Electric kettles tend to break down over time. And when this happens, then according to statistics, 30% of people take them to a specialized center for repairs, 55% throw them away and replace the old kettle with a new one. And only 15% of the total are trying to repair the electric kettle with their own hands.
And for the most part, people who decide to carry out repairs on their own are asking the question "how to repair an electric kettle at home." The answer to this question is not as simple as it might seem at first glance, but we will try to summarize it in the following sentences.
The principle of operation and diagram of the electric kettle
The principle by which the electric kettle works is simple. In order to heat the water, it uses an electric heating element installed inside - at the bottom of the device. Such an element can have different shapes. But, as a rule, it is attached to the body using threaded bushings and metal screws that tightly press it against the waterproof seals.
The watertight seals of the kettle have different shapes. For example, they can be presented in the form of a washer, spacer, or, conversely, have the form of a sleeve. It is because of them that leaks often occur. In the event of a breakdown of this type of seal, the repair of the electric kettle is quite simple, it is necessary to replace it.
The operation of an electric kettle is based on the principle of heating water, at the time of reproduction of which steam is formed, which comes out through special holes or pipes to a biometric plate or to a disk. Its movement depends on how the electric kettle works. After steam enters the biometric plates, the kettle turns off automatically.
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Protective element of the electric kettle
Note that every modern model of electric kettles has a special protective element. It turns off the household device at the moment when water boils or when there is no water. The presence of a protective element reduces the risk of accidents, such as the risk of accidental fire.
Earlier, many people, forgetting to pour water into a classic kettle, turned it on. It is this kind of forgetfulness that has become the cause of a fairly large number of accidents. This, in turn, led manufacturers of electrical devices to develop a modern security system - to create a function to automatically turn off the kettle when the water available in it is heated. There is no water - the kettle will not turn on.
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Dismantling the electric kettle
Before proceeding with the procedure for disassembling the electric kettle, we need to check the most obvious things:
- Whether the plug is unplugged from the outlet, and whether the buttons on the electric kettle are turned on;
- The connector, which is responsible for powering the kettle with electricity, does not twitch. If it jerks from side to side, perhaps this is the cause of the malfunction;
- Is the kettle in the correct position, is it standing on the appropriate base or has moved off of it? It is possible, but in rare cases, and it happens only with old models of cordless teapots.
Rules and procedure for disassembling an electric kettle
We checked the most obvious things with you, and it became clear to us that the inoperative state of the kettle was not caused by them. For this reason, we must begin to disassemble it, and further identify the reasons that led to its inoperability.
- Remove the lid of the kettle base;
- Next, we unscrew all the screws that belong to the fasteners and are located on the base of the kettle handle, as well as in its upper part;
- Carefully separate the handle from the tea jug, as if from the teapot;
- After that, we need to get rid of the plastic rocker, which is an important component of both modern and old models of electric kettles;
- We remove all plastic parts, basically we get rid of interfering parts - these are various components of the kettle that are attached to one or another of its elements;
- We raise the kettle switch;
- After that, we need to carefully examine the state of the bimetallic plate, checking it for visible defects. If there are none, then the reason that led to the inoperability of the kettle lies elsewhere.
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Why does the kettle slowly heat up the water
The reason an electric kettle can slowly warm up water is because there are thick layers of limescale on its heating element. To remove thick layers of limescale, we have to buy a cleaning agent, the main purpose of using which is its basic properties, allowing us to deal with layers of scale accumulated in it. After purchasing a cleaning agent, we need to read the instructions on its packaging.
It must be remembered that the principle of using one or another type of cleaning agent can be very different for the reason that manufacturers of such cleaning agents use components and additives of different composition.
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What to do if the kettle won't turn off
The most obvious reason the device might not turn off is a poorly closed lid. If your lid is well closed, then the reason your kettle won't turn off is because the steam opening is blocked.
Yes, blockage is not a common problem, but it does occur. The fact is that the hole can be clogged with lime deposits, which prevent the steam from being redirected to the bimetallic plates.
Faulty switch on the electric kettle
It happens that the switch of an electric kettle becomes inoperative. This problem may be due to the fact that the switch is blocked from the side of the bimetallic plate. The plate may simply be damaged, or the pusher responsible for the switch is stuck.
The switch cannot be replaced by yourself. If the problem of the inoperability of the electric kettle lies in the breakdown of its switch, you will have to contact a specialized company.
In some cases, when a switch gets stuck, it must be removed and checked for integrity. This is done simply, but there is one only problem in performing this task, which lies in finding the switch. If it is located on the handle of an electric kettle, then it will not be difficult to find and remove it, but if in some other place, then difficulties may arise.
The main thing is to properly unscrew all the bolts and remove the parts that are located at the location of the switch. In general, in most cases, first you will have to remove the handle and lid of the electric kettle - this will facilitate the task of studying the problem that is associated with its inoperability.
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What to do when the kettle is leaking
This problem is not uncommon, it occurs with every third electric kettle. That is understandable, electric kettles simply cannot withstand constant work for a long time, some kind of, but their part will weaken.
- If the kettle is leaking, then you need to immediately find the essence of the problem. Study the diagram of the structure of the electric kettle. If you see that some part is broken in it, then you need to immediately contact a specialized service center.
- It happens that the water indicator breaks. You can check its condition for cracks and other connections responsible for leaks by examining the plastic indicator, after removing the lid that covers the switch of the electric kettle;
- Perhaps the leakage problem is related to the weakening of its heating elements. To resolve this issue, it will be sufficient to slightly tighten the screws and nuts, which are the fasteners of the classic heating element. If the leak cannot be solved, you must immediately contact a specialized service center, whose experts are involved in solving problems associated with the leakage of electric kettles. In an extreme case, the electric kettle can simply be changed by purchasing a more modern model in a home store;
- It so happens that the cause of the leakage of the electric kettle is damage to the gasket. If this happens, then be aware that tightening a number of fasteners will not be able to eliminate the cause of the leak. The gasket is the cause of a leak quite rarely, but if this happens, then it is necessary to replace the burst gasket with a new one. This is the only way to resolve this problem and eliminate the leakage of the electric kettle;
- Probably the most terrible and unpredictable in every sense of the word problem that led to the leakage is the damage to the bottom. Not good news for those who are not used to electrical things that tend to break. If this happens, then it is pointless to take the electric kettle to the service center for repairs, you will have nothing to do but buy a new electric kettle in a household store. It makes no sense to repair the kettle on your own either - the bottom cannot be repaired or replaced, and only in rare cases, when the equipment has a high price, is it replaced in accordance with special schemes that are available in every second service center.
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