# electrical question - blown kettle
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electrical-question-blown-kettle/739404
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [December 4, 2015, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electrical-question-blown-kettle/739404 "2015-12-04T13:38:20Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Busy\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Busy_Scissors)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2015, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electrical-question-blown-kettle/739404/1 "2015-12-04T13:38:20Z")
Switched my kettle yesterday and nearly shat meself, it jumped off the base with a loud bang and a big red and blue flash.
It’s fairly new - is this likely to be anything to do with the fuse in the plug, or something wrong with the power socket, say? I’m ignorant of things electrical, but I undid a few screws on the kettle to look at the internals / heating element and everything looks OK (ie it’s not fried to shit).
I can easily try a new fuse, but I’m feart to turn the thing back on given what happened last time.
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### Author:  [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2015, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electrical-question-blown-kettle/739404/2 "2015-12-04T13:40:10Z")
It’s not the fuse or the plug or the socket - it’s a short in the base or the kettle itself.
I wouldn’t use it until someone more knowledgable checks it.
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### Author:  [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2015, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electrical-question-blown-kettle/739404/3 "2015-12-04T13:56:34Z")
I would just take it back to wherever it came from and get it exchanged. If it’s too late for that, dispose of it, possibly making it totally unusable first.
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### Author:  [@Oddball\_92](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oddball_92)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2015, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electrical-question-blown-kettle/739404/4 "2015-12-04T14:14:29Z")
If it was a outlet problem most likely you would have had an issue as soon as you plugged it in. Since you did not see fireworks until you turned it on suggests it is an internal problem within the appliance itself. Take it back. I wouldn’t try to repair it unless you know what you are doing.
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### Author:  [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2015, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electrical-question-blown-kettle/739404/5 "2015-12-04T15:33:04Z")
> [@Busy\_Scissors](#):
>
> I can easily try a new fuse, but I’m feart to turn the thing back on given what happened last time.
And with good reason. I wouldn’t even plug it in again.
The fuse may or may not be blown, but it didn’t cause the problem (neither did the socket) and replacing it won’t fix the problem. Replace the kettle.