Clay Times Back Issues Vol. 2 Issue 3 • Mar/Apr 1996 | Page 18

How to Keep Your
Electric Kiln Purring
BY STEVE BRANFMAN

Part 2: Diagnosing Common Ailments
Before we jump into diagnosing what may be wrong with your
kiln or what malady your kiln may
someday fall victim to, we should
make an overall assessment of the
condition of your kiln and the
kinds of things that can ultimately
cause problems.

The

Pure & Simple Pottery Products
P.O. Box 1279 Ukiah, CA 95482

[phone] PHONE/FAX

▼
18

WHOLESALE INQUIRIES ACCEPTED

Cleanliness may be next to
godliness, but for us, keeping the
kiln clean is very important and
requires more than simply not
spilling hot chocolate on the lid.
Dust, dirt, moisture, glaze drips,
and other visible ugliness all contribute to an overall decline in your
kiln’s health and efficient operation. This is not just cosmetic maintenance! Regular inspection and
cleaning of your kiln should be
part of your schedule. Vacuum the
interior as well as the upper
perimeter of the kiln. Check the
full interior of the kiln for dripped
glaze on the bricks—or worse, on
the coils. These drips should be
chipped away as soon as they
appear, for each successive firing
will drive the glaze deeper into the
brick and more permanently onto
the coil. Often, glaze that drips
onto a coil can be carefully loosened and taken off with a longnosed plier. Heat up the coil first
so it’s not brittle, but don’t heat it
to the point of real softness. Turn
off the current before you go to
work on it. If any of the coils are
popping out of their grooves, heat
up the coil and carefully compress
them back into their proper places.
This time, heat up the coils until
they are soft. The coils will have
color. Again, don’t forget to turn
off the current before you start
working.

A common cause of kiln failure
is loose connections. Every 10 firings or so, turn off the current and
open up the electrical boxes to
inspect for loose connections,
frayed wires, and corroding parts.
Electrical current vibrates, sometimes causing the connection
between the element and terminal
to come loose. This spot can then
decay rapidly. Make sure no wires
are touching the element tails that
come through the wall of the kiln.
Vacuum these areas also. Be sure
that the element tails are not coming in contact with the outside kiln
jacket.
There should be a porcelain
insulator protecting the jacket from
an electrical connection. If your
kiln is a multi-section one, there
will be plugs, outlets, and sometimes electrical cord connecting
each section to each other. These
components do wear out and
should be periodically examined.
If you find a plug to be darkened,
misshapen, or otherwise in less
than good condition, it must be
replaced. Its corresponding receptacle will most likely need replacement also. Check the cord for complete integrity. Examine the cord,
plug, and receptacle that connect
the kiln to your electrical service
for the same kinds of weaknesses.
If the lid of your kiln is on a hinge,
inspect the entire hinge mechanism
for corrosion, alignment, and security.
One of the most common causes of kiln deterioration is moisture.
Properly ventilating your kiln with
a commercial ventilation system or
by locating the kiln in a well-venti-