TROUBLESHOOTING AND REPAIR INSTRUCTIONS FOR L&L KILNS
troubleshoot-general.pdf
REV: 4/15/2017
Page 2
2017
L&L Kiln Mfg, Inc. 505 Sharptown Rd, Swedesboro NJ 08085 856.294.0077 F:856.294.0070 [email protected] hotkilns.com
CAUTION - ELECTRICITY CAN KILL
Many of the tests described in here are performed under
power. They should be done ONLY by someone who is
familiar with electrical safety such as an electrician or trained
maintenance person. We identify any test that is live with a
CAUTION statement. We describe these tests in detail so
that an electrically trained person who doesn’t specifically
understand kilns can do the troubleshooting - the level of
simplicity described is not meant as an invitation to harm the
untrained. AS LONG AS THE KILN IS UNPLUGGED YOU
ARE SAFE.
GET A DIGITAL MULTIMETER!
If you want to do much of the troubleshooting described here
and not be dependent on a kiln service person then get this
tool. It is not hard to use! Without it you are only guessing
at the origin and severity of an electrical problem based on
how the kiln is acting. A slow-firing kiln may just have old
elements, or the elements could be fine but the incoming
voltage from your power supply could be low, or fluctuating.
Unless you test with a multimeter, you could purchase new
elements and run the risk that you might be wasting money
and time without solving the problem. Be forewarned
however: Testing electrical circuits is very dangerous and
potentially deadly if you do it incorrectly. It could result in
electrocution! If you don’t feel comfortable doing this hire
an electrician or get someone to do it who is qualified. That
being said - many of the tests described in here just require
testing for resistance - which is done with the kiln unplugged.
AS LONG AS THE KILN IS UNPLUGGED YOU ARE SAFE.
You can buy an inexpensive digital multimeters for around
$40-$50. The meter you buy should be digital simply because
the analog type is not very accurate. You must be able to
see ohm (resistance) readings to the first decimal place.
TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE
This manual is meant to assist and educate kiln owners
and service technicians. Our basic philosophy at L&L is to
make kilns that last. No small part of having a reliable well-
firing kiln is good maintenance. This information is provided
as a service and is believed to be accurate. However, it
is the reader’s sole responsibility to interpret and use this
information correctly. Please visit our web site to download
the latest versions of all our instructional and technical
information.
VIDEOS
ALSO WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO USE THE VIDEOS ON
OUR WEB SITE (
hotkilns.com/video
).
TROUBLESHOOTING WEB TOOLS
The latest troubleshooting information is on the web. This
is constantly updated. See
hotkilns.com/knowledgebase
RELATED L&L GUIDES
CAUTION INSTRUCTIONS
See CAUTION INSTRUCTIONS FOR L&L KILNS in the
CAUTIONS section of your Instruction Manual. THIS IS
SOMETHING YOU MUST READ. (Also h
otkilns.com/
cautions
)
REGULAR KILN MAINTENANCE
See REGULAR MAINTENANCE OF YOUR L&L KILN in
the MAINTENANCE section of your Instruction Manual.
THIS IS SOMETHING YOU MUST READ.
BASIC ELECTRICITY FOR TROUBLESHOOTING
See BASIC ELECTRICITY FOR TROUBLESHOOTING
KILNS in the TROUBLESHOOTING section. Also see
hotkilns.com/volts.pdf
for more in-depth information about
electricity for kilns.
TROUBLESHOOTING BRICK PROBLEMS
See TROUBLESHOOTING AND FIXING BRICK
PROBLEMS in the TROUBLESHOOTING section for
information on firebrick problems and instructions on how
to repair firebrick problems.