has started to leak from the joint between the spout and the body of the
kettle. As you pour, water runs down the outside of the kettle from the seam
and drips everywhere.
Any suggestions on how to reseal the joint with something that will
withstand the heat?
--
Triff
Would a dab of silicone shower sealant not work?
I can give it a try - but whether it would withstand the heat of a boiling
kettle I don't know.
JB Weld Coldweld appears to probably be the best bet - but by the time
you've spent £5.25 plus postage on a *possible* repair - the simplest thing
would probably be to buy a new kettle!
It's annoying, however, when it's still working perfectly apart from the
leaking spout.
--
Triff
Mum's K2 did it after nearly thirty years - I did the decent thing and
bought her a new one.
--
Skipweasel - never knowingly understood.
I seem to have achieved a result using super-glue. I just ran some SG around
the seam, let it dry and gave it a try. No leak. How long it will last I
don't know - but I thought it was worth a try.
--
Triff
18 months is our average for a kettle. The last one did not switch itself
off and turned the kitchen into a sauna.
>
That kettle, for me, marks the begining of an anoying anti DIY trend that continues to this day. The "security screw".
--
Graham.
%Profound_observation%
Ours died at Christmas after about 15 years of stalwart service - and it
was only a cheap one to start with. I was rather miffed that I couldn't
find a suitable spare, and even more miffed that in this era of alleged
"choice" I can't find a yellow kettle anywhere.
I have a neighbour who reckons her kettles last about 6 months before
they're scaled up and useless. I asked her if she ever descales them and
she just looked blank. I descale ours about once a week when I do the
coffee maker - the not-quite-spent formic acid goes from one to the
other - which is OK until you forget it's in there overnight and make a
cup of coffee with it.
The only security screw that's ever caused me much grief[1] are those
triangular things that McDeadthings use on the toys that accompany their
McDespair kids meals.
[1] Apart from dozens and dozens of the sort that have a ramped slot.
Someone fitted several dozen skylight domes to a handbag factory in
Crawley some time in the late 70s but didn't think to put the clear ones
where the clear ones were supposed to be and the frosted ones likewise.
So I had to go and take the damned things off and refit 'em. That was a
miserable time on a cold wet roof doing fiddly jobs with numb fingers.
High modulus silicone (e.g. Hylomar, as sold in halfords as a gasketing
compound) would be better
--
geoff
Electric?
Yellow kettle???????????????
>
> I have a neighbour who reckons her kettles last about 6 months before
> they're scaled up and useless. I asked her if she ever descales them and
> she just looked blank. I descale ours about once a week when I do the
> coffee maker - the not-quite-spent formic acid goes from one to the
> other - which is OK until you forget it's in there overnight and make a
> cup of coffee with it.
Well, we live in the superior north, no need to descale.
Mr Pounder
http://direct.asda.com/ASDA-Stainless-Steel-Jug-Kettle/001547712,default,pd.html
>
We had two RH st. st. kettles that did the same - no longer even consider
RH.
Did solder one around the outside of the seam - prolly not a really good
idea, but it worked.
--
Peter.
The gods will stay away
whilst religions hold sway
My water is unbelievably hard (Chiltern chalk). I've found that one of
those scale collectors (balls of stainless steel 'wire wool') dropped
into the kettle EXTREMELY effective in preventing scale. The element is
virtually untouched, and the scale collector scales up instead. For
example:
<http://www.auravita.com/product/Steel-Mesh-Kettle-Fur-Collector.KTHC1151
5.html?RefId=220&adid=KTHC11515>
They only cost about £1-80 in DIY shops.
Before the collector gets to much scale on it, you just roll it between
your hands under a running tap. Almost all the scale detaches, and
you're left with a shiny ball of wool again. It will last for years. The
kettle will go for months and months before you feel the urge to maybe
give it a quick de-scale. And, of course, you can also de-scale the
collector if you have let it get too caked up.
--
ian
Yes - made by Alba.
> Yellow kettle???????????????
The old one was yellow, and it went rather nicely with the kitchen
decor. I thought it'd be nice to replace it with another yellow one -
but couldn't find one. I didn't try /that/ hard, 'cos it really wasn't
that important - but I'd have liked one if I could have found one at a
reasonable price without too much effort.
Yup, they're very good, and we had one in the old kettle before it died.
I put them somewhere safe....
We're fortunate in living in a soft water area (Cheshire). Our kettles never
require de-scaling. We did live in Sussex for a few years and I can remember
the 'fur' inside the kettles there.
--
Triff
You could have bought a new one in a similar colour, given it a rub down
with some wet and dry, paid for some stove enamel yellow spray and there you
are!
>
Do you realise how fortunate you are to live in the north?
Sussex is a shi...... I have to stop here.
>
>
> A tip for preventing kettles from scaling up....
>
> My water is unbelievably hard (Chiltern chalk). I've found that one of
> those scale collectors (balls of stainless steel 'wire wool') dropped
> into the kettle EXTREMELY effective in preventing scale. The element is
> virtually untouched, and the scale collector scales up instead. For
> example:
>
> <http://www.auravita.com/product/Steel-Mesh-Kettle-Fur-Collector.KTHC1151
> 5.html?RefId=220&adid=KTHC11515>
>
> They only cost about £1-80 in DIY shops.
Now, I could be wrong about this, but I did read somewhere that this
stainless steel 'wire wool' for cleaning is made from 'free-cutting'
stainless. Thing is, as we all know, stainless does nothing that easily, so
lead is added to the stainless to help the cutting - then boiling it in a
kettle...!
Might be worth checking, just in case. I did find that the stuff 'writes' to
ceramic surfaces (many years ago - haven't tried since) which suggests
something softer in there.
I grew up on the North Downs - you could cut your teeth on the water
there.
Like I said - I really wasn't /that/ bothered.
>My water is unbelievably hard (Chiltern chalk). I've found that one of
>those scale collectors (balls of stainless steel 'wire wool') dropped
>into the kettle EXTREMELY effective in preventing scale. The element is
>virtually untouched, and the scale collector scales up instead. For
>example:
I've been buying flat-bottom kettles for years and no longer have a
problem with scale. They die for other cheapskate reasons, like dodgy
switches and leaks. Even a decent kettle (by price) is a cheap and nasty
product these days.
A lot of kettles seem to be prone to leaking (usually a tiny bit of
weeping along one of the seams). One possible advantage of living in a
hard water is that the lime scale might help to seal the leak.
Unfortunately, de-scaling then undoes the good work.
--
Ian
Not just kettles, coffee makers too.
Having recently descaled ours, the next time it was used it deposited
half the volume of water onto the kitchem work surface. When I
dismantled it, it turns out that the (looks like aluminium) pipe that
heats the water has cracked. Presumably this happened a while ago
and the descaling removed whatever was sealing the leak.
Am now following this thread with interest for food-grade possible
solutions.
--
http://thisreallyismyhost.99k.org/1920110318594720748.php
>Now, I could be wrong about this, but I did read somewhere that this
>stainless steel 'wire wool' for cleaning is made from 'free-cutting'
>stainless. Thing is, as we all know, stainless does nothing that easily, so
>lead is added to the stainless to help the cutting - then boiling it in a
>kettle...!
'303' stainless is commonly viewed as free cutting.
Besides Nickel, Chromium and Manganese found in stainless steel
suitable for medical purposes it has sulphur and phosphorous to
improve machineability and no lead.
Lead is however commonly added to mild steel to improve
machineability.