Where is the spiral in the electric kettle: design features of the device.

An electric kettle has long been included in the everyday life of almost every housewife. It's hard to imagine at least one day without tea! The kettle is easy to operate and has an extremely simple operation scheme. Being a fairly reliable device, it is nevertheless subject to failure. Consider the most important component of this type of device - the electric spiral.

Electric kettle design - where the spiral is located

The design of the kettle is quite primitive. The device consists of the following components:

• platforms to which the power wire is connected;
• a plastic, glass, or metal case mounted on a platform and connected to it by contacts;
• tubular electric heater (TENA) - working spiral;
• on / off buttons with a built-in temperature sensor and an indicator of the operation of the device;
• protective thermal switch - in case there is no water in the kettle or the temperature sensor is out of order.

A spiral or heater is always located in the lower part of the housing. This is due, firstly, to the fact that the heating element must always be under water, and in some cases it is necessary to boil only a small amount of liquid quickly. Secondly, according to the law of physics, heat always tends to the top, so heating the water below is faster and more efficient.

Electric kettle malfunctions due to spiral problems

TEN is often a problem node of an electric kettle. The following malfunctions are most characteristic of it.

1. Slow heating. The most likely cause of this phenomenon is the formation on the spiral of a thick layer of whitish plaque. Scale, the main enemy of heating appliances, which must be fought in a timely manner. It blocks the spread of heat from the heater to the liquid.
2. Premature shutdown. The teapot also leads to such a behavior. The point is that the device is switched off not by a thermostat mounted in a button, but due to an open circuit due to emergency overheating.
3. Water does not heat up. If, when the device is turned on, the indicator light on the button or the cover of the device lights up, but there is no heating of the water, it means that the heating element has probably burned out. Most likely, he was under prolonged exposure to high temperatures, which he could not transfer to a heated liquid. Even the emergency shutdown could not help, and the culprit was the same hard water that covered the spiral with a thick layer of scale.

Another reason for the reluctance of the device to perform its function may also be the oxidation of the contacts and terminals connecting the heater to the current source.

ATTENTION! Scale is a good heat insulator. The heat that must be transferred to the water poured into the kettle remains within the heater, which can lead to its rapid overheating and failure.

What to do with spiral problems

As follows from the section above, the main problem causing the heater failure is scale. If the kettle is still warming, but already noticeably lost in power, the issue can be solved quite simply. Prepare 1 liter of descaling solution of the desired concentration, for example, based on acetic or citric acid. Boil the kettle and let it cool. After that, thoroughly rinse and clean the heater from the sediment, if it is not completely dissolved. Perform another 1-2 idle water pre-heat to flush the appliance.

REFERENCE! In the fight against a dangerous precipitate, abundantly falling on the surface of the kettle when using hard water, you can use colorless carbonated drinks containing acid in their composition. In this case, only half a liter of liquid is sufficient for the procedure, and idle boiling after it is optional. Gas from the drink must first be removed.

If the device does not heat at all, you will have to partially disassemble it, having previously disconnected it from the mains. Loosen the screws on the bottom of the appliance, remove the bottom cover. First, check the condition of the terminals. If they are burnt, departed or acidified, they must be brought into working condition: peel with sandpaper, fix well or replace if necessary.

IMPORTANT! In order to extend the life of the heating coil and the appliance as a whole, it is necessary to carry out preventive measures to combat scum - perform regular cleaning of the heating element and, if possible, use filtered water containing excess calcium salts and magnesium.

If after that the device does not start working, you need to ring the spiral. If the tester does not make a characteristic sound, then the element is out of order. In the case of a disk heating element, the kettle is not repairable, you have to buy a new one. When using an open type heating element, it is necessary to find the appropriate spare part and replace it.