Have you had your kiln long? Is it computerized, or does it require the use of a cone to determine when it’s reached the proper temperature? There seem to be a number of good brands and types available, but one thing they all seem to have in common is the need for maintenance and occasional repairs.
We’ve talked about the need to keep the interior of your kiln clean to prevent foreign matter from contaminating your porcelain pieces, using kiln wash on your shelves, and repairing major cracks. And we all know that elements burn out eventually and need replaced. My kiln is computerized, and I’ve gone a long time without doing much more than cleaning it and redoing the kiln wash when it gets too flakey, but until recently that’s all it needed.
About a month or two ago I noticed that the thermocoupler was covered with black powdery stuff and there were even some black flakes in on the silica sand under it. A quick call to the dealer who sold it to us way back in 1996 confirmed my suspicions that it was time for a replacement to be installed, so we ordered a new one and took care of it. Other than having a brick with a broken lip on the bottom row that let the coil sag and rest on the bottom of the kiln in that spot, everything else seemed to be okay. I checked the coils out during firing, and they were all working, and witness cones confirmed that all was well, so it was business as usual.
Then a few weeks ago, after a cone 6 firing, I noticed that instead of the digital display just telling me that the firing was complete, it was flashing an “error 1” message. I have to admit, that had me baffled. I assumed that my kiln hand book would explain what that was all about, and feeling pleased with myself for keeping my hand book against the day when I might have questions, I went to get it and put it to use. It took me two days to remember where I put it for safe keeping. I really need to organize some of this stuff a bit better! Anyway, having finally found it, I looked up “Error Messages” and found out that the most probable cause of this error message was that the elements were getting weak and taking too long to achieve the different temperature levels during the firing. I’m still a bit fuzzy on just what all that can do to screw up my porcelain pieces, but I thought I’d better look into it.
Once again I called the dealer, and after a lengthy discussion, reluctantly agreed that I needed to get the elements replaced. Have you ever had to do that? I was a bit dismayed to discover how much that was going to cost, but if I wanted to be able to continue making dolls, I needed the kiln and since I fire dolls for my students as well, I didn’t want the elements to burn out in the middle of a firing and mess their stuff up, so I was stuck. It took two weeks before the repairman was able to fit our kiln into his schedule, but he finally made it. He asked about any bricks that might need replaced when I was scheduling the repairs, so I arranged for that to done at the same time.
I now have what is virtually a new kiln. No flaky stuff thanks to a good thermocoupler, no more broken bricks, and nice new elements that don’t sag. I guess I was really lucky that everything lasted so long. I’ve had the kiln for fourteen years and these were the only repairs required in spite of being used so often. Not such a bad deal for the money when you think about it.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
We have been selling and repairing kilns for over 35 years and believe me porcelain firings take their toll on elements. That is a hot firing. When the firings become longer and longer you know it’s time for new elements. Just like a car. It needs upkeep. You were very lucky to go as long as you did. You will also save on electricity now that you kiln is like new.
Nice to hear from you, Annette. I am getting better firing times since I had all the elements replaced. I’ll have to be more aware of changes in the future. anyway, it’s nice to know that it’s working as it should now.