Cameo Posted May 18, 2020 Report Share Posted May 18, 2020 Hey again! So I'm connecting the wiring inside the boxes of each layer of my "new" old big mama kiln, which had to be disconnected in order to move the kiln, and I have a couple of questions. See pic 1: some of the connectors have electrical tape over them where the wires connect to the elements. I unwrapped a couple and the connectors look fine underneath (like the bare one in the pic.) Some of them were never covered thoough... Any idea why the previous owner would have done this? Is it safer/ unsafe? Pic 2: In the top box there are 4 tabs on the block to connect the elements but only 3 connectors (but 4 elements, 2 are connected together on one connector). The other 2 stacks/boxes only have 3 tabs on the blocks, corresponding to 3 connectors, no extra tab. Why is there an extra on the top block? Is it OK to leave it like that without something plugged into it? Thanks again y'all! I don't know what I'd do without you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Kielb Posted May 18, 2020 Report Share Posted May 18, 2020 34 minutes ago, Cameo said: Hey again! So I'm connecting the wiring inside the boxes of each layer of my "new" old big mama kiln, which had to be disconnected in order to move the kiln, and I have a couple of questions. See pic 1: some of the connectors have electrical tape over them where the wires connect to the elements. I unwrapped a couple and the connectors look fine underneath (like the bare one in the pic.) Some of them were never covered thoough... Any idea why the previous owner would have done this? Is it safer/ unsafe? Pic 2: In the top box there are 4 tabs on the block to connect the elements but only 3 connectors (but 4 elements, 2 are connected together on one connector). The other 2 stacks/boxes only have 3 tabs on the blocks, corresponding to 3 connectors, no extra tab. Why is there an extra on the top block? Is it OK to leave it like that without something plugged into it? Thanks again y'all! I don't know what I'd do without you! Unless the black tape is high temp stuff it’s generally not necessary and actually will start to melt depending on what type a connection this is. If it’s an element connection then generally no regular tape allowed. . As long as these bare connections are clear all around and not touching other adjacent wiring they should be fine.. The open tab on the relay is likely just an unused contact. This is actually quite common in kilns and unless you feel a wire has fallen off, it should be fine. Again there is no need to cover it as long as it is clear of other wires, etc.... and not in danger of touching something adjacent to it. What is interesting is the item above the relay, my guess is it’s an indicator light so this area in the picture is likely not exposed to a bunch of heat. post the circuit diagram if ya got one. That would add some more clarity to this. Everything In the pictures looks to be in good order BTW. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted May 18, 2020 Report Share Posted May 18, 2020 Double check your wiring diagram to make sure your wires are on the correct tabs. It looks like the two middle tabs are jumpered together? So maybe you shouldn't have wires on both of them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted May 18, 2020 Report Share Posted May 18, 2020 The tape is not a good idea as Bill said it will burn off unless its high heat and it looks pretty standard to me. If you took the wires off-did you mark them where they would go back ? Just get a wiring diagram online from manufacture and post it here. I'm feeling like Neils suggestion may be right the middle has two together . You need to be sure before energizing it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cameo Posted May 18, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 18, 2020 Hey guys! Thanks so much for your informative and knowledgeable responses as always. They weren't connected when I got the kiln, but they printed out very unhelpful overly simple directions that said it doesn't really matter what goes where so long as the incoming goes here and outgoing goes there. .. I haven't been successful in finding a wiring diagram. Any suggestions? This is the kiln: http://www.seattlepotterysupply.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=sps_ecat&Product_Code=30286-WDC&Category_Code=2ISK1 You're correct, 2 of them are joined together. It's like that on every stack though, where there are 4 wires but three connections as two are joined together. But on the other 2 sections, there are 3 tabs=3 wires. Only the top has an extra. @Bill Kielb the tap is on the element connection, yes, so I'll be sure to remove it. The previous owner sat on this for 3 years without ever installing an outlet. I have to assume he's the one who put the tape on because it appears to never have been turned on with the tape, as it's not melted at all. I agree, it looks like regular ol black electric tape. Also, that is the indicator light there, you're correct. I have pretty much the same thing on my lil baby skutt but thats a cone 6 max kiln so it doesn't get nearly as hot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted May 18, 2020 Report Share Posted May 18, 2020 Call Seattle Pottery Supply and ask them for a wiring diagram, or at least have them tell you what goes where, so you get the correct wires on the correct terminals. It does matter which goes where because you won't get the proper low-med-high function of they're wired wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted May 18, 2020 Report Share Posted May 18, 2020 Call Seattle Pottery Supply -yes they can help you with this-call them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cameo Posted May 19, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 19, 2020 Ah. That totally makes sense. Also honestly makes sense with why 2 are joined together. When it's in the low function, those ones don't turn on. Ok thanks guys. I'll give Seattle Potrery Supply a call! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cameo Posted May 25, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 25, 2020 Hey all! I'm back with the wiring diagram and it hurts my brain. Thought I'd post to see if I'm seeing it right. It looks like there are only two connectors to the elements on the terminal block in the diagram? The kiln is firing up like normal on low. Every other cool is lit as to be expected. On Medium and high, all the coils in the middle and lower stack light up and appear to be firing up as normal. On medium and high, the top stack shuts off. I no longer hear buzzing and all the coils go black. The power plunger button on the kiln sitter also has a hard time staying put. It seems to be popping back out seemingly without cause. Any suggestions? I've attached the wiring diagram. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Kielb Posted May 25, 2020 Report Share Posted May 25, 2020 3 hours ago, Cameo said: Hey all! I'm back with the wiring diagram and it hurts my brain. Thought I'd post to see if I'm seeing it right. It looks like there are only two connectors to the elements on the terminal block in the diagram? The kiln is firing up like normal on low. Every other cool is lit as to be expected. On Medium and high, all the coils in the middle and lower stack light up and appear to be firing up as normal. On medium and high, the top stack shuts off. I no longer hear buzzing and all the coils go black. The power plunger button on the kiln sitter also has a hard time staying put. It seems to be popping back out seemingly without cause. Any suggestions? I've attached the wiring diagram. I don’t see a low medium high switch in this diagram actually so if it has three or four way switches And you now have a controller I would scrap them and make this fully automated and let the controller cycle the elements on. 0.5 amp fuse should protect everything downstream of it. Before I sketch anything are you automating this thing and getting rid of the sitter and low medium high switches? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted May 26, 2020 Report Share Posted May 26, 2020 @Cameo Does your kiln have a controller, or is it just hi-med-low switches? Wrong wiring diagram? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liambesaw Posted May 26, 2020 Report Share Posted May 26, 2020 I have this kiln, I don't know what to say though. I took out the kiln sitter long ago. It originally came with kiln sitter and 4 position switches. On mine the switches were on each section, controlling two elements. Low powered one element in the section, medium powered both, and high powered both. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted May 26, 2020 Report Share Posted May 26, 2020 Is the power button on a kiln sitter poping out with the sitter rod on a cone?? or are you just puching it in with no cone on sitter rod.? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cameo Posted May 26, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 26, 2020 2 hours ago, neilestrick said: @Cameo Does your kiln have a controller, or is it just hi-med-low switches? Wrong wiring diagram? @neilestrick it's a kiln sitter with a timer and knobs on each stack for low, medium, high Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cameo Posted May 26, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 26, 2020 25 minutes ago, Mark C. said: Is the power button on a kiln sitter poping out with the sitter rod on a cone?? or are you just puching it in with no cone on sitter rod.? @Mark C. I have a kiln sitter on my baby kiln and have been working with one for several years lol but when I first got that one, I honestly did that, tried to power it up without setting up the kiln sitter and wondered what I'd done wrong. Hahah. Lots of trial and error went into learning my first kilb kiln but that's not what's happening now. The sitter is all set up and it was staying on for some number of minutes or an hour even,, then the power button would pop back out. Kinda like it would if the kiln sitter switch had fallen but it hadn't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cameo Posted May 26, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 26, 2020 4 hours ago, Bill Kielb said: I don’t see a low medium high switch in this diagram actually so if it has three or four way switches And you now have a controller I would scrap them and make this fully automated and let the controller cycle the elements on. 0.5 amp fuse should protect everything downstream of it. Before I sketch anything are you automating this thing and getting rid of the sitter and low medium high switches? @Bill Kielb I mean someday that would be great but I'm honestly just trying to get it working as is. I don't have a controller, this old kiln just has a kiln sitter, a timer and low medium high knobs on each level. Maybe this is the wiring diagram to their new and improved model 286... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted May 26, 2020 Report Share Posted May 26, 2020 54 minutes ago, Cameo said: @neilestrick it's a kiln sitter with a timer and knobs on each stack for low, medium, high Yeah that's the wrong wiring diagram. Call them and ask to speak with a kiln tech and have him/her tell you which terminals which wires go to on the switches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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