Does your kettle make your blood boil?

I use a “no brand”, made in China (Woolworths). All the ratings issues do not apply. But (and there is always a BUT), the damn thing dribbles more than an old man standing against the wall. Pour then wipe dry….

I would be interested to know if the instructions actually say that failure to descale the kettle will invalidate the warranty.

It is standard practice for retailers to deny any responsibility for goods that are over a year old and even say that the Sale of Goods Act does not apply, but I have never heard of anyone refusing to deal with a fault in a product that is less than a year old.

You have achieved more than the previous customer, so if you have further problems it would be good to be prepared to outwit the store manager and make it very clear that you know your rights.

My top tip for dealing with unhelpful store managers is to go back when someone else is on duty.

I’m having difficulties with this – I’ve never had a “leaky kettle” in over 60 years – though have had kettle elements that have broken after say 10 years use and either i could not obtain a replacement element or they weren’t replaceable.

In addition I have never had a request for any product replacement refused provided it was within the warranty period.

As far as I’m concerned the length of the warranty is a contract for that length of time – no more – so even if it is just say a week over – the warranty is void.

Leaks around water level indicators seems to be the main problem, Richard. Old kettles did not have plastic windows on their sides.

The Sale of Goods Act is intended to provide the consumer with protection after the manufacturer’s warranty has expired. See, for example, the advice from Which?
http://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/sale-of-goods/understanding-the-sale-of-goods-act/your-rights/

If you want to waive your rights that’s fine, Richard.

You seem to get very good life out of appliances, judging from your past posts. So do I . I’m sure that being careful helps. Put yourself in the place of someone who has a washing machine (or some other expensive appliance) fail shortly after the manufacturer’s warranty has expired. You know as well as I do that build quality isn’t always as good as it should be. That’s why we have the Sale of Goods Act.

I have put myself in such a place – The agreement I signed with the manufacturer gave me a 1 year warranty – the device broke down after 13 months – 1 MORE month than a year – So it wasn’t covered. I was taught to honour contracts.

Interesting about being careful – I wonder why you don’t extol posters to be far more careful – rather than forcing manufactures to increase their manufacturing costs.? I am really getting tired of the me me me culture of the Tories.

Your contract is with the retailer unless you purchased the goods from the manufacturer. They have rights too, and faulty goods will not normally be repaired or replaced if there is evidence that an item has been misused. In the case of a kettle, that could include dropping it, wetting electrical connections, damaging the flex, or damage caused by switching it on when empty (though a kettle should be able to survive this on an occasional basis).

If the circumstances arise I will extol posters to be more careful, but do remember that we are frequently reminded not to criticise individuals.

Your sale of good act is with the retailer, so it must be fit for purpose. Written warranties beyond a reasonable period, would they not be more likely to be supplied and honoured by the manufacturer, depending of course on where you purchased it?

I very much agree with your points, but recognise that there has been a big move towards replacement rather than repair.

I had a Breville kettle that died when it was a few months old. I took off the plastic base and established that the heater was open-circuit and it was not a trivial fault that I could have fixed easily. The heater was welded in place, so neither I or a professional could have repaired the kettle. In the past the ‘element’ could have been changed by a repairer or myself.

I took the kettle back to the shop and it was replaced without question. Hopefully the old one was recycled rather than put into landfill.

Though it would be good to be able to fix my own kettle or get a repair shop to do this, having the heater below the base is much better than old-fashioned kettles with an element that must be covered with water and need more frequent descaling.

There are not many kettle spares available beyond limescale filters, and elements and seals for obsolete models. Information about how easy it is to replace consumable parts (e.g. brushes and filters on vacuum cleaners) or limescale filters on kettles is useful, but I’m not sure how easy it would be to assess how repairable products might be.

You are right in saying that manufacturers use cheaper components to save money. In consumer electronics this is nothing new and I have repaired many items using more appropriate components.

I am concerned that it is very difficult for the consumer to make claims under the Sale of Goods Act and feel that Which? should be strongly promoting products that offer longer parts & labour warranties. If the manufacturer is responsible for repairing or replacing items that have failed, I think we could see much more durable products.

If you fill the kettle through the spout, you will not need to remove the lid except when descaling the kettle.

I’m no expert on this as I have a good old fashioned kettle-shaped kettle with a (thankfully) easy-to-lift lid, but ……..

I’m given to understand that most modern kettles have some sort fo filter thingy in the spout, to catch bits of scale, etc, in the kettle and stop them pouring into your tea …. if you fill through the spout won’t that leave bits on the wrong side of the filter?

I understand Carolyn’s frustration though …. my ancient(1976) Swan Automatic kettle doesn’t do this, but at work there are several kettles, including a Russell Hobbs and a number of ultra-cheap supermarket hobbies, which all have this problem.

If it’s any help, there is one Breville one at work that has a hinged lid and doesn’t appear to have this issue.

Good luck!

The scale is produced by boiling water, Dave. I have never seen any trapped on the outside of a filter. Many filters are too fine and make it slow to fill. My current Breville kettle has a stainless steel filter that is relatively coarse, but sufficient to trap scale. The filter also removable and can be brushed clean.

Simply holding the lid at an angle will allow the condensate to drain before lifting off the lid, which is another way of getting round the minor inconvenience of a dripping lid.

I’m glad to hear that your vintage kettle is still on the go.

I don’t know the law very well, but reading the amendments to the Sale of Goods Act on this page:

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1979/54#commentary-c1108938

I think you could be covered under 48B(4)(a). Viz. if the kettle conformed at the time of purchase, it would now be worth twice as much as it was then (because that’s how much similar kettles cost), therefore it would not be unreasonable for you to require a replacement instead of just a refund. However, you may instead be offered a repair.

It seems very strange that the kettle was OK to start with and has now developed a problem. Does it help to empty out water that has been in the kettle overnight?

I too use a stainless steel Breville kettle and have experienced the same problem as ‘current’ with a strange metallic taste but only if I reboil the water or as Wavechange has intimated I have failed to empty it before refilling. On referring to the instruction booklet however in the energy saving hints and tips section it says “It is not always necessary to reboil your kettle. For example one litre of water will still be at 90oC after 5 minutes – the perfect temperature for a cup of coffee.”
It also states not to refill it through the spout but as I live in a hard water area I always use a water filter which is very effective in removing any limescale. The only ‘gripe’ I have is the lid does incline to stick and I have to make sure it is firmly attached to prevent hot steam escaping and scalding my hand when pouring.

I have a metal Breville kettle and deliberately fill it through the spout to help keep the filter clear. As a mere man I’m not good at reading instructions. 🙂

I have just emptied out half a cup of scale but there is not enough stuck to the walls or base of the kettle to make it worthwhile. It’s so much easier than when kettles had an element that became furred up in no time.

Wavechange: A water filter will remove 99% of the scale before it enters the kettle hence it does away with the need to descale. Problems arise when attempting to fill the kettle through the spout from the water filter – which is why I usually resort to filling it through the top but it does make for a much nicer cuppa!

I agree Beryl. I stopped drinking tea when I moved to a hard water area in 1980. Not only did it taste horrible but there was a scum on the top of each cup.

I prefer to drink coffee and have the possible health benefits of hard water. Unless water filters have improved, they don’t just remove calcium salts, the cause of limescale.

I do enjoy a nice cup of tea when I am in a soft water area, and a shower in soft water is lovely.

Hi,
Ref, breville VKJ741aurora, I purchased this kettle about 3 weeks ago, I have been going crazy blaming water company for to much chlorine in the water, But have just realised it is the KETTLE to blame, What a horrible taste from this kettle, I think breville should take this product and sort out the problem as I have just read reviews about the same problem happening in 2014?
This kettle will be going back as soon as I find my receipt. VERY ANNOYED.

Kevin – There are a couple of more recent Conversations about this problem. To find the most recent one, search for: ‘Why kettle water tastes funny: mystery (nearly) solved’

It looks as if chlorine in the water might be the culprit. That can’t be removed because it keeps our water free from bacteria – in fact better than bottled water.

It’s up to kettle manufacturers to tackle the problem and produce kettles that are fit for their purpose. Returning ones that are faulty will help to encourage this to happen. Don’t forget that your contract is with the retailer that sold you the kettle rather than the manufacturer.

Best of luck.

Many thanks ‘current’ I will certainly try this and report back any positive or negative results.

It is indeed a kettle made in China by the NINGB Food Friends Electrical Appliances Company 🙂 The model is HHB 1719. I found the website and I have messaged them but I am not holding by breath for a reply. This does concern me and the kettle is being put away until I get more information as to what is going on with it. I am glad now that I kept my old stainless steel kettle as a spare and it will be brought back into service for the time being. Thank you for any help you can give with this problem – Liz

http://www.made-in-china.com/showroom/goodfriends

I think it is actually Goodfriends in Ningbo but it could be someone spoofing or misusing a similar name to confuse. Your recourse is to the vendor in the UK rather than the manufacturer which should make life easier : )

So who sold it to you? I

Some plastics can release materials over time, especially the plasticisers added to prevent them being brittle. This is most obvious when plastics are new and the smell of a new car is an example. The amount of material released is small, so I don’t think that’s an explanation for the globules in Liz’s kettle.

It’s a good idea to empty water that has been standing in kettles overnight, particularly when they are new. That will get rid of any chemicals that have leached out of the plastic.

I don’t like plastic kettles and fan heaters, where there is a powerful heater in a plastic case. There’s often only a single safety device to protect against overheating and fire.

I actually live in Greece, so taking it back to the shop is a no, no as they will point blank refuse to do anything about it. It is Good Friends, I did not notice that I had mis-keyed ,sorry about that. I may well try the shop but I am pretty sure they will do nothing. Thanks for your help, if I get a response from the manufacturer I will let you know. In the meantime I will not be using this kettle.

If it’s new, take it back and ask for a replacement. It’s best not to interfere with it in any way.

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.

Hello Barbara you would think Breville would take to do with this –not in the UK .First of all your complaint should not be directed towards the company Breville you bought the item from in the UK if it was not directly bought(from America ) from who you thought was Breville-USA . An Australian company originally it was sold to an American conglomerate but they ,legally dont have anything to do with the UK ownership that ownership is a company called Jarden Corps this is another US company in Boca Raton -Florida so contact first the company you bought it from originally . Wheels within wheels what a tricky web we spin.

Some of these devices allow for different size cups. If it is intended to deliver 250 ml then it won’t be enough for a mug.

If the amount of hot water dispensed is different from what is stated then it’s worth returning it to the retailer for replacement if it is a new product, or for repair/replacement under warranty.

As Wavechange said above, in the UK the customer’s statutory rights lie against the retailer irrespective of the origin of the product, its manufacturer or its distributor.

Jesse -Swan -owned Tefal-owned by Groupe SEB of France held out against Chinese competition but caved in and opened factory in —China so your product if made in the last decade anyway is Chinese.

Starterman -I take it to mean the sealed element that cant be seen in modern kettles in the base that heats the water ? . And that you never once switched the kettle on with no water in it ? If so,on both counts then if you can find one try an OHMIC kettle (if you can find one ) around 100 % efficient -heats the water directly using the mains electric and doesnt cause chemical changes in the water therebye causing a bad taste when used for tea. It does depend on the chemical resistance of the water in different areas as to how fast it boils but it isnt much different to an ordinary one . Dont be taken in by different or unusual designs in normally base heated kettles we are talking here a completely different method of heating otherwise buy an expensive kettle with a resettable overheating element.

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.

If what John is saying is the truth that its the small round base connector then he has a point as to the quality . I have a fast boil 3000W Breville ,been working for years ,had a look at the base connector all SS (stainless steel ) not chrome etc and the insulator made out of high quality electrical /water/heat resistant type of mixed poly. plastic.

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.

Nigel if you want to narrow it down try filling the kettle with ionised water ,this water is good for your health ,better than acidic/alkaline /distilled water .

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.

No wavechange I was referring to water ionisation , as most kettles come from China I wanted to see what type of water was being used in China . I did find many warnings about drinking Chinese tap water and China itself exports tons of ionisers . On checking up on ionised water on a health website ,it said it was better for your health as it helped dry skin/ allergies and helped vitamins digest more easily in the body . I will get the website and post it ,if I can find it again. —Found a whole host of health websites recommending this. == Alkaline ionised water – water ionizer takes tap water ,filters it and then uses electrolysis to slit it into water containing mostly alkaline minerals the 2 types of water come out in separate pipes . the processed alkaline water helps disosing of acidic waste products . It is rich in calcium-magnesium- sodium- potassium -iron–zinc-nickel and magnesium . The ionizer removes most (but not all ) acid forming minerals from alkaline water (prevalent in England ) NOT Scotland where the water is mainly acidic ,the water molecules are more easily absorbed by your body , it goes on — . What I was saying was the poster try this type of water in their kettle to see if it made a difference to the taste.

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

All I am saying is –try it I am not saying a miracle will, happen and all the posters tea will taste good . I dont have one or I would try it ,nor do I have that type of bottled water anywhere near I could buy. As far as experimentation is concerned how about JLB inventor of the TV first pictures transmitted and over the airwaves ,if you knock him back remember the “fuddy duddies ” in the 40,s who ridiculed him for 1000 line TV -BBC executives- COLOR TV before the Americans who pinched the patent of electronic transmission of it including stereo TV . All those young people think innovation started last year, people like JLB was HELD BACK by backward thinkers and so he died —poor and early in life -read his true history, not the snipers at him .

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…

Dear Which ,as aspersions have been cast on the veracity of my posts by another poster I hope you wil give me leeway to defend myself as I have been given on other websites in the interests of truth and even handedness . Blumlein -inventor of the TV , well this will be groundbreaking news to Americans/ Russians and of course many UK electronic engineers . I realise why Blumlein is being mentioned as he is a “cause celebrity ” with our media in relation to his personal life but that doesnt mean history can be “re-invented ” . Long before he was “in the limelight ” I read his full story in Wireless World a mag I got for decades and of which I have bound year volumes from 1915 (then ) 1930-1948 given to me by a RAF radar engineer before he died of cancer and of which I used in later editions to get hi-fi power amp info on the many top end circuits appearing there that I built including communication radios . The FIRST PRACTICAL demonstration of a WORKING TV in the WORLD was given by its inventor -JOHN LOGIE BAIRD -NOT -Blumlein -He -in 1927-sent the FIRST long -distance television pictures via a telephone line between Glasgow and London .He formed the Baird Television Development Company LTD in 1928 -and using short -wave radio transmissions he achieved the FIRST Transatlantic TELEVISION transmissions between London and New York and the FIRST TV transmissions to a ship in mid-Atlantic –NOTE !!!== He demonstrated colour television and was GIVEN a PATENT for it in th USA . Baird made the FIRST outside broadcast –the FIRST sight and sound broadcast AND devised the FIRST television station . Not enough -okay – he devised a type of infra -red viewer called the “noctovision ” AND designed an EARLY fbre optic system , not forgetting his 1000 line COLOUR TV and STEREO TV . There is more ,so its NOT me who should gets his facts straight . I can only come to the conclusion of his being “put down ” in the electronic world because he was Scottish. But facts are facts if ANYBODY doubts me because I dont go into detail about anything then I will HAPPILY put them straight as to the FACTS. Sorry about this but I wont accept being doubted .

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

Thanks Dee—Appreciated .

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 !)

This seems like a fault in your particular example. In hindsight it should have been returned. Look at Which? reviews but they don’t mention bad tasting water. I’d therefore avoid plastic kettles. We’ve had a Kenwood SJM270 stainless steel kettle for many years that has given good service, but don’t suppose you can get it now.

No “terrible taste ” off of my plastic kettle.

I was not suggesting all plastic kettles produce bad tastes but, in the absence of an explanation for the phenomenon, I would buy a stainless steel one.