My kiln has gone on strike :( (update: now fixed - yay!)

[TheJanie]

My first question is, why does this always happen at the most inconvenient of times.  Oh wait, I know the answer to that one... S - I mean - Murphy's Law.

<sigh>

My SC2 isn't heating up, even when I ask it nicely.

It's sitting at 23ºC and clicking like it's *trying* to heat up; I put an advance organic thermometer (i.e. my hand) inside after a short while and have confirmed it is not heating up.

Really, I'm hoping that someone can tell me (truthfully) this is easy to fix... please?  Pretty please?

[Lee - Kilncare]

If it is clicking away like a good-un then it would appear that the relay is possibly O.K. That would suggest a power issue and from past experience it may well be your muffle that has blown.

I suggest you contact your supplier and see what they can do for you.

[TheJanie]

Hi Lee

Thanks for your reply - I've just been searching through my old emails to try and find the ones I sent you when I last had a problem with my kiln

I haven't been able to find them all but picking through what I have found, I think it's the same problem as last time - the relay.  It's not clicking away constantly... just a few times.

I also wasn't patient enough earlier to wait and discover that after about 5 minutes, it ends up with a tCL error.  I've been trying a few things since then so found that out about half an hour ago...

I've had a power meter on it; on the first click it jumps to 178 watts briefly then immediately down to 10 and sits there until it clicks off and back down to 0.6.

On the next click it jumps to 196 watts, straight back to 10 and sits there until it eventually shows the tCL error, about 5 minutes after starting the program.

Based on that and comparing it to what I can glean from last time, I'm going to order a new relay... just need to look at the numbers from this one so I can do a bit of a search around...

I hope I'm right...?  Replacing it was fairly painless last time, unless you count all those fiddly screws!

[Lee - Kilncare]

Nice one, the thing is, the relays on them aren't brilliant and for the cost of them (not much at all) it is well worth changing it anyway, then you have elliminated 1 potential problem if it still doesn't work.

Good luck.

[TheJanie]

Thanks Lee

I found somewhere that sells the relays cheap enough - I should have bought a few at once, would have got a discount... after all, it's only 13 months since I bought the last one :/

At this point, I'm considering whether to get a more reliable SC2 replacement... hmm... wonder where I could get one of them...?

[Lee - Kilncare]

Thanks Lee

I found somewhere that sells the relays cheap enough - I should have bought a few at once, would have got a discount... after all, it's only 13 months since I bought the last one :/

At this point, I'm considering whether to get a more reliable SC2 replacement... hmm... wonder where I could get one of them...?

[TheJanie]

Right, it was the relay and now it's all fixed and appears to be working normally again

I even have a spare relay for the next time 

If anyone has the same problem, I've found somewhere you can get a replacement relay for £13.32 delivered.  Last time the cheapest price I could find was £24!

I'm still saving up for a new kiln though 

[awrylemming]

Excellent - and what a relief for you  x

[Lee - Kilncare]

Good stuff matey