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 ...
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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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.
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To understand the principle of operation of an electric kettle, in comparison, an explanation is given on the electrical circuit of the iron, since the circuits of the two electrical appliances have a slight difference in the principle of operation of the contacts of the bimetallic plate of the thermostat of the electric kettle and the thermostat of the iron, and you will see for yourself by reading this topic.
The principle of operation of electric kettles in comparison with the principle of operation of an electric iron is almost the same. Closing and opening of contacts for two types of household appliances is based on the effect of the heating temperature transmitted to the contacts of the bimetallic plate. A similar iron scheme
if you add an electric kettle to the design, the kettle will operate in on and off mode with heated water at regular intervals.
The wiring diagram of the elements of an electric kettle is as follows:
One wire from an external source (electrical outlet) is connected to one TEN terminal. The second wire is connected to a terminal, a circuit which consists of a serial connection through the thermostat of the electric kettle, then the current flows to the other terminal of the TEN. The difference between the device of the iron thermostat and the thermostat of the electric kettle is that as the bimetallic plate of the iron thermostat cools down, the contacts close and the heating element of the iron heats up again. In an electric kettle, as the bimetallic plate heats up, the thermostat contacts open and the electric kettle is turned on again using a switch. An LED lamp with a resistance is connected in parallel to the two terminal connections of the electric kettle heating element.
The device of disc electric kettles is based on the same principle of operation.
The outlined topic is related to such issues:
How to repair a Vitek electric kettle;
How to repair a Scarlet kettle;
How to repair a Tefal kettle;
How to fix a Polaris electric kettle;
How to repair a disc electric kettle.
Such elements of an electric kettle as:
- in case of its malfunction, it can be replaced with a new element. Thermostats and tens are available in specialized sections of stores. A simple way to troubleshoot an electric kettle is to connect two wires to the contacts of the heating element (if it is not possible to purchase a new thermostat). With this method of troubleshooting, it will be necessary to ensure that it is disconnected from the outlet so that the electric kettle does not overheat. Testing of all elements of the electric kettle is carried out in a passive way (without connecting to an external source).
If the reason for the malfunction raises the question: "How to repair the button of an electric kettle", - such a reason may be:
oxidation of the contacts of the button of the electric kettle;
burning of the contacts of the button of the electric kettle,
- in case of this malfunction, you can clean the button contacts or replace the button (electric kettle switch) with a new one.
The photo shows Scarlet's electric kettle. What possible causes of the malfunction are typical for these models of electric kettles?
- Possible causes of malfunction are found in our practice as follows:
oxidation of the contacts of the thermal switch (installed on the handle of the electric kettle);
oxidation of contacts installed on the outer part of the bottom of the electric kettle (thermal relay);
a wire break in a network cable (electrical cord);
break in the mains cable wire at the base of the plug
In this example, the cause of the malfunction was a malfunction in the thermal relay installed at the base of the electric kettle.
electric kettle thermal relay
After establishing the cause of the malfunction, the electric circuit of the kettle was slightly changed.
The thermal relay is made in a stamping design and cannot be repaired. How to find a way out to eliminate such a malfunction?
thermal relay diagnostics
electric kettle thermal relay
The thermal relay has a direct contact connection with the connector in its single stamping design. To do this, the thermal relay contact was removed and two wires were directly soldered to the connector pins.
The result is the same electrical circuit, with the exception of the thermal relay contacts from this circuit. That is, two wires were soldered to the contacts of the heating element.
diagnostics of the heating element of the heating element
To check individual electrical elements, in particular to check the heating element, the Multimeter device is set to the range for measuring resistance.
With two probes of the device, we touch two contacts of the heating element, if the heating element is working, as shown in the photograph, the display of the device will indicate the presence of resistance - that is, the electrical circuit in an illustrative example is closed on the spirals of the heating element.
Diagnostics for the thermal switch can be performed both with a probe and with a Multimeter.
Two probes of the device are connected to the contacts of the thermal switch, the device is set to the range of least resistance and, accordingly, in the same way
the device indicates a break - when disconnected
the device indicates the presence of a short circuit - when the thermal switch is on
In this example, you can clearly observe that the thermal switch of the electric kettle is working.
connection of the device probes with the contacts of the thermal switch
The diagnosis of a light bulb consisting of two electrodes in a glass bulb cannot be tested for resistance. To do this, the device must be installed in the measurement range of the capacitance, measured in picofarads, since this lamp has a capacity.
That is, like the plates of a capacitor, the two electrodes of a light bulb will also have their own specific capacitance with this method of measurement.
With such a diagnosis, a light bulb with two electrodes, the corresponding probes are made in an independent way to connect to the socket for measuring the capacitance.
connecting probes to the capacitance measurement socket.
An electric kettle is a simple and inexpensive household appliance, which, in the event of a breakdown, is most often thrown away, acquiring a new one to replace the old model. However, if the owner belongs to the category of “home craftsmen” who are able to independently repair small household appliances, then he can try to restore the kettle to work. After familiarizing yourself with the design and principle of its operation, it will not be difficult to repair an electric kettle with your own hands.
Modern electric kettles are assembled on the basis of one electrical circuit and differ from each other in their original design, power or volume. Moreover, they all constructively consist of two parts - the teapot itself and the stand.
The body parts of the electric kettle are made of various materials :
stainless steel (Saturn, etc.);
heat-resistant plastic (Maxwell mw -1028 b, etc.);
heat-resistant glass (Vitek VT-7008 TR).
The electric kettle is connected to the mains supply when installed on a plastic stand, to which a power cord with a plug is connected. The connection is made through a 3-pin group located inside the stand in such a way as to prevent electric shock to the user. In this case, the device removed from the stand is completely de-energized.
In the body of the kettle, which is closed from above with a lid, installed :
contact group for connection with the counterpart of the stand;
disc heater or open spiral (S or U-shaped);
switch (thermostat);
LED indicator (can be installed in the switch);
automatic shutdown device with bimetallic contacts.
Moreover, a number of models are equipped with :
additional filters descaling water - made of stainless steel (Siemens TW60101) or nylon (Tefal BF2632 Vitesse);inner flask not in contact with the kettle body, which is made of heat-resistant glass or stainless steel and plays the role of a thermos;thermal relay capable of maintaining the set water temperature in the range from 60 to 98 ° C for at least 4 hours ("thermal sweat" mode).Important! Structurally, all parts that are energized during the operation of the kettle are reliably protected from contact with water and exclude the possibility of accidental contact with them by the user.
AC power is supplied to the kettle when placing it on the stand through spring-loaded contacts, which are located in the center of its bottom. In the lower part of the body there is a heating element, which heats the water when you press the switch, which can be located both in the upper and in the lower part of the kettle.
Connection diagram provides for the presence of a blocking device that protects the device from overheating. It consists of two contact pairs, which are connected to the heating element. Each such pair consists of a contact and a bimetallic plate (glued from two thin plates with different coefficients of linear expansion), capable of bending in different directions when the temperature changes.
One pair bimetal plate contacts directly with the body and ensures the opening of the connection when it overheats. In the normal position, this pair is permanently closed. It works only when a kettle without water is connected to the network.
Second pair of contacts ensures that the device is disconnected from the mains when water boils. This happens under the action of hot steam acting on the bimetallic plate. In this case, hot air is supplied through a special channel, which is most often the handle cavity. However, some models use a separate round or square tube to supply steam.
Despite the seeming simplicity of the design, the service life of an electric kettle is not eternal. Sooner or later a moment comes when, having turned it on, the user discovers that the device has stopped working.
A list of common malfunctions and their causes are shown in the table.
Ÿ burnout of contact pads;
Ÿ the sealing elements have become unusable (if there is an open-type heating element).
Ÿ The steam channel is clogged with limescale.
Before starting the repair, the kettle must be disassembled, which is sometimes more difficult than repairing.
Operations for disassembling the electric kettle and / or its stand are not difficult. To do this, it is enough to prepare only a set of screwdrivers: Phillips, flat and possibly Spanne (two-pronged fork).
Attention! Before disassembling the kettle, you must unplug the power cord from the power outlet.
Dismantling the bottom cover of the electric kettle . In addition, the screw heads can be closed with decorative plugs, which can be easily removed with a sharp object. After all the screws have been unscrewed, the bottom cover should be easy to remove. If this does not happen, then it is additionally secured with plastic latches. They must be carefully wrung out using a flat screwdriver. The bottom cover of the stand can be removed in the same way.
Dismantling switch.
The sequence of operations to eliminate the reasons due to which the kettle stopped working is almost the same for all modern models. ... The order is as follows:
make sure that the power cord is in good order and the stand is working;
check if the heating element is working;
start checking the switch (thermostat).
Work at each stage must be completed with the elimination of the found defects, some of which are described below.
The fact that the electric kettle does not turn on is indicated by the LED indicator, which does not light up when you press the corresponding key (lever). Reasons there may be several that can cause this defect.
Defective power plug or power cord - determined by testing with a tester, for which it is enough to remove the bottom cover of the stand. If a break is found in the cord, then it is changed. Carbon deposits on the contacts of the connecting device of the stand and the kettle - it can be removed by cleaning the contacts with fine-grained emery paper to a shine. If the contacts and captive terminals are completely burnt, then they are changed. However, this is a rather painstaking work that requires the skills of conducting electrical work. In addition, you will have to remove the kettle's bottom lids and stands. The fact that the kettle is on is indicated by the LED that comes on after pressing the key (lever). A defect due to the fact that the light is on and the kettle does not heat the water can be caused by two reasons :
violation of contact with the heating element;
burnout of the heating element.
To gain access to the heating element, the electric kettle must be disassembled. First check the functionality of the contact connections ... If they are charred, and the wires from the union terminals have fallen off, then it is necessary to restore the connections (replace the terminals, clean the contacts, etc.). In addition, on the Internet you can find a lot of video materials devoted to the completion and restoration of contacts welded to the heating element. Only after the electrical connection is completely restored, you can start checking the integrity of the heating element (dialing).
Check the heating element by measuring the resistance between its output pins with a tester. If the device shows the presence of resistance, then the heating element is working properly. Otherwise, the coil burned out on the heating element.
Important! Only the open type heating element can be replaced. Replacing the disc heating element is impossible, since it is mounted in the bottom of the case.
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There can be several reasons for water leakage. For example, if the kettle is equipped with an open-type heating element, then water leakage can be caused :
loosening the fastening of the heater - the defect can be eliminated by carefully tightening the existing fasteners;
violation of the tightness of the seal - the leak is eliminated by replacing the sealing rings.
In the case when the electric kettle flows through microcracks in the body parts, it is recommended to wait a few days, hoping that they will be covered with lime deposits and the water will stop oozing. If this does not happen, then it is better to purchase a new kettle.
The reason for this defect most often lies in a faulty switch (thermostat). It is he who is responsible for the timely shutdown of the heating element when the water boils. The reasons for this such:
burning of contacts;
oxidation of bimetallic plates;
wear or breakage of plastic parts, etc.
Experts recommend replacing the failed switch, however, some of its faults can be eliminated by yourself. In this case, the part must be dismantled and disassembled. This must be done carefully, since each manufacturer uses proprietary switches, and there will be nothing to replace the broken plastic part with.
Such well-known companies as Bosch, Philips, Scarlett, Polaris and others often use switches (thermostats) of modular design, assembled using the elastic properties of plastic. To remove the block with contacts, you must gently squeeze out the existing latches. Only then can the conductive parts be cleaned from carbon deposits or traces of oxidation.
If the kettle turns off before the water boils, then there is no need to disassemble it.It is enough to take a sachet of citric acid, pour it into 0.5 liters of water and boil the resulting solution in a teapot with an open lid. If it is not possible to get rid of the scale the first time, then the operation is repeated.
To avoid malfunctions, you must adhere to the following recommendations:
comply with all the requirements of the operating instructions;
regularly clean the inner surfaces of the kettle from lime deposits (scale);
do not bend the electrical cord with which the device is connected to the alternating current.
Attention! Do not try to reanimate the kettle by connecting the heating element directly to the mains supply. It is life threatening!
Any user is quite capable of repairing an electric kettle that does not work. However, experts believe that the right decision is to purchase a new device.
Video (click to play).
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