My Bonavita variable temperature kettle just stopped working

Equipment doesn't work? Troubleshooting? If you're handy, members can help.
plantemiddel2
Posts: 4
Joined: 5 years ago

#1: Post by plantemiddel2 »

My Bonavita variable temp kettle just stopped working. Nothing happens when I press power and nothing is showing up on the display. So I opened this thing up and from what I can see, one of the components in the power PCB has shorted. I believe it should be an easy task soldering on a new one, problem is I don't have the technical knowledge to figure out what parts to order.

This image shows the fried component on the right side.


Other side of the same PCB. The fuse on the left side is working fine.

dmw010
Posts: 315
Joined: 14 years ago

#2: Post by dmw010 »

You could also contact Bonavita and they will probably send you a new kettle. That's what I did when mine stopped working.

plantemiddel2 (original poster)
Posts: 4
Joined: 5 years ago

#3: Post by plantemiddel2 (original poster) »

The kettle is more than five years and long past warranty, unfortunately.

ira
Team HB
Posts: 5497
Joined: 16 years ago

#4: Post by ira »

I'm guessing zener diode from the package and designator, but figuring out the correct voltage will be a bit of a challenge. Though looking at the circuit, there might be a range of diodes that would work. Can you measure the voltage across part Z02 which I'm assuming is what you think is blown. Careful though, in a circuit like that you need to assume that everything is at 117V.

Ira

Marcelnl
Posts: 3831
Joined: 10 years ago

#5: Post by Marcelnl »

my guess is also that ZD2 is a Zener diode, why not ask the manufacturer for its value? finding an old fashioned discrete Zener with the right value should be possible and soldering SMD is pain....
LMWDP #483

dmw010
Posts: 315
Joined: 14 years ago

#6: Post by dmw010 »

plantemiddel2 wrote:The kettle is more than five years and long past warranty, unfortunately.
Still can't hurt to ask!

ira
Team HB
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Joined: 16 years ago

#7: Post by ira »

Marcelnl wrote:my guess is also that ZD2 is a Zener diode, why not ask the manufacturer for its value? finding an old fashioned discrete Zener with the right value should be possible and soldering SMD is pain....
Don't understand that, been soldering SMD since at least 2001. The first board was scary to think about, but I've never used a through hole part since.
Tweezers and a good fine point soldering iron is all I used for the first number of years. Now I have an oven and a hot air gun which makes it much easier, but I've hand soldered down to 0402 with just a tweezers and an iron.

Catherwood
Posts: 67
Joined: 10 years ago

#8: Post by Catherwood »

Bonavita kettle with digital temp readout is less than $50.00 on Amazon at present

plantemiddel2 (original poster)
Posts: 4
Joined: 5 years ago

#9: Post by plantemiddel2 (original poster) »

By the way, I live in Europe. The voltage here is 230 V and the price of a new kettle is no way near 50 USD. That being said, my wife also ask me why I am not just buying a new kettle. I guess the answer is that it's fun to learn new things and it's feels rather okay not to dispose of a perfectly fine kettle (well, sort of).

If I measured things correct, the voltage over D6 and D7 is 160V. As for Z02 it was much more difficult to measure since i's covered by glue and small exploded bits and pieces, but I believe I measured 2.7V.

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happycat
Posts: 1464
Joined: 11 years ago

#10: Post by happycat »

Ask user luma for help by PM. Cool guy. Here's his kettle project

Adding WiFi to the Bonavita Digital Kettle

As for soldering, some of us grow older with crap eyesight and shaky hands. Ugh.

But I applaud trying to fix this. I fixed an electric siphon that was DOA... it develops a sense of agency about fixing things and developing new ones. I went on to do wifi automation of my Gaggia Classic and my Quest roaster...
LMWDP #603

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