Broken Ikamag stirrer/heat plate-combo?

[KidCurry]

Hi!
I just noticed today that my Ikamat RH Basic heat plate/magnet ic stirrer-combo doesn't seem to function properly. The problem is with heating, as it fails to heat up a small waterbath above 30C. The heatplate turns on, and goes quite hot but just in the middle over a small surface. But when I try to heat up a water bath it doesn't get warm.

What could cause this? And is there any simple solution to fix it? It seems very strange to me.

EDIT: Tried a much smaller waterbath, and the temp got up to 55C. The water never boiled. :/

[Novice]

I have a similar problem with my hot plate/stirrer. The plate warms up considerably, but I cannot bring 100 ml of acetone in a beaker to a decent boil.

When looking closer, the plate us bulging upwards in the middle, which makes the contact surface between it and whatever is on it very slight.

I don't know why this has happened, and I don't have any good solution to the problem, but I also would be very greatful for any advice. I feel like using a sledge hammer to get it straight again, but the most reasonable option I guess is to get it repaired by a professional.

A temporary thing that might work however, is folding and pressing together a couple of meters of aluminum foil, and put it between the plate and whatever you're trying to heat up. It should increase the contact surface some, probably not enough though.

[KidCurry]

Atleast I now have localised the problem to the heat-regulating-nob. When I actively turn it low/high the temp raises to atleast 150C, but when I put it on for example 8 and let it stay there the temp drops to about 50C. Now I just have to figure out a way to fix it. :/

[KidCurry]

Well, problem seems to be solved.
I dismantled the heatplate, checked the controller board, turned the nobs a bit, and put it together back again and it heats up like a charm (electronics are strange). I hope you have the same luck as I, Novice!

[Novice]

Thank you!

I will dismantle it and investigate it further when I have the time, you never know what evil hides under the hood of that thing...  

[grandpa]

IKA sells replacement parts, I didn't bought any of them and don't know if it's expensive but you can have a look at their website. There is a pdf file containing a list of all parts available for a given hotplate/stirrer. Try www.ika.de

[hest]

Usual it's trhe potentiometer there is dirty (the one under the heat-regulating-nob) Just clean them with some contact-cleaner.
When the heatplate dont work at all check the conector to the contact thermometer next to the 110/220 V conection. It has to bee shortcut.

[Osmium]

> When the heatplate dont work at all check the conector to the contact
> thermometer next to the 110/220 V conection. It has to bee shortcut.

When no external thermometer is being used some short circuit plug must be inserted into the older IKA stirrers. Sometimes that plug is missing, and the heating won't work anymore