Stainless steel soldering....

[Mikefromlondon]

My fairly new Russel hobbs Stainless steel kettle spout started to leak, and it is soldered on, I am trying to solder it back on, but in one or two places te solder won't wet, hence this is where the water leaked when you poured into cups, I tried normal electrical solder, it would not wet so i need to try and use a different flux do I?

I also had the place which manufacturer's missed cleaned properly, but the new solder just won't cling and using a 50Watt soldering iron i am able to melt the solder that is already stuck on well.

 

[joe-90]

You just need to abrade the spot you are going to solder, then get it hot enough to flow.

 

[Trazor]

A fairly new kettle, no guarantee then.

Soldering a kettle with a soldering iron, just beggars belief.

 

[Mikefromlondon]

Well, I tried blow torch but it just melted the entire solder and the spout fell off completely, also tarnished the stainless steel finish. So now that the spout came out completely, I used this opportunity to clean all the surfaces which needed soldring and hence managed to solder it back on using a 60Watt Weller soldering iron, which is temperature controlled and so I raised its temperature to 420c and it did the job, except at just one little spot where the solder just would not wet, due to rosin based flux, so may be tomorrow I will try more stronger flux as used in plumbing, I could not find my tub of flux hence I was forced to use the rosin based flux.

and yes that 60watt soldering iron did a perfect job, the heat conduction in stainless steel (thin gauge) is not a problem for this beast of an iron, so I have no idea why you got so alrmed, had it been thicker material or better conductor of heat it would have caused problems, but it didn't fortunately, and I googled in the end someone suggested not using flame heating as it oxidises cleaned surfaces and overheats the flux, and suggested using abeefy soldering iron, and preheat the steel using a blow torch from the inside, but I found i didn't need to do this with my 60watt Iron. ( as for beggers belief, unless you have tried first only then say so) but prior to this leak, I could have sworn and never thought this spout was soldered on! I thought it was some how spot welded, but it is clearly soldered on.
I took it for guaranteed that stainless steel could not be soldered!

As for guarantee, this kettle has already been exchanged once when the previous one had its lid fall off, and when I asked Russel Hobbs parts department, they did not do lids, so offered me this kettle at substantially reduced price, I took this offer and since the first kettle was about 7 months old when it was exchanged, and this one is already now 4 to 5 months so I guess there won't be any more guarantee left on this, and it would mean I will have to take it back to the Argos and lose my time and money, already bthe leak is substantially reduced to a drop or two every minute as opposed to a small stream every time I poured hot water into cups.

 

[Micilin]

Good for you Mike - I think we should have more of a 'mend it' culture but not at the price of letting shoddy manufacturers off the hook.

 

[Burnerman]

Stainless steel can be soldered without any problems (never tried it with an electric iron though!)
The secret is in the flux used - as stainless has a chromium content, a flux is needed that will penetrate the chromic oxide layer on the surface.
An etching acid flux is used, and I imagine producers such as SIF would provide but of course there will be many others!
John

 

[AronSearle]

Plonker.

The product would be covered by the sale of goods act "products must be fit for purpose".

But you have screwed yourself out of a just replacement by self repair.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

More like self harm!

 

[Mikefromlondon]

I hate claims culture community, as a result of which all my insurances have gone through the roof! admitedly this kettle is a different kind of fish, I could have aserted my sale of goods act or other consumer rights over a slight issue that I enjoy fixing myself any way, as how you learn!

This tiny experience has opened more doors for me now that i know you can solder Stainless steel, think of the money I can make now just from this new learning! So who is a plonker now???

Mind you, I mamaged to solder a diecast part together after a much difficulty, but somehow, after extensive cleaning and going round and round with the tip of my soldering iron the parts got soldered together using the lead free solder, with its inbuilt electrical flux, I must try the plumbing flux and that might sort things a little better I am sure.

 

[chainsaw_masochist]

I hate claims culture community, as a result of which all my insurances have gone through the roof! admitedly this kettle is a different kind of fish, I could have aserted my sale of goods act or other consumer rights over a slight issue that I enjoy fixing myself any way, as how you learn!

Really? All of them? Not according to these reports:
Telegraph
BBC

In anycase what does this issue have to do with insurance? If the bloody thing is not fot for purpose return it.

That said I bought a Russell Hobbs Millenium (oh, the irony) kettle in September 1999 for about £40. By the end of October the element was fubar so returned it to John Lewis for a refund. Serving bod opined that this particular model was indeed a crock of faeces.

Good luck with the soldering, though.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Gripfill would have done it.

 

[Mikefromlondon]

I hate claims culture community, as a result of which all my insurances have gone through the roof! admitedly this kettle is a different kind of fish, I could have aserted my sale of goods act or other consumer rights over a slight issue that I enjoy fixing myself any way, as how you learn!

Really? All of them? Not according to these reports:
Telegraph
BBC

In anycase what does this issue have to do with insurance? If the bloody thing is not fot for purpose return it.

That said I bought a Russell Hobbs Millenium (oh, the irony) kettle in September 1999 for about £40. By the end of October the element was fubar so returned it to John Lewis for a refund. Serving bod opined that this particular model was indeed a crock of faeces.

Good luck with the soldering, though.

One main reason premiums are down is because many people could not afford their extortonate rates, hence gave up on driving, gave up on many other things like contents and building insurance, I for example do not have any contents and building insurance nor are any of my 10 cats insured, and have never made a claim or needed to make one if I had an insurance, I was forced to get an isnurance for a building because of tenancy rules, and again I did not put any claim through despite the fact I could have claimed for loss of rent when the lastb tenant left the house in a complete state owing me 7 months rent!

really speaking I would only claim if the worst had happened such as a major fire damage or an earth quake damage or floods.

But many companies are refusing to insure flood risk areas unless you can pay higher premiums and higher axcess charges.

 

[jeds]

Mig welder will stop that pesky little drip. HSS do a day rate for about seventy squid.

Lid fell off my Russell Hobbs kettle. Nice lady replaced it with a new one but 4 months later the lid fell off that. So I chucked it and bought a Cuisinart.

 

[Micilin]

All of this looks like Mike's plan to stop recalls of faulty goods.

The plot, not calling the kettle back.

 

[Mikefromlondon]

All of this looks like Mike's plan to stop recalls of faulty goods.

The plot, not calling the kettle back.

LOL! you certainly posess talent!