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1. The heating or cooling rate is slower than 27°F (15°C) per Hour
2. The current program step has lasted 2 hours longer than anticipated.
In most cases, the
FtL
alarm occurs during heating if the heating rate is set to a fast speed that
cannot be maintained by the kiln. If the heating rate is within the systems capability, a
component failure has probably occurred with the heating elements or the heater relays.
During cool-down, a well insulated system will have cooling limitation and rapid cooling rates
may set off this alarm if the cooling speed cannot be maintained. Increasing the final cool-down
temperature or slowing the programmed cooling rate can avoid this alarm.
tCL
- This alarm indicates that the thermocouple signal is not responding to the demand for
more system power during heat-up. There are 3 conditions for the
tCL
alarm.
1. The heating rate is slower than 9°F (5°C) per Hour
2. The actual kiln temperature is lagging behind the desired setpoint temperature by more
than 100ºF (56ºC).
3. The actual temperature is less than 500ºF (260ºC)
In all cases, the
tCL
alarm occurs during heating when little temperature rise is detected. This
can be the result of a component failure; most likely a failed heating elements or a heater relay.
Another possible problem is with the thermocouple sensor signal; if the thermocouple probe is
not properly positioned in the firing chamber or if the wiring from the thermocouple has short-
circuited the controller will not detect actual temperature changes in the firing chamber.
EtH
- This alarm indicates that the Electronics temperature is too hot for controller operation.
The controller temperature must be below 176ºF (80ºC) to prevent damage to the electronic
components. The
EtH
alarm cannot be cleared unless the board temperature has cooled. If the
EtH
occurs frequently, check the kiln for heat loss near the controller. Proper venting and heat-
shielding should be inspected.
HtdE
-The High Temperature deviation alarm sounds an audible alarm and terminates the
firing if the actual kiln temperature is above the controller set-point by 56ºC (100ºF). This alarm
is active only when the actual kiln temperature is above 500ºF (260ºC)
FE #
- Fatal software Errors, FE Alarms indicate a hardware failure or software
problem with the controller. These alarms will disable the normal controller operation
and require corrective action. If a Fatal Error occurs during an active firing, the firing is
terminated. These alarms include;
FE 1 – Failed to read or write to memory device
FE 2 – Failed memory test during power on
FE 3 – Corrupt data found in memory
FE 4 – Errors detecting thermocouple input signal
FE 5 – Software Execution failed
Turn the controller off and back on, then press any button to try and clear the alarm. If
the alarm reoccurs immediately or frequently, the controller may require service or
replacement.
FE 4
alarms can often be solved by correcting problems with the system thermocouple. Loose
connections or faulty thermocouple wiring or a faulty thermocouple can result in this alarm.
