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Tips, Techniques, and Questions -- Technical questions or tips

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  #1  
Old 2016-06-06, 2:23pm
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Mountain Snail Mountain Snail is offline
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Default Paragon Sc2 kiln tcl error

So My small paragon sc2 kiln is refusing to heat at all and the error is tcl. I called, and was told it could be the muffle (one piece heating element, fiber) for $315 or the relay. I am hoping it is the relay but my gut is saying muffle. The edge of the inside of the kiln as a huge crack. I am frustrated because I want to use my small kiln in the summer so I don't heat my shed as much.

I will never buy another "one piece fiber" heating element kiln again. Are there any other small kilns that people love as a back up kiln?
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  #2  
Old 2016-06-06, 4:50pm
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MagpieGlass MagpieGlass is offline
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Umm...how about ThermoCouple. (I had this same issue last summer with the code tcl)

Part is only about $20 and you switch it out yourself. I got my replacement last year from ClayKing.
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Old 2016-06-06, 6:05pm
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Mountain Snail Mountain Snail is offline
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So why would Paragon's customer service rep say there could only be two things wrong, the muffle ($315) or the relay? She was pretty snippy about it too. Acted like I should know exactly how to take apart the kiln and test it with a volt meter and pretty much left me hanging on the phone. I tried to explain to her that it isn't even trying to ramp up at all just clicking and asked if that could be a clue as to what the problem was and she just said "It is one of the two things I said. Test it." That was it.

Yeah I am kinda pissed off right now
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  #4  
Old 2016-06-06, 6:06pm
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Mountain Snail Mountain Snail is offline
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And thank you. I may call clay king tomorrow and see if they will help me. I got both of my kilns through them.
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Old 2016-06-06, 6:12pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mountain Snail View Post
And thank you. I may call clay king tomorrow and see if they will help me. I got both of my kilns through them.
It could still be the relay ... but the tcl error is shorthand for thermocouple. Not sure why snippy was telling you the more expensive items. I was trained in KIS principle ... Keep It Simple and work up from there.

Mine just kept ramping up and I turned if off and unplugged it and then it threw the tcl error when I plugged it back in. I might have found the error code in the book.

My understanding is relays are pretty typical as well (usually the first to go) and from changing the thermocouple last year, pretty easy to get at.

If you have your kiln book ... it walks you through changing the relay and/or thermocouple.

If it is the element with baffle ... might be time to just buy a new kiln. Though $315 doesn't sound as bad as I have seen listed elsewhere.

I plan for a BlueBird XL as my next and use the SC2 as my backup.
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Old 2016-06-06, 6:19pm
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Found this on the inner webs:
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  #7  
Old 2016-06-06, 7:04pm
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I have a Bluebird XL and it has been lovely! I will never buy another fiber one piece element kiln though because I have had mandrel tips stick into the fiber before. Not the safety set up, if you ask me. I want to fire my SC2 for smaller sessions and summer.

My kiln isn't ramping up, I can hear the faintest whisper of a click that it would normally make as it ramps up. Have it taken apart right now and my husband is testing it a bit.

I am really frustrated with the customer service rep. She acted like I should know what was going on. I felt like saying "Hey lady, if I knew I wouldn't have called YOU."
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Old 2016-06-06, 7:05pm
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And I don't think I would replace the muffle if it ends up being that. I would probably just save up for another brand of small kiln for shorts sessions like The Short Guy. http://www.theglasshive.com/BEADANNEALERS.html
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  #9  
Old 2016-06-06, 7:34pm
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My husband and I just did a bunch of test and we think it is the relay. Fingers crossed.
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  #10  
Old 2016-06-07, 7:33am
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My SC3 had the same tcl error message just recently, changed the thermocouple, still didn't work, didn't have the tcl error, changed the relay, kaboom it's working again. Just my penny's worth of info. Also, I've dealt with Paragon's customer tech's, just a waste of my time. Instead I call David (Kiln Dr.)in Charlotte, has parts to sell, and will give you honest answers.
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  #11  
Old 2016-06-07, 1:50pm
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Mountain Snail, I'm very sorry about the phone conversation you had with our customer service department. Every customer is important to us.

Does your husband have a multimeter? It will take the guesswork out of repairing the SC-2.

Sincerely,

Arnold Howard
Paragon Industries, L.P., Mesquite, Texas USA
ahoward@paragonweb.com / www.paragonweb.com
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  #12  
Old 2016-06-07, 1:54pm
Arnold Howard Arnold Howard is offline
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Here are videos that will help to trouble shoot the SC-2:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsDdQaIO7FI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrUIdOTOJ48

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRjolUVwjN8

When you find out, please let us know why the kiln is not heating. If an element connector has burned out, the kiln can usually be repaired easily without replacing the muffle.

Sincerely,

Arnold Howard
Paragon Industries, L.P., Mesquite, Texas USA
ahoward@paragonweb.com / www.paragonweb.com
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  #13  
Old 2016-06-10, 9:57pm
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It's nice that Paragon responded here but I don't think that this really has addressed the customer's issue by just saying sorry. Maybe he should have worked harder to improve the situation so that another customer doesn't have the same experience. Customer service is key to me and when I read of an experience like this it makes me think twice about buying Paragon. Glass is a very expensive hobby and kiln buying is one of the biggest purchases.
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  #14  
Old 2016-06-12, 4:05pm
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We contacted the ceramics store and they actually picked up the slack left by Paragon's female customer service rep. It was the relay, not the muffle and we fixed the kiln and ordered parts through the ceramics store too.

Arnold, shall I link you to some videos on how to provide customer service so you can share them with your female phone rep?

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  #15  
Old 2016-06-13, 6:06am
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Good news the Kiln is fixed and I'm sure you learned a lot from this experience.
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