WarmGlass.com

Hi,

My nice little Skutt started having troubles ramping up past 1244 degrees. It drops down to 1130 then tries again and again. I'm hoping it's not a kiln issue. Finally got an error 1 message. There are several possible causes. How do I figure out what the problem is?

According to Skutt:
"Error 1 (E-1) is the most common Error Code that your kiln will display. It is telling you that the kiln does not have the power to rise in temperature at a minimum rate. This Error Code is triggered when the kiln cannot rise in temperature by at least 12°F/hr during a Heating portion of a program (if it happened during a Hold or Cooling portion of the program you would get a different Error Message). This slow rate must persist for at least 22.5 minutes before it will trigger the error. For some reason your kiln is unable to generate enough power to achieve the heatwork you are asking of it. The most common causes of E-1 errors are failed relays, worn out elements, broken elements or voltage issues."

Thanks

Assuming your glass hasn't slumped or fused which might indicate a problem with the thermocouple or a misprogramming of the F/C units, I've seen this problem when the peephole has been left unplugged or when the lid is not completely closed allowing room air into the kiln and hot air to escape.

Tony

To add to Tony's comments -- as the Skutt E-1 explanation says, this error can be caused by elements that are getting old or that need replacing or by faulty relays. Does the problem occur all of the time or just occasionally? Does the kiln have multiple elements and relays or just one? (Which Skutt kiln?) It's possible that one element or relay is failing and that the other isn't so that you don't have enough power.

Also, try using a different program on the controller to see if the same thing happens.

Cold weather can cause a higher electrical demand and lower voltages being supplied to your location.

If the kiln has top and side elements, and one is malfunctioning (as Brad indicated because of a broken element or failed relay), the kiln will not get to temperature. So heat up the kiln and take a peek inside. Are all the elements glowing?

Tony