Cable short or what? - Head-Fi: Covering Headphones, Earphones and Portable Audio

Zorander · 06-09-2008, 10:37 AM

Just a moment ago something blew with my kettle. I was nearby when a loud pop, similar to a balloon popping, went off and a spark could be seen near the kettle. Cue shocked reactions (and the momentary quiet) from everyone in the room, I quickly disconnected the mains cable from the wall (not forgetting to switch off the power and insulate my feet) and detached it from the (presumably dead) kettle.

It struck me as strange that the spark actually came from outside the kettle instead of inside and there was no water around the connections that could have caused a short. I whipped out the multimeter and tested the connections on the detachable IEC cable used on the kettle. Lo and behold, no continuity on the L (Live/Active) and Ground connections. The cable is dead. A replacement cable (which was quickly tested for healthy connections) showed that the kettle is still in working order. No idea how or why but it looks like the cable just died on its own.

Has this happened to anyone? Any diagnosis on what actually happened in my case?

gz76 · 06-09-2008, 11:55 AM

Does the cable get flexed a lot?

Zorander · 06-09-2008, 12:04 PM

Originally Posted by gz76

Does the cable get flexed a lot?

The kettle hardly gets moved around and we do not swap the cable around with other devices in the kitchen either (each has their own dedicated cable). It just happened when I was waiting for the water to boil (and the kettle was stationary, of course).

gz76 · 06-09-2008, 12:19 PM

Hmm, there goes that idea. Maybe it was a simple manufacturing defect in the cable that caused a failure.

Wait a minute, I just re-read your post... you're not clear where the spark actually came from. I was assuming it was from the cable.

Zorander · 06-09-2008, 12:48 PM

Originally Posted by gz76

you're not clear where the spark actually came from. I was assuming it was from the cable.

Yes. I saw it from the corner of my eyes but the spark definitely did not originate from within the kettle. It was a few centimetres away from the kettle and there was only the cable in that area.

No idea of the cable age; we have had it for as long as I can remember but its connectors are still in good/non-rusted condition (just to indicate it is not that ancient). I don't know if age is an issue even if it does not get physically abused but the thought scares me. That implies many of the (old) cables we use for appliances at home may need changing.

tiggers · 06-09-2008, 01:29 PM

The cable could have been crushed at some point, bringing the wires inside closer together. In combination with old insulation, it is possible a short could occur.