Help old duck tea kettle

loganketchum

9 years ago

My 70's duck tea kettle isn't whistling please help me fix it

Featured Answer

jemdandy

9 years ago

I presume the whistle chamber is in the duck head judging by its two nostrils. I also guess that the duck head is the lid over the pouring spout. I see a hole in the center of the lid where a handle might have been.

For the pot to whistle, steam must be forced through the whistle chamber with enough velocity for it to work. Leaks at other locations will reduce the steam flow through the whistle, ergo, no sound.

One big leak is the hole in the center of the lid. That alone can stop the sound.

The lid must fit the pot tightly. If the seal there is poor, no whistle. Some lids make a seal by using a tapered flange that wedges in the pot opening. Others do it by the weight of the lid sitting on a flat surface on the pot rim where condensing steam collects to form a water seal. This type may tend to dribble water down the side of the kettle. Small details of the rim can aid to drain the condensate back into the pot. Warpage and dents will defeat a lid seal.

The duck head 'roosts' on the spout and is a decorative piece. It contains the whistle. The whistle may be a hollow circular metal item the size of a large coat button with entrance and exit holes. It sits on the spout makes the noise when steam is forced through it. Obviously, the whistle must have a reasonable fit over the spout. Most merely sit on the spout and should be flush with the spout. It it does not fit well, steam escapes between the whistle and spout. Some whistles may have a soft silicon rubber seal - most do not.

The first test is the whistle. Open the spout cover (duck head) and locate the whistle. Blow through it to test if it will make a sound. If it does not work, there is no point in proceeding to reduce the leak points. If the whistle works, proceed with sealing the leaks and it should drive you crazy when the pot boils.

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Comments (13)

kathyg_in_mi
9 years ago
No idea how to fix, but that is so cute! Never saw one in the 70's.
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loganketchum
Original Author
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I just checked the whistle does work when I blew through it, the holes on the lid don't connect through so I don't think that would be a major leak
loganketchum
Original Author
9 years ago
lindac92
9 years ago
The hole in the center of the green teakettle lid do not go all the way through?
loganketchum
Original Author
9 years ago
Yeah that is correct @lindac92
carolb_w_fl_coastal_9/10
9 years ago
Have you tried cleaning it? The holes may be clogged w/ mineral deposits or something...
jemdandy
9 years ago
The whistle plate must fit snugly on the spout else the steam will squirt from under it. It may hard to see, but check the fit. If it does not fit well against the spout, see what you can do. I don't see any adjustments for the pivots. Those may have been adjusted by bending parts. Before you bend anything, tell us if that whistle plate is spring loaded. Is it? Is the plate loose? If it had a spring, is the spring broken?

I see that it is held in by a Phillips screw. It should be removable unless the screw is badly corroded. For repair, use a stainless steel screw. However, if the existing screw is in good shape (threads not corroded), reuse it.

On second thought, mixing metals is not good for this application. If the screw is threaded into aluminum and the screw is hardened aluminum, keep that combination.
carolb_w_fl_coastal_9/10
9 years ago
I was thinking the top may be loose too. Might the metal hinge be bent? That fastener looks like a rivet to me...
jemdandy
9 years ago
The easily seen fastener appears to be a semi-tubular rivet. Look at the whistle plate. One hole is larger than the others. Look into that hole to see a screw head.
carolb_w_fl_coastal_9/10
9 years ago
Yes, I saw the screw head. I did mean the fastener on the hinge plate. Sorry that was not clear...
jemdandy
9 years ago
You have demonstrated that it is a working whistle by blowing through it, therefore, it will whistle if the rate of steam passing through the whistle is great enough. Boil water and look for places of steam leakage.
Paige Malone
5 years ago
It's not supposed to whistle, it is supposed to honk! I bought the same one and they were made to honk or quack instead of whistle.