KNOWLEDGEBASE

Note: E- d errors read as "Errd" on controls manufactured before 2006

Basic Problem

1. In general, E- d or Errd means that one of the thermocouples' temperatures is 50°F above the traveling set point. 
2. The basic cause of this is some condition that is causing the heat of the elements from not getting to the thermocouple tip or some erroneous thermocouple reading.

On a New Kiln

1. One of the most common causes is uneven loading of the kiln. One of the first things to do is to even out the load.
2. This often happens during the first firing in an unloaded kiln. The first thing to do is to fire the kiln with shelves evenly loaded in the kiln (avoid putting the shelves directly in front of an element or allowing a shelf to touch a thermocouple.
3. Check how the thermocouples are wired. The top thermocouple (on a 3-zone kiln) should be connected to Output 1 on the control, the middle thermocouple to Output 2, and the bottom thermocouple to Output 3. On a two-zone kiln, the top thermocouple should be connected to Output 1, and the bottom thermocouple should be connected to Output 2. The easiest way to check this is to put a flame on each thermocouple (when the control is idle and the kiln is cool) and see the reaction on the control. You can see all three (or two) thermocouples on a Genesis. On the DynaTrol, you press 1, 2, or 3 to see the readings of the #1 (top), #2 (middle), and #3 (bottom) thermocouples.
4. If you have a Genesis, download the kiln logs and send them to service@hotkilns.com.

On an Older Kiln

1. The most common problem is thermocouple drift or elements that are burned out or do not provide enough power.
2. Do a paper test
3. Inspect the tips of the thermocouples. If there is apparent corrosion, replace them. If the kiln has been fired 100 times or more, replace them. (Thermocouples, like elements and even relays, are regular maintenance items in a kiln, much like tires on a car.)
4. Make sure you are loading the kiln with the weight or mass distributed as evenly as possible.
5. If you have a Genesis, download the kiln logs and send them to service@hotkilns.com.

Nothing Obvious

1. Try setting the kiln for 2 zones. This will make the bottom and middle sections controlled by the middle thermocouple and the top section controlled by the top thermocouple.
2. NOTE: On most "M" model Easy-Fire kilns, the top section is on output #1, the middle is on output #2, and the bottom is on output #3. The top section thermocouple goes to input #1, and the bottom section thermocouple goes to input #2. When a DynaTrol or Genesis control is set on two zones, output #2 and output #3 work in tandem, so the middle section works with the bottom section. If for some reason your middle section fires hotter than the other sections, please contact the factory for a work-around.
3. If that doesn't work, try single zone.
4. If all else fails, turn off the Error Codes.

The Reason for Error-D

1. The reason the controller has the Error-D function built-in is to protect the kiln in case of mixed-up thermocouple wires or a stuck relay.
2. Either could result in a potential overfire of the kiln or, in the lower temperatures, if you were doing a pre-heat to dry out ceramic work, could explode the work from expanding water vapor.

Causes and Solutions (In-Depth)

Loading and firing Issues

1. Loading may be uneven. Even out the load - especially so there is not a disproportionate amount of weight in the bottom of the kiln.
2. Try making sure two elements are exposed between the bottom two shelves so that more heat is put in the bottom.
3. The load may be too close to or is touching the thermocouples. This would shield the thermocouple from the heat of the kiln. Allow almost an inch between everything for thermal expansion. Fix and re-fire the kiln.
4. Center zone is too hot.

Power Issues

1. Element(s) out: They could be broken inside the kiln. Look for damage or do a paper test. Test ohms.
2. Element(s) out: The wire bringing it power may be burned off.
3. Relay out: A kiln section’s temperature lags behind at medium to high temperatures. Check relay.
4. Check to make sure relays are connected to the proper outputs on the control board.
5. There is a bad connection point somewhere, and it is overheating, causing voltage and power loss to the kiln. This will become more of a possibility as the kiln ages. Examine all points carefully for melting, corrosion, discoloration, and/or bad smell. This can usually be seen. It will look overheated. 
6. 3-phase kiln hooked up to 1 phase with a neutral on the center leg. This would not provide proper voltage to some of the elements.

Power Restart

1. Sometimes the control will not calculate the traveling set point correctly if you turn off the kiln while it is firing (or it gets turned off). You may have to let the kiln cool down to below 300 Deg F and try again.

Thermocouple Issues

1. Thermocouples are reading unevenly (from age, loading unevenly, or loading too close to the thermocouple). Check thermocouples.
2. Different style thermocouples were used in the same kiln. For instance, you could have a metallic sheathed thermocouple and an exposed 8 gauge thermocouple.
3.  A thermocouple extension wire has melted against the kiln case (the thermocouple extension wire can melt and send erratic signals to the DynaTrol). The wire extension must be replaced.
4. Thermocouples are not fully inserted into the kiln. They should be in at least 1".
5. A thermocouple is about to fail. Perform a physical inspection if possible, or just restart the kiln and monitor it carefully.
6. One or more of the thermocouples is bottoming out in the thermocouple protection tube. This could give you very different readings in the various thermocouples, which would give you an Error D. To solve this put a washer on the mounting screws between the ceramic washers - you only need to pull back the thermocouple a 1/8" or so.
7. Debris in the thermocouple protection tube could also be causing different readings in the various thermocouples. Remove them and dump out any debris.
8. Make sure thermocouples are connected to the proper inputs on the control.
9. There is noise in the thermocouple circuit.

Kiln Assembly Issues

1. Easy-Fire or eQuad-Pro kiln is reassembled incorrectly: backward thermocouple wires at the thermocouple or at the terminal strip.  Power wires are not connected in the right order on the terminal strip or on relays.
2. Jupiter and DaVinci Kilns: If the kiln was just re-assembled, double-check that the kiln sections are plugged into their appropriate receptacles and the thermocouples are in the proper zones:
   1. Two-section kilns: The top ring is in the #1 receptacle on the control, and the bottom is in #2. The top ring gets TC1, and the bottom ring gets TC2.
   2. Three-section kilns: The top is in the #1 receptacle, the middle is in #2, and the bottom is in #3. The top ring gets TC1, the middle ring gets TC2, and the bottom ring gets TC3.
   3. Four-section kilns: The top is in #1 receptacle, the next section down is in #3, next is in #4, and the bottom is in #5 (the cords and numbers go 1,2,3,4, but the second receptacle down on the control box is skipped; there are five circuits on the control, but only four sections. The top ring gets TC1. Either the upper-middle or the lower-middle section can have TC2 in it. The bottom ring gets TC3. All five circuit controls have the center three circuits tied into TC2. Therefore, skipping #2 receptacle with the four-ring kilns would be the same as skipping the #3 or the #4 receptacle. TC1 must always be in the top section, and TC3 must always be in the bottom section. TC2 can be in either of the middle sections.
   4. Five section kilns: Top is in #1 receptacle, upper middle is in #2, middle is in #3, bottom-middle is in #4, and bottom is in #5 receptacle. The top ring has TC1 in it. The middle ring has TC2 in it (receptacles #2,#3, and #4 go on and off together), and the bottom ring has TC3 in it.
3. DaVinci Handheld Control: Check the Handheld 14-pin connector for poor connection. Wiggle carefully while running, etc.

Other Issues

1. You were firing with the lid open and got Errd either while the lid was open or right after you closed it. For drying with the lid open, only about two inches are needed to adequately vent off water vapor. This is plenty if all the peepholes are open. The DynaTrol will attempt to compensate for the heat loss, and it usually can. The trouble may happen when you close the lid. The elements at the top of the kiln are already much hotter than the ones nearer the bottom due to their need to compensate for the heat loss from the top. When you close the lid it can take as long as eight seconds for the DynaTrol to respond to the rise in temperature in the top of the kiln and shut off those elements. This can quickly cause an uneven temperature in the kiln, which will usually result in Errd (possibly an Err2 in a smaller kiln -Err2 is when the entire kiln temperature is more than 50°F over the hold time's temperature for longer than 18 seconds).
2. There was a lot of air being exhausted from your kiln when Errd appeared. If a vent system pulls too much air from just one point in the kiln, say, to down-ramp the load very quickly to a lower hold time for crystal formation, an uneven temperature can result. The firing will go slowly as it will be difficult to compensate for the heat loss; eventually, however, the Errd (or Err1) can appear.