The water in my kettle has a bad taste or smell!

Bad tasting/smelling water can occasionally be found in kettles during the summer months.

This is not a fault of the kettle but the amount of Chlorine which Water Authorities add to the water during the Summer months to kill bacteria in the water.

In Winter the authorities take the water from reservoirs and due to the colder climate they do not add as much chemicals and chlorine.
In Summer the water is taken from the Rivers and chemicals including chlorine are boosted to kill the bacteria.

Any excess Chlorine can attack certain rubber parts and this is the cause of the bad tasting water. It can also affect washing machines and dish washers.

Sometimes adding a few drops of lemon into the water before boiling can remove the bad taste.

Alternatively, clean out the kettle with Bicarbonate of Soda. Leave to stand for 1 hour and then rinse thoroughly several times. This should remove any trace of bad tase or smell.