Tuesday, January 31, 2012

How to Repair Your Whistling Kettle - Step By Step Guide

It would be a waste to throw away a good stainless steel kettle just because the whisle is not working. Actually replacement parts for the whistle are sold by some vendors but finding a matching one is a real headache.
One of the reed (tiny metal plate that vibrate creating sound, often made from brass) of my whistling kettle broke when my wife tried to clean the reed chamber. Steam would rush through this large cavity and there would not be any whistling sound when the water boils. Actually I did not know that the reed was broken before opening up the whistle assembly. After repairing it, my kettle works fine again, like when it was new!


Step One - Open the screws that hold the reed chamber and top handle of the cover. Remove reed plates from the reed chamber. This whistling kettle has two reed plates and each plate has two reeds. It is made from brass but sometime you can find stainless steel, plastics or aluminium ones. This reed works just like the reed in your good old harmonica. When air rushes through the tiny gap, the vibration would create a whistling sound.



Step Two - For my case one of the reed was broken, so all the steam would take the easy way out through this large gap. Therefore, there was no whistling sound whenever the water boils. I used a metal sticker (the ones that are used to patch pots) to cover up this cavity. Then I pushed the other reed back in place to reduce the gap to enhance the whistling sound intensity.


Step Three - Fix the reed plates back into the plastic chamber which is actually the top holder. Screw back the plastic top holder on the kettle cover. Fill the whistling kettle with water and test it out.


The video below shows my repaired whistling kettle in action! he he he, just like a new whistling kettle! LOL!

16 comments:

Unknown said...

Wow, u not only can cook but good in repairing things. Really is a home improvement. Bravo

Christine said...

I could use you in my house! Good job!

suituapui said...

Hey! Mine's exactly like yours...some 20-30 years old already and still whistling. When it stops, then I'll come back and read your post. Muahahahahaha!!!

MaryMoh said...

Well done! I had the same kettle like yours many yrs ago. Now I can't remember what happens to it.

Yannie said...

I agree with Angeline, you can do handy mandy and also cooking. Two thumbs up for you.

Merryn said...

LoL! Fuiyo, really salute you man! Whistling cattle oso u know how to repair!!

Hayley said...

Salute you!

Thanks for the tips!

Anonymous said...

Thank you.

yvonne said...

What's your address? I need to courier you my spoiled kettle.... delivery charge is mine.

Small Kucing said...

LOL....me use electric kett;e coz am very blur sotong. If use that let it whistke till water dry i also might forget that I am boiling the water. Most probably would be cursing dont know which neighbor boil water LOL

wenn said...

but it doesn't quite sound like whistling.. :)

[SK] said...

haha, not bad at all huh!! next time can send you those kitchen stuffs for repair~~ :p

Dmarie said...

well done!

Anonymous said...

Thank you for the good writeup. It in fact was a amusement account it. Look advanced to more added agreeable from you! By the way, how could we communicate?
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Anonymous said...

Thank you for this sharing. I've been looking for the same reed replacement. Kindly PM or whatsapp the locn and store where you got the reed replacements.
Thanks :)

Tang @ 0124123514

Pete said...

Hello Tang, you cannot buy only the reed. They sell the whole whistling assembly. You can get them from any household kitchen shops, especially the ones near wet markets.