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Electric kettle part

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Richard Cavell

Student
Mar 26, 2023
1
Hello,

I have an electric kettle with a narrow metal pipe at the back. Is this for boil detection? The kettle will turn off automatically one water is boiled, but not if the lid is open.

Does the pipe carry heat or steam or pressure? What is at the other end? A thermistor or bimetallic strip?

Richard
 
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The tube directs steam to a bimetalic switch. Steam will only pass down the tube against gravity when there is vigorous boiling, and the lid is closed to allow some pressure to build.
 
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--------------------
Ohm's law
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This design often has a nylon mesh strainer across the spout of the kettle which isn't (just) to stop you pouring limescale into your teapot - it also supports the back-pressure which drives the steam down that tube. If the strainer drops out (as mine did last week), the kettle takes noticeably longer to shut itself off.

A.
 
Home coffee makers also have a tube structure, where the boiler's pressure pushes the hot water up the tube to the top basket where the filter and coffee/tea reside.

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