Kettle plug

[Ian83]

Just wondering if there's a special plug needed for a brew kettle because I just paid €5 in the local Hoover shop for one but they're €12 on the homebrew shops. Remarkable price difference.

[Greg2013]

Yes is the simple answer there is a special plug, looks no different but has an amp rating to work with kettles. Same one as what will run your kitchen kettle for making a cuppa. The ones in the HBS are no different just 3 times the price.

[Ian83]

Ah shite, thanks. do you reckon the cheap one would suffice or am I running the risk of wrecking the kettle?

[delzep]

The ones to use have a little notch where it plugs into the element /kettle

[Shane Phelan]

A proper kettle lead has a notch in it like this one:

All the material used in the kettle lead has a much higher temperature rating than a "PC power supply" type cable. The kettle lead is designed for heavy going so is the better choice and also some element sockets wont accept a cable without a notch in it.

[Greg2013]

A proper kettle lead has a notch in it like this one:

All the material used in the kettle lead has a much higher temperature rating than a "PC power supply" type cable. The kettle lead is designed for heavy going so is the better choice and also some element sockets wont accept a cable without a notch in it.

+1 Be careful you get the ones with the notch as Shiny said, the rest are not rated despite what you may be told.

[Ian83]

Yeah the one I got looks like the one in the photo. I had another kettle plug that wouldn't fit because there was no gap. It says ks33 on the bag it came in.

I just tried it there and it works perfectly. The only thing that was worrying me is that it's less than half price. Being penny smart and pound foolish has cost me in the past so was just checking to see if I should have went for the brew shop ones. Thanks for the feedback

[Shane Phelan]

Yeah there is a massive markup on the ones in the brewing stores so you should be fine. 

[cruiscinlan]

Just wondering if there's a special plug needed for a brew kettle because I just paid €5 in the local Hoover shop for one but they're €12 on the homebrew shops. Remarkable price difference.

Mind telling us where abouts this Hoover shop is?  On the hunt for plugs myself.

[LordEoin]

Sometimes they don't have a notch. Check the text printed on the plug and the connector and make sure that they're both at least 10amp.
There are 5amp ones too that are not suitable (eg computer cables), none of those have a notch.