socrasoup Posted July 8, 2022 Report Share Posted July 8, 2022 So I recently got my first kiln its a Paragon TnF 66 and it has a DTC 600 control panel. I got it hooked up today and it just read "PF" and it wouldn't budge even after I pressed the buttons. I had the electrician take a look at it and everything seemed normal until he read the fuse which was at a 4.2 ohms instead of 0. I don't know if that would cause the panel to display PF but I just want to be sure before I spend any more money on this thing. I got it off of facebook marketplace so it's definitely not new or under warranty. Transformer, cord, and all the wires are connected and the voltage from the wall receptacle read normal. Any info is welcome and helpful! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Kielb Posted July 8, 2022 Report Share Posted July 8, 2022 (edited) A fuse should read 0 ohms or infinity if bad so 4.2 ohms is very odd. What strikes me is pf means power failure, but it seems like you are having a continuous power failure with this kiln yet you did not mention a tripped breaker. My best guess is this kiln is plugged into a 120v receptacle instead of a 240v receptacle. Just a best guess though based on what seems like the odd measurements you are experiencing - can you confirm it is wired to an appropriate 240 volt receptacle? Here is your instruction manual - tnf 66 troubleshooting starts on bottom of page 33 I believe. https://ltt.arizona.edu/sites/ltt.lab.arizona.edu/files/LRG Paragon S. SnF %26 TnF Series Intruction and Service Manual.pdf Here is your kiln wiring diagram for troubleshooting https://paragonweb.com/wp-content/uploads/WTNF66.pdf Finally this kiln should have a very specific plug to differentiate it from a 120v plug Edited July 8, 2022 by Bill Kielb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterH Posted July 8, 2022 Report Share Posted July 8, 2022 (edited) Do @Bill Kielb's tests first. PF is a controller display DCT 600 manual https://paragonweb.com/wp-content/uploads/IM-126-DTC-600C-DTC-600-Instructions-1.pdf My naive interpretation is that it could just be "finger trouble" Or else it requires working through a list of probable causes. See p1 To Begin, display IdLE p1 The Safety Switch p4 Controller Displays PF. PS I find a fuse resistance of 4.2ohms difficult to credit, they are designed to be near zero resistance or open circuit! Two possible explanations are: 1) The resistance is really zero but there is some in-circuit corrosion whose resistance is also being measured (cleaning contacts and measuring out-of-circuit reduces the chance of this). 2) The measurement was taken with a meter not really up to the job (especially a poorly-calibrated analogue meter on a scale intended to read much higher resistances). ... Although when I've been in this position I asked myself "is the fuse open-circuit" rather than "what is the resistance of this fuse". Not open-circuit => fuse not blown (usually). Edited July 8, 2022 by PeterH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
socrasoup Posted July 8, 2022 Author Report Share Posted July 8, 2022 (edited) @Bill KielbYea I had my electrician check the receptacle and it read 246v so its definitely enough volts. I'm gonna order a new fuse just in case its that and if it isn't I'll have it as a just in case. Edited July 8, 2022 by socrasoup Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Kielb Posted July 8, 2022 Report Share Posted July 8, 2022 1 hour ago, socrasoup said: I'm gonna order a new fuse just in case its that and if it isn't I'll have it as a just in case. Definitely get a fuse as 4 ohms is very strange. Post a close up picture of the glass fuse if you get a chance. Follow the troubleshooting / instruction in the manual or as Peter posted to see if you can exit pf mode. socrasoup 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted July 8, 2022 Report Share Posted July 8, 2022 Sometimes fuse holders go bad or get loose and start to lose contact, so that could also be the cause of the problem. Start with the simple fix- replace the fuse- and go from there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterH Posted July 11, 2022 Report Share Posted July 11, 2022 On 7/8/2022 at 3:45 AM, socrasoup said: So I recently got my first kiln its a Paragon TnF 66 and it has a DTC 600 control panel. I got it hooked up today and it just read "PF" and it wouldn't budge even after I pressed the buttons. The kiln should have been left with the "safety switch" turned to "off". Can you confirm that it was back "on" before this test? From The Safety Switch https://paragonweb.com/wp-content/uploads/IM-126-DTC-600C-DTC-600-Instructions-1.pdf p1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Kielb Posted July 11, 2022 Report Share Posted July 11, 2022 4 hours ago, PeterH said: Can you confirm that it was back "on" before this test? My reading is the on / off switch was turned on, else there would be no PF display and it would be blank. I think the “safety” switch referenced is the on / off toggle switch. PeterH 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted July 11, 2022 Report Share Posted July 11, 2022 Check the back of your controller. Is there a ribbon connector at the bottom? That connector is what connects the touchpad to the circuit board, so if it comes loose the buttons won't work. If there is one, pull it out of the circuit board, wipe it with a dry cloth, and reinsert it. Check all other connections to the board, too. Bill Kielb 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterH Posted July 13, 2022 Report Share Posted July 13, 2022 (edited) On 7/11/2022 at 6:41 PM, Bill Kielb said: My reading is the on / off switch was turned on, else there would be no PF display and it would be blank. I think the “safety” switch referenced is the on / off toggle switch. Oops, I was completely mislead by the controller's manual stating that "the controller will display PF when first plugged into an outlet". Especially as elsewhere it clearly indicates that the switch should be in the off position between firings. Apologies to the OP @socrasoup Edited July 13, 2022 by PeterH Bill Kielb 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
socrasoup Posted October 17, 2022 Author Report Share Posted October 17, 2022 OK so I figured out the problem, turns out my amp was too low as well as the volts, in the manual I was given I misread and relayed the misinformation to my electrician, I'm going to get in contact with him again and ask him to change the amps from 15 to 20 and the volts from 240 to 250 volts and hopefully that'll give the kiln what it needs to properly work, fingers crossed I'll keep you updated sorry for the long pause between messages and thank you all for your help Hulk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Kielb Posted October 17, 2022 Report Share Posted October 17, 2022 (edited) 2 hours ago, socrasoup said: change the amps from 15 to 20 and the volts from 240 to 250 volts He can change the amperage of the breaker, but not really the volts to 250v. Are you tripping the breaker? If so, what size do you presently have? Here is the info I have for a TNF 66 kiln, per the manufacture, it may help. 240v, 20 amp 2 pole circuit breaker. Definitely get the electric right. Your electrician should confirm with the nameplate on the kiln as well. Edited October 17, 2022 by Bill Kielb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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