Mark H Dawson on mon 21 oct 96
Hello there,
I have recently bought a CRT 280 electric kiln (48 amps, 240 V)
from Pottery Supply House here in Ontario. I have also purchased an Orton
Autofire Plus device and an Orton Kilnvent. I fire to cone 6.
I have programmed the Autofire device under the USER mode with
5 quite different programs (eg. changing the ramp, or, that is, the degrees
it raises per hour, by a couple hundred degrees F). Various programs
should have, theoretically, only taken 7 and 8 and 9 hours. Alas, all
firings are 11 to 11 1/2 hours. I would prefer 9 hour firings. At the end
of the firings, when it is programmed to raise 250 degrees F (or 450 for
that matter) per hour, it only manages 50 to 60 degrees.
It doesn't matter how heavy or lightly loaded it is. And I've
had my current (60 amps) and voltage (240) checked.
I have a slightly larger older kiln (with no autofire) that
reaches cone 6 in 8 to 9 hours with new elements.
It seems that the programming doesn't make any difference to
the rate of increase in temperature. I am wondering if others have
experienced this. I'm frustrated because these "designer programs" seem...
ummm...useless.
Does anybody have any ideas what could be wrong-in either
what I'm doing or the product?
Frustrated, and turning skeptical in Ontario,
Laura Taylor.
Laura Taylor
LINDA BLOSSOM on mon 21 oct 96
Dear Laura,
No matter how fast your ramp says the kiln should go, it will only go up in
temperature as fast as it can. In the higher end, 50-60 Centigrade is
about right. You could try some insulation. I have soft brick and a few
hard brick under the kiln to keep heat in. I don't use the stand. I also
have a blank ring and an insulating cover over the lid. That way I have an
air space and then the insulation rather than having the insulation right
on the lid. If I were to buy a new kiln, it would be a Cone Art because of
the insulated lid and the insulation added around the brick. There is so
much heat loss through the 3" brick wall and all heat you lose you must
replace. I have three inches of blanket around my kiln, under the metal
cover. My heat loss is very low because of this.
Linda Blossom
2366 Slaterville Rd.
Ithaca, NY 14850
blossom@lightlink.com
http://www.artscape.com
607-539-7912
Jo Ann Stevens on mon 21 oct 96
Laura
I also bought a PSH kiln, CRT 180, Autofire and a Bailey vent and nothing
but frustration and a very hot basement.
After numerous phone calls, etc. a year later they sent new elements....said
that they MIGHT have installed wrong ones. It then reached temp when it was
supposed to, but never had more than 3 firings in a row where something
didn't go wrong. Also discovered that the lid was not fit properly and
sanded down the top layer even...seems a little better now, but out of
frustration I bought another used kiln and only use the PSH for bisque
firing most of the time.
Sharing your frustration and wishing I had bought a Coneart.
Also, beware if you didn't get the controller mounted on the wall--it will
burn out very shortly.....but PSH...will split the difference in cost with
you.
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Hello there,
> I have recently bought a CRT 280 electric kiln (48 amps, 240 V)
>from Pottery Supply House here in Ontario. I have also purchased an Orton
>Autofire Plus device and an Orton Kilnvent. I fire to cone 6.
> I have programmed the Autofire device under the USER mode with
>5 quite different programs (eg. changing the ramp, or, that is, the degrees
>it raises per hour, by a couple hundred degrees F). Various programs
>should have, theoretically, only taken 7 and 8 and 9 hours. Alas, all
>firings are 11 to 11 1/2 hours. I would prefer 9 hour firings. At the end
>of the firings, when it is programmed to raise 250 degrees F (or 450 for
>that matter) per hour, it only manages 50 to 60 degrees.
> It doesn't matter how heavy or lightly loaded it is. And I've
>had my current (60 amps) and voltage (240) checked.
> I have a slightly larger older kiln (with no autofire) that
>reaches cone 6 in 8 to 9 hours with new elements.
> It seems that the programming doesn't make any difference to
>the rate of increase in temperature. I am wondering if others have
>experienced this. I'm frustrated because these "designer programs" seem...
>ummm...useless.
> Does anybody have any ideas what could be wrong-in either
>what I'm doing or the product?
> Frustrated, and turning skeptical in Ontario,
> Laura Taylor.
>
>Laura Taylor
>
>
Jo Ann Stevens,
St. Catharines, Ont. Canada
jstevens@niagara.com
Aileen/Elliott Sperber on tue 22 oct 96
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Hello there,
> I have recently bought a CRT 280 electric kiln (48 amps, 240 V)
>from Pottery Supply House here in Ontario. I have also purchased an Orton
>Autofire Plus device and an Orton Kilnvent. I fire to cone 6.
> I have programmed the Autofire device under the USER mode with
>5 quite different programs (eg. changing the ramp, or, that is, the degrees
>it raises per hour, by a couple hundred degrees F). Various programs
>should have, theoretically, only taken 7 and 8 and 9 hours. Alas, all
>firings are 11 to 11 1/2 hours. I would prefer 9 hour firings. At the end
>of the firings, when it is programmed to raise 250 degrees F (or 450 for
>that matter) per hour, it only manages 50 to 60 degrees.
> It doesn't matter how heavy or lightly loaded it is. And I've
>had my current (60 amps) and voltage (240) checked.
> I have a slightly larger older kiln (with no autofire) that
>reaches cone 6 in 8 to 9 hours with new elements.
> It seems that the programming doesn't make any difference to
>the rate of increase in temperature. I am wondering if others have
>experienced this. I'm frustrated because these "designer programs" seem...
>ummm...useless.
> Does anybody have any ideas what could be wrong-in either
>what I'm doing or the product?
> Frustrated, and turning skeptical in Ontario,
> Laura Taylor.
>
>Laura Taylor
>
>
I had the same problem with an older kiln some years ago. It refused to go
more than the 50 to 60 degrees at the end. I have a new kiln now, the
difference being in the construction of the kiln and more importantly I
think in the elements used. They are the highest strength elements. I
wanted to make sure that the kiln would fire to cone 9 or cone 10 from time
to time and I was assured that these elements would do it and do it
consistently for a long time. Also I was told that if I fired mostly at
cone 6 they would last much, much longer than the usual elements. I have
forgotten what they were called but I am sure any element maker would know.
My kiln is a Paragon. It works wonderfully, acurately and reliably. It
does everything it is supposed to do. I too had thought it (automatic
programming )wasn't any good, but I now swear by it instead of at it. Check
it out, maybe it is just the elements.
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