Leaking My kettle started leaking. It does not happen always. When it is happening the it is leaking slowly from the bottom of the kettle, from one of the small holes at the bottom. Should I through it out?

They are pretty much a disposable item when they fail. You could try repairing with epoxy putty. Some bases can be screwed a bit tighter.

https://www.google.com/search?q=KETTLE+MOD+18941

Manual

RUSSELL HOBBS 18941

and regarding kettle leaks

https://www.google.com/search?q=KETTLE+MOD+18941+leak+at+base

..

Your tea kettle has a thermal fuse inside that more that likely got over heated, it happens all the time with irons, coffee makers, most small appliances that are electric. you have to take the bottom off to find it and replace it. does it have an indicator lamp?

I don't particularly know the model of your kettle. There are so many out there. It sounds like the tank is leaking.

Some of these cleaning and descale agents are very powerful and corrosive. The cleaning solutions you are using may have eaten through the tank of the kettle! This is what it sounds like to me.

Check the recommendations in the instruction manual for cleaning this kettle model.


Jerry G.

I was successful at fixing my Krups Electric Kettle for $4. In my case the water was leaking from bottom somewhere close to the heating area. I think that a small hole was created in the seal around the heating area in the bottom of the inside of the kettle. One can try to find the general location of the leak by putting a small amount of water in the kettle, place the kettle in a larger pan, and tilt the kettle so that the water is slightly higher than the heating area in one area only noting the position where the water level is the highest. Leave it for a while and check for leakage. If there is none, rotate the kettle a few degrees and look again for leakage from the new area until you find the area where it is leaking. Alternatively you may wish to put a sealant around the entire area, 360 degrees, around the top of the heating area. You will have to remove the strainer first to get your hand in the kettle to apply the sealant.

I went to my local hardware store and looked for sealant that were:
1. Potable (ie safe since you will be using the water for coffee, tea, and other applications that you ingest).
2. That will withstand heat up to at least 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Remember that water boils at 212 degrees.
I found epoxies that required mixing two compounds but decided that this would be difficult to deal with and apply. In the end I bought "PC Plumbing Epoxy Putty" from PC-Products. This met both requirements and was easy yo use. You take the putty and roll it between your finger just like you did in kindergarten with the clay and make a thin string that you could position in the crevice around the top of the heating area. You may either cover the area where you found the leak or the entire 360 degrees. You will note a somewhat foul smell of the putty. The manufacturers says that it will cure in 3 hours. I found that the smell went away when it completely dried and hardened after 3 weeks!.
I will assume that the same solution is applicable to leaks in other areas of the kettle. I have also found that there are equivalent electric kettles much cheaper than Krups. I would certainly check the construction to see if there is one with less of a chance to develop a leak.
But the bottom line is that it cost me $4. I just finished testing the Electric Kettle and it is fine, not leaking, and the instant coffee did not have any bad smell.

Meir Elazar

I was successful at fixing my Krups Electric Kettle for $4. In my case the water was leaking from bottom somewhere close to the heating area. I think that a small hole was created in the seal around the heating area in the bottom of the inside of the kettle. One can try to find the general location of the leak by putting a small amount of water in the kettle, place the kettle in a larger pan, and tilt the kettle so that the water is slightly higher than the heating area in one area only noting the position where the water level is above the heating area. Leave it for a while and check for leakage. If there is none, rotate the kettle a few degrees so that you have a new high point and look again for leakage from the new area until you find the area where it is leaking. Alternatively you may wish to put a sealant around the entire area, 360 degrees, around the top of the heating area. You mayl have to remove the strainer first to get your hand in the kettle to apply the sealant.

I went to my local hardware store and looked for sealants that were:
1. Potable (ie safe since you will be using the water for coffee, tea, and other applications that you ingest).
2. That will withstand heat up to at least 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Remember that water boils at 212 degrees.
I found epoxies that required mixing two compounds but decided that this would be difficult to deal with and apply. In the end I bought "PC Plumbing Epoxy Putty" from PC-Products. This met both requirements and was easy yo use. You take the putty and roll it between your finger just like you did in kindergarten with the clay and make a thin string that you could position in the crevice around the top of the heating area. You may either cover the area where you found the leak or the entire 360 degrees. You will note a somewhat foul smell of the putty. The manufacturers says that it will cure in 3 hours. I found that the smell went away when it completely dried and hardened after 3 weeks!.
I will assume that the same solution is applicable to leaks in other areas of the kettle. I have also found that there are equivalent electric kettles much cheaper than Krups. I would certainly check the construction to see if there is one with less of a chance to develop a leak.
But the bottom line is that it cost me $4. I just finished testing the Electric Kettle and it is fine, not leaking, and the instant coffee did not have any bad smell.

Meir Elazar

Join the club ---I'm taking ours back this afternoon to BB&B. It's still under warranty and we have the receipt.

You cannot fix it when they split like that.

This usually happens when the overheat-cutout is activated (for example after turning on the kettle with little or no water).
Look on the bottom or sides of the kettle for any 'reset' like switches or buttons. Usually this consists of a 'hole' in which you have to insert a paperclip or pen.

junk it and get a new one
parts are not available

this same thing happened to me