Does your kettle make your blood boil?

I used to have this problem when I moved to an area with very hard water, Yvonne. Boiling hard water will either deposit calcium salts on the kettle or they will float to the top, particularly with a shiny new kettle. If you see the same scum when you boil water in a non-stick pan you can be sure that this is the reason.

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Starterman – Fromwhat you have stated in your comment I assumed you were referring to the small circular electrical contact point [connector] that makes the electrical connection when you stand the kettle on its base unit [which contains the power lead from the wall socket] . The base unit has an upstanding circular projection containing a socket at its core and this engages with a matching cavity underneath the kettle that contains a central contact pin and circumferential contact strips. I believe the design of this electrical contact is more or less universal although dimensions might differ and quality of manufacture might affect the integrity of the connector leading to premature failure. In the first place you should take the kettle back to the retailer for a remedy under the Sale of Goods Act [recently superseded by the Consumer Rights Act for more recent purchases]. There doesn’t seem to be any point in having a repair or replacement of the identical model if the underlying fault has not been rectified so you should demand an alternative remedy to that.

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I dismantled the connector in the base on which the kettle sits to clean and adjust the contacts on a Kenwood kettle after it stopped heating. That was a couple of years ago and it still works perfectly. Only try this if you know something about electrical work though. After only two years I suspect you have a rubbish quality kettle and think your decision to replace it with a different make is correct.

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Duncan – I presume you are referring to deionised water, which is commonly sold for use with steam irons, car batteries, etc. This is not food-grade and I would not drink it.

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I’m fairly sure it’s based on pseudoscience, a bit like perpetual motion machines. 🙁

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As a Scot, I have been fascinated by the achievements of John Logie Baird, and I know what you are talking about. James Watt – another Scottish inventor reputed to be inspired by a boiling kettle – could easily have been sidetracked if his kettle water had developed a strange taste instead of going on to improve the design of steam engines. 🙂

As regards the invention of TV, in the UK it was really Alan Blumlein, not John Logie Baird that invented the first really successful fully electronic TV systems.

Blumlein was also have responsible for a lot of pioneering developments in stereo – or binaural as he called it.

Hence, as ever, I wonder if DL has got any (or all) of his facts right…

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I see it fine to disagree but when it comes to insinuating that someone knows nothing or contributes endless nonsense its getting a little out of hand

Duncan has his field and has helped with advice on many things
It’s up to the reader to make their mind up.

Not so many days ago I got it in the ear and was pretty hurt

I dont think we need this
Yes me might give off about machines and companies even politics but personal comments are ott such as
“Hence, as ever, I wonder if DL has got any (or all) of his facts right…”

The “hence,as ever” is strongly suggesting DL is more often wrong than right
“any (or all)” continues on the same theme

Wave said Baird fascinated him and if one were to ask the man in the street who invented TV 9 out of 10 would say baird but there was another man finished the job
All wave and DL wee doing were having a debate………….about kettles and ionisers whatever they are

We all cannot be both labour and conservative and there will always be differences of opinion however we will not be moved by poor attitudes or those who complain about grammar or lack of knowledge

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Yes – I realise that there is not a disk whizzing around in my TV, so it must be electronic.

Meanwhile, it would be interesting to find out what percentage of kettles are affected by the smell/taste problem. And if someone has an affected kettle, do other people detect the same smell/taste? If some people manage to invent TV and stereo, surely a bit of joint effort might get to the bottom of the dodgy kettle problem.

It would be easy for Which? Connect to conduct a survey of members. I wonder if it will result in a Kettle Cheats campaign?

That’s one possibility and another is for Which? to contact some subscribers or users of Which? Convo with problem kettles with a view to getting them sent in for testing.

It sounds like the chlorine (necessary to kill bacteria) in the water is reacting with plastic or rubber to give a TCP taint. Re-boiling the water makes this worse as it concentrates the TCP. This reaction very often happens in the flexible hoses that supply water to washing machines and dishwashers. when you run the tap a certain amount of tainted water will return through the pipework and come out of the tap. If this is happening you need to fit non-return valves on the flexible hoses. Talk to your local water supplier as they may supply these valves like mine does, (Free of charge !)