I keep blowing the circuit breaker with my kiln

emeraldeyedesigns · #1 05-07-2008, 12:19 PM

Ughh I was up to 1 am last night fiddling with my new bead kiln...its an Aim 96J. I have to run it in the dark in my garage it seems. Whenever other lights or appliances are on it flips the breaker. I was hoping to run my concentrator and the kiln off the same outlet....but it won't.....

So I heated the kiln up to 1000 and then turned it off and then made my beads and then when i was done...I turned everything off and heated the kiln up to 1050 for boro beads, which had fallen to 500 degrees.....so I think I strained the beads.....and I worked Amber Purple...which came out looking black purple and blue....weird!!!

Suggestions? I am thinking I am going to need a seperate breaker for the kiln......ughhh but for a 120V I didn't think this would happen! Help!!!!

rosebead · #2 05-07-2008, 02:09 PM

It is recommended that a kiln have its own dedicated outlet, especially in a regular household electrical setting. perhaps get an extension cord for the CONCENTRATOR, & plug that into another circuit.

FireBeads · #3 05-07-2008, 03:37 PM

It's not the volts but the amps that matter. Yes, you should have a dedicated circuit for your kiln. My dh is an electrician (I have lots of dedicated circuits for my kilns and tools

).

You should maintain the annealing temp until you're done making beads and then ramp down. It sounds like maybe you don't have a controller? You can batch anneal which requires a slower more controlled ramp up than just turning it on. There should be lots of info here about that.

Mark Wilson · #4 05-07-2008, 04:44 PM

in most homes several outlets, even lights are daisy changed on a single breaker. the kiln will take 100% of the current capacity of a standard 120v 15 amp circuit breaker. when your kiln blows the circuit breaker, take notice what else is not working any more; other outlets, lights, etc. then unplug everything that isn't working except your kiln. if your lights go out, replace the lights with compact fluorescent bulbs which take less power. you will have to plug the things you unplug into a different circuit.

RCKeyes · #5 05-07-2008, 04:58 PM

Mark,
It is best to run your kiln on a dedicated 20 amp 120v circuit. Does the plug have a prong that is sideways?

emeraldeyedesigns · #6 05-07-2008, 05:23 PM

Thanks! Yah I now see the kiln takes 14 amps and its a 15 amp breaker..... I will have to break out the extension cords till I can find someone to put in another breaker dedicated to the kiln!

Mark Wilson · #7 05-07-2008, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RCKeyes

Mark,
It is best to run your kiln on a dedicated 20 amp 120v circuit. Does the plug have a prong that is sideways?

you can plug it into a 20 amp breaker and that would be fine. it does not need to have a special plug. but if you have a 15 amp and a 20 amp breaker in the same area, i would plug the kiln into the 15 amp breaker and leave the 20 for everything else.

Mark Wilson · #8 05-07-2008, 05:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by emeraldeyedesigns

Thanks! Yah I now see the kiln takes 14 amps and its a 15 amp breaker..... I will have to break out the extension cords till I can find someone to put in another breaker dedicated to the kiln!

DO NOT USE AN EXTENSION CORD FOR YOUR KILN!!!!!! maybe use extension cords for the other, lower power demand items that you need to move, but not the kiln!!!!!!!!

RCKeyes · #9 05-08-2008, 10:45 PM

Kim,
I was just reading your blog and noticed this:
"I need to get more O2 to that torch... So I guess I need to bring in a tank"

Your OXYCON should run that torch just fine and you should be able to work boro without any problems. Unless your doing complex implosions, 45 minutes is way to long for a boro pendant.

emeraldeyedesigns · #10 05-09-2008, 12:09 AM

Well I don't know what I am doing wrong then..I run the o2 concentrator for about 20 minutes before firing my torch up....but it doesn't run very hot. The guage says its putting out 5/liters a minute but it takes forever to melt any thing in? any suggestions....If I turn the propane up then my cones are too high . Maybe I am just used to a bigger torch? I don't know...help....

But isn't it true that the o2 tank will help my torch run better and hotter?

Kim

Mark Wilson · #11 05-09-2008, 08:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by emeraldeyedesigns

Well I don't know what I am doing wrong then..I run the o2 concentrator for about 20 minutes before firing my torch up....but it doesn't run very hot. The guage says its putting out 5/liters a minute but it takes forever to melt any thing in? any suggestions....If I turn the propane up then my cones are too high . Maybe I am just used to a bigger torch? I don't know...help....

But isn't it true that the o2 tank will help my torch run better and hotter?

Kim

on oxygen concentrator is great as far as it goes. you will get a moderately large flame using the oxygen from it, about 7000 btu/hour. but a typical torch can put out 2x or 3x that much heat when hooked to tanked oxygen. the only down side with at tank is that you always run out at the wrong time.

now it is also possible that your oxygen conentrator is not working well and you do not get 5 l/m of 95% oxygen out of it, maybe 75% or even less. they do have a limited lifetime especially in humid climates.

Dennis Brady · #12 05-09-2008, 08:21 PM

The AIM 96J uses 14 amps at maximum draw when it's full on. It can be run on a 15 amp circuit and still allow you to have a couple of lights on the same circuit - but there isn't enough to carry other appliances or your concentrator. We have several similar size kilns running on 15 amp circuits and have NEVER blown a breaker - even with several lights on the same circuit as the kiln.

You can use an extension cord for that kiln as long as you make sure it's at least 14 guage wire. It's not uncommon to run 14 guage wire for 100' or more from a service panel through the walls of your house, so there's no reason you can't run a pretty lengthy extension cord from a wall outlet - as long as the wire is heavy enough to carry the load. Building codes are different in various US states, but such practice is DEFINITELY permitted where I live.

Mark Wilson · #13 05-11-2008, 05:15 PM

DO NOT USE AN EXTENSION CORD WITH YOUR KILN. check with your kiln manufacturer, and i guarentee that they will say not to use an extension cord. if you can't figure out how to power your studio with the outlets you have, either move the studio, or you could make up some special power cables using 10 to 12 guage soild copper 3 concudctor cable, the same kind that is in your walls, to run an outlet from another room. but the kind of extension cords you find on the racks cannot handle the current you are drawing. you can find some 6 foot extension cords with 12 gauge wires off the shelf, but i don't think 6 feet is going to help much.

emeraldeyedesigns · #14 05-12-2008, 12:55 AM

Thanks for all of the advise. I am not going to run my kiln on an extension cord. But the circuit for the kiln also has a freezer on it, the garage door opener, and hte lights for the main hall of the house so there lies the problem..... I am going to have a friend put in another circuit for the kiln....I have a third to start up too? Ughhh....yehhhhh Melt Melt Melt....
I am also going to get the 02 canister and use the concentrator when I am working with soft glass and the other ofr boro work and for when I have my larger torch!

Thanks Thanks Thanks

Rhonda Brewer · #15 07-14-2008, 01:09 PM

Regarding using an extension cord:
Would it be possible (and/or a good idea) to build your own extension cord with the proper guage wire and proper plugs?
The reason I ask, is I haven't fired in years due to not having a place to plug the kiln in out in my garage, but I have a metal storage shed plenty big enough in the yard, and window access to either the plug for my stove or the plug for my dryer. The kiln uses 240. What is your informed opinion?

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