TROUBLESHOOTING

TROUBLESHOOTING

Check Wires and Wire Connections

Images burned wires in a kiln

  1. Unplug kiln or turn off circuit breaker if the kiln is wired direct to your power supply. If you can not physically be sure the power is disconnected (for instance is you see that the cord is unplugged you KNOW there is no power coming into the kiln) then check the voltage at the power connection receptical with your multi-meter.
  2. Open up the control panel. This will be a little different on each kiln series.
  3. Remove or open the panels that cover the element connections.
  4. Look at internal wiring.
  5. Check the tightness of all connections. Do this by wiggling the connector to make sure nothing is loose.
  6. Make sure all wires are connected to their proper connection point. You may have to compare the kiln to the wiring diagram to be sure of this. This step would be particularly important if a wire has come loose.
  7. Specifically look at wires going from power connection block to the on/off switch, then to the control fuse, and finally to the control transformer.
  8. Make sure all wires inside control panel are connected.
  9. Look for any burned spots or deteriorating wire.
  10. Look for any short circuits. This might be caused by a wire losing its insulation and touching another component for instance. Typically if there are any short circuits there will be some evidence of a burn on the metal the wire touched.
  11. Look for dirt or foreign material. Some material can be an electrical conductor and could cause a short circuit. Clean out any dirt.
  12. Pull off and reseat all spade connector connections of power wires to remove oxides and ensure good connection.

CAUTION: Turn power off to kiln from the circuit breaker or unplug the kiln.