kiln problem

[sunflower33]

I have a Glass Hive kiln and it's having a problem, I was hoping someone here might have some insights for me. I've emailed Glass Hive and I'm waiting to hear back from them, but in the meantime maybe there's something I can do.

The kiln stopped heating while I was making beads the other day. It keeps doing this. Here's what has been happening the past few days:

I turn on the kiln, I hear the click of the relay, and normally I hear a "buzz" sound as the element starts to heat up. But I don't hear a buzz. The element is not heating. I turn the kiln off, then on again. I hear the relay click, now I hear the buzz of the element. But it stops buzzing after a few seconds and the element is not heating. So, I turn the kiln off and on again. Now finally, the relay clicks, the element heats, and the thermocouple is reading the temperature correctly. The kiln heats up to the normal schedule. At this point it may work for an hour or two, it's impossible to tell how long, before it will randomly stop heating again.

All of the parts appear to be working - the relay, the element and the thermocouple. It's just some connection that's not being made maybe. Visually everything looks good - all wires are connected and nothing is out of place.

Should I go through and tighten some connections? Any ideas?
Thanks!

[Alaska]

Could be a dirty relay contact or a contact that is failing. One could burnish the contact to see if that would help (kiln unplugged). Or the element could be ready to crack or cracked and is making an intermittent connection. Plus it would be a good idea to make sure all high current wiring connections are tight.

[sunflower33]

Thank you for your help, Alaska!

I'm going to check the relay.

I used to change out the relay myself in my old kiln, and the relays I used had two sides. When one side failed, I could switch the wires over to the other side and get more use out of it. I only had to replace the relay when both sides were used up. I'm going to take a look at this Glass Hive kiln relay and see if it also has two sides.

I really hope the problem isn't a cracked element!

[Alaska]

If the relay is open frame then it would be possible to push down on the moveable part to test. (insulated tool only) If the element comes alive and stay on, then it is most likely a relay issue. The other option is to jumper the contacts that supply power to the element.

[sunflower33]

Thanks Alaska, but that's all greek to me! I know nothing about electronics. I've figured out that it's not a two-sided relay, so I have ordered a brand new relay (the exact same model and brand) in hopes this will solve problem.

[Arnold Howard]

The wires should be so tight that they are difficult to remove from the relay. Loose wires can cause the problem you are describing. The relay may also be getting weak.

Sincerely,

Arnold Howard
Paragon Industries, L.P., Mesquite, Texas USA
ahoward@paragonweb.com / www.paragonweb.com