Paragon DTC 1000 Instruction Manual

1
°F / °C
Display
Page 12
Options
Page 14
Present Status
(Current seg. &
Board temp.)
Page 13
Alarm
Page 13
Cone-Fire
Page 6
Program
Review
Page 5
Cone #s
(Cone Table)
Page 8
Skip Segment
Page 11
Ramp-Hold
Page 9
Stop
Page 5
DTC 1000
Digital Temperature Controller
Complete Operation & Maintenance Instructions
See page 22 for instructions on upgrading your DTC
100, 600 or 800 series board to the DTC 1000.
The Keypad
The controller is easy to master once you understand that the keys have two functions:
1 Select an operation.
Press a key to start the operation shown in the top half of the key. Most operations begin by
pressing START from IdLE display. Some operations begin during firing.
2 Type Numbers.
After beginning an operation, press keys to enter numbers, such as time and temperature.
Delay
Page 13

2
Introduction
Thank you for purchasing the DTC 1000 controller, our latest generation of digital
controllers.
The DTC 1000 operates in Cone-Fire and Ramp-Hold the same as the earlier DTC
600 and 800 series. If you are already familiar with the earlier controllers, you can follow
most of the same operating procedures with the DTC 1000.
The DTC 1000 includes new features not found in earlier controllers. These features
are accessed through the Options key. If you do not need them, they will remain hidden
until you press Options. Thus, the DTC 1000 remains as simple to operate as earlier
controllers.
The Cone-Fire mode applies to ceramics only. If you purchased a heat treating, glass
fusing, enameling or jewelry furnace, your version of the DTC 1000 will include only the
Ramp-Hold mode, not the Cone-Fire. In this case, please disregard “FAST,” “MED,”
“SLOW,” “Cone Fire” and “Cone #s” on your keypad.
If you purchased the TnF II portable controller, you should find a TnF II installation
instruction sheet in addition to these instructions.
Though you should read this entire manual to fully enjoy your DTC 1000, you can
begin firing after reading these sections: “Safety Rules” page 4, “Getting Started” pages
4-6, and the basics section of “Cone-Fire” pages 6-8 or “Ramp-Hold” pages 9-10. Though
the DTC 1000 is simple to operate, using it without reading instructions could ruin your
kiln or the ware inside. This is not covered by warranty. The time you spend reading now
could save you untold hours of wasted effort later when you begin firing.
Once you learn the basic features of the DTC 1000, you will be able to control every
stage of firing. This offers learning opportunities and convenience difficult to imagine with
a manual-controlled kiln.
We thank those who helped produce this manual, especially Amy Parker and Steven
Drollinger, who offered many suggestions.
©1999, by Paragon Industries, Inc. IM-167/7-00

3
Contents
Getting Started
Safety Rules. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Testing and Recording . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Room Temperature and Humidity. . 4
IdLE and CPL Messages. . . . . . . . . . 4
Which Instructions to Use. . . . . . . . . 4
Care of the Thermocouple . . . . . . . . 5
Display Dots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Correcting Entries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Stop Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Cool-Down Temperature Display . . 5
Repeat Firings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Program Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Pyrometric Witness Cones
In Ceramic Firings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
When Kiln Shuts Off Too Soon . . . . 6
Portable Controller
(TnF II) Installation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Ceramic Cone-Fire
Cone-Fire Quick Reference . . . . . . 23
Basics
Firing Speeds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Cone-Fire Programming. . . . . . . . . . 6
Hold. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Pre-Heating the Ware . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
AOP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Advanced
Cone Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Firing History in Cone-Fire . . . . . . . 8
Fine-Tuning Shelf Cones
With Cone Offset (CnoS) . . . . . . . . . 8
Interpreting Cone Bending . . . . . . . . 9
When Cone Temperature is
Off More Than 50°F. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Ramp-Hold
Ramp-Hold Quick Reference . . . . . 24
Basics
User Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Segments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Rate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Hold. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
AOP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Ramp-Hold Programming. . . . . . . . 10
Advanced
Segments for Controlled Cooling. . 11
Skip Segment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Sample Firing Schedules. . . . . . . . . 11
Cone-Fire Program
Modified in Ramp-Hold . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Sculptured Stoneware Bisque
Firing Schedule, Cone 04. . . . . . . . . . 11
Glass Fusing Firing Schedule . . . . . . 11
Glass Slumping Firing Schedule. . . . 12
16 Segment Firing (16-S) . . . . . . . . 12
Additional Features
Selecting °F or °C (CHG°) . . . . . . . 12
°F/°C Temperature
Conversion Formula. . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Delay Fire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Temperature Alarm . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Setting Alarm From Idle. . . . . . . . . . . 13
Setting Alarm During Firing . . . . . . . 13
Present Status:
Current Segment &
Circuit Board Temperature. . . . . . . . 13
Checking Circuit Board
Temperature From Idle . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Power Failures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Firing Ceramics After an
Extended Power Failure. . . . . . . . . . . 14
Thermocouple Offset (tCoS). . . . . 14
Setting Thermocouple Offset . . . . . . 14
Options Quick Reference List . . . . 14
Turning Off Error Codes (ErCd). . 15
Trouble-Shooting &
Maintenance
Element Glow Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Board Upgrades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Controller Display
Does Not Light Up. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Controller Display Lights
Up Normally, Some or All
Heating Elements Do Not Fire. . . . 16
Firing Interrupted by PF or ErrP . . 17
FAIL Message. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Err 0 Message. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Err 1 Message. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Err 2 Message. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Err 3 Message. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Err 4 Message. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Err 6 Message. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Err 8 Message. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Err A Message. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Err B Message. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Err d Message. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Err E Message. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Err H Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Err t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Err - . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
StUC Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Erratic Temperature Readings. . . . 20
Overfire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Stuck Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Relay Chatters or Buzzes. . . . . . . . . 20
Kiln Switch Box Fuse
Blows Repeatedly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Unwanted Beeping Sound. . . . . . . . 20
Replacing Switch Box Parts
Circuit Board Fuse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Thermocouple. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
TnF II Thermocouple . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Controller Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Transformer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Safety Rules
The warranty on your DTC 1000 controller does not cover
damagefromoverfiring,regardlessofthecircumstances.Itis
the operator’s responsibility to make sure the kiln turns off at
theendofthefiring.Followthesesafetyrulesinadditiontothe
ones in your kiln or furnace manual.
When not in use, unplug kiln or furnace or turn off
breaker.
Donotleavethekilnunattended,especiallynearthe
expected shut-off time.
Wear firing safety glasses (available from Paragon)
when looking into peephole of a hot kiln.
Do not touch hot sides of kiln or furnace. Keep un-
supervised children away.
Install your kiln or furnace at least 12 inches from
any wall or combustible surface. (See manufac-
turer’s recommendation for your model.)
Do not open lid or door until kiln or furnace has
cooled and all switches are off.
Fireonly ina well-ventilated,covered andprotected
area away from flammable materials. Keep cordset
away from hot sides of kiln or furnace.
DANGEROUS VOLTAGE! Do not touch heating
elements with anything. Disconnect kiln or furnace
before servicing.
Do not operate if the controller itself is hotter than
150°F/66°C.(Seeinstructionsonpage13forcheck-
ingboardtemperature.)Neverallowthefiringroom
temperature to exceed 110°F/43°C. (Measure room
temperature at least three feet away from the kiln.)
Getting Started
Do NOT fire your kiln or furnace until you have read this section and “Cone-Fire
Basics” or “Ramp-Hold Basics.” To use your controller to its fullest capacity, read the ad-
vanced sections and “Additional Features.”
Testing and Recording
You will learn much by testing. How slowly should clay be
heated through quartz inversion? How slowly must you cool
glass through the annealing range? Find out for yourself by
testing.TheDTC1000canpreciselycontroleverystageoffir-
ing, so you can easily experiment and test.
Keep a notebook of firing records. When you fire similar
projectsweekslater,afteryouhaveforgottenthedetailsofyour
previous firing, you will be grateful for your records.
Room Temperature and Humidity
Itisokay to store the DTC 1000 at sub-zero temperatures.
But before operating, raise the room temperature to at least
0°F/-18°C.
The circuit board is rated for 155°F/68°C maximum oper-
atingtemperature.However,maximumtemperatureforrated
accuracyis125°F/52°C.Iftheboardgetshotter,openwindows
and exhaust hot air from the room. (See page 13 for instruc-
tions on checking circuit board temperature.)
High humidity will not adversely affect the DTC 1000 un-
less water condenses on the circuit board. If this happens, do
not fire the kiln until the moisture has evaporated from the
board.
IdLE and CPL Messages
The controller displays ErrP when you first apply power.
PressENTER.ErrP will change to IdLE andaflashing tem-
perature. Operations begin from IdLE .
If the display shows FAIL instead of IdLE , the thermo-
couple is either disconnected or burned out. (See page 18.)
CPL means “completed.” The controller will display
CPL ,then IdLE , after it performs actions such as changing
°Fto°Cdisplay. CPL mayremainforawhilebefore IdLE ap-
pears. Please be patient—the controller is processing data.
Which Instructions to Use
The DTC 1000 fires in two modes:
1) Ceramic Cone-Fire, based on pyrometric cones.
2) Ramp-Hold, based on firing rates and target tempera-
tures.
Ceramickilns,usuallytop-loading,usebothCone-Fireand
Ramp-Hold. Heat treating, glass fusing, and enameling fur-
naces and kilns usually come with Ramp-Hold only.
FAST, MEDIUM, SLOW, CONE-FIRE, and Cone #s
printed on the controller faceplate apply only to
Cone-Fire mode.
4

How to Tell if You Have Cone-Fire
1From IdLE display, press ENTER, then 1.If ConE
appears, you have Cone-Fire mode. If ---- appears,
you have Ramp-Hold mode only.
2Bring the controller back to IdLE display:
a) From ---- , press STOP.IdLE will appear.
b) From ConE , press ENTER 3 times slowly. CPL ,
then IdLE , will appear.
If you have Cone-Fire, all of this manual applies to your
controller. If you have Ramp-Hold only, skip Cone-Fire on
pages 6-9.
Care of the Thermocouple
The small metal rod protruding into the firing chamber is
the temperature sensor, or thermocouple. Do not let shelves,
posts or ware touch the thermocouple. This could affect the
temperature reading.
Bumping the thermocouple during loading can damage it
orpushitoutofthefiringchamber.Itshouldprotrudeintothe
firing chamber at least 12"-58". (Do not be concerned if your
thermocouple extends into the firing chamber even farther.)
Avoid firing clay with a high sulphur content. The sulphur
eatsintothethermocouple,makingitbrittleandeasytobreak.
Display Dots
Single Center Dot: Time
Alowercenterdotappearsduringtimedisplay.Itseparates
hoursfromminutes(i.e.1hour,30minutesdisplaysas01.30).
During temperature display, the dot disappears.
Single Right-Hand Dot: °C
When a temperature is displayed in °C, a lighted dot ap-
pears in the lower right. In °F it disappears.
Three Dot Display: Power Monitoring
To adjust temperature, the DTC 1000 sends power to the
relay(s) intermittently. The relays, in turn, power the heating
elements. To monitor when the relays are turned on, press 8
during firing. When three dots appear along the bottom dis-
play, relays are receiving power.
ToturnoffPowerMonitoring,press8again.Thisfeatureis
used mostly for diagnostics.
Correcting Entries
If you enter the wrong temperature, cone, time, etc., while
programming, enter 0000. Then enter the correct numbers
before pressing ENTER.
The Stop Key
You can stop a firing at any time by pressing STOP.
IfyouinadvertentlyenterRamp-Hold,youdonothavetogo
through all the prompts to get back out. Press STOP when
USEr appears. That will take you back to IdLE .
If you inadvertently enter Cone-Fire, STOP will NOT take
youbackto IdLE .PressENTERaftereachCone-Fireprompt
until CPL , then IdLE , appears.
If you inadvertently press OPTIONS, you can get back to
IdLE by pressing STOP.
Cool-Down Temperature Display
When the firing is finished, CPLt will display alternating
with the total firing time in hours and minutes. To view the
current kiln temperature as the kiln cools, press ENTER.
CPLt will disappear. Then temperature will display.
Repeat Firings
To repeat the last firing, press ENTER twice from IdLE .
The kiln will begin firing. This works in both Cone-Fire and
Ramp-Hold.Butfirst,makesureyouarerepeatingthecorrect
firing by using “Program Review” below.
Program Review
When you select a firing program in Cone-Fire or
Ramp-Hold and go back to IdLE , you have called a program
fromstorage.Itisthenreadytofire.“ProgramReview”shows
you the values for that program.
TostartProgramReviewfrom IdLE ,pressENTER,then6.
Valuesfortheprogramselectedforfiringwilldisplayoneafter
theother.YoucanalsouseProgramReviewduringfiringsim-
ply by pressing 6.
TIP:InProgramReview,values for a program display
about one per second. You can speed up this display by
pressing 1repeatedly. If you hold down the 1key, values
will speed by. This works from both IdLE and during
firing.
Pyrometric Witness Cones in
Ceramic Firings
Though the DTC 1000 fires
electronically,everyceramicfir-
ing should include shelf, or wit-
ness,cones.Theymeasureheat
work accurately and give a his-
tory of the firing.
If you fire the same size load
and type of ware regularly, the
shelf cones let you compare one
firing to the next and alert you
when something is wrong. For
example,ifthe shelfconebends
farther and farther with each
consecutive firing, this may in-
dicate thermocouple tempera-
ture drift.
Keep cones 3" from the
peepholetoavoidcoolairdrafts.
Wearfiringsafetyglasseswhenviewingtheconesathightem-
perature. Your dealer can tell you which cone number to use
for each clay and glaze.
5

When Kiln Shuts Off Too Soon
If the kiln shuts off below maturity, you can turn it back on
andkeep firing. Simply program a higher temperature orhot-
ter cone. Then from IdLE , press START twice. The kiln will
begin firing, taking up where it left off.
Ceramicfirings:ifthekilnshutsoffwithin100°F/55°Cof
maturity, and the temperature drops 50°F/28°C or more after
the kiln shuts off, do not depend on the pyrometric witness
cones in the kiln. Once the cones cool 50°F/28°C after they
have been heated to within 100°F/55°C of maturity, they will
not bend properly. This is because they form a hard shell.
Portable Controller (TnF II) Installation
The wall-hanging portable DTC 1000 TnF II includes a
temperaturesensorcalled a thermocouple. Keep the thermo-
couplewireaway from electrical wires. Wrapping the thermo-
couple wire around the kiln’s power cord or taping it to the
cord may cause erratic temperature display.
Ceramic Cone-Fire
Cone-Fire mode is based on pyromet-
ric cones. It is not designed for heat treat-
ing, glass fusing and enameling. For these
firings, see “Ramp-Hold,” page 9. Use
Ramp-Hold to fire ceramic pieces that re-
quire a custom firing schedule, such as
some types of stoneware sculpture or crys-
talline glaze. To fire faster than Cone-Fire
Fast speed, use Ramp-Hold.
Do NOT use Cone-Fire until you have
read “Cone-Fire Basics” and “Cone-Fire
Programming.” To take full advantage of
other features in Cone-Fire mode, read
“Advanced Cone-Fire,” pg 8.
Cone-Fire Basics
Firing Speeds
Cone-Fire operates in Fast, Medium or Slow speed. The
instructions that follow will show you how to select speed.
To view the firing segment of a cone-fire, press 5during
firing.(See “PresentStatus,”page 13.)Thesegment number
willappear(seeleftcolumninthefollowingcharts),informing
you of how far the firing has progressed.
Fast (1)
Consider Fast for overglazes, decals, china paint, or small,
thin-walled ceramic greenware.
Cone-Fire Fast Firing Schedule
Segment in
“Present Actual
Status” Segment Rate of Firing Per Hour
5 — Pre-Heat (if any)
6 1 570° F. per hour until the last 250° F.
7 2 200° F. per hour during last 250° F.
6
Cone-Fire Programming
Use these instructions for your first firings. Later
youmayprefer“Cone-FireQuickReference,”pg.23.
AstheDTC1000promptsforcone,speed,etc.,val-
uesenteredforthelastfiringwillappear.Tousethese
values again, press ENTER.
To fire without Delay or Alarm: Follow steps 1
through 6 below. Then from IdLE press START
twice. To use Delay or Alarm, first read page 13.
1Apply power to the kiln.
2ErrP will appear. Press ENTER.IdLE will
appear.
3PressENTER then1.ConE will appear. En-
ter cone number. (If ---- appears instead of
ConE , your controller uses Ramp-Hold
only.)
4PressENTER.SPd willappear.Enterspeed:
FAST (1), MEDIUM (2), SLOW (3).
5Press ENTER.HLd will appear. Enter hold
time, if any, in hours and minutes (e.g. 12
hours,30minutes=12.30).Nohold=00.00.
6Press ENTER.IdLE will appear.
7Tosetalarm,pressENTERthen7.ALAr will
appear. Enter alarm temperature. (Enter
9999 to turn alarm off.) Then press ENTER.
8Tosetdelayfire,pressENTERthen3.dELA
will appear. Enter delay time in hours and
minutes(e.g.12 hours,30minutes=12.30).
Press ENTER. (Delay zeroes out after each
firing.)
9To start program, press ENTER twice.
-On- willappear,thenkilntemperature.Ifa
delay was programmed, -On- will appear,
then time remaining until start. To stop the
program during firing, press STOP.
When program fires to completion, CPLt will ap-
pear alternating with total firing time in hours and

Medium (2)
Use Medium for larger slip-cast pieces or more tightly
loaded kilns.
Cone-Fire Medium Firing Schedule
Segment in
“Present Actual
Status” Segment Rate of Firing Per Hour
4 — Pre-Heat (if any)
5 1 110° F. per hour until 250° F.
6 2 400° F. per hour until the last 250° F.
7 3 120° F. per hour during the last 250° F.
Slow (3)
Use Slow for hand-thrown or heavily-cast pieces, stone-
ware and porcelain.
Cone-Fire Slow Firing Profile
Segment in
“Present Actual
Status” Segment Rate of Firing Per Hour
2 — Pre-Heat (if any)
3 1 80°F per hour to 250°F
4 2 250°F per hour until temperature
reaches 950°F
5 3 110°F per hour until temperature
reaches 1100°F
6 4 225°F per hour until the last 200°F
7 5 90°F per hour during the last
200°F of firing
8 6 150°F per hour, cooling down to
1000°F
Hold
Cone-Fire“Hold”heat-soaksthewareattheendofthefir-
ing. Without Hold time, the kiln shuts off after it reaches the
conetemperature.WithHoldtime,thekilnmaintainsthecone
temperature for the period you specify. Hold time helps even
outthetemperaturethroughoutthekiln.Italsohelpstheheat
topenetrate completelyintothe clay. Rapidfiring is likecook-
ing: the turkey will be done on the outside but not on the in-
side.Holdhelpsglazeabsorbchinapaint.Ithelpstohealglaze
defects such as bubbles. A little hold time can yield dramatic
results.
CAUTION: Too much hold time can overfire your
ware and burn out colors.
One way to add Hold time without over-firing is to fire to
one cone cooler than needed. Then add enough hold time to
bendthenexthottercone.Holdtimeneededwillvary.Asarule
of thumb, one hour of hold = one cone of heat work.
Example: to fire to cone 0512, program Cone-Fire for 05
and add 30 minutes of hold time.
Watch the pyrometric shelf cones through the peephole.
Press STOP when the correct shelf cone bends, noting how
much Hold time was needed. Program that much Hold time
thenexttimeyoufirethesametypeofwareloadedtothesame
capacity. You can hold for up to 99 hours and 99 minutes.
Youwilllearn byexperimentingwithceramics.Hold isone
more tool to experiment with.
Pre-Heating the Ware
Moist greenware can explode during firing. This happens
when the moisture in the clay turns to steam rapidly and can-
noteasilyescape.TheDTC1000“Pre-Heat”featuredriesthe
ware at low temperature before the moisture can turn to
steam.
Pre-Heatisnecessarywhenfiringthickgreenware,suchas
stoneware. It may also be necessary in humid weather, which
inhibits drying. If possible, however, avoid using Pre-Heat to
dry greenware. If the greenware feels damp or cool when you
touch it to your cheek, dry it longer before firing. Use a
dehumidifier in humid weather. Drying greenware in the kiln
tends to rust the kiln.
TIP:During Pre-Heat, vent the lid.Otherwise the fire-
bricks will absorb moisture, leading to rust behind the
stainless steel case. Moisture in the firebrick will also
slow the kiln to a crawl when firing begins.
VentingthelidduringPre-Heatissoimportantthatsome
ceramistsusetheextendedventpositionorevenleavethe
lid open. If you do this, you must be near your kiln at the
end of Pre-Heat to lower the lid.
Pre-Heat raises the temperature 60°F/33°C per hour to
200°F/93°C.Thenitholdsat200°F/93°Cforthetimeyouspec-
ify. Pre-Heat works in Cone-Fire only. After Pre-Heat is fin-
ished, the kiln will automatically begin firing to the cone you
have selected. Pre-Heat zeroes out after each firing.
CAUTION: At high altitude, water boils at a lower
temperature.Thismaycausethewaretodrytoorapidly
even during Pre-Heat.
After entering cone number, speed, etc., in the Cone-Fire
program, activate Pre-Heat as follows. Then begin firing.
1Press ENTER.
2Press 0repeatedly until PrHt appears.
3Press ENTER.Hld will appear, alternating with
00.00 .
4Enter Pre-Heat hold time in hours and minutes (i.e. 1
hour, 30 minutes = 01.30).
5Press ENTER.CPL will appear, then IdLE .
7

Mirror Test
Knowing how much Pre-Heat to use is a matter of experi-
ence. There is no substitute. However, this mirror test will
help. Occasionally during
Pre-Heat, hold a mirror near
the top peephole. (Be careful
to avoid burns.) The mirror
mustbeatroomtemperature,
not hot, so hold it near the
peephole for only several sec-
onds.
If the mirror fogs, mois-
ture is still escaping from the
ware. When the mirror no
longer fogs, make a note of
howmuchPre-Heattimeyourwareneeded.Thatwillhelpyou
determine how much Pre-Heat to use next time.
If you decide to interrupt Pre-Heat and begin firing to the
cone in Cone-Fire, press STOP. Follow the steps above that
you used to program Pre-Heat. But instead of entering
Pre-Heat hold time, enter 00.00. Press ENTER to go back to
IdLE . Press ENTER twice to begin firing again.
AOP
Theoptional“AOP”(AuxiliaryOutput)isanelectricalout-
let, usually mounted in the kiln’s switch box. The AOP outlet
can power a kiln vent or other appliance. If your kiln is
equipped with AOP, AOP will appear in Cone-Fire after
HoLD . (If AOP does not appear in the display, your kiln is
not equipped with AOP.)
WhensettoOFF,theAOPoutletreceivespowerduringthe
Cone-Fire firing. At the end of the firing, the AOP shuts off.
When set to On, the AOP remains powered during both
ConeFire firing and cooling. It shuts off after the kiln cools to
°150F/66°C.
TIP: For slow cooling in Cone-Fire, select AOP OFF.
Adjusting AOP in Cone-Fire
1AfterprogrammingCone,SpeedandHold, AOP will
appear, alternating with On or OFF .
2To change the setting, press 1, then ENTER.CPL
will appear, followed by IdLE .
Advanced Cone-Fire
Built-in Cone Table
Foryourconvenience,thecontrollercanlookupapyromet-
ric cone temperature. Do not be concerned, however, if your
kiln’sconeshut-offtemperaturedoesnotmatchthetempera-
ture in the Cone Table. The temperature of a cone varies de-
pending on firing speed.
1From IdLE,touchENTERthen9.ConE willappear,
then the cone currently programmed in Cone-Fire
Mode.
2Enter the pyrometric cone number you are looking
up. Then touch ENTER. The display will show the
cone temperature. If you enter a non-existent cone
number, the display will show ConE , ready for you
to enter a different cone number.
Cone temperatures displayed are for self-supporting
cones fired at a rate of 108° F. during the last hour.
Firing History in Cone-Fire
Whenthe kilnfiresto completion, CPLt with flash,alter-
nating with total firing time in hours/minutes. To view the fi-
naltemperaturethekilnreached,pressENTER.IdLE willap-
pear. Press ENTER, then 6(Program Review). Final firing
temperaturewilldisplayalongwiththecone,speedandhold.
Fine-Tuning Shelf Cones
With Cone Offset (CnoS)
SometimesthepyrometricconeprogrammedinCone-Fire
doesnotmatchthebendingoftheconeonthekilnshelf.Using
“Cone Offset,” you can adjust Cone-Fire to fire hotter or
cooler.
IMPORTANT: Cone Offset adjusts the firing temper-
ature individually for each pyrometric cone number.
Adjusting one cone has no effect on the other cones. To
adjust all the cones equally, use “Thermocouple Off-
sets,” page 14.
Forinstance,thecontrollerfiresshelfcone 018toaperfect
sixo’clockbend.Butatcone6,theshelfconeover-fires.Using
Cone Offset, you could lower cone 6 firing temperature with-
out affecting the perfect results you are getting at cone 018.
TIP:Before using Cone Offset, check that the thermo-
couple is protruding into the firing chamber by at least
12"-58".Sometimesbumpingashelfagainstthethermo-
couple pushes it out of the firing chamber, thereby pre-
venting accurate temperature readings.
How to Use Cone Offset
1From IdLE , press ENTER.
2Press 0until CnoS appears.
3PressENTER.ConE willappear,alternatingwiththe
last cone number entered in Cone-Fire. Enter the
new cone number.
4PressENTER.°FOS (or °COS for Celcius) will ap-
pear, alternating with 9000 or an adjustment num-
ber.
5Enter adjustment number (see chart). Then press
ENTER.CPL will appear, then temperature and
IdLE .
Youcanraiseorlowerfiringchambertemperatureforeach
conefrom1- 50°F/1- 28°C.Place00infrontofthenumberto
make the kiln fire hotter. Place 90 in front to make it fire
cooler.
8

The following chart contains seven examples of Cone Off-
sets.Programanytemperatureinthe01-50°F/1-28°Crange,
hotter or cooler, using these examples as a guide:
Cone Offset Examples, °F
0001 Kiln will fire 1°F Hotter
0030 Kiln will fire 30°F Hotter
0049 Kiln will fire 49°F Hotter
0000 or 9000 No Adjustment
9005 Kiln will fire 5°F Cooler
9040 Kiln will fire 40°F Cooler
9049 Kiln will fire 49°F Cooler
*Cone Offset works in °C the same as in °F. In the
above examples, replace °F temperatures with
equivalent °C.
Once you enter a Cone Offset number, Cone-Fire will re-
mainadjustedtothatnumberforthatconeuntilyouchange it
again. Keep a written record of Cone Offset adjustments.
Interpreting Cone Bending
Thelargeconeonthekilnshelfshouldbevisiblethrougha
peephole. Avoid exposure to cool air by keeping the cone at
least 3” from the peephole. Program the DTC 1000 for the
cone on the shelf and fire. After cooling, check the cone:
The cone bent to 6 o’clock: In
this case, the controller is matched
to your kiln. The self-supporting
coneillustratedhasfiredtomaturity
whenthe tip isevenwith the baseas
shown.
The cone did not bend far
enough: Use a 00_ _ Cone Offset
number for a hotter firing. (About
0025 for the cone at right.)
Theconebenttoo far: Usea90__
Cone Offset for a cooler firing.
(9045 for the over-fired cone at
right. This varies depending on
cone number.)
Do not be overly concerned with achieving an exact 6
o’clock bend. The difference between a 3 o’clock and a 6
o’clock bend is only a few degrees.
When Cone Temperature
Is Off More Than 50°F
Suppose you are firing to cone 017 (1360°F), but the next
hottercone,016(1422°F)bendsto6o’clock.Thekilnisfiring
62°Ftoohot(1422-1360=62).62°Fisbeyondthe50°Fmaxi-
mum adjustment of Cone Offset.
When thermocouple inaccuracy exceeds 50°F, replace the
thermocouple. If you must fire the kiln before installing the
new thermocouple, combine Thermocouple Offset and Hold
time. Reminder: as a rule of thumb,
One Hour Of Hold = One Cone Of Heat Work
Ramp-Hold
Ramp-Hold fires in segments. Each segment has an end temperature, a degrees per hour
rate to reach that temperature, and a hold time. Do NOT use Ramp-Hold until you have read
“Ramp-Hold Basics” and “Ramp-Hold Programming.” To take full advantage of other fea-
tures, read “Advanced Ramp-Hold,” page 11.
Ramp-Hold Basics
User Programs
When you enter Ramp-Hold mode, the first prompt to ap-
pear is USEr , meaning, “Select a User Program.” A User
Program is a firing schedule stored in memory. It includes
1) number of segments needed
2)rate(howfasttemperaturechangesindegreesperhour)
for each segment
3) target temperature for each segment
4) hold, if any, for each segment
5) alarm temperature, if any.
The controller can retain six user programs in memory
even when power to the kiln is turned off.
IfusingRamp-Holdforthefirsttime,press1when USEr
appears.Yourfirstfiringwillbestoredas UserProgram#1.
Eachtimeyoustoreanotherprogram,selectthenext avail-
ablenumber, such as 2,atthe USEr prompt. Write down the
firing profiles of your User Programs.
Touseastoredprogram,selecttheprogramnumberatthe
USEr prompt. Press ENTER. If there are no changes to the
program, press STOP.CPL will appear, then IdLE . The
controlleris ready to fire yourselectedprogram. To begin fir-
ing, press ENTER twice. (See “Program Review,” page 5, be-
fore firing.)
9

Segments
A“Segment”firestoatargettemperature.Itincludesarate
and, if needed, a hold. Every time you need to change firing
speed or hold a temperature, add another segment. You have
up to eight segments available in a User Program. You don’t
have to use all eight segments—only the number needed per
firing. Often one segment is all you will need.
For complex firings, Ramp-Hold can be fired in 16 seg-
mentsinsteadofthestandardeight.See“16SegmentFiring,”
page 12.
Rate
Eachsegmentmustincludearate,programmedasdegrees
oftemperaturechangeperhour.Onewaytofigurerateistodi-
vide firing temperature by number of hours needed to fire.
Maximum rate is 9999. When you enter 9999, the controller
will heat as fast as your furnace or kiln is capable.
Ifyou arenotsure about howfast to fire,rememberthe old
firing adage: “When in doubt, slow it down.”
Hold
“Hold”in Ramp-Hold maintainsthetargettemperature of
asegmentforthetimeyouspecify.Holdgivesthetemperature
timeto become more even throughout the kiln. Seepage7for
moreinformationonholdtimeinceramicfirings.Holdcanbe
used in either heating up or cooling down segments.
Wearing firing safety glasses, watch the pyrometric cones
on the shelf near the end of the firing. When the shelf cone
bends, note the hold time. The next time you fire the same
typeofwareloadedtothesamecapacity,programthatamount
of hold time.
AOP
Theoptional“AOP”(AuxiliaryOutput)isanelectricalout-
let, usually mounted to the kiln’s switch box. The AOP outlet
can power a kiln vent or other appliance. If your kiln is
equipped with AOP, AOP will appear in Ramp-Hold after
SEG .(If AOP doesnotappearinthedisplay,yourkilnisnot
equippedwithAOP.)InRamp-Hold,AOPcanbeturnedonor
off for each segment.
Adjusting AOP in Ramp-Hold
1AfterselectingtheUserProgramandnumberofseg-
ments, AOP1 , alternating with On or OFF , will
appear.
2To change the setting, press 1, then ENTER. Con-
tinue entering rate, temperature, hold, etc. for seg-
ment 1. As you continue programming, turn AOP on
or off in each segment.
10
Ramp-Hold Programming
Usethese instructionsforyour firstfirings. Later
youmayprefer“Ramp-HoldQuickReference,”page
24.As the program prompts for segments, rate, tem-
perature,etc., you will see values from the last firing.
Tousetheseagain,pressENTER.Tocontrolcooling,
set the segment to a lower temperature than that of
the preceding segment.
Tofirewithout atimed Delay:Followsteps1
through 8. Then press START twice.
1Apply power to the kiln. ErrP will appear.
Press ENTER.IdLE and kiln temperature
will appear.
2PressENTERthen4.USEr willappear.En-
ter a number from 1 to 6 for the stored pro-
gram desired.
3Press ENTER.SEGS will appear. Enter
number of segments needed.
4PressENTER.rA 1 willappear.Enterfiring
rateforsegment1(temperaturechangeper
hour: from 1° to 9999°).
5Press ENTER.°F 1 (or °C 1) will appear.
Enterthetargettemperatureofsegment1.
6PressENTER.HLd1 willappear.Enterseg-
ment 1 hold time in hours/minutes (e.g. 12
hours, 30 minutes = 12.30). No hold =
00.00.
7Press ENTER. Continue entering values for
all segments.
8Press ENTER.AlAr will appear. Enter
alarm temperature. (Enter 9999 to turn
alarm off.) Then press ENTER.CPL will
appear, then IdLE .
9To set Delay Fire, press ENTER then 3.
dELA will appear. Enter delay time in
hours/minutes(e.g.12hours,30minutes=
12.30). Then press ENTER. (Delay zeroes
outafter eachcompletedfiring.). CPL will
appear, then IdLE .
10 To start program, press ENTER twice.
-On- will appear, then kiln temperature. If
adelaywasprogrammed, -On- willappear,
then time remaining until start.
To stop the firing, press STOP. When program
fires to completion, CPLt will appear. Press STOP.
IdLE will appear, alternating with cool-down tem-
perature. To shut off the alarm when it sounds dur-
ing a firing, press ENTER.

Advanced Ramp-Hold
Segments for Controlled Cooling
For controlled cooling, program a segment to a lower tem-
perature than that of the preceding segment.
If you prop the lid for a fast cooling, program a fast rate. If
you program a slow cooling rate, but lower the temperature
quickly by propping the lid, the controller will defeat your fast
cooling. It will raise the temperature again.
Forinstance,glassfuserssometimesflash-cooltheglassat
theendoffusing.Theyliftthelidslightlytoremoveheat,then
close the lid again. This takes the glass down rapidly through
the devitrification range. To program a flash-cool, the artist
would program a lower temperature segment with a rate of
9999.
Suppose you enter a cooling rate that is faster than the
kiln’snaturalcoolingrate?Thecontrollerwillwaitforthekiln
to catch up. Then it will continue its controlled cooling. The
controller, of course, cannot speed cooling beyond the kiln’s
natural cooling rate.
CAUTION:During fastcooling,donot openthelid
/dooralltheway.Donotforce-coolthekilnwithafan.
Skip Segment
You may need to skip a segment in Ramp-Hold. For in-
stance,youarefiringtocone05forthefirsttime.Youprogram
the last segment to soak for 30 minutes at 1850°F. (This is a
fewdegreesbelowcone05.)Youarenotsureatwhattempera-
ture the cone will bend during this first firing.
At 1850°F, the alarm beeps, alerting you to check the wit-
ness cone on the kiln shelf. You look into the peephole every
few minutes to check the cone. After a 10 minute hold, the
shelf cone 05 bends to maturity. Using “Skip Segment,” the
controller begins a cool-down segment. Skip Segment stops
the current segment and starts the next segment.
Skip Segment works only during firing and only in
Ramp-Hold, not Cone-Fire. To skip a segment, press 9.
SStP will appear. If you change your mind and don’t want to
skipthatsegment, donothingandthefiring willcontinueasit
was. If you still want to skip the segment, press ENTER.rA
will appear along with the segment number you just skipped
to. Press 5(“Present Status”) if you are not sure which seg-
ment the firing has reached. Then skip the segment.
Sample Firing Schedules
We have included these firing schedules only as examples.
Each one illustrates a different way to use your DTC 1000.
When designing a firing schedule for materials you are unfa-
miliar with, or when using one of these schedules, test-fire
samples first. Firing schedule temperatures are shown in °F
for simplicity.
Tofire ceramicsin Ramp-Hold, setthe lastfiringsegment
to a cone temperature. If you use a temperature in the
Cone-Fire Cone Table, set the last firing segment rate to
108°F/60°C hour. (Cone temperatures in the Cone Table are
based upon a rate of 108°F/60°C during the last 1 - 2 hours.)
Cone-Fire Program Modified in
Ramp-Hold
The following firing schedule is similar to the Medium
Speed Cone-Fire program, fired to cone 04. A slow-cooling
segment was added. (Cone-Fire Medium firing schedule is
shown on page 7.)Rate Target
Segment Per Hour Temp. Hold
1 110°F 250°F 00.00
2 400°F 1695°F 00.00
3 108°F 1945°F 00.00
4 150°F 1000°F 00.00
Inthisschedule,thekilnwillcoolat150°F/83°Cperhourto
1000°F/537°C. Some ceramists use slow cooling with certain
glazes.
Sculptured Stoneware Bisque
Firing Schedule, Cone 04
This slow firing is for thick stoneware. Change the target
temperature in segment 4 when firing to a different pyromet-
ric cone. The ware should be bone dry. Test sample pieces.
Leave peephole plugs out and vent the lid. Set the alarm to
°1000F.Whenthealarmsounds,closethelidfromventingpo-
sition. Set the alarm again, this time to 1850° F. When it
sounds, check the witness cone through the peephole. When
the cone bends to six o’clock, write down the temperature.
(Use that temperature in segment 4 on your next firing of the
same type of ware.) Then press 9,ENTER (Skip Segment).
Thiswilladvanceyoutosegment5,aslowcoolingsegment.
Donotopentheliduntilthekilnhascooledtoroomtempera-
ture. Rate Target
Segment Per Hour Temp. Hold
1 60°F 200°F 03.00
2 80°F 700°F 02.00
3 80°F 1100°F 00.00
4 108°F 1945°F 00.00
5 150°F 1400°F 00.00
Glass Fusing Firing Schedule
(See next page.) Stained glass, 18", 2 layers, full fuse. The
fusing temperature will vary depending on the brand of glass,
and even upon the color. Set the alarm to 500°F. When the
alarm sounds, close the lid from venting position and insert
peepholeplugs.Setthealarmagain,thistimeto1350°F.When
it sounds, check the glass through the peephole. When the
glass fuses to your satisfaction, write down the temperature
and hold time for future firings, and press 9,ENTER (Skip
Segment).
This will advance you to segment 3, a flash cooling seg-
ment. Lift the kiln lid slightly or open the door ajar until the
temperature drops to 1050° F. Then close the door/lid. The
kilnwillcoolslowlythroughtheannealingrange,thenturnoff.
11

Rate Target
Segment Per Hour Temp. Hold
1 250 750 00.00
2 900 1425 00.30
3 9999 1050 00.00
4 150 750 00.00
Glass Slumping Firing Schedule
Stained glass, 18", 2 fused layers, 12" circular pieces,
slumped into a bowl. Set the alarm to 500° F. When the alarm
sounds,closethelidfromventingpositionandinsertpeephole
plugs. Set the alarm again, this time to 1150° F. When it
sounds,checktheglassthroughthepeephole.Whenthe glass
slumps into the bowl, write down the temperature and hold
time for future firings, and press 9,ENTER (Skip Segment).
This will advance you to segment 3, a flash cooling seg-
ment. Lift the kiln lid slightly or open the door ajar until the
temperature drops to 1050° F. Then close the door/lid. The
kiln will cool slowly through the annealing range. Then it will
turn off and cool to room temperature.
Rate Target
Segment Per Hour Temp. Hold
1 250 750 00.00
2 900 1250 00.30
3 9999 1050 00.00
4 150 750 00.00
16 Segment Firing (16-S)
16 segment firing combines Ramp-Hold user programs 5
and6 into onecontinuousfiring. You can useall16 segments,
oronlyafewsegmentsfromeachprogram.Program5willfire
first, then program 6.
1Press ENTER, then 4.USEr will appear, alternating
with the last user program entered.
2Press 5(user program 5), then ENTER. Using
Ramp-Holdinstructions, enterthe valuesforallseg-
ments needed in program 5.
3IdLE andtemperaturewilldisplayafterprogram5is
entered. From IdLE , press ENTER, then 4.
4USEr will appear, alternating with 5. Press 6(user
program 6), then press ENTER. As before with pro-
gram 5, enter the values for all segments needed in
program 6.
5IdLE will appear after program 6 is entered. Press
ENTER,thenPROGRAM REVIEW.Makesureallval-
ues for user program 6 are correct. After reviewing
the program, IdLE will appear.
6From IdLE , press ENTER, then 4.USEr will ap-
pear, alternating with 6. Press 5, then ENTER.
7Press STOP.CPL will appear, then IdLE and tem-
perature. Program 5 is now selected in Ramp-Hold.
8From IdLE , press 0repeatedly until 16-S appears.
Press ENTER.
9OFF or ON will appear. Press 1to change OFF to
ON .On will appear. Press ENTER.CPL will ap-
pear, then IdLE .
10 Begin firing by pressing ENTER twice.
16-S appearsunderOPTIONS onlyafteruserprogram
5 has been selected in Ramp-Hold.
When you use Program Review for a 16 segment firing,
user program 5 will appear. Then 16-S ,On , to con-
firm that your program is the 16 segment. However, the
valuesforuserprogram6willnotappearinProgramRe-
view.
Additional Features
Selecting °F or °C (CHG°)
Thecontrolleroperatesinyourchoiceof°For°Ctempera-
ture. In °C display, a lighted dot appears in the lower right. In
°F, it disappears. To switch from °F to °C or vice versa:
1From IdLE , press ENTER.
2Press 0repeatedly until CHG° appears.
3Press ENTER.°F or °C will appear.
4To change, press 1.
5PressENTER.CPL willappear,meaning thechange
has been completed.
°F/°C Temperature Conversion Formula
Below are formulas for converting temperture between °F
and °C. Converting a firing rate requires a different formula
than firing temperature:
Firing Temperature
(i.e. “Fire to 1600°F.” 1600°F = 871°C)
(°C x 1.8) +32 = °F
(°F - 32) ÷ 1.8 = °C
Firing Rate and Temperature Change
(i.e. “Fire at 200°F per hour” or “Fire 200°F hotter.”
200°F = 111°C)
°C x 1.8 = °F
°F ÷ 1.8 = °C
12

Delay Fire
TheDelay Fire programs the kilntobeginfiring later. Use
ittoadjustthefiringtosuityourscheduleortotakeadvantage
of lower electric rates at night.
It zeroes out after each completed firing. To set the Delay,
follow earlier instructions for entering Cone-Fire or
Ramp-Holdfiringprogram.ThenpressENTER,3.Enterdelay
time in hours/minutes (i.e. 5 hours, 30 minutes = 05.30). To
begin firing, press ENTER twice.
WARNING: Never leave your kiln unattended near
the end of a firing. We cannot guarantee your kiln
against overfiring even though the controller is auto-
matic.Theoperatorassumesfullresponsibilityforshut-
ting the kiln off at the proper time.
Temperature Alarm
The alarm beeps when a preset temperature is reached.
Use the alarm to alert you to—
1) lower the lid from venting position.
2) check the witness cone near shut-off time.
3) check the fusing or slumping of glass.
4) remove the knife blade from the furnace at the end of
heat treating.
You can enter only one alarm temperature at a time. How-
ever, after the alarm beeps, you can set the alarm for another
temperature,asmanytimesasyouwant,duringthefiring.You
canenterahigherorlowertemperaturethanthecurrenttem-
perature.
Setting Alarm From Idle
1From IdLE ,pressENTERthen7.AlAr willappearal-
ternating with the last alarm temperature entered.
2Enter alarm temperature. Then touch ENTER.IdLE
will appear. (Enter 9999 to turn alarm off.)
Whenthealarmsounds,shutitoffbypressingENTER.(Do
not press STOP to turn off the alarm.) If the alarm sounds as
soonasthefurnaceorkilnbeginsfiring,itisbecausethealarm
wassetto0000,oranytemperaturebelowroomtemperature.
Setting Alarm During Firing
1The alarm beeps while the kiln is firing. Touch 7.
2Enter the new temperature.
3Touch ENTER. The kiln will continue firing.
CAUTION: if you touch 7, enter a new tempera-
ture,and forget topress ENTER,the firingwill stopand
thekiln will begin tocool down. Youmust press ENTER
after entering the new alarm temperature.
Present Status: Current Segment &
Circuit Board Temperature
“Present Status” displays the current segment of a firing
and temperature of the circuit board.
Knowing which segment you are in is especially useful for
firings with both heating-up and cooling-down segments.
Present Status works with both Cone-Fire and Ramp-Hold.
(See Cone-Fire firing schedules, pages 6-7.)
To use Present Status, press 5during a firing. The follow-
ing information will display momentarily. Then normal tem-
perature display will return:
1)Ramp( Ra )orHold( HLd )followedbysegmentnum-
ber2) Local Set Point (temperature the controller is trying to
reach to maintain the correct rate)
3) Circuit Board Temperature
High temperatures in the switch box can damage the con-
trollercircuitboard. Thecircuitboard isratedfor155°F/68°C
maximumoperatingtemperature.Maximum temperaturefor
rated accuracy is 125°F/52°C. The controller board can oper-
ate safely at 155°F/68°C, though 125°F/52°C is preferable. If
necessary, exhaust hot air from the room to lower board tem-
perature.Whenfiringseveralkilns,positionthematleastthree
feet apart to allow adequate air circulation.
The DTC 1000 maximum operating temperature is the
same as the earlier DTC 600 and 800 series. The new Circuit
BoardTemperaturefeaturehasbeenaddedmerelytohelpyou
attain maximum life from your controller.
Checking Circuit Board
Temperature From IdLE
1Press ENTER.
2Press0repeatedlyuntil bd t (boardtemperature) ap-
pears.
3Press ENTER. The board temperature will appear, fol-
lowedby STOP ,andthenthefiringchambertemper-
ature.
Power Failures
The DTC 1000 handles a power failure in two ways:
1) A PF display, alternating with firing temperature,
meansfiringwasinterrupted bya briefpower failure.Thefir-
ing will continue. PF is only to inform you of a brief power
failure.PressENTER,andnormaltemperaturedisplaywillre-
turn.
2) A steady ErrP display means firing was interrupted by
anextendedpowerfailure.When ErrP appears,thekilnheat-
ing elements will stay shut off. The following three situations
cause the ErrP message:
a) The power failure lasted longer than 1 12hours.
b)Thekilncooled morethan250°F/139°Cwhilethepower
was off.
c) Cone-Fire mode only: the power failed within
100°F/56°C of the shut-off temperature.
13

When the ErrP power failure message appears, press
ENTER. The hours fired and temperature reached before the
power failed will appear, then IdLE .
To resume firing, press ENTER twice. The kiln will begin
firing again from its present temperature. For example, the
kilnreached1000°F/538°Cbeforepowerfailed.Whenyouturn
the kiln back on, the temperature is 700°F/371°C. Firing will
resumefrom 700°F/371°C. Youneednot cool thekilntoroom
temperature before starting over unless you use new witness
cones. (See next section.)
WhenyouresumefiringbypressingENTERtwice,thecon-
troller begins firing again from segment 1. If the temperature
isalreadyhigherthanthatofsegment1,thecontrollerskipsto
thenextsegment.Whenitfindsasegmentwithahighertarget
temperature,itbeginsfiringinthatsegment.Forthis reason,
apower failureduringa rampingdown(cooling) segmentcan
confusethecontroller.Whenyouresumefiring,thecontroller
will begin firing from a ramping up (heating) segment rather
than a ramping down segment.
Firing Ceramics After an
Extended Power Failure
1) The firing was interrupted below 100°F/56°C of matu-
rity: Fire the ware again. It is okay to use the same partially
fired witness cones, even if they cooled back down to room
temperature. So long as the cones did not heat to within
100°F/56°C of maturity, they can be used again.
2) The ware fired to within 100°F/56°C of maturity: Fire
the ware again. Do not use the same witness cones. Use new
ones.
Thermocouple Offset (tCoS)
The thermocouple is the 18" diameter rod protruding into
thefiringchamber.Itmeasurestemperature.Thermocouples
can “drift” as they age, causing inaccurate temperature read-
ings. (This may be so slight that you won’t notice it.) To cali-
bratethecontrollertocompensatefordrift,use“Thermocou-
ple Offset.”
TIP:BeforeusingThermocoupleOffset,checkthatthe
thermocoupleisprotrudingintothefiringchamberbyat
least 12"-58". Sometimes bumping a shelf against the
thermocouple pushes it out of the firing chamber,
thereby preventing accurate temperature readings.
Thermocouple Offset for Ceramic Firings
In ceramics, Cone Offset (see page 8) adjusts each pyro-
metricconewithoutaffectingtheothercones.Thermocouple
Offset, on the other hand, affects all cones equally, and all
Ramp-Hold firings. A 5°F hotter setting in Thermocouple
Offset fires everything 5º hotter.
If you find that all your cones are consistently under- or
over-firing,adjustThermocoupleOffset.Ifyouneedtoadjust
only a particular cone, use Cone Offset.
Calibrating Thermocouple Offset with a
Thermocouple Standard or Pyrometer
Athermocouplestandardis adevice thatcalibratespyrom-
eters and controllers. If you do not have a thermocouple stan-
dard, you can calibrate Thermocouple Offset using a cali-
brated digital pyrometer. One way to calibrate your digital
pyrometer is to take it to a heat treater or other location that
has a calibrated controller you can trust. Take a reading with
your pyrometer. Either zero it out to match the other heat
source, or write down the temperature difference between
yourpyrometer andthe reliablesource.Store yourpyrometer.
Use it only for calibrating controllers. Thus, it remains a reli-
able calibration standard.
Adjust Thermocouple Offset to compensate for any tem-
perature difference between the controller and the calibrated
pyrometer or thermocouple standard.
Setting Thermocouple Offset
Youcanenteratemperaturechangeupto50°F/28°Chigher
or lower than the zero factory setting. If the kiln fires too hot,
enter00 and a temperaturefrom01- 50°F/1 - 28°C.Ifthe kiln
fires too cool, enter 90 and 01 - 50°F/1 - 28°C.
The chart below contains seven examples of Thermocou-
pleOffsets.Programanytemperatureinthe01-50°F/1-28°C
range, hotter or cooler, using these examples as a guide:
Thermocouple Offset Examples*
0001 Kiln will fire 1°F Cooler
0030 Kiln will fire 30°F Cooler
0049 Kiln will fire 49°F Cooler
0000 or 9000 No Adjustment
9005 Kiln will fire 5°F Hotter
9040 Kiln will fire 40°F Hotter
9049 Kiln will fire 49°F Hotter
*Cone Offset works in °C the same as in °F. In the
above examples, replace °F temperatures with
equivalent °C.
14
Options Quick Reference List
RSEt Sets the Thermocouple Offset to 0 and
turns error codes on; page 15.
PrHt Used in Cone-Fire only: Pre-Heat; page 7.
Id Identifies the kiln for interface with a per-
sonal computer. Ignore.
CnoS Used in Cone-Fire only: Cone Offset;
changes the temperature shut-off of individual
cones; page 8.
ChG° Changestemperatureread-outbetween
°F and °C.; page 12.
ErCd Error Codes: Turns error codes Err1,
Err2, Err3and Err4 off. Designed for applications
where the furnace door is opened at high tempera-
ture, such as heat treating; page 15.
tCoS ThermocoupleOffset:calibratesthether-
mocouple read-out; page 14.
bd t BoardTemperature:showsthetemperature
of the circuit board; page 13.

Directions for Thermocouple Offsets:
1From IdLE , press ENTER.
2Press 0repeatedly until tCoS appears.
3PressENTER.°FOS (or °COS ) willappear,alternat-
ingwiththecurrentthermocoupleoffset.(Factoryset-
ting is 00.00).
4Enter the new offset (e.g. 9005). Press ENTER.IdLE
will appear.
Toresetthermocoupleoffsetbackto0000,pressENTER,
0.RSEt will appear. Press ENTER.
Turning Off Error Codes (ErCd)
TheDTC1000uses errorcodes toalertyou tofiring prob-
lems. In certain applications, it may be desirable to turn off
some of the error codes.
Forinstance, error code Err1 appears when temperature
rises slower than 12°F/12°C per hour. (In Ramp-Hold, the
temperature is also below the programmed temperature.)
Err1 mayinterferewhen the door of the kiln is opened to re-
move certain materials, such as enameled pieces or heat
treated steel.
“Error Codes” ErCd , when set to OFF, turns off error
codes Err1 ,Err2 ,Err3 and Err4 . (See page 18 for a dis-
cussion of these error codes.)
During the last 250°F/139°C of a Cone-Fire program,
the Err1 code will become active again even when
ErCd is turned off.
Setting Error Codes ON or OFF
1Press ENTER from IdLE .
2Press 0repeatedly until ErCd appears.
3Press ENTER.On or OFF will appear. Press 1to
change this setting.
4Press ENTER.CPL will appear, followed by tempera-
ture and IdLE .
RSEt (from OPTIONS key) can turn on error codes.
Trouble-Shooting & Maintenance
Furnace or Kiln Wiring Diagram
Your wiring diagram will show you how the controller, re-
lays, transformer and heating elements are connected. It will
aid you in tracking down problems. If you need a replacement
diagram, call us.
Protecting the Controller From Static
Static electricity can damage the controller. Before han-
dling the board, touch a grounded object. When shipping the
controllerforrepairs,donotpackinbubblewraporstyrofoam
peanuts.Thesematerialscanbuildupastaticcharge.Instead,
use anti-static foam or even newspaper.
Element Glow Test: A Quick Test
Of Elements and Relays
1The kiln should be empty. Close the lid or door.
2In Ramp-Hold, fire at a rate of 9999 to 500°F/260°C.
While the kiln is firing, study your kiln’s wiring dia-
gram.Itwillshowwhichelementsarewiredtoeachre-
lay.
3Ataround400°F/204°C,carefullyliftthelidoropenthe
door slightly until you can see the glowing elements.
CAUTION: Use a protective glove. Keep your face
well away from the firing chamber. Do not reach inside
the chamber. DO NOT TOUCH THE ELEMENTS
WITHANYTHING.Liftthelidforonlyamoment,then
close it.
Thecenterelementsinmost7,8,10and12sidedkilnswill
notglowbrightly,butthereshouldbeafaintredness.Itmaybe
easier to see the elements by turning off the room lights.
Test result: All the elements for one relay remain dark.
The relay is probably defective.
Test result: One element remains dark, others glow.
Ifmorethanoneelementiswiredtotherelay, the dark ele-
mentisprobablyburnedout.Theproblemisnottherelay.
Oncompletionoffiring,thedisplaywillshowfiringtimein
hours/minutes.Firingtimewillhelpyouoryourrepairtechni-
cian determine if the kiln is firing fast enough.
How to Remove Controller
SWITCH BOX WARNING:
UNPLUG kiln or furnace be-
fore opening switch box or re-
moving faceplate. Touching a
live connection inside switch
box could be fatal. Kiln must
be unplugged anytime switch
box is removed from kiln.
UNPLUG the kiln (or TnF
II).Removethefourscrewshold-
ing the faceplate to the switch
box. TnFII owners: UNPLUGtheTnF II fromthewall outlet
whenever these instructions say to unplug the kiln.
Removing Controller for Voltmeter Check
When checking controller board with a voltmeter
multitester, remove only controller faceplate and not the kiln
switch box. Before removing controller board, UNPLUG the
kiln.Thenletthecontrollerboardhangontheswitchboxwith
the back of the board facing you. Plug the kiln back in before
testingtheboard.Thereasontounplugthekilnbeforeyoure-
15

movethe controller boardis that some
electronic components will be de-
stroyediftheytouchagroundedobject
with the kiln plugged in. See chart,
page 22, for connection numbers on
back of board.
WARNING:Keepawayfromswitch
box opening when testing the
board. Switch box contains live
wires!
Problem: Controller Display
Does Not Light Up
Probable Causes:
■Tripped Circuit Breaker or Blown Fuse,
Kiln Unplugged
■Blown Kiln Switch Box Fuse
■Defective Transformer
■Defective Controller Board
■Disconnected Switch Box Wire
Checkcircuitbreaker orfuseforthewalloutlet.If poweris
reaching the kiln, turn off the power for ten seconds. The
boardmaylightupwhenyouturnthepowerbackon.If itdoes
not, remove the kiln’s fuse. It
is located in the switch box.
Remove by pressing on the
fuseholderand turning coun-
ter-clockwise half a turn.
Check the fuse by placing the
probesof an ohmmeteronthe
ends of the fuse. If the ohm-
meter reads less than an ohm
(digital meter) or reads 0 ohms (analog meter), the fuse is
okay.IfthereadingisOPEN(digitalmeter)orinfinity/nonee-
dle movement (analog meter), the fuse is bad. Replacement
fuse: AGC 1/2 A 250V AC
If replacement kiln fuses keep blowing, check the kiln’s
transformer.(Seebelowand“KilnSwitchBoxFuseBlowsRe-
peatedly,” page 20, to check transformer.)
Next check the controller board with a voltmeter
multitester. Make sure kiln is unplugged, and remove the 4
screws holding the controller board faceplate to the switch
box.Liftfaceplateoutofboxandlettheboardhangonthebox
with the back of the board facing you. Plug the kiln back in.
Touch voltmeter probes (in AC mode) to connectors 5 and 7.
Thisshouldbethewhiteandorangewires.(Seediagram,page
22.) Make sure the voltmeter is in the AC mode when placing
the probes on connectors 5 and 7.
Ifyoufindvoltage(atleast20 voltsAC), itmeans currentis
reachingtheboardfromthetransformer,sotheboardisprob-
ably defective. If there is no voltage, the transformer may be
defective. But before replacing the transformer, UNPLUG
kiln, remove switch box, and look for a disconnected wire be-
tween the cord set and transformer or between the trans-
former and controller board.
Problem: Controller Display Lights Up
Normally, Some or All Heating
Elements Do Not Fire
Probable Causes:
■Worn or Burned Out Elements
■Defective Controller Board
■Defective Relay(s)
■Disconnected Wire in Switch Box
■Programmed Hold or Delay
Besureyouhave notinadvertently programmedalong De-
lay.Iffiringisexcessivelyslow,aHoldinRamp-Holdmayhave
been programmed. See “Element Glow Test,” page 15.
Checkthecontrollerboardwithavoltmeter.UNPLUGthe
kiln and remove the 4 screws holding the controller board
faceplatetotheswitchbox.Liftfaceplateoutofboxandletthe
boardhangontheoutsideoftheboxwiththebackoftheboard
facingyou.Then plugthe kilnbackin.Programthecontroller
to fire to 1000°F at 9999°F rate in Ramp-Hold mode. Press
START.
Put the voltmeter in DC mode. (It must be in DC mode.)
Touch probes to connectors 3 and 6 for at least 12 seconds.
(See diagram, page 22.) If the meter reads 11 - 14 volts, the
board is sending correct voltage to the relays, so the board is
okay. Less than 11 volts at 3 and 6 means a weak transformer.
No voltage at 3 and 6 means a defective controller board.
Ifthecontrollerboardchecksout okay, UNPLUG kiln and
remove switch box. Look for loose or disconnected
board-to-relay, relay-to-element, and cordset-to-relay wires.
If you still haven’t found the
problem, check elements with
an ohmmeter.
Kiln is still UNPLUGGED.
If the elements are hot from
the previous test, please use
caution. Wait for the ele-
ments to cool, if necessary.
Touch the ohmmeter leads
to the two element connectors
of each element. OPEN (digital
meter) or no-needle movement
(analog meter) indicates a bro-
ken (burned out) element.
Iftheelementyouaretesting
has two or more element lead wires attached to the same ele-
mentconnector,youmusttemporarilydisconnectthosewires
fromtheconnector.Holdelementconnectorwithpliersasyou
remove the screw. Be gentle to avoid breaking the element.
(Elements are brittle after being fired.) Do not disturb the
screwholdingtheelement,onlytheoneholdingtheleadwires.
Reconnect the wires securely after testing the element.
If the elements and wiring check out okay, the problem is
most likely a relay.
16

When a relay chatters or buzzes instead of clicks, the
problem may be a weak transformer. A chattering relay
can cause erratic temperature readings.
How to Test a Relay: Youwillneedanohmmeter,12volt
battery and 2 clip wires. (Or you could test the relays by per-
forming the Element Glow Test, page 15.)
WARNING: You must disconnect the controller
board-to-relay wires to test the relay(s) with a battery.
Leavingthewiresconnectedcoulddamagethecontroller
board.
1UNPLUG kiln and remove switch box. Find the two
wires going from the controller board to the relay you
are testing. Disconnect these wires from the relay.
Thenconnecta12voltlanternbatterytothesamerelay
terminals (#5 and #6 on diagrams below) using clip
wires.Youshouldhearaclickingnoisewhenyoumake
theconnection.Ifthereisnoclick,therelaymaybede-
fective. Make sure your battery is good before assum-
ing the relay is bad.
2Touchohmmeter leadwires torelay terminalsmarked
#1 and #2 in the diagram. With the battery still con-
nected, you should get a continuity reading (0 ohms)
on the ohmmeter. If you get a no-needle movement
when the battery is connected, replace the relay. Place
theohmmeterwiresonrelayterminalsmarked3and4
on the diagram and test the same way.
Problem: Firing Interrupted by PF or ErrP
Probable Causes:
■Temporary Power Failure
■Low Voltage at Wall Receptacle
■Corroded Cord Plug or Wall Receptacle
■Defective Transformer
■Disconnected or Loose Wire
■Electrical Noise
PF alternates with the temperature display during
firing:thismeansthepowerwentoffforamomentduringfir-
ing.Thenfiringresumed.Togobacktoanormaltemperature
display, press ENTER.
Steady ErrP ,notemperaturedisplay:thismeansafir-
ing has been interrupted by a longer power failure.
For a more detailed explanation of power failure mes-
sages, see page 13.
Low voltage can also cause the kiln to shut off and display
either PF or a blank display. If this happens and you did not
haveapowerfailure,havethepowercompanyoranelectrician
check the wall receptacle, while the kiln fires, for low voltage.
Sometimesthere isjustenough voltagetoprogram theboard.
Butwhen the relays turn on, the voltage from the transformer
drops below the minimum operating level, and the display
goes blank.
ErrP displays even though power did not fail: If the
voltage at the wall receptacle is okay, UNPLUG kiln, remove
switch box, and look for a wire that has become disconnected
from a relay. If a wire comes loose from a relay and touches
anything grounded in the switch box, the board will read
ErrP when you start the program. Electrical noise can also
cause an ErrP display.
Acorrodedkilncordplugorwallreceptaclecancausea PF
orblank display. Pull theplugfrom the wall. Cleantheprongs
on the plug with fine emery paper or a pencil eraser until the
prongs are bright. If the plug or wall receptacle is blackened,
replace. A loose wall receptacle screw or loose circuit breaker
screw can also cause a power failure display.
Checktransformerifthewallreceptaclevoltageandswitch
boxwiringareokay. (See “Controller Display Does Not Light
Up,” page 16, and “Kiln Switch Box Fuse Blows Repeatedly,”
page 20.)
17
2
3
4
5
6
2
4
3
5
6
1
Wiring for Omron & Arowmat Relays
1Wiring forP&BRelay
Sometimesareplacementrelaywillbeofadifferentbrandthantherelayin
yourkiln.Ifso,transferthewiresfromtheoldrelaytothenewonebythenum-
bers on this chart. Ignore the terminal numbers printed on the relay bodies
when using this chart.

Problem: FAIL Message
Probable Causes:
■Defective Thermocouple
■Disconnected Thermocouple Lead Wires
■Defective Board
■Electrical Noise
UNPLUGkiln.Removethe4screwsholdingthecontroller
board faceplate to the switch box. Lift faceplate out of box.
Lookatthebackoftheboard.Youshouldseeayellowwireand
ared wire connected to connectors 10 and 11(back of board).
(Seediagram,page22.)Ifoneofthesewiresisdisconnectedor
loose,reconnectortighten.(Graspconnectorblocktoprevent
block from twisting.) The controller should work now. If the
wireswereattachedsecurelytotheirconnectors,performthis
test:
1Remove thermocouple
wires from connections
10 & 11.
2Cutapaperclipinhalf.In-
serta U-shapedpaperclip
piecebetweenconnectors
10 & 11. Tighten screws.
3Place the faceplate back
into the switchbox with a
couple of screws.
4Plug in the kiln or turn on
the breaker. If the board
reads room temperature,
replace the thermocou-
ple.Ifitreads FaIL ,replacetheboard.Thethermo-
coupleandthermocoupleleadwiresaresoldasasin-
gle unit. Therefore, damaged thermocouple lead
wirescallforreplacementofthethermocoupleitself.
Ifyou still geta FaIL messageafter replacing thethermo-
couple,watchforanerratictemperaturedisplay.Theproblem
may be due to electrical noise. See “Erratic Temperature
Readings,” page 20.
Problem: Err 0 Message
Probable Causes:
■Electrical Spike or surge
■Arcing on Relay
Electricalspikesornoisecancausetheprocessortojumpa
stepor malfunction. When Err 0 appears,unplug the kiln or
furnacefor10seconds.Thiswillresetthesystem.Thedisplay
should go back to ErrP . Check your program to make sure it
wasn’t corrupted. Then fire your kiln again. If Err0 persists,
have the controller serviced or replaced.
Problem: Err 1 Message
Probable Causes:
■Temperature Rise Slower Than 12° Per Hour
■Electrical Noise from Relays
■Worn Thermocouple
Err1 appears when temperature rise is slower than 12°F/
12°Cperhourin Cone-Fireand Ramp-Hold.(In Ramp-Hold,
the temperature must also be below the local set point, which
isthetemperaturetheboardistryingtoreachtomaintaincor-
rect rate. Ramp-Hold can be programmed for a rate slower
than 12º per hour without setting off the Err1 message.)
When Err1 appears, the heating elements will shut off.
Akilnthatfiresthisslowly mayneed newelements, voltage
maybelow,oryoumaybetryingtofirehotterthanthekilnwas
designedfor. Ifit happensinthe summerduring hotweather,
it is likely due to low voltage during peak electrical demand.
Did the firings gradually take longer? Did Err1 appear
only near the end of the firing? If yes to both questions, you
probably have worn elements.
If Err1 appearedwell belowthetarget temperature,such
as1000°Fforan 1800°Ffiring, youprobably haveaburnedout
element or relay. See page 16, “Controller Display Lights Up
Normally, Some or All Heating Elements Do Not Fire” and
“Element Glow Test,” page 15.
Electrical noise from a chattering or buzzing relay can
cause an Err1 message. So can a worn thermocouple. Grasp
the thermocouple, which protrudes into the firing chamber.
Gentlymovethethermocouplebackandforth.Ifthetempera-
ture reading jumps, replace the thermocouple.
After Err1 appears,press 1.Thedisplay willshowthe last
temperaturethekilnreachedandthehoursfiredbeforeitshut
off. Then it will go back to IdLE .
Problem: Err 2 Message
Probable Causes:
■Stuck Relay
■Defective Controller
Err2 appears when the temperature rises over 50°above a
Hold temperature. It must remain over 50° for 18 seconds. It
appears only during a Hold segment.
Err2 is caused by a stuck relay or defective controller. If
the elements remain on after Err2 appears, check the relays
as shown on page 17. If the relays are okay and the elements
turn on when you reconnect the controller wires to the relays,
replace the controller.
Problem: Err 3 Message
Probable Causes:
■Opening the Door
■Burned-Out Element
■Defective Relay
Err3 appears when the temperature falls more than 50°
belowtheHoldtemperatureduringaHoldsegment.See“Ele-
ment Glow Test,” page 15, or test the relays and elements as
shown on page 17.
18

Problem: Err 4 Message
Probable Causes:
■Stuck Relay
■Defective Controller
Err4 is the same as Err2 except temperature rises 50°
above a Ramp temperature instead of a Hold temperature.
Problem: Err 6 Message
Probable Cause:
■Thermocouple Leads Hooked Up Backwards
■Room Temperature Below 0ºF or 0ºC
■Board Damaged by Static Electricity
UNPLUG kiln and remove the controller from the switch
box. If the yellow and red wires are attached to the incorrect
terminals (see diagram on page 22), reverse the wires. Rein-
stall the controller.
If room temperature is below 0ºF or 0ºC, raise tempera-
ture.
Perform the paperclip test described under “FAIL Mes-
sage,” page 18. When the paperclip is in place, the board
shouldshowroomtemperature.Ifitshowsanegativenumber,
replace or repair the board.
Problem: Err 8 Message
Probable Cause:
■Burned out element or loss of power to elements
■Defective relay
■The Kiln Sitter® shut off (applies to TnFII models)
Err8 appears when the temperature drops for 18 seconds
during the last phase of firing in Cone-Fire.
When Err8 appears,press1.Thedisplaywillshowthelast
temperaturethekilnreachedandthehoursfiredbeforeitshut
off. Then it will go back to IdLE . See page 16, “Controller
Display Lights Up Normally, Some or All Heating Elements
Do Not Fire” and “Element Glow Test,” page 15.
Problem: Err A Message
Probable Cause:
■Software Error
ErrA indicatesanerrorinsoftware,usuallywiththecom-
puter-connected version of the DTC 1000. ErrA can be
caused by random electrical noise. Reprogram the controller.
If the error returns, return the board for servicing.
Problem: Err B Message
Probable Cause:
■Circuit Board Temperature above 250° F.
■Defective Board
■Electrical Noise
If the cause is a hot circuit board, open windows and use a
fan to circulate air in the room before firing the kiln or fur-
nace. If you have more than one kiln in the room, place them
farther apart. Never allow the firing room temperature to ex-
ceed 110°F/43°C. (Measure room temperature at least three
feet away from the kiln.)
If ErrB persists when the circuit board temperature is
normal, replace the board.
Problem: Err d Message
Probable Causes:
■Stuck Relay
■Electrical Noise
■Over-Shoot During Low Temperature Firing
Errd appears when the temperature is more than 100°F
above the programmed temperature. It can occur during a
rampor during hold.Checkrelaysas described onpages15 &
16.Ifyoufiretoaround300°F/149°C, Errd mayappeardueto
a temperature over-shoot. Fire at a slower rate.
Problem: Err E Message
Probable Cause:
■Defective Controller
The controller detected a defective component on the cir-
cuit board. Replace the board.
Problem: Err H Message
Probable Cause:
■Defective Controller
Thecontrollerdetectedanerrorinaself-diagnosticcheck.
If the error persists, replace the board.
Problem: Err t
Probable Cause:
■Memory Chip Defective
The write cycle to the non-volatile memory chip took too
long. Have controller serviced.
Problem: Err -
Probable Cause:
■Power Loss During Processing
Therewasapowerlosstothecontrollerwhilesendingdata
toamemory chip.Use “ProgramReview”tobesureyourpro-
gramis stillinmemory. Ifyouget an Err - regularly,thecon-
troller may need servicing.
Problem: StUC Message
Probable Causes:
■Stuck Key
■Solder Joint Failure
Return the controller for servicing.
19

Problem: Erratic Temperature Readings
Probable Causes:
■Thermocouple Lead Wires Attached to Wrong Terminals or Too
Close to Other Wires
■Thermocouple Lead Wires Touch at Bare Ends
■Electrical Noise
■Poor Electrical Circuit Ground
■Defective Relay or Transformer
■Defective Thermocouple
■Thermocouple Touching Metal Case of Kiln
Even though protected by insulation, the thermocouple
wires are sensitive to electromagnetic waves. Position them
away from other wires inside the switch box. Thermocouple
wires must be attached to the correct terminals. Check that
the thermocouple wire ends are separated where the insula-
tionhasbeenstripped.Electrical“noise”fromachatteringre-
layornearbyarcweldingmachinescancauseerraticreadings.
If erratic temperatures display momentarily each time the
relays click on, have an electrician check the electrical circuit
for a poorly connected grounding wire.
Iftheerratic temperturereadingsdisplayonlywhiletheel-
ements are powered, the problem may be a defective relay or
transformer.
A worn thermocouple can cause erratic temperature read-
ings. Wiggle the thermocouple tip. If the temperature jumps
by a wide margin, replace thermocouple.
Problem: Overfire
Probable Causes:
■Thermocouple Pushed Out of Firing Chamber
■Stuck Relay
■Defective Thermocouple
■Thermocouple Touching Metal Case of Kiln
(Ceramics:usewitnesscones.)Checkthatthethermocou-
ple is protruding into the firing chamber by at least 12"-58".
Sometimesbumpingashelfagainstthethermocouplepushes
itoutofthefiringchamber,alteringthetemperaturereadings.
Ifan element stays on afterpressingSTOP, a relay is stuck.
Replace the relay. If the temperature reading is over 100°
higherthantheactualtemperature,replacethethermocouple.
Note: a defective thermocouple can read correct room tem-
perature and be inaccurate at high temperatures.
Make sure the thermocouple, including the spring on the
endofthethermocouple,isnottouchingthekiln’smetalcase.
Problem: Stuck Display
Probable Causes:
■Stuck Key
■Electrical Noise
Sometimes a chattering relay or other source of electrical
noisefreezes thedisplaymessage. Turn off the power for ten
seconds.Ifthatdoesnotcorrecttheproblem,returntheboard
for servicing.
Problem: Relay Chatters or Buzzes
Probable Causes:
■Defective Transformer
■Defective Transistor on Controller
■Low Line Voltage
■Weak Relay
Voltageatcontrollerboardconnectors3and6shouldbe12
-14voltsDC. Voltageinthe10-11rangemaynotbeenoughto
drivetherelays,ormaycausearelaytochatter.See“Controller
Display Lights Up Normally, Some or All Heating Elements
Do Not Fire,” page 16, to check the board with a voltmeter.
Lowvoltageatconnectors3and6canbecausedbyadefec-
tivetransformer,adefectivetransistorontheboard,orlowline
voltage. To diagnose the cause, check the voltage from the
transformer at connectors 5 and 7. Correct voltage is 20 - 24
voltsAC. Whenvoltagefallsbelow20volts,theboardwillmal-
function or will not have enough voltage to drive the relays.
Iflowvoltageisdetectedatconnectors3and6or5and7,re-
place the transformer.
Problem: Kiln Switch Box Fuse
Blows Repeatedly
Probable Causes:
■Wrong Fuse
■Defective Transformer
■Shorted Relay
■Defective Controller
Check the fuse in the kiln’s switch box. The fuse holder is
nearthebottomoftheswitchbox.Removefusebypressingon
the fuse holder and turning counter-clockwise half a turn.
The correct fuse:
AGC ½ A 250V AC
Refer to the diagram on page 22. Disconnect the orange,
whiteandblackwires (#5, 6, 7) from the back of board. Apply
powertokiln.Iffuseblows,replacethetransformer.Ifthefuse
does not blow, then the problem is a board or relay.
Connect #5, 6 and 7 wires to the board again. Disconnect
redwire,#3.Applypower.Ifthefuseblows,replaceorservice
theboard.Ifthefusedoesnotblow,theproblemiscausedbya
short in the coil of a relay.
Disconnecteachrelay,oneatatime,untilyoufindtherelay
that blows the fuse.
Problem: Unwanted Beeping Sound
Cause:
■Alarm Set to 0000
When the controller emits a beeping sound at the begin-
ningoffiring,thealarmwasprobablysetto0000oratempera-
ture below room temperature. See “Temperature Alarm,”
page 13.
20