sunil6784 Posted January 2 Report Share Posted January 2 Hi all, I am working on installing a kiln for my wife's pottery room. I found a great deal on a Gare, Inc. 2327 kiln. It is in two sections, with the top section being screwed to the bottom section and connected with a 120v plug to the LT3K kiln sitter. The tag on the bottom section states that the kiln is 45 amps, 10,800 watts. There is also a tag on the top section that says it is 15 amps . The top section has 2 elements on it. My question is.... Is the 45 amp tag on the "main" part of the kiln the total amperage of the unit, and the 15 amps on the top section is just for those two elements ? Or is it actually 60 amps total (45 + 15) ? I planned on running a 60 amp breaker with 6 gauge wire to the unit, and want to ensure this is adequate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted January 2 Report Share Posted January 2 Post a pic of the serial plates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted January 2 Report Share Posted January 2 @sunil6784 Also, what is the total interior height of the kiln sections? 27" base plus a 9" ring, or a 18" base with a 9" ring? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunil6784 Posted January 2 Author Report Share Posted January 2 22 minutes ago, neilestrick said: @sunil6784 Also, what is the total interior height of the kiln sections? 27" base plus a 9" ring, or a 18" base with a 9" ring? Interior height is 18 inches, plus 9 inches for the top ring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunil6784 Posted January 2 Author Report Share Posted January 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunil6784 Posted January 2 Author Report Share Posted January 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted January 2 Report Share Posted January 2 6 minutes ago, sunil6784 said: Interior height is 18 inches, plus 9 inches for the top ring. Most likely the 45 amps is for the entire thing, as that would be a typical amperage draw for a 23x27 kiln. To be 100% sure you'd need to measure the resistance of the elements, but I'd be pretty confident that the entire setup is 45 amps. So you'll need a 60 amp breaker, 6 gauge wire. It's a 3 wire system- 2 hots and 1 ground, no neutral. Should have a NEMA 6-50 plug/outlet. How's the condition of the jumper cord that connects the two sections? If it's the old cloth wrapped stuff or the plug is looking corroded I would change it out. You'd need a 12 gauge cord for that 15 amp section. Put some insulating sleeves on the wire ends inside the box. If the plug is corroded I would also replace the outlet it plugs into. That would be a 20 amp 240 volt outlet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunil6784 Posted January 2 Author Report Share Posted January 2 This is very helpful ! Thanks! It currently has a 10-50 plug on it... I plan on cutting the plug and hooking it to a 60 amp disconnect instead of a plug/receptacle for two purposes - so a high amperage unit doesn't have a plug/receptacle (and a potential point of failure/danger) and because a 6 gauge replacement power cord is so expensive. Cords and receptacle all look like they are in good shape.. will be cutting the plug off and wiring it up this week. Thanks for the help! neilestrick 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Kielb Posted January 2 Report Share Posted January 2 27 minutes ago, sunil6784 said: Cords and receptacle all look like they are in good shape.. will be cutting the plug off and wiring it up this week. Good practice. Worn connections usually will reduce power in the kiln and not necessarily make your breaker trip. Definitely fix the connections though - see this fairly often as well. Pictures of main power to kiln and a decent repair below just as an fyi. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidh4976 Posted January 2 Report Share Posted January 2 For the wire from the circuit breaker to the disconnect, consider using #4 wire. The extra cost may not be much. Check your circuit breaker to make sure it will work with #4. The 60 amp breakers I have seen will work with #4 and #6. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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