Thermocouple Issue

[AmateurCeramics]

Hello!  I have had my JenKen AF3C 11/9 Ceramic Kiln for less than a month.  I admit I fire it very often - nearly daily (I probably should have invested in a larger kiln, but this is what I have!).

Yesterday I did a glaze firing and it shut off mid-way through and the screen indicated it had failed.  When it was cool enough to open and inspect, the attached pictures are what my thermocouple looked like...burned and flaking.

I use the kiln a lot, but again I have had it less than a month.  Is this normal?  At this rate Ill need to have a repair person on a monthly retainer to replace it!

I have reached out to JenKen, but have not heard back.

Thanks for any insight!

[oldlady]

if you mean you emailed kenjen, you probably will not get an answer within a reasonable time.   use a telephone and talk to someone in the tech department.   a two way conversation is the only way to get information in detail.

[AmateurCeramics]

Hi oldlady.  Super helpful!

I emailed the contact e-mail listed on their website so that I could attach images of the thermocouple. That way, when I do “use a telephone”, the conversation will be more productive. 

Thanks for the reply.

[neilestrick]

They turn black and flake, that's normal. They should last about 100 -125 firings, though. If you got a thermocouple fail code on your controller, it doesn't necessarily mean that the thermocouple has failed. It could be that a connection has come loose. Check all the connections from the thermocouple all the way back to the controller and make sure nothing is loose. Also make sure that the thermocouple wire hasn't broken at one of the screw connections.

[Dick White]

Thermocouples wear out with some regularity. They are not expensive nor hard to replace. If this is a new kiln still under warranty, see what JenKen has to say. But at the same time, take a deep breath and jump into learning how to make the simple repairs.

[AmateurCeramics]

Thank you! Waiting to hear back from them, but it should still be under warranty. This is my first kiln and was obviously a pretty big investment, so I’m nervous to work on it for the first time without some amount of professional supervision. I’ll see what JenKen has to say. One day I hope to be able to make these repairs myself…perhaps I should jump into my own repairs sooner rather than later, but I’m very nervous to make a relatively minor issue into a major one!