How to repair a disc kettle. How to repair an electric kettle at home

An electric kettle is a simple and inexpensive household appliance, which, if it breaks, is most often thrown away and a new one is purchased 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 functionality of the kettle. After familiarizing yourself with the design and principle of its operation, repairing the electric kettle with your own hands will not be difficult.

Design and principle of operation

Modern electric kettles are assembled on the basis of one electrical circuit and differ from each other in original design, power or volume. Moreover, all of them structurally consist of two parts - the teapot itself and the stand.

Design

The body parts of the electric kettle are made from 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 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 on top with a lid, installed:

contact group for connection with the mating part of the stand;
disc heater or open coil (S or U-shaped);
switch (thermostat);
LED indicator (can be built into the switch);
automatic shutdown device with bimetallic contacts.

Besides, a number of models are equipped:

additional filters, purifying water from scale - made of stainless steel (Siemens TW60101) or nylon (Tefal BF2632 Vitesse);
inner flask, not in contact with the body of the kettle, which is made of heat-resistant glass or stainless steel and plays the role of a thermos;
thermal relay, capable of maintaining a given water temperature in the range from 60 to 98°C for at least 4 hours (thermopot mode).

Important! Structurally, all parts that are energized during operation of the kettle are reliably protected from contact with water and exclude the possibility of accidental contact with them by the user.

Operating principle

The supply voltage from the AC mains is supplied to the kettle when installing it on a 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 that heats the water when you press the switch, which can be located either in the upper or 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 that are connected to the heating element. Each such pair consists of a contact and a bimetallic plate (glued together from two thin plates with different linear expansion coefficients), capable of bending in different directions when the temperature changes.

Bimetallic strip of one pair contacts directly with the housing and ensures that the connection opens when it overheats. In the normal position, this pair is constantly closed. It only works when a kettle without water is connected to the network.

Second pair of contacts ensures that the device is disconnected from the power supply when the water boils. This happens under the influence of hot steam acting on the bimetallic plate. In this case, hot air is supplied through a special channel, which is most often used as the cavity of the handle. However, in some models, a separate round or square tube is installed to supply steam.

Electric kettle repair

Despite the apparent simplicity of the design, the service life of an electric kettle is not eternal. Sooner or later there comes a time when, having turned it on, the user discovers that the device has stopped working.

Common faults

A list of common malfunctions and the causes that cause them are given in the table.

Malfunction	Faulty element	Possible reason
The kettle is turned on and does not heat the water.	heating element	Scale formation; burnout of contacts; The heating element has failed.
The kettle does not turn on	Power button	Contact oxidation; damage to button parts.
The kettle does not turn on		Contact oxidation; burnout of contact pads; failure of the power plug.
Water leaks from the kettle	Frame	The glass with the water level indicator scale is damaged; the sealing elements have become unusable (in the presence of an open-type heating element).
The kettle does not turn off for a long time when the water boils.	Body parts	The top cover is not adjusted; The steam channel is clogged with scale.
	Thermostat	Parts of the switch (thermostat) are damaged
The kettle turns off before the water boils.	heating element	Scale formation

Advice: parts and components that have become unusable, as a rule, cannot be repaired, but must be replaced.

When starting repairs, the kettle must be disassembled, which is sometimes more difficult than repairing.

How to disassemble an electric kettle

Disassembling the electric kettle and/or its stand is not particularly difficult. To do this, it is enough to prepare only a set of screwdrivers: Phillips, flat and possibly Spanne (two-pronged fork).

Attention! Before you begin disassembling the electric kettle, you must unplug the power cord from the power outlet.

Tip: remove the plastic parts of the handle very carefully. They are fragile and can break easily.

Repair scheme

The sequence of operations to eliminate the reasons why 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 condition and that the stand is working;
check if the heating element is working;
start checking the switch (thermostat).

The work at each stage must be completed by eliminating the defects found, some of which are described below.

The kettle does not turn on

The fact that the electric kettle does not turn on is indicated by the LED indicator, which does not light up when the corresponding key (lever) is pressed. Reasons There may be several that can cause this defect.

The kettle is on, but the water is not heating

The fact that the kettle is turned on is indicated by the LED lighting up after pressing the key (lever). The defect associated with the fact that the light is on and the kettle does not heat the water may be caused by two reasons:

poor contact with the heating element;
heating element burnout.

To gain access to the heating element, the electric kettle must be disassembled. At first check the functionality of contact connections. If they are charred and the wires from the slip-on 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 quite a lot of video materials devoted to the modification and restoration of contacts welded to the heating element. Only after the electrical connection has been completely restored can you begin to check the integrity of the heating element (continuity test).

Checking the heating element, measuring the resistance between its output contacts with a tester. If the device shows the presence of resistance, then the heating element is working. Otherwise, the heating element's coil will burn out.

Important! Only the open type heating element can be replaced. Replacing the disk heating element is impossible, since it is mounted into the bottom of the housing.

The kettle is leaking

There can be several reasons for water leakage. For example, if the kettle equipped with an open-type heating element, water leakage may be caused by:

loosening the heater fastening - 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 case electric kettle leaks through microcracks in case parts, it is recommended to wait a few days, hoping that they will become 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 water is boiling, but the kettle won't turn off

The cause of 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. Reasons for this such:

burnt contacts;
oxidation of bimetallic plates;
wear or breakage of plastic parts, etc.

Experts recommend replacing a faulty switch, but some of its faults can be eliminated yourself. In this case, the part must be dismantled and disassembled. This must be done carefully, since each manufacturer uses switches of its own design, and there will be nothing to replace a broken plastic part with.

Advice: you need to be especially careful when handling switches installed in Tefal vitesse electric kettles. They use plastic slats that transmit translational motion from the outer button to the inner one, which is located in the lower part of the case. If even one rack breaks, the entire kettle will need to be replaced.

Such well-known companies as Bosch, Philips, Scarlett, Polaris and others often use switches (thermostats) of a modular design, assembled using the elastic properties of plastic. To remove the block with contacts, you must carefully press out the existing latches. Only after this can conductive parts be cleaned of carbon deposits or traces of oxidation.

Premature shutdown of the kettle

If the kettle turns off before the water boils, there is no need to disassemble it. Just take a packet of citric acid, add it to 0.5 liters of water and boil the resulting solution in a kettle with the lid open. If it is not possible to get rid of scale the first time, then the operation is repeated.

Prevention of breakdowns

To avoid malfunctions, you must adhere to the following recommendations:

comply with all requirements of the operating instructions;
regularly clean the internal surfaces of the kettle from lime deposits (scale);
Do not bend the electrical cord that connects the device to the AC mains.

Attention! Do not try to revive the kettle by connecting the heating element directly to the power supply. This is life-threatening!

Repairing an electric kettle that is not working is within the capabilities of any user. However, experts believe that the right decision is to purchase a new device.

The best electric kettles of 2019

Kettle Kitfort KT-633 on Yandex Market

Kettle Braun WK 3110 on Yandex Market

Kettle Kitfort KT-623 on Yandex Market

Kettle Kitfort KT-621 on Yandex Market

Kettle Zimber ZM-11181/11182 on Yandex Market

The electric kettle has become an indispensable attribute of any kitchen and is a top seller 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 some time of use. 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 the apparatus for boiling water is dear to you as a memory, you can try to repair the electric kettle yourself.

An electric kettle works on a fairly simple principle, regardless of whether it is an expensive or budget model. At the bottom of the device there is a heating element connected to a thermostat, consisting of bimetallic strip. A tubular heater, when an electric current is applied to it, heats the liquid to a boil. When steam is generated 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 operating diagram of the device, you will notice that it works on the principle of an iron, and is not distinguished by the complexity of its design. But before you repair an electric kettle, difficulties always arise when disassembling the case, since for different models of units the latches (holding the handle) are located differently, in addition, the mounting screws may have a head for a special screwdriver.

Typical faults

An electric kettle is a simple device that contains few elements that can fail. But there are still common problems, among which are the following:

slow heating of the liquid;
the device turns off prematurely;
the kettle does not turn off;
the device does not turn on;
heating element burnout;
Water is leaking from the housing.

Slow heating of liquid

If you notice that the kettle does not heat the water quickly, then pay attention to the condition of the heating element. Thick layer of scale 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.

To get rid of scale, you can use regular citric acid, sold in stores. It is enough to pour 1-2 sachets 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 this, the container must be rinsed well with running water to remove any remaining scale. If necessary, the procedure can be repeated.

The device turns off prematurely

This behavior of an electric water heater is explained by the fact that the device shutdown may be due to scale formed on the heating element. Since the heating element has a fuse against overheating, it trips and breaks the electrical network. To eliminate the problem, it is necessary to descale the heaters.

The kettle does not turn off

When water boils in the apparatus’s container, steam should be collected under the lid and directed through a special channel to the thermostat. If the lid is not closed tightly, this will not happen and the appliance will operate without shutting down. If everything is in order with the lid, check that the steam hole, which is located on the side of the handle, is not contaminated with scale. If everything is fine with the hole, we can assume that the kettle does not turn off due to thermostat failure.

The thermostat of the electric kettle is located at the bottom of the body, and to get to it to replace it, you will have to completely disassemble the device.

For example, we took an ordinary budget device, which does not differ in design from more expensive models - 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 using the following algorithm.

Repairing a kettle should begin with disconnect it from the power supply. Next, remove the device from the stand (base) and unscrew all the screws located on its bottom panel.
After this, it is necessary to pry off the plastic cover located on the handle with special care using a thin screwdriver. This should be done carefully because in different device models the latches may be located in different places and can be easily broken.
After removing the cover, you can see the mounting screws. They also need to be removed.
After unscrewing all the fasteners, using a little force, disconnect the handle with the cover from the body.
Next, disconnect 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 strip(on the right in the picture). If damage is visible on it or it has a worn-out appearance, then this may be the reason why the electrical 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 does not come off? Those who disassembled such a device encountered difficulties, which often ended in the breakdown of the device. Since the process is quite difficult to describe, it is better to watch a video on this topic.

The device does not turn on

There may be different reasons why your boiler won't turn on.

Faulty electrical cord and plug. To do this, you will need to “ring” the cord using a tester, touching the probes to the contacts of the plug and the contacts on the stand (base). If a break is detected, the cord should be replaced with a new one.
Poor contact in the stand(base). Long-term operation can cause the contacts to burn, which impairs their conductivity. If burns have formed on the contacts, they can be cleaned using fine sandpaper. But if they melt, they will need to be completely replaced.
Internal switch faulty in the device. Since the switch has to experience quite heavy loads (from 1500 to 2000 W), its contacts may melt over time. This may cause the device to not work. The switch is located at the bottom of the handle, and if there is a 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 yourself without replacing it. If you look at the button from the side, you can see 2 contacts that close in the “on” position. If on them carbon deposits form, the device will not turn on.

To remove carbon deposits, you can use fine-grained sandpaper, a nail file or a thin file. To make cleaning more convenient, you will need to slightly “rework” the button, namely, remove the edges using pliers.

Another reason why the device does not want to work is mechanical power button malfunction. This breakdown most often occurs in the Tefal vitesse model, since plastic slats are built into the handle of the electrical appliance, which transmit translational movement from the outer button to the inner one, located at the bottom of the unit.

Once this part breaks, turning on the Tefal kettle becomes impossible. To understand in more detail how to repair an element that has broken, you can watch the video, which discusses one original way to correct the defect.

Heating element burnout

When repairing electric kettles, both older models and newer ones, the most common breakdown is a burnt-out heating element. The problem with heating elements arises, first of all, due to their overheating if scale is not removed in a timely manner.

Before repairing a kettle with a disk heater or a heating element in the form of a spiral, it is necessary to disassemble the unit in the manner described above. After this, take the tester and connect the probes of the device to the output contacts of the heater. If the light on the device lights up or it makes a sound, then the heating element can be considered working.

How to check the heating element if no measuring device? It turns out to be very simple. It is necessary to connect the zero from the electrical network to one contact of the heater, and the phase to the other. Next, insert a 220 light bulb into the socket from which 2 insulated wires come out. Touch one stripped end of the wire to one contact of the heater, and the other to the opposite one. If the light comes on, it means the heating element is working.

If it turns out that the disk heater has burned out, 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.

Water is leaking

If you notice that water is flowing (leaking) from the device’s reservoir, 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, you will have to buy a new “boiler” if the warranty period has expired.

Another reason that the tank is leaking could be loose connection between the electric heater and the device body(if the heating element is open type). 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 sealing gasket, which is worn out.

Thus, we can summarize: in some cases it is quite possible to repair a boiling water unit on your own. But if you lack certain skills in repairing household appliances, then the best option would be to buy a new kettle. Repairs at a service center are not justified from a financial point of view, and there is no guarantee that the breakdown will not happen again.

Electrical equipment today is in every home, because it allows a person to live in full conditions and save time. Such installations include electric kettles. They heat up water in a matter of minutes. But during operation, a variety of breakdowns occur.

Not everyone is ready to take such a device to a specialist, because it also needs to be found. But how to fix an electric kettle with your own hands? This is not a difficult process if a person knows how to hold a screwdriver. Before you start repairs, you need to understand what the main reasons are, as well as what breakdowns occur.

Please note that all equipment must always be handled carefully - this will increase its service life. It is better to purchase high-quality products from well-known manufacturers.

Types of breakdowns

Damages may be the following:

Leaks.
The device does not turn on.
The lid is broken.

These are the main problems with which people come to the workshop. But you can restore the integrity of the entire unit with your own hands. To do this, you should take into account any available instructions and begin work. If you have no experience, you cannot skip more than one point, because we are talking about an electric unit. Statistics show that more than half of all people throw away a broken kettle, but you can always try to restore the device.

Principle of operation

To understand how to repair an electric kettle, you need to know its operating system. To heat the water, a special electrical device is built into the bottom. Depending on the manufacturer, its shape varies. For fastening, special bushings and metal screws are used, which are firmly fixed to a waterproof seal.

The shape of such protective elements is varied. This could be a washer, gasket, bushing. When this element breaks its seal, water begins to leak. To fix such a breakdown, you simply need to replace this component. They are sold in the store. To avoid mistakes, you will have to take the kettle with you or remove this element.

Before you repair an electric kettle, it is worth understanding the principle of operation. When water heats up, steam is formed - this is a natural process. It, in turn, exits through specially formed outlets. And in this process, the operating principle of the entire unit is important. Because if it approaches the biometric plate, then the toggle switch is automatically activated. The device turns off.

What's on the kettle:

Indicator and button block. Thanks to this addition, you can know what the current water temperature is and create suitable working conditions.
Unique water level sensor. It shows the level and is capable of transmitting data to the application.
Two heaters. They are necessary for spot heating and full heating.

These are the features that every kettle has. Although today manufacturers, trying to occupy a larger part of the market, are coming up with other possibilities to make the operation of the unit more convenient. In addition, there is always a protective element. Its main task is to turn off the kettle when the water boils. It also triggers if, by mistake, the element was started without liquid. Thus, the manufacturer tries to protect users from accidents (for example, from fire of the device).

Statistics show that it is empty kettles that often end up being switched on. It was accidents that prompted manufacturers to create such additional conditions for the operation of the entire device. Therefore, modern kettles are considered to be completely safe.

What needs to be checked before repair?

Before repairing an electric kettle, it is worth checking the obvious things:

When these reasons have been verified, but the unit has not started working, it is worth continuing work. If an electric kettle breaks, how to fix it? To avoid creating a more complex breakdown, you need to follow simple steps.

What actions should be taken?

It is important to disassemble the unit, but without making mistakes and remembering the entire procedure. What you have to do:

The base of the kettle is removed - this is the lid.
After this, you need to remove all fasteners. They are on the handle of the kettle. It is necessary to unscrew it carefully so that the thread remains in the same form. They often get damaged, so sometimes you have to buy new ones.
The handle is carefully removed from the kettle. Sometimes you have to make an effort. But it is important not to break the installation itself.
Before repairing the Tiffany electric kettle, you need to remove the rocker arm. It is made of the same material as the unit itself. This is an important component of the entire structure.
Next you need to go over the entire surface and remove any plastic components that interfere with disassembly.
The kettle switch is removed.
Next, you need to visually evaluate the biometric plate so that there is no damage to it. If something is detected, then this is the reason why the kettle is not working. If there are no defects, you will have to continue troubleshooting.

Once you have disassembled the entire installation and have not found the problem, you need to continue searching.

What should you pay attention to?

Sometimes the kettle starts to work slowly and the water heats up ineffectively. The difference may occur over time, but why is this observed? The fact is that scale accumulates on the heating element, and its performance is reduced several times. If an electric kettle breaks, how to fix it? The problem can be solved using special cleaning products. They are sold in stores. After purchase, you should refer to the instructions, because they are different for each device model.

The fact is that everyone creates anti-scale products according to their own principle. The application process will depend on the composition inside. Therefore, when answering the question of how to fix a broken electric kettle, you should not exclude such a situation as the formation of plaque. Some people try to clean it with a sharp object, but this solution will not bring the desired result and can damage the heating coil.

Another unexpected thing that is not a breakdown is the open lid. If it is not tightly fixed, the kettle will not turn on. The work does not start because the steam that comes through the hole may be blocked. This happens rarely, but it does happen. And the hole becomes clogged with a coating of lime. The steam has no way to the biometric plate and nothing happens.

Nuances

How to fix an electric kettle if it doesn't turn on? This is not uncommon, and it is worth understanding why this occurs. It also happens that the switch simply fails. The reason is ambiguous - this happens because the signal to the biometric plate is blocked. The simplest reason is that the pusher is locked in the wrong position. But the plate itself breaks down due to damage.

But is it possible to repair an electric kettle with such a breakdown? Here everything is more complicated, and not everyone can cope with the task. It should be noted that when the switch fails, only a professional can help. You will need to not only perform all actions correctly, but also have the necessary spare parts.

The actions of a professional may be as follows: he will have to change the element. The procedure itself is not complicated, but you need to find where the switch itself is located. How to fix the switch of an electric kettle? Most often this toggle switch is located on the handle. If this is so, it will be easy to deal with, but if not, then it will not be so easy. The difficulty is that the kettle has many different fasteners.

In addition to the bolts, there are also some parts - they will also have to be removed and then installed in place. To prevent the procedure from being delayed, you will have to remove the handle and cover of the unit itself. These steps will help answer many questions and make the recovery procedure simple.

How to fix the problem?

There are statistics by which experts can tell what problems arise most often. If the electric kettle does not turn on, how to fix it? Since it is the switch that is constantly in operation, it fails for many people. Do you really have to go to the master? Not at all. The recovery procedure itself has several stages.

It is important to inspect the part. If it is cracked, then without replacing it it will not be possible to return the unit to operation. Finding such parts is not always easy, because many people simply get rid of such a kettle and do not repair it. This means there is not much demand for parts.

Sometimes the button just gets stuck. There is a special spring here. It stretches, and after that it will be difficult to work with starting the unit. When analyzed, it will become clear what the main reason is. Replacing it is not that difficult. But when something is done incorrectly, even after assembly the situation does not return to normal.

How to fix the lid of an electric kettle?

Sometimes it simply stops closing, which is why the device does not turn on. We need to figure out why this happens. It happens that scale accumulates on the rim, and it becomes a barrier between the lid and the kettle. In this situation, you will have to wash it using special means. The principle of action of such substances is the same. Required:

Pour into a kettle, pour water.
Boil.
Drain.

If nothing has changed, you will have to repeat the procedure. As all the experts say, it is better to prevent this than to restore it afterwards. Preventive cleaning procedures will not be superfluous and can extend the service life of the electrical device. There is no big difference in how to repair a Vitek electric kettle or any other. Also, the instruction manual always contains a lot of useful information. The manufacturer tries to talk about weak points and suggest how to solve some problems in the work.

Please note that when using special chemicals for descaling, you should remember safety precautions. Such products are very aggressive, so work is performed with rubber gloves. In addition, the kettle itself must be thoroughly rinsed with running water. The inner surface must be completely rid of any remnants of this chemical.

Presence of leaks

This is another problem that many people face. The kettle is used frequently, so water leaks are inevitable. But how to understand this problem? First it is important to understand why this happens:

One of the common reasons is a violation of the sealing of the plastic case. Another reason is the failure of the water indicator. You need to give it a visual assessment. Often small cracks are simply visible. It is from them that water begins to ooze.
Another reason is when the heating element loses its original rigidity. If an electric kettle leaks, how to fix it? Everyone can solve this problem themselves by simply tightening the existing fasteners.
Sometimes leaks occur due to wear of the seal. How to fix an electric kettle if it is leaking? In this situation, even tightening all the fasteners will not help remove the damage. In this case, you cannot heat the water, otherwise a short circuit may occur. Leaks will stop when this is the only solution that is relevant in the fight against this breakdown.
The worst damage is the formation of holes in the bottom of the kettle. Not everyone is ready to understand that their kettle is seriously out of order. This happens for various reasons, but they all boil down to one thing - careless handling of the device. In such a situation, you definitely won’t be able to solve the problem yourself. There is no point in taking the device to a service center, since few technicians will restore such a device. Of course, if the kettle is expensive, then you can spend money on repairing it. But this is the case when it is better to buy a new one.

There are many reasons why an electrical appliance fails. Before you panic, you should eliminate basic operating errors.

Summing up

An electric kettle can be repaired in half of all cases. Each device has its own operating principles, and if they are violated, breakdown cannot be avoided. But if something happens (water leaks, the button sticks, does not turn off on its own), you should not continue to use the device. This can lead to short circuits, fire and other problems.

When starting a repair, you need to be prepared for any situation, which means preparing the necessary tools (screwdriver, soldering iron, knife, electrical tape). During the repair process, you should not make sudden movements, because the teapots are plastic and therefore fragile. When disassembling them, it is worth remembering the sequence of work, otherwise it will be difficult to assemble them again.

Often such an unpleasant situation arises as the kettle breaking down, and at the most inopportune moment. You can return a broken electrical appliance for repair, but this will take time. There may also be no available craftsmen and you will have to go without a kettle even longer. Or, perhaps, the cause of the failure could be a minor, easily fixable malfunction - then it would be a pity for the money wasted on repairs.

In general, why not try to do the repairs yourself, saving time and money? In this article we will provide recommendations that will help you identify a malfunction of the electric kettle and, if possible, eliminate it.

Electrical circuit and operating principle of an electric kettle

Most electric kettles, regardless of their cost, have a similar design. For clarity, here is a typical diagram of an electric kettle:

In order to troubleshoot an electric kettle, you need to understand the principle of its operation. Let us briefly describe the principle of operation of the above diagram, clearly showing all the elements of the scheme. Electricity from the household network flows through the plug and wire to the stand.

Next, the current flows from the stand to the kettle through a special contact part. Directly in the electric kettle, the grounding conductor is connected to the metal parts of the electric kettle. The neutral and phase conductors in a special unit are routed to terminals 1 and 2 (see diagram).

The same unit contains thermal protection - a thermal relay. The electrical diagram shows that the thermal relay is located in a phase conductor break.

Thermal protection serves to protect the kettle from damage if the kettle is turned on without water, or if the kettle lid is open and it works for a long time without automatically turning off. In normal mode, the thermal relay contact is in the closed state. It opens in case of excessive overheating for the above reasons.

The kettle power button allows you to manually turn the kettle on and off; it has a bimetallic plate, which, when a certain temperature is reached, turns off the button - that is, when the water boils, this button automatically turns off the electric kettle.

An indicator lamp or backlight is connected parallel to the terminals of the heating element of the kettle, depending on the design features of the electric kettle. This can be a regular lamp or LED backlight connected via a power driver.

So, let's start troubleshooting. First of all, you need to make sure that the reason for the kettle’s inoperability was not the activation of the above-described thermal protection. If there was an operation, then you need to wait until the protection returns to its original state - that is, until the contacts close. If the protection did not operate, we proceed to troubleshooting.

Don't rush to disassemble the kettle. Very often, the reason why the kettle does not heat is a lack of contact between the contact elements of the electric kettle and the stand or a broken contact in the power cord and plug.

Unscrew the screws on the stand and remove the cover. We take a multimeter and check the integrity of the cord from the plug to the contacts. In inexpensive electric kettles, in order to save money, the manufacturer uses a cord with a cross-section that is lower than the permissible load of the electric kettle.

For example, for a 2 kW kettle, a supply wire with a cross-section of 0.75 square meters is installed. mm, but in fact there may be an even smaller cross-section. During operation of the electric kettle, such a wire heats up, which can ultimately lead to its damage or burnout at the point of connection to the plug.

If the test shows a broken wire, then you need to purchase a new wire with a larger cross-section that matches the load of the kettle. For example, for a 2 kW kettle, a wire with a cross-section of 1-1.5 square meters will be sufficient. mm. You also need to purchase a new plug - a Euro plug designed for a load of 16 A will do.

Regardless of whether this is the reason why the kettle is not working at the moment, you should clean the contacts from carbon deposits and bend them a little, ensuring greater rigidity of contact with the electric kettle.

You should put the stand on the kettle, and pay attention to the contacts - they should bend when installing the kettle on the stand. If the contact does not press, it means it is loose and needs to be slightly bent upward. You cannot bend the contacts too much, so as not to move them out of place.

We assemble the stand and check the functionality of the electric kettle. If the kettle still does not work, then we proceed directly to troubleshooting inside the electric kettle.

Checking the functionality of the electric kettle heating element

A situation is possible when the indicator light (backlight) of the kettle lights up, but the kettle itself does not heat. In this case, there are two reasons - the heating element has burned out or the contact at the point of connection to the heating element has been broken. Remove the lid of the kettle by unscrewing several screws. Certain types of kettles, including the one discussed in this article, in addition to screws, have special grooves that hold the kettle lid.

Without experience in opening electrical appliances, you can damage the electric kettle, adding another one to the existing fault. To remove the cover, you need to bend it inward. Insert screwdrivers into the existing holes - first into holes 1 and 2, then into 3 and 4. By bending the cover inward, the grooves securing the cover come out and it is removed.

Let's go back to troubleshooting. We check the integrity of the circuits inside the kettle. Next, we check the integrity of the heating element by sliding the insulation to access the terminals. We set the multimeter in resistance measurement mode to the lowest limit - in this case 200 Ohms and measure the resistance of the heating element.

The device showed a resistance of 24.1 Ohms, which indicates the serviceability of the heating element. A burnt-out heating element shows a very high resistance - the multimeter will show several megohms. You can also check the heating element with a multimeter in dial mode.

If the heating element is working properly, the device will show a small voltage drop, and if the heating element is faulty, the device will show a break - one.

If there is a need to remove the terminals, then you should not rip them off, as is often done out of ignorance. When put back in place, a torn terminal will not ensure normal contact and will cause the kettle to fail next time.

The terminals are easily removed if you lightly press a sharp object into the hole, while simultaneously tightening it. If there is insulation on the terminal, it must be moved before removing the terminal.

A normally removed terminal is also easy to put back on. But in any case, it is necessary to check the reliability of the contact, and if the terminal is not put on tightly enough, then it should be removed and slightly pressed with pliers.

If the check shows that the heating element is faulty, then in this case it is necessary to think about whether it is advisable to purchase a new heating element. If the kettle is inexpensive, then installing a new heating element will cost the same as a new kettle.

If the heating element is working, but the kettle does not heat, then you should check the integrity of other circuits. It is necessary to check whether voltage is supplied from the contact part of the kettle to terminals 1 and 2.

We use a multimeter as shown in the photo. If one contact rings and the other does not, this indicates that the thermal relay contact, which was mentioned at the beginning of the article, is open. There are cases of spontaneous opening of protection contacts.

If there were no signs of overheating, the kettle did not turn on without water, but the thermal protection contact was open, then this indicates a malfunction of this element. You can try to bend the bimetallic plate (or plates, depending on the design of the electric kettle), ensuring the closure of the protection contact.

If the fault cannot be eliminated, it is recommended to completely replace the unit. It is also possible to turn on the circuit directly, without thermal protection, by forcibly closing the contacts in this node. But you should remember the consequences of the lack of thermal protection.

If you turn on the kettle without water and there is no protection, the heating element will heat up until it burns out. This may cause the kettle to catch fire. To avoid negative consequences, you should not operate the electric kettle without a thermal relay.

Another reason for the electric kettle not working may be a broken kettle power button. The inoperability of the button is determined by making a connection between terminal 1 and the output of heating element 3 (see diagram).

If, when the button is in the on position, the device shows a break between contacts 1 and 3, this indicates that the button is faulty or the integrity of the contact at the point of connection to the button is broken. It is necessary to open the part of the electric kettle body on the handle, gaining access to the button and, depending on the malfunction, restore the integrity of the contact or replace the button.

There are also certain types of electric kettles with built-in electronic devices that provide timer functions and adjust the temperature of water heating. If such a kettle malfunctions, you can check the components discussed in this article - heating elements, contacts, connecting conductors. But if the cause of its malfunction is the failure of electronic components, then to eliminate such a malfunction you need to have the appropriate skills and qualifications - therefore it is better to have such a kettle repaired by an experienced specialist.