RICHARD SE Posted January 20, 2021 Report Share Posted January 20, 2021 Hi all I have an even heat high fire kiln 2 zones 18 x 18 inch top loader I have done maximum of 100 firings 2/3 of them cone 9/10 the rest are bisque firing am now putting in the 5 Th thermocouple in 18 months I have replaced 2elements in that time. 1 bottom and 1 centre is this pretty standard for the amount of time that I have used this kiln I bought brand new thanks for any feedback I can get regards richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liambesaw Posted January 20, 2021 Report Share Posted January 20, 2021 Cone 9/10 is very hard on elements and thermocouples. Think of switching to the more expensive type S platinum/rhodium type which can take heat much better. There's no solution to the element issue, they're just not meant to fire that high repeatedly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted January 21, 2021 Report Share Posted January 21, 2021 Liam's right. Cone 9/10 will kill your thermocouples and elements, and reduce the overall lifespan of your kiln. A cone 10 kiln can only get to cone 10 if everything is in perfect condition. So as soon as the elements wear a little bit, it won't get to temp. It's best to replace all of the elements at the same time if they're wearing out, as they'll generally wear at about the same rate. Plus you'll always be at risk of one of them being too worn to do the job if you just replace them one at a time. Since you're not firing in reduction, there's really not much you can do at cone 10 that you can't do at cone 6. Consider switching to a cone 6 clay, and reformulating your glazes for cone 6. Even cone 8 would make a huge difference in the life of your kiln. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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