Virgil & Susan Leise on fri 9 oct 98
I hope someone can help me out!! Yesterday during a bisque fire
I had black smoke coming from the crack around the lid!!
Here are the details...It is a Skutt 231 (240volts)..#6 copper wire,
50 foot run. 60 amp breaker
Since moving here I have run 3 bisque loads to cone 04 and one glaze
load to cone 6...all okay
This fire went like this..2 hours on low..(lid open),,then 2.5 hours
on med. closed the lid left on med for 2 hours...turned on hi.
One hour later noticed the black smoke coming out. We shut it down.
On the plug one prong was blackened and so was the outlet.
Upon opening it and unloading this morning, I see no visable damage
in the kiln...no pots have exploded (like i assumed) Just nothing that
would have contributed to the smoke at all. The elements seem fine,
the sitter looks fine..altho not bent yet!
Can anyone relate to this problem???...Sure couldn't have hit at a
worse time...have a sale Nov. 6-7!!
Susan in Nebr.
The Kiln Gods on sun 11 oct 98
Hi Susan,
This sounds odd. There is usually signs of were the smoke originates.
Could there have been paper, or something, in the pots or in the clay body
that has burnt away?
Are you sure the smoke wasn`t coming from the wiring chamber?
I would try firing the kiln empty to see if you get more smoke. Also have a
close look at the clay body.
Chris @
Euclid's Kilns and Elements
1-800-296-5456
Web Site: http://www.euclids.com
E-Mail: mail@euclids.com
Bonnie Staffel on mon 12 oct 98
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> I hope someone can help me out!! Yesterday during a bisque fire
> I had black smoke coming from the crack around the lid!!
> Here are the details...It is a Skutt 231 (240volts)..#6 copper wire,
> 50 foot run. 60 amp breaker
> Since moving here I have run 3 bisque loads to cone 04 and one glaze
> load to cone 6...all okay
> This fire went like this..2 hours on low..(lid open),,then 2.5 hours
> on med. closed the lid left on med for 2 hours...turned on hi.
> One hour later noticed the black smoke coming out. We shut it down.
> On the plug one prong was blackened and so was the outlet.
> Upon opening it and unloading this morning, I see no visable damage
> in the kiln...no pots have exploded (like i assumed) Just nothing that
> would have contributed to the smoke at all. The elements seem fine,
> the sitter looks fine..altho not bent yet!
> Can anyone relate to this problem???...Sure couldn't have hit at a
> worse time...have a sale Nov. 6-7!!
> Susan in Nebr.
>
> One of the first things you should do is to have
your kiln directly wired instead of using a plug.
Electricity and heat expand and contract in the
plugs, causing shorts. My electrician gave me
this sage advice after we almost burned the studio
down. How the smoke came out of the kiln is a
mystery, or the cord got hot right down to the
kiln. If your plug looks blackened, that is where
the short is occurring. If the receptacle is
attached to a wooden wall, then a fire could erupt. Also, if you pull the plug
Bonnie Staffel
bstaffel@freeway.net
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Tom Wirt on tue 13 oct 98
Subject: Re: Electric Kiln Firing Problem
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> I hope someone can help me out!! Yesterday during a bisque fire
> I had black smoke coming from the crack around the lid!!
Also check out all the wiring in the box. I had a smoker a while back, and upon
digging into it found the several strands of one of the wires from switch to
element had broken. This raised the resistance and the temp to the point it
melted the insulation on the wire. The smell was strong electrical/plastic.
Another spot to check, although it wouldn't cause your problem, is the plug and
receptacle (if you're not hardwired). Especially on infinite control switches
(the kind that click on and off), one or more of the prongs can start arcing and
cause a drop in power and a fire hazard.
Tom
Michael R. Wardell on wed 14 oct 98
------------------
we have been firing this size electric kilns for many years, and find the
plugs burn out every couple years. i assume your cord to the kiln is not
50', thats the run to the breaker. your kiln cord should be as short as
possible - more distance makes more resistance which makes more heat.
direct wiring is best, but can be a nusiance if you need to move the kilns.
the smoke probably travelled down the wire and into the control box, and
then out into the kiln. for a quick fix, i would replace the plug and the
outlet - they have them at home depot - and then maybe get it wired when
the show rush is over.
michael wardell
wardell pottery
Jean Lutz on tue 12 sep 00
I have a Cress electric kiln - purchased use so I don't know exactly how
old it is. I just fired a load of bisque -
cone 06 in the kiln sitter
witness cones 05, 06, 07
After 2 hours when I closed the lid all seemed ok. The thumb wheel was at 2
1/2 as it usually is at that time.
However, the kiln sitter did not shut off the kiln. The timer (set for 9
hours) shut it off.
The thumbwheel had not advanced past 2 1/2.
The witness cones appear unaffected.
It's still too hot to unload but one large piece at the top has a decent
"ping" to it. So it may have fired enough for a bisque. But some small
pieces with an 06 low fire glaze on them don't appear to have fired quite
enough.
I don't understand why even if the cone sitter didn't work why the
thumbwheel failed to advance.
The only thing different with this firing is that I placed a shelf near the
kiln sitter. It was between 1/2 - 3/4 inch away from the end of the sitter.
I've never placed a shelf that close to it before so I don't know if this
is an issue here.
Does it appear that I have a kiln problem or is this just a one time screw up?
Should I just refire or assume that the pieces are fired enough for bisque?
They will be glaze fired to cone 6.
Jean Lutz
Scottsdale, AZ
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