Springfire Posted July 21, 2023 Report Share Posted July 21, 2023 Ok, I really need some suggestionsn I have a brand new Paragon Caldera kiln that keeps malfunctioning. I turned it on the do a first firing (empty to prime the elements) and that seemed to go fine. the pyrometers cones I had in it didn’t melt and I figured it was because I didn’t have a hold at that temp. So I set it again to fire to cone 01, empty, with a hold to make sure it was firing correctly. As it was ramping up, about 45 min. into the firing, the internal fuse blew and there was a slight electrical fire smell. The circuit breaker box fuse did not blow and the outlet it was plugged into still worked, but the kiln itself was dead. It’s plugged into a dedicated circuit, 15 amp, regular household outlet that’s inline with what the manufacturer requires. I called Paragon and they walked me through testing the components with a multimeter and they told me it was likely a short in the switch so they sent me a new one. I replaced to switch and the fuse blew again immediately upon plugging it in and turning it on. And that point I threw in the towel and brought the kiln to a local ceramics supply company that repairs kilns. They’ve now had it three weeks and still don’t know what’s going on with it. Any suggestions?? what should I be looking for in terms of issues in the electrical on my end (is it the right amperage, wire gauge etc)? I’m by no means an electrician so if the wiring in the house isn’t correct I’m not sure what to test or look for. I have a gallery expecting work in August and I haven’t been able to fire anything and I’m officially in panic mode. I’m also living in a rural area for the summer so getting an electrician out here will cost several hundred dollars so it would be a last resort! Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterH Posted July 21, 2023 Report Share Posted July 21, 2023 (edited) What model is it, there are several Caldaras. There should be a plate on it somewhere showing voltage, amps, watts, etc. Look for something like: Can you post a photo? Edited July 21, 2023 by PeterH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Springfire Posted July 21, 2023 Author Report Share Posted July 21, 2023 Hi! It is the caldera x with the plain extension collar. I spoke again to the tech who’s trying to fix it and it’s doing the same thing for him (blowing the fuse immediately upon turning on), so I at least know it’s not due to the electrical on my end (I miss typed in my original post but it was plugged into a 20 Amp circuit. It’s a 14 Amp kiln). He’s still trying to figure it out and is checking each component but he’s quite stumped, said it looks fine on the inside but clearly there is a short somewhere. I’ve read that Paragon has a history of not using the proper gauge wires and/or plugs in some of their kilns, had anyone else heard this? It’s literally a brand new kiln so it’s clearly something that got messed up or not properly installed when they built the thing… it’s in the shop getting looked at but I do have a couple of pictures of the inside! Probably not that helpful but it gives you an idea Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Springfire Posted July 21, 2023 Author Report Share Posted July 21, 2023 Oh wait I actually do have a picture of the side! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick White Posted July 22, 2023 Report Share Posted July 22, 2023 Your issue is similar to one I had recently while rebuilding an external wall controller. There are only 3 items in the circuit of that fuse - the fuse takes line voltage, passes it to the on/off switch, which passes it on to the transformer. If the switch is new, then there may be a defect in the transformer windings or connections. Suggest that your tech swap in a different transformer and see if that eliminates the blown fuses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Springfire Posted July 22, 2023 Author Report Share Posted July 22, 2023 Thank you! I will do that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterH Posted July 22, 2023 Report Share Posted July 22, 2023 (edited) 10 hours ago, Springfire said: Oh wait I actually do have a picture of the side! From Neil's Links To Kiln Manuals, Wiring Diagrams, Repair Parts, Elements, Etc. The Paragon Kilns link leads to the circuit diagram for this part numberhttps://eadn-wc04-7751283.nxedge.io/wp-content/uploads/S0743-1.pdf The 1/2amp fuse guards the transformer and the 24v controller it supplies. > As it was ramping up, about 45 min. into the firing, the internal fuse blew and there was a slight electrical fire smell. > I replaced to switch and the fuse blew again immediately upon plugging it in and turning it on. Naively, if the fuse now always blows at switch-on, I would suggest to the shop that they: - check the connections to the transformer - fully unplug the controller - and see if the fuse still blows - if the fuse doesn't blow check the voltages at the transformer between ORN/BLU, ORN/WHT and BLU/WHT. I would expect one of them should be the board's 24VAC? power supply. ... should help differentiate between the transformer (and its wiring) or the controller (and its wiring) being a problem.. But wait until one of the experts here confirms this is safe/sensible to do. PS I'm confused by the inverted-U shape shown on the diagram . It looks like it might be a link/strap but the transformer seems to only have seven terminals.https://paragonweb.com/home/transformer-2/ Edited July 22, 2023 by PeterH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Kielb Posted July 22, 2023 Report Share Posted July 22, 2023 (edited) Yes, this should be simple to diagnose for a kiln repair person. The 1/2 amp fuse only provides protection for the control board, its controlled loads and the transformer itself. So check ALL low voltage wiring to make sure no cuts and scrapes are touching anything. If you Unplug the orange, blue, white that will test the control board and its outputs. Unplugging (red, black).checks the low voltage output side of the controller (basically the relay load) Your transformer appears to possibly have burn marks on its secondary wiring side ( might be the smell) could be the picture though or could be from production. This could be from production, or defective as a result of overloading it. Secondary voltage — The nominal voltages measured - orange - Blue = 12VAC, orange - white = 24 vac, white - blue = 12 vac. This is a 24 vac center tapped transformer. The red and black are the output of the controller and ought to be 12vdc (nominal) when cycling the relay on. Green appears to be unused. All of these items can be checked for amperage draw by your tech to see which if any are drawing more than 1/2 amp. This should be your transformer specs https://www.mouser.com/datasheet/2/410/FD5_24-781304.pdf the U shaped jumper appears to be internal from the factory on this transformer. This should be your kiln wiring diagram https://eadn-wc04-7751283.nxedge.io/wp-content/uploads/S0743-1.pdf I would double check all low voltage wiring for a short to see if that overloaded the secondary of the transformer. You may need a new transformer if it cooked itself a bit. My experience paragon designs in accordance with code, UL and CSA so their wire size ought to be fine. Not sure who or where the undersized thing came from, but that saying seems a bit suspect to me. Edited July 22, 2023 by Bill Kielb PeterH 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted July 22, 2023 Report Share Posted July 22, 2023 If the fuse blows immediately upon being plugged in/powered up, then it's probably an issue in low voltage part of the system- transformer, fuse, controller. If it blows immediately when the firing starts, then the problem is in the high voltage part of the system- relays, elements. If it blows when the firing has been going for a while, then the problem is with the service wiring or breaker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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