On the weekend you decide to have a cup of hot tea while reading through your favorite book. Unfortunately, it doesn’t go as planned because your kettle decides to stop working?
I faced this same issue. As the evening didn’t go as planned, I decided to find out why the kettle is no longer heating. In this article, I will share my experience with you. We together can find our possible reason of ‘Why is my kettle not boiling anymore’.
Let’s find different causes that may be causing the problem with your device:
- Power failure
- The power plug or cord is defective
- Switch is unstable
- Safety device is activated
- The heating element is faulty
- The base is defective
Table of Contents
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How does a kettle work?
The role of the electric kettle is to bring water to the boil quickly. To do this task, the kettle uses an electric resistance that heats the water.
Once the water has reached the correct temperature, namely 100° C, an automatic shut-off system triggers the opening of the supply circuit and at the same time return to the off position of the power button (called the switch).
It is a thermal circuit breaker system for the safety of the device. Usually, the circuit opens and the knob returns to its original position after only a few seconds of boiling the water.
Sometimes the kettle is equipped with a thermostat so that we can set the temperature as we wish. This temperature can range from 40 to 100° C. Thus if the temperature chosen is 80° C, it is not at 100° C but 80° C that the thermal circuit breaker cuts the circuit.
The vast majority of electric kettles are cordless. That is why it is placed on a base to heat the water. The kettle can be moved freely as soon as the water has finished heating. This base is connected to an electrical outlet through a power cable.
The causes that may explain that the kettle no longer heats:
You now know the vocabulary of all the elements that make up your kettle. You will now be able to identify which elements are the causes of the malfunction of your device by reading the list below:
Power failure
One of the simplest and silliest causes, but one that still needs to be checked. When your kettle no longer turns on, you may suspect a power failure. Then check that your kettle is not the only appliance affected and that all the appliances on the same circuit are starting or not.
If this is the case, a power failure may have affected the electrical circuit to which the kettle is connected. Depending on the case, reset the circuit breaker after finding the source of the problem (failure on the circuit) or wait for the power to be restored to your home (general failure).
Related: Are coffee filters reusable?
The power plug or cord is defective
A kettle that no longer works can be explained by a problem with its plug or its power cord. The plug can be twisted or melted, for example. As for the power cable, it can be cut, burned, damaged… In all cases, replace the entire power cord, including the plug, so that your kettle turns on and heats up again.
Switch is unstable
Sometimes the power button on the device does not hold in place when you turn it on. This button opens or closes the resistance supply circuit. When engaged, the switch closes the circuit and therefore allows the water to be heated to boiling or to the desired temperature.
On the other hand, when the switch is in its off position, the supply circuit is open and therefore the water does not heat up. When the switch is unstable, it cannot stay in its position long enough for the water to heat up.
Most often this is explained by the state of its spring. If you can change the power socket so that your kettle will work again. Otherwise, you will have to change the device.
Safety device is activated
One of the causes that may explain that your kettle no longer heats is its safety device: a thermal circuit breaker.
This safety device can remain activated after being switched on. It happens, in particular, if you leave the appliance to heat without water.
You have to wait for the kettle to cool down so that the safety device is deactivated and the kettle can heat up again.
The heating element is faulty
If the heating element (resistance) of your kettle no longer works, this explains why your kettle is no longer heating. This cause of failure is frequent since the resistance is highly stressed during the life of the device but also because it tends to build up scale which considerably reduces its life.
Change the heating element if you can or call a professional. In some cases, for the lowest-end devices, changing the resistance is irrelevant and it is better to buy a new kettle.
The base is defective
The base, or plinth, is an important part since it allows the electrical supply of the device so that it can heat the water. If the kettle no longer turns on and cannot heat up, a problem with the base may be responsible.
Most often, the problem then comes from a bad connection of the wires in this base or from defective wires.
Reconnect the wires correctly, change them or change the connections depending on the problem you are having. This will allow your kettle to heat up again.
Final word: Why is my kettle not boiling?
I hope the question “why my kettle is not boiling” is now answered and this helps you find the problem.
If you need to change the power cable or power outlet and you are not confident doing it yourself, take help from professionals. Always remember safety first.
