Kettle problems

September 19, 2015 5:20 PM

My electric kettle (an older model of this design) usually shuts itself off within 10 seconds of reaching a rolling boil. For the past few weeks, it has remained boiling for much longer (on the order of minutes: long enough for me to notice and shut it off manually if I'm in another room). What are some possible causes for this, and is there any way I can try to fix it?
posted by btfreek to Food & Drink (5 answers total)

Is there a little filter screen at the opening? Is it still there and installed correctly or did it maybe get taken out and not replaced or fall into the kettle somewhere? Manuals on my kettles have typically said that the little screen is important for the auto-shut-off.

If you plan to keep using the kettle, you should make sure the boil-dry function is still operating. I think these operate by different triggers (steam pressure vs. temp delta). Empty it out and turn it on and wait. If it doesn't shut down, then I would not use this kettle again until both the auto-off and boil dry functions are working again.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 5:47 PM on September 19, 2015 [1 favorite]

I have hard water & I find scale build up can make my kettle do weird things. I now fill the inside & let it soak it in white vinegar on a semi regular basis to get rid of it. .
posted by wwax at 6:13 PM on September 19, 2015

I imagine the nub that pops out when it reaches temp is either sticky or some part of the mechanism is worn and now has too much resistance. Like a toaster that doesn't pop, this kind of consumer appliances is no longer really made to be repaired. I really wouldn't trust it and would just trash it.

Look for a replacement that uses entirely digital switching with electronic buttons, and just beeps when it's done. Those pretty much either work or they don't.
posted by emptythought at 8:08 PM on September 19, 2015

Our electric kettle (not the same model as yours) will not do the auto-shut-off thingy if the lid's not properly closed.
posted by mon-ma-tron at 8:48 PM on September 19, 2015 [3 favorites]

Our current kettle and the one before it would shut off when they detected steam. When the water is boiling, the steam that is generated goes up into a little hole at the top of the chamber, just below where the lid hinge meets the handle. A sensor in there detects the steam and shuts off the kettle — that's why if the lid is open and the steam can escape, it doesn't work.

It's worth checking if the sensor hole is blocked. With our old kettle, the sensor had broken and it was easier to replace than repair.
posted by matsho at 3:49 AM on September 20, 2015