Arnold Howard on fri 1 oct 04
=?iso-8859-1?Q?_a_newbie.?=
The porcelain insulators used for installing elements are very important.
They prevent an electrical short between the element and steel case. They
should be pressed all the way in, and the element connector should be right
against the porcelain insulator.
The tech probably didn't read the element instructions and didn't know how
important the insulators are.
I would not fire the kiln until the insulator has been installed and the
element has been pushed back into the groove. If you move the element into
the groove without heating it, you will break it, because an element is
brittle after it has been fired. A bulging element is easy to repair, but if
you rush, you could break the element. You have to take your time while
working the element back into the groove.
Electrical tape should never be used on a kiln. When I first started working
at Paragon, electrical tape was not allowed in the building.
I don't know how to advise you in dealing with the man who sold you the
kiln. However, I would not fire the kiln again until it has been repaired.
I'm glad you noticed that the insulator was missing.
Sincerely,
Arnold Howard
Paragon Industries, L.P., Mesquite, Texas USA
arnoldhoward@att.net / www.paragonweb.com
From: "Sincultura 13"
This guy (same tech who just repaired the kiln) changed the top element
before he sold the kiln to me two months ago and forgot to place the white
insulator/spacers. Is this something easily/commonly overlooked by techs?
This made the element make contact with the metal causing intermittent
little explosions (sparkles) every time the kiln was on. I just got my kiln
back from the tech. The top element is slightly out of the groove. Maybe due
to the space the spacer took? I tried to push it gently back but it won't
stay there. From what I read the elements needs to be heated in order to get
it back in place. I don't have a torch and don't feel I should be the one
to do the job since it was his mistake.
>
> Is the element more likely to pop out completely during firing if it's
slightly out of the groove?
>
> Also the tech promised me that if I bought a longer plug cable he would
install it and give me a plug free of charge. He did a very sloppy job
cutting the cable and taped with black tape the corners of the cable. Can
black tape withstand the heat the side that is hooked to the kiln sitter is
exposed to? He left the same old plug on the new cable. The plug is REALLY
old and the spaces for the bolts/nuts are worn. It was a two man job talking
it apart to change the cable.. He also forgot to place all screws on the
kiln sitter back, which I noticed while loading the kiln on my car. He also
damaged one of the screws and told me not to worry about it that the other
three will hold it firmly in place.
>
> sincultura
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