JJ Adams on tue 12 sep 00
Hi,
I'm in the process of changing the elements on my Skutt 1027 (new
elements arrived today). Since this is the first time I have done this,
I talked to a technician at Skutt about it. He said the elements start
deteriorating after 100 firings and are pretty much shot at 150. You
will notice it more in the ramp/hold mode than in the cone fire mode
since the cone fire mode can automatically adjust the temperature as the
time increases due to the elements not being able to get to temp.
When your elements start failing, you'll start getting ERR 1 messages
on your controller which tell you that the kiln was not able to raise
the temperature you programmed in the time you programmed in.
If you are engineering oriented, you can take an ohm meter and measure
the resistance in the terminal strip (after UNPLUGGING the kiln). Put
your meter leads on terminals 1 and 2 and the ohms of resistance should
read 13.6; across 3 and 4 should be 16.3; and across terminals 5 and 6
should be 13.6. Anything higher than 1.5 over these figures and you've
got element problems.
I've been very interested in the discussion on changing elements
because, frankly, it scares me and I'd like all the information I can
get.
Wish me luck. Jan
chrisclarke on tue 12 sep 00
Lauren,
I changed mine because my kiln would not make it up to temperature (cone6).
This was after a move and I'm not sure if the movers damaged an element, but they
looked pretty crumby when I removed them. In fact I replaced the thermocouple
before I replaced elements. But it's such a hassle, I would replace all of them
when you need to. I fired for five years at least four times a month, sometimes
more. You'll know when you need to. Your kiln will start to take longer and
longer, you do keep a log don't you, and then finally just won't make it. If it's
just one you'll have cold spots. chris@ccpots.
Lauren Bellero wrote:
> >About 4 months ago we changed elements in our Skutt 1027 and the oval
> >Olympic.
>
>
> hi folks,
>
> i'm curious: how long-- or how many firings -- did your kilns
> fire before you needed to change the elements? and if you
> need to change one, should you change them all? what
> "symptoms" did you encounter to tip you off that the
> elements needed to be changed?
>
> i also have a skutt 1027 with a kiln master (so i don't watch cones
> even though they are in there). my kiln has had 80 firings (highest
> temp is cone 6) and i wonder when i should be doing that
> kind of maintenance...
>
> thanks!
> lauren
> mudslingers@att.net
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
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>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at melpots@pclink.com.
The Buchanans on tue 12 sep 00
Lauren, I also changed all the elements in my Duncan 1029 this month. After
10 years and 375 firings I was afraid to go into my fall show season with
the firings getting longer and longer. The only maintenance before this was
a bottom switch and the electric cord. Of course, I have had other brands
that needed new elements every couple of years. When the firing time
increases by 25% and none of the elements are burned out and all switches
check out, I order new elements.
A warning for beginning potters: A friend who was replacing top coils
frequently discovered the problem was solved when she stopped smoothing
glaze drips as she loaded and blowing the powdery glaze into the kiln.
Judi
----- Original Message -----
From: Lauren Bellero
To:
Sent: Tuesday, September 12, 2000 1:54 PM
Subject: element changing...
> >About 4 months ago we changed elements in our Skutt 1027 and the oval
> >Olympic.
>
>
> hi folks,
>
> i'm curious: how long-- or how many firings -- did your kilns
> fire before you needed to change the elements? and if you
> need to change one, should you change them all? what
> "symptoms" did you encounter to tip you off that the
> elements needed to be changed?
>
> i also have a skutt 1027 with a kiln master (so i don't watch cones
> even though they are in there). my kiln has had 80 firings (highest
> temp is cone 6) and i wonder when i should be doing that
> kind of maintenance...
>
> thanks!
> lauren
> mudslingers@att.net
>
>
____________________________________________________________________________
__
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots@pclink.com.
Lauren Bellero on tue 12 sep 00
>About 4 months ago we changed elements in our Skutt 1027 and the oval
>Olympic.
hi folks,
i'm curious: how long-- or how many firings -- did your kilns
fire before you needed to change the elements? and if you
need to change one, should you change them all? what
"symptoms" did you encounter to tip you off that the
elements needed to be changed?
i also have a skutt 1027 with a kiln master (so i don't watch cones
even though they are in there). my kiln has had 80 firings (highest
temp is cone 6) and i wonder when i should be doing that
kind of maintenance...
thanks!
lauren
mudslingers@att.net
pam pulley on wed 13 sep 00
For our studio it seem to go about a year and we need to change. One thing
that seems to happen is the the what usually takes 6 or 7 hours to do a
glaze starts creeping up and takes 10 or 12 hours. We have 2 skutts. One
only does glaze and the older one does bisque. The oval olympic does the
big bisque loads. All have kilnmaster or equivalent. Also, if we end up
with a Error Code 1 (ramp error), then at least one of the elements is not
working. For us, we ususally seem to have to change all the elements at the
same time.
At this point I just watch and haven't taken on the challenge to do this,
but will have to soon so we can spread the work and knowledge around.
Pam
Mid michigan, now cool and sunny, what a releif after rainy and humid
>From: Lauren Bellero
>Reply-To: Ceramic Arts Discussion List
>To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
>Subject: element changing...
>Date: Tue, 12 Sep 2000 16:54:05 -0400
>
> >About 4 months ago we changed elements in our Skutt 1027 and the oval
> >Olympic.
>
>
>hi folks,
>
>i'm curious: how long-- or how many firings -- did your kilns
>fire before you needed to change the elements? and if you
>need to change one, should you change them all? what
>"symptoms" did you encounter to tip you off that the
>elements needed to be changed?
>
>i also have a skutt 1027 with a kiln master (so i don't watch cones
>even though they are in there). my kiln has had 80 firings (highest
>temp is cone 6) and i wonder when i should be doing that
>kind of maintenance...
>
>thanks!
>lauren
>mudslingers@att.net
>
>______________________________________________________________________________
>Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
>You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
>settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
>Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
>melpots@pclink.com.
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Arnold Howard on wed 13 sep 00
Changing elements is easier to do than to describe. Once you have changed a
few, you might even have fun with it.
At a kiln repair seminar many years ago, my boss told the students, "Arnold
is going to show you how to change an element." The students crowded around
the kiln and watched intently. Little did they know that I was about to
change an element for the very first time.
I changed my first element without a problem, and so can you.
Several suggestions:
1. Clean out debris from the grooves, especially where an element burned in
two from glaze contact. Spread newspaper in the bottom of the kiln to prevent
the element from touching kiln wash.
2. Lay the new element on the top rim of firebrick. The end that you begin
feeding into the grooves should be the bottom loop. If you feed the top loop,
the element will tangle up.
3. Apply a constant pressure to the element as you thread it into the
grooves. If you let go, the element will probably spring out of the grooves.
Push the element all the way back to the corners of the grooves.
4. Press the element connector right up against the porcelain insulator.
Tighten the insulator very securely. (I don't know how tight a Skutt element
connector should be. A Paragon connector should be 30 inch pounds, which is
about 1 1/4 turns past the point of very firm resistance.)
5. Cut off the excess element sticking out past the connector. This is to
avoid shorting out the element against something in the switch box.
Always use new element connectors.
Wishing you luck,
Arnold Howard
Paragon Industries, Inc.
--- JJ Adams wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I'm in the process of changing the elements on my Skutt 1027 (new
> elements arrived today). Since this is the first time I have done this,
> I talked to a technician at Skutt about it. He said the elements start
> deteriorating after 100 firings and are pretty much shot at 150. You
> will notice it more in the ramp/hold mode than in the cone fire mode
> since the cone fire mode can automatically adjust the temperature as the
> time increases due to the elements not being able to get to temp.
>
> When your elements start failing, you'll start getting ERR 1
> messages
> on your controller which tell you that the kiln was not able to raise
> the temperature you programmed in the time you programmed in.
>
> If you are engineering oriented, you can take an ohm meter and
> measure
> the resistance in the terminal strip (after UNPLUGGING the kiln). Put
> your meter leads on terminals 1 and 2 and the ohms of resistance should
> read 13.6; across 3 and 4 should be 16.3; and across terminals 5 and 6
> should be 13.6. Anything higher than 1.5 over these figures and you've
> got element problems.
>
> I've been very interested in the discussion on changing elements
> because, frankly, it scares me and I'd like all the information I can
> get.
>
> Wish me luck. Jan
>
>
______________________________________________________________________________
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots@pclink.com.
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Caitlin Baum on thu 14 sep 00
Don't be TOO eager to rip out those old elements based on their age
alone; they might have a little bit of life in them yet!
I was surprised to learn that Skutt advises elements are worn out
after 150 firings... as I am now waiting for my Skutt 1027 to cool
after firing #201. (BTW, I fire ^04 bisque and ^6 glaze in this - my
only - kiln). Curious, I looked at my log book (I record all firings
and the length of time they took).
Firing #2 (back in March 1994!) took 13 hours and 50 min for a ^6
Slow pre-programmed firing. Yesterday's ^6 Slow (#201) took 14 hours
and 3 min. (13 min. longer than firing #2)
Firing #3, ^04 Slow took 12 hr 27 min, whereas firing # 194 took 12
hr 22 min. (5 min shorter than firing #3.)
I've been reading the element replacement posts with trepidation,
too, and hoping I can put it off a little bit longer...
Jan wrote -
> I'm in the process of changing the elements on my Skutt 1027 (new
> elements arrived today). Since this is the first time I have done this,
> I talked to a technician at Skutt about it. He said the elements start
> deteriorating after 100 firings and are pretty much shot at 150. You
> will notice it more in the ramp/hold mode than in the cone fire mode
> since the cone fire mode can automatically adjust the temperature as the
> time increases due to the elements not being able to get to temp.
>
> When your elements start failing, you'll start getting ERR 1 messages
> on your controller which tell you that the kiln was not able to raise
> the temperature you programmed in the time you programmed in.
>
>
==============================
Kris Baum
Shubunkin Pottery
KBaum@shubunkinpottery.com
www.shubunkinpottery.com
==============================
Steve Mills on sat 16 sep 00
In message , Caitlin Baum writes
>Don't be TOO eager to rip out those old elements based on their age
>alone; they might have a little bit of life in them yet!
We operate a firing service at Bath Potters for the Kilnless and only
change elements when one goes pop or the whole lot get REALLY slow. We
tell our customers to Vacuum elements and grooves at least every 10
firings if not more often. Keeps 'em up to scratch (the elements I
mean!).
Steve
--
Steve Mills
Bath
UK
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