Leaving the wires attached to the Kiln Sitter, clean
the backside of the Kiln Sitter. Canned air is help-
ful. (But do not blow air into the Kiln Sitter tube.)
Reinstall the switch box. Arrange the wires so they
do not interfere with the locking slide that trips
when the weight drops. (You can see how the lock-
ing slide works by lifting the weight, pressing the
plunger, and then dropping the weight.) Also, ar-
range the wires inside the switch box so that wires
do not touch the element connectors or the kiln
case.
Clean the Kiln
Sitter Tube
Each time you
vacuum the kiln,
also vacuum the
Kiln Sitter tube as-
sembly. First, re-
move the cone
supports from the
Kiln Sitter tube.
Then place a vac-
uum hose directly over the tube. This removes debris and
rust from around the pivot point. Do not blow com-
pressed air into the tube.
Debris from exploding ware inside the kiln sometimes
lodges in the Kiln Sitter refractory tube. These fragments
can interfere with the travel of the actuating rod, resulting
in an overfire. After you have removed exploded clay frag-
ments from the firing chamber, always check the refrac-
tory tube for debris. It may not be readily apparent that
fragments are inside the tube. Check the travel of the ac-
tuating rod. It should be free to move up and down
without binding.
Note:
Probe the inside of the Kiln Sitter tube with
a clean artist’s brush. Keep the brush near the
kiln for checking the tube.
Replacing the Porcelain
Tube Assembly
Replace the porcelain tube assembly when the move-
ment of the sensing rod becomes sluggish or when the
sensing rod is bent. Be sure the replacement tube assem-
bly is the correct length for you kiln.
Disconnect the power to the kiln.
Make sure there is no cone or firing gauge in the
Kiln Sitter.
Remove and save the
screws at the side of
the switch box that
hold it to the kiln and
remove the box, care-
fully pulling straight
out to avoid damaging
the Kiln Sitter tube.
You may need to prop
the box on a chair or
other object as you lean
the box against the
kiln. Leave the wires
attached to the Kiln
Sitter.
19
Place the vacuum hose directly over the Kiln Sitter tube.
Remove the cone supports before vacuum-
ing the Kiln Sitter tube.