plate. In the photograph of the reverse side of the power supply and thermal protection connection unit, two such plates are visible. When attaching the assembly to the bottom of the kettle, the bimetallic plates fit snugly against the body. For better heat transfer from the body, they are lubricated with a special thermally conductive paste. When repairing a kettle, this paste must not be removed.
A bimetallic plate consists of two thin plates of metals glued together over the entire plane with different coefficients of linear expansion. Therefore, when heated, one metal expands more than the other and the bimetallic plate bends. If you fix the bimetallic disc by the tongue, as in the photograph of the node, then its outer part will bend in it.
To turn off the kettle in case of overheating, it is enough to mechanically tie the bimetallic plate to the contacts. For this, a ceramic rod is used, one end of which rests against the disk, and the other against the spring-loaded plate of the contact group. When bending, the disc presses on the rod, which, pressing on the contact plate, moves the contacts away from each other.
This type of protection has a big drawback, after the kettle body has cooled down, the plate will return to its place and the kettle will turn on again, and this will continue until the heating element burns out or the electric kettle is turned off by the switch or removed from the stand. But, despite the noted drawback, this method of protection completely excludes the possibility of fire.
To prevent the heating element from turning on again, in some models, two bimetallic discs are installed. One works as I described above, and the second is connected to the switch and, when overheated, presses on the switch, which is triggered and completely disconnects the electric kettle from the supply voltage, as if the shutdown happened by a person's hand.
In modern electric kettles of any model there is a system for automatically disconnecting the heating element from the mains when the water boils. The principle of operation of the system is based on the direction of the steam generated during boiling of water through a channel to a bimetallic plate, mechanically connected to the switch.
The bimetallic disc on the switch is fixed to the edge, and therefore, when it heats up, the tongue bends, as in the photo. On the left is a bimetallic disc at room temperature and the tongue is in the plane of the rest of the disc surface.On the right, when heated with steam, the tongue bent down a few millimeters, pressed the switch lever S1 and the electric kettle turned off.
Depending on the manufacturer and model of the electric kettle, the key or lever of action on the switch is installed either in the upper part of the handle in the form of a key or under the handle, in the form of a plate or a rod with a handle put on it. The bimetallic disc is installed either at the top of the handle directly on the switch or at the base.
The cavity of the handle is usually used as a channel for supplying steam to the bimetallic plate of the switch. Sometimes for this purpose, a separate channel is installed inside the kettle in the form of a square or round tube, as in the photo. Installing a separate steam channel in the water tank is not the best option, since an additional gasket appears and, as a result, it is also a potential malfunction in the form of water leakage through this gasket.
In some models of kettles, in the base or on the power key, an on-state indicator is installed on a neon lamp, on an electrical diagram marked HL, or they make an LED water light. The on-state indication allows you to immediately detect if the plug is not inserted into the outlet or if the kettle is poorly installed on the stand.
Usually, a neon lamp or a driver for LED backlighting of water is connected directly to the terminals of the heating element and therefore immediately indicates the supply of voltage to its terminals. For indication, an ordinary neon lamp is used, connected through a current-limiting resistor of about 200 kOhm. In the photo, the contour of the resistor is visible on a heat-shrinkable tube, put on the bottom wire.
LEDs are used as a light source for illuminating water in electric kettles. The LED is not designed for direct connection to the mains and therefore the driver is installed. The driver circuit is a series-connected rectifier diode, a 12 kΩ resistor with a power of 5 W and an LED. To exclude flickering of light, an electrolytic capacitor of 100 uF, 16 V is installed in parallel to the LED. Since two LEDs are used for the backlight, two circuits are assembled on the board.
The photo on the right shows a transparent insert mounted in the metal bottom of the kettle. Through it, the water is illuminated from the side of the base.
Video (click to play).
After studying the electrical circuit and the principle of operation of the electric kettle, you can start repairing it yourself. The most common case of breakdown is burnout of contact pads in switches and loss of contacts in terminal connections. These failures are due to the high current consumption of the electric kettle, the value of which can be found from the table below. The table is universal and applicable to any electrical appliances designed for a 220 V AC supply - irons, electric stoves, heaters and others.
