Jump to content

My Kiln Keeps Turning Off


Recommended Posts

hi all

 i am kinda new to ceramics/ using a kiln!

 

i have been having some problems with the my second hand hobby kiln which is about 30yr old, the type is kilns and furnaces from london serial no. 13803 type AB16HT. ok, the problem is that my kiln keeps turning off at the same time 5:15pm est. every time i do a firing weather its a bisque or glaze firing and or what ever the temp is.

 

my question is can the outside temp affect the firing?

i do know that its not the coils, the wiring or the bricks in the kiln! i had to fix some cracks that where in some of the brick and that helped the kiln get up to 1080 celsius but it still turned off at 5:15pm est. 

 

i keep my kiln in a shed in the backyard next to the house, i have the door closed during the firing and i have even done a firing with the door open but no matter what the kiln turns off at the same time every time. i am keeping a logbook of all my firing too

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Check your timer. It is a dial just below the kiln sitter, which is the lever that drops when the cone has melted. The dial can be adjusted to lengthen the elapsed time of the firing. There is a little silver dot on the dial. Move it so that it is set for 8 hours for a bisque.

TJR.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No fuses blow at all has i can still use the same one for the next firing

That hard to say, I'm sorry this is my first kiln and all I know is that when i am firing no matter for how long the kiln makes a noise just like it does when i turn it on and a light comes on! When it turns its self off it makes the same noise and the light goes out and the temp start to drop

Please feel free to ask me any more questions and i will try and answer them the best i can

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So no matter when you turn it on it turns itself off at 5.15pm???

What happens when day light savings kicks in ????????, is it sensitive to that??

how does it turn itself off?

Do you watch every time at 5.15pm??

Am I missing something??

Partner doesn't like the usage of electricity...

Could be useful to set your clocks by...

HAve you tried turning it on a t 5.14 and see what happens.

Sorry in a weird head space here.

Babs

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That is right no matter what time I start first it turns off at 5:15pm and yes i do set there from 5pm and watch the kiln so i can make a note of the time and temperature, I don't know about day light savings time as I only just got the kiln installed about two months ago, i don't really understand it either too. I thought it might have something to do with the weather.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That is right no matter what time I start first it turns off at 5:15pm and yes i do set there from 5pm and watch the kiln so i can make a note of the time and temperature, I don't know about day light savings time as I only just got the kiln installed about two months ago, i don't really understand it either too. I thought it might have something to do with the weather.

Try switching it on at, say 5:30pm.  That should give it 23 hours before it switches off.  Sounds like somewhere there is a timer.  Pics might help.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

How long is the kiln firing before it gets to be 5:15 p.m.?  In other words, have you always started at the same time?  What temperature are you firing to . . . cone 04, cone 6, etc.?  Could you post  picture of the kiln and the controller so we can get an idea of what the kiln looks like.  Also, what is your firing schedule.  And, when it turns off, what is the temperature of the kiln? 

 

External temperature can affect the kiln's controller . . . if the temperature gets above a certain rate, the controller may not work properly or shut down.  Same for cold, if the weather is too cold, the controller may not start.  (Folks use a fan to address the former, a space heater to address the later.) 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

(if the kiln is 30 years old and a "hobby" kiln, it is unlikely to have a controller.)

 

 what country are you in?  if the kiln label says London, are you in the UK?

 

where did you get this kiln?  is the previous owner around to ask if there is something you are missing?  

 

can you get a manual from the manufacturer or download something.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have seen a few different kilns in my time, and even worked on some of them. Each time I see or hear of something odd, I think "that can't be, that's not how that brand works," and then with more research, I learn something new. So I know I should never say never. But that said, I've never seen nor heard of a hobbyist kiln that has a clock in it. Yes, there are many forms of timers in kilns, but these all function with respect to elapsed time since some prior event (e.g., being turned on, or having reached a certain temperature set point). None that I have seen have a means to determine what clock time of day is it?

 

You say it shuts off at 5:15 in the afternoon every time. That suggests there is an externally timed interruption to the power. Are you in a location where your power company has time of day usage rates and automatic cutback for certain kinds of high-demand electric appliances? Tell us more about the "Energy Dial."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

While you are sitting waiting to see if the kiln turns off, it might be worth thinking about power-line glitches.

- do the lights flicker

- if you have an mains volt-meter, does show any variation at the moment of stoppage

- any changes in electric load; either in-house or by other local users

- any evidence of day-of-week effects

 

How precise is the 5:15 figure. +/- seconds or +/- 5-10 mins?

 

PS I'm vaguely reminded of the saga of telephone trunk line that had an intermittent fault -- but only in

the early evening on rainy fridays. It took them a while to figure that one out.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ok, I live in NSW Australia,

1, i do have the manual for the kiln and for what i can read of it, it doesn't have a timer build in to it

2, i have tried getting a hold of the owner that I bought it from but he isn't replying back at all

3, no I don't start firing at the same time all the time

4, at the moment i am only trying do go to cone (06) for my glaze firing

5, When it turns off the temp is never the same, depending on what time I start my firing will depend on what the temp is i can say that it has turned off at temperatures like 350c 900c 1040c 1088c never the same temp though but that does depend on what time I start though.

6, no the lights or power in the rest of the house do not change flicker

7, i am sorry to say I don't know how a lot about the power stuff or stuff like that, I would have to ask my friend or partner to help me find that out

8, when I know how to put pics in on this i will

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for your patience with all the questions. Your answers seem to point towards the electrical supply, not the kiln. You said the kiln is in an outdoor shed next to your house. Does the kiln shed have its own electrical supply/meter or is it tapped into the house's electrical supply/meter? And, are there any other electrical appliances in the shed that are also cut off at the same time?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

SO if your kiln ever reaches the temp you desire before the dreaded hour, how does it turn itself off if there is no sitter, no timer etc??

Still not getting it... wonder what the previous owner does/did at 5.15pm, maybe try phoning him then.

Chilly has a brilliant suggestion

Or are there ants/bats in your meter box, or some dusk awakening fauna there in NSW,

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ok i have the kiln hard wired to the main power of the house and wired to I think the off peck power supply

does this ean no curcuit breaker to kiln wiring?

whats an off peck power supply?Please explain this

 

Heres how to post photos

scroll down to how to attach an image.

http://community.ceramicartsdaily.org/topic/5843-our-most-frequently-asked-questions/

 

Mark

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What hour does the off peak power supply commence?

Mark, off peak  is a supply system which allows you to get cheaper supply when you operate electrical stuff within certain hours eg many folks have their hotwater system only operate in off peak times usually the middle of the night, thus getting a cheaper hot water supply.

Others have heating of homes in this supply choice too.they buy heat storage type heaters, usually a bank of ceramic brick which heats over night and continues to radiate heat during the day at no further cost.

If this kiln is hard wired to the off peak system, then 5.15 may be the magical pumpkin hour when all changes, still interested on how this kiln turns itself off under normal conditions   relying solely on the operator's actions?

It's not April 1 is it.

How about turning the mains supply switch off to the entire property,  reset all clocks in the house, turning on the electricity again and see what this little kiln god does?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

ok thank you all for the help

 

turning it on! 

1, i close the door and make sure that its close and locked!

2, i take the key and put it in to the isolation switch and turn it on! when the light comes on i then turn the energy dial to about 20 and then i increase it every hour until i get to the temp im after!

 

next question, off peak and on peak is a period of time in where the power is in more supple, ie. off peak is cheaper than on peak the off peak time is between 9 and 5 i think

 

next one, when the kiln turns off, it's just the kiln the circuit breaker doesn't trip 

 

i have tried both turning the mains off and just the breaker but it doesn't make a different

 

 i have added the photo of how i turn it on and control how much energy 

post-47522-0-15660800-1436257625_thumb.jpg

post-47522-0-15660800-1436257625_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ok, I think we are getting close to the answer.

 

The isolation switch is a UK-centric electrical lockout safety device. The appliance cannot operate unless the door is closed and locked with the key in the lock. That way you can't hurt yourself by have the heating coils energized while the door is open. USA kilns are not required to have such a device.

 

The energy dial is the same thing as other kiln manufacturers call an infinite switch. The switch controls the duration of the interval of the relay being closed or open. When the relay close, the coils are energized and get hot. When the relay opens, the coils turn off. There is an audible click each time the relay turns on or off. The little red light indicates when the relay is on, so it will blink in time with the relay switching. Setting the energy dial/infinite switch  to a lower number causes the relay to be off longer than it is on, while turning it to a higher number causes the relay to be on for a longer interval and off for a shorter interval. The mathematical relationship is not this precise, but think of it as if the number on the dial is the percentage of time in every minute that the heating coils are turned on. When the dial is at 20, the heat is on inside the kiln only 20% of the time - on for 12 seconds and then off for 48 seconds. So the kiln doesn't get very hot. An hour later when you turn it up to 50, the coils are on 50% of the time or on for 30 seconds and off for 30 seconds. When the switch is at 75, the heat is on for 45 seconds and off for 15 seconds. And finally at the end when you need a lot of heat to finish the firing, you turn it to 100 and the coils are on all the time. 

 

The preceding information is just for your knowledge. I think your kiln is operating correctly. It seems the problem lies with the off-peak/on-peak power supply. 5 o'clock is when the on-peak rates kick in. The circuit to your kiln may be wired to the off-peak side and the power is cut at approximately 5 o'clock? You will have to ask the electrician who installed the circuit if this is what is happening. The solution to your problem will be changing the circuit to allow on-peak power usage. It will be more expensive, but there is no way to complete the firing within the short off-peak time.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Babs-you explained that well and its the issue for sure.

I to use time of use power but it not a seperate system-its just meter thru the same meter. That means it s not truned on or off as its just when ever you use it..

 

If the off peak supply is on a utility timeer thats the issue with loveceramics85 kiln. I suggest as Babs said reset the whole deal or start the kiln early or later when system is on longer.

Since this is a local electrical supply issue we cannot help anymore form here. This is apower supply issue with your peak power settings.

Mark

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When you electrician comes, get him to fit a timer somewhere in the "line". Aafter you work out how long your firings take you can set this timer to shut the kiln off a short time after you think it would reach the desired temp. This will ensure that the kiln will be turned off if you happen to be distracted. It is worth the cost.

Humans err.

Babs

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.