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I replaced the relay, but still got the FTL error and glass that hadn't fused. Now I'm stumped. The elements are definitely working, could it be the thermocouple? Want to throw it out the window!

However, in better news, my parents heard about my problem and sent me money to buy a new kiln(!) I am going with the Skutt Firebox 14 since the paragon I was looking at is too large to fit in my space. I'd still like to fix the old one if possible, but it isn't as urgent. I know how lucky I am to get this gift from my parents that came from out of nowhere.

Thanks for all your advice.

--jodi

Did you ever get this resolved. I have experienced the same, have come seriously close to ordering a new kiln. Tomorrow I am replacing the thermocouple. I have replace the lid elements, all bright red when on, lots of clicking with the new relay. I'm shutting down at 880. I get an Error 1. I'm going back to cold glass if this does not work

And I don't think I will be an Olympic customer again. Very hard to work on and they do not give you great instructions on repair

This doesn't directly answer your question....you've had lots of good advice about that...but a couple of posts in the thread are sighing wistfully for 220v. If you have an electric oven or an electric dryer you do have 220. When I lived in North America I had an electrician wire my kiln to the oven circuit. If you're a dedicated Susy Homemaker that may not work well for you as you can't use both at once but that never bothered me. 220v Kilns sometimes go cheaply because people don't realize they can use them if they are prepared to spend a few dollars for an electrician and it's possible to run the wiring. So, don't pass up the chance of getting a deal on a 220v kiln if you've checked first with an electrician to see if you can do that. Jen

Rick Wilton wrote:quote from PAragon website

Your relay has been damaged by heat. As the temperature rises in the switch box, the relay fails because the electromagnet that closes the contacts inside the relay has weakened.

During the summer if the kiln room gets too hot, use a fan to blow air into the switch box louvers of your kiln. Aim the fan toward the side of the switch box. But do not let air blow into the kiln’s peepholes. The fan will immediately lower the temperature inside the switch box.

My Olympic Traveler (POS) may have this relay problem and I'm about to do a high-temp fire in my Olympic 3014GFE and I'm thinking of how to avoid a heat-damaged relay (an ounce of prevention being worth a pound of cure). The issue appears to be ambient temperature and not heat generated internally to the relay. Will insulating the controller box from heat radiated by the kiln lower the ambient temperature in the box and prevent this relay failure? I'm thinking of putting some refractive material in the space between the kiln and the controller box; I recognize that this must be done carefully so as not to move any of the connections between the box and the kiln. Will this work?

Jerrwel wrote: My Olympic Traveler (POS) may have this relay problem and I'm about to do a high-temp fire in my Olympic 3014GFE and I'm thinking of how to avoid a heat-damaged relay (an ounce of prevention being worth a pound of cure). The issue appears to be ambient temperature and not heat generated internally to the relay. Will insulating the controller box from heat radiated by the kiln lower the ambient temperature in the box and prevent this relay failure? I'm thinking of putting some refractive material in the space between the kiln and the controller box; I recognize that this must be done carefully so as not to move any of the connections between the box and the kiln. Will this work?

Aaaargh! Now that I look more closely, I see that the space between the box and the kiln is on my Skutt while the Olympic controller boxes are affixed directly to the kiln i.e. without a space. Perhaps this is the reason Skutt does not seem to be mentioned in these failed relay discussions - the space lets the radiated heat dissipate so as not to affect the relay. Maybe Olympic (and possibly Paragon) should make note of this design.

i place a small desk fan under the control box on a cement floor. this blows the air cooled by the cement upwards through the box. since i've done that, i haven't had a relay failure since.

4" muffin fan screwed to the bottom of the control box and blowing up through the louvers keeps things cool.

suds wrote:4" muffin fan screwed to the bottom of the control box and blowing up through the louvers keeps things cool.

It is ludicrous that this type of measure needs to be taken! Are these kiln manufacturers located in Detroit? They have a well known design issue and do nothing to mitigate it! This is one of my criteria for buying a kiln in the future; I will not buy a kiln where the manufacturer has not addressed this issue as it shows a disregard for the consumer; what other issues have they failed to address? (he rants)

BTW, Suds, thanks for the suggested solution.

Jerrwel wrote:
It is ludicrous that this type of measure needs to be taken! Are these kiln manufacturers located in Detroit? They have a well known design issue and do nothing to mitigate it! This is one of my criteria for buying a kiln in the future; I will not buy a kiln where the manufacturer has not addressed this issue as it shows a disregard for the consumer; what other issues have they failed to address? (he rants)

BTW, Suds, thanks for the suggested solution.

Well, to be fair, I have to mention that I didn't add the cooling fan because I was having problems. The kiln has performed trouble free for me so far.
I added the fan when I switched to SSR's and wanted to make sure they stay cool. I ditched the original relays and went to SSR's because the constant clicking of the mechanical relays was driving me to madness. (I know, short drive)

But the fan is cheap and easy to install and moves a lot of cool air through the box.

aglassygirl303, no, I never got it resolved. I wound up getting a new kiln (Skutt FIrebox 14) and I am pretty happy with the increased size. But sometimes I wish I could have my SC-2 also. Arnold Howard from Paragon, who is very helpful, told me that he thinks I should replace the thermocouple. I have it sitting here waiting for some spare $$ to buy a new one.

Your problem does sound very similar to mine. If you replace the thermocouple, let me know if it works! Don't give up and go back to cold glass, LOL.

all kilns require maintenance and repair. just like automobiles. if you're not ready to accept that, then find another media. Everything has it's limits and can be problems depending upon their usage. As I stated before they are pieces of mechanical equipment just like autos and each has it's own set of characteristics. Generally, the more the you spend, the better equipment you get but that is not always the case. A tuneup on a Maserati is now over $1400. and a friend of mine found a new set of tires on his Honda Odyssey would set him back over $1800.
As Bert said, learn how to make your own and make the needed repairs when necessary. Kilns are not nearly as complicated as autos.