kilns and power outages?

kahlamodie · #1 2007-07-16, 1:00pm

I have a thought that could turn into a dilemma when I finally get a kiln. We have alot of power outages where I live, usually a couple a week, and sometimes several just in a day. It`s not our house, it`s the electric company, everyone complains about it. I`m saving up for a kiln, and I`m wondering if there`s a particular brand of kiln or some type of gadget that you can put on one that will override an outage and turn the kiln back on? Our outages usually only last a second or 2, just enough to mess up all the digital clocks in the house and restart the computers. How would I handle this if I have a kiln and it`s running?

squid · #2 2007-07-16, 1:12pm

My jen ken (with an orton controller) re-starts where it left off after a power outage. I would bet most of them do the same thing (with a digital controller). I believe my orton resets unless the temperature change has been so dramatic that it can't pick up where it left off.

kahlamodie · #3 2007-07-16, 1:47pm

Oh, that`s good to know. I was planning on getting a jen ken when I can afford it. Thanks, squid.

ziggys · #4 2007-07-18, 1:14am

Do you put it on a surge protector? I'm thinking maybe I need one because we have the same problem here.
Angela

InspirationToolworks · #5 2007-07-18, 4:18am

Definitely get one made of brick rather than a fiber insulation. It will have a larger thermal capacitance, meaning a more stable temperature during the outage.

-Jeff

Peach Blossom Beads · #6 2007-07-18, 7:18am

Be sure you put it on a surge protector! Always.

DH had purchased the best surge protector he could find for my kiln. Then, he plugged in the vacuum for he pool last week while I had it on. We thought that the kiln was on a circuit by itself but apparently it was connected to one of the outlets on the outside of the house. Well, we had a bit of an issue. My kiln went out and he looked at the protector and it had MELTED. Right where the kiln was plugged into it, the outlet melted. Thank God we had it hooked up that way. Of course, we're not using anything on that circuit while the kiln is on and in the meantime we're getting an electrician over here to install a dedicated outlet (that way we KNOW it's on it's own).

Emiko · #7 2007-07-18, 9:14am

Quote:

Originally Posted by squid

My jen ken (with an orton controller) re-starts where it left off after a power outage. I would bet most of them do the same thing (with a digital controller). I believe my orton resets unless the temperature change has been so dramatic that it can't pick up where it left off.

My Paragon controller is not that smart.

squid · #8 2007-07-18, 9:25am

Sorry to hear that Emiko.

I do

my jen ken!

smutboy420 · #9 2007-07-19, 5:17am

Some controllers have whats called "power event handling" but usually only higher quality controllers have power event handling options. most want to restart right from the first step again. and some you need to manualy restart the program again after the power comes on.

On the ramping controllers I make they have different options to have it do different things in the event of a power failure.
You can have it set to just pick up right where it left off and continue on. or it can be set to start back at the beginning of your program. or you can have it jump to any other step you want when the power comes back on. it can also be set to do one thing if its a short duration failure or something else if its longer then a certain time.

But the best option for brown outs and real short duration outages it to have it just pick up where it left off and not start back at the beginning again. Also my controllers take about a second or so for the power to drain from the internal electronics. So if the outages are real short or the lights just flicker out the controller stays on still. even flipping the on/off switch off and them back on real fast the controller don't even flicker. So tiny brown outs usually don't even effect it.

Ro · #10 2007-07-20, 10:07am

mmm, i have large paragon with 240 v, had the electrician put in the outlet. do they make surge protectors for this voltage i wonder? anyone have a good source, i certainly would need top of the line protector for such a large draw.
thanks
ro

Emiko · #11 2007-07-20, 2:01pm

Quote:

Some controllers have whats called "power event handling" but usually only higher quality controllers have power event handling options. most want to restart right from the first step again. and some you need to manualy restart the program again after the power comes on.

Mine is the stupidest kind. All it does is to obnoxiously beep until it is manually stopped.

ziggys · #12 2007-07-20, 10:59pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by taramag

Be sure you put it on a surge protector! Always.

DH had purchased the best surge protector he could find for my kiln. Then, he plugged in the vacuum for he pool last week while I had it on. We thought that the kiln was on a circuit by itself but apparently it was connected to one of the outlets on the outside of the house. Well, we had a bit of an issue. My kiln went out and he looked at the protector and it had MELTED. Right where the kiln was plugged into it, the outlet melted. Thank God we had it hooked up that way. Of course, we're not using anything on that circuit while the kiln is on and in the meantime we're getting an electrician over here to install a dedicated outlet (that way we KNOW it's on it's own).

Geesh! Is your kiln 240? I know my parents had problems with the pool filtering system tripping the circuit and shutting off. But I'm guessing a vacuum doesn't require much.
My kiln runs on a standard household outlet. Though I know I'm not supposed to run it with anything else on that outlet. But....I have my kiln (now), computer, and oxycon all on one Belkin surge protector using one outlet.
I turn off the computer when using the kiln, but I really need another outlet.
No telling what all is on that circuit. (I'm surprised I haven't tripped the breaker?) Maybe nothing else is on it? It's in the kitchen. Would that make a difference?
I'll just ask the apartment complex to install another outlet for me, ha-ha.
Ok, now I'm worried about a fire hazard from this instead of my torch. Ekk!
Any thoughts anyone?
Angela

Peach Blossom Beads · #13 2007-07-21, 6:48am

Quote:

Originally Posted by ziggys

Geesh! Is your kiln 240? I know my parents had problems with the pool filtering system tripping the circuit and shutting off. But I'm guessing a vacuum doesn't require much.
My kiln runs on a standard household outlet. Though I know I'm not supposed to run it with anything else on that outlet. But....I have my kiln (now), computer, and oxycon all on one Belkin surge protector using one outlet.
I turn off the computer when using the kiln, but I really need another outlet.
No telling what all is on that circuit. (I'm surprised I haven't tripped the breaker?) Maybe nothing else is on it? It's in the kitchen. Would that make a difference?
I'll just ask the apartment complex to install another outlet for me, ha-ha.
Ok, now I'm worried about a fire hazard from this instead of my torch. Ekk!
Any thoughts anyone?
Angela

No, it's a regular 120v kiln. You can't have anything on the entire circuit, not just the same outlet. We had to keep finding out the hard way what was on what circiut because every time I plugged the kiln in, it would be ok for weeks or months and then all of a sudden it would trip the breaker. We would then have a hard time getting it to come back on. So we finally found what we thought was a breaker with nothing else on it, but when he plugged the vacuum in outside, it surged and melted the protector. I'm very happy it melted it, rather than ruining my kiln, but I'm very scared now. I really don't need a fire! The way it melted it I'm surprised it didn't start one.

Having your kiln and oxycon on the same outlet is a very bad idea. I'm surprised you can run them both without issue right now. Be sure to have a protector and if I were you I'd put my oxycon on a different circuit.

ziggys · #14 2007-07-21, 9:17pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by taramag

No, it's a regular 120v kiln. You can't have anything on the entire circuit, not just the same outlet. We had to keep finding out the hard way what was on what circiut because every time I plugged the kiln in, it would be ok for weeks or months and then all of a sudden it would trip the breaker. We would then have a hard time getting it to come back on. So we finally found what we thought was a breaker with nothing else on it, but when he plugged the vacuum in outside, it surged and melted the protector. I'm very happy it melted it, rather than ruining my kiln, but I'm very scared now. I really don't need a fire! The way it melted it I'm surprised it didn't start one.

Having your kiln and oxycon on the same outlet is a very bad idea. I'm surprised you can run them both without issue right now. Be sure to have a protector and if I were you I'd put my oxycon on a different circuit.

I can tell I'm in way over my head. I have no idea how to tell which outlets are on different circuits. Would the fuse box show? Guess I will have to get a electrician in here.
Do you have 20 amp fuses? I know my old house did not so had to have one outlet changed to 20 amp., for the kiln. This place does have 20 amp.

I do recall the electrician telling me something about kitchen outlets being different (which is where I'm plugging mine in) but not sure in what way. Guess it's time for a refresher course.

Thanks for the heads up!
Angela

squid · #15 2007-07-22, 10:33am

it depends on where you have your kiln - if it is in the garage, all of the garage outlets are on the same circuit, except usually for the one the garage door opener is plugged into. I use the garage door opener circuit for my kiln so I can run my two oxycons on the wall outlets.

ziggys · #16 2007-07-22, 1:53pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by squid

it depends on where you have your kiln - if it is in the garage, all of the garage outlets are on the same circuit, except usually for the one the garage door opener is plugged into. I use the garage door opener circuit for my kiln so I can run my two oxycons on the wall outlets.

Hey Squids! Huh! I never would have thought that there would be a seperate circuit for a garage door opener.

I'm on the balcony next to the kitchen. All outlets are the same circuit.

I would have to hook up the oxycon or kiln about 30 feet away to get to another circuit. Hm...not too excited about running a oxy hose through my family room.

Oh! Duh! All I have to do is flip the breakers to see how which outlets are on what circuit. I really, really, DO need a vacation! LOL!

Oh. And I remember the thing about kitchen outlets now. They MUST be 20amp., in any "newer" home.

Time to go flip some switches, (and turn off my computer)!
Wave,
Angela

FourTailsLampwork · #17 2007-07-22, 6:25pm

What about a UPS, one of those gadgets that gives you 30 minutes of power in case of an outage so you can shut down your computer? Would a kiln fry ut? If not,, it might solve the problem of those 2-3 minute outages.

squid · #18 2007-07-22, 6:29pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by ziggys

Hey Squids! Huh! I never would have thought that there would be a seperate circuit for a garage door opener.

I'm on the balcony next to the kitchen. All outlets are the same circuit.

I would have to hook up the oxycon or kiln about 30 feet away to get to another circuit. Hm...not too excited about running a oxy hose through my family room.

Oh! Duh! All I have to do is flip the breakers to see how which outlets are on what circuit. I really, really, DO need a vacation! LOL!

Oh. And I remember the thing about kitchen outlets now. They MUST be 20amp., in any "newer" home.

Time to go flip some switches, (and turn off my computer)!
Wave,
Angela

Get a heavy duty extenstion cord and run your kiln to another room's outlets or to outside outlets - they are also usually on their own circuit.

ziggys · #19 2007-07-23, 9:50am

Hi again,
Here is what I found out from the electrician. The kitchen is required to have 2 seperate circuits. I checked and I do have 2 in my kitchen. So I can plug my oxycon into one circuit and the kiln into another! Phew! I sure didn't want to worry about that kind of fire hazard.

Small appliances, which includes a refrigorator but not a washing machine, can be on the same circuit as either the kiln or Oxycon according to the electrician.

About surge protectors and extensions cords. I was told that if I want to use an extension cord it needs to be an appliance extension cord which will be 12or 10 guage wire.

The lower the number the higher the gauge. The higher gauge the better.

Surge protectors are not always 12 guage or better. Mine is only 14 guage (yet expensive surge protector). That is not as strong as 12 gauge so I am not plugging my kiln or oxycon into the protector. This is just my personal preference and opinion from what I learned.

Kalamodie, I'm sorry to have high-jacked this thread. But it sounds like your problem is solved with buying the Jen-ken. And I learned quite a few important things.

Thanks Everyone!
Angela