Operating instructions

kiln’s electrical data plate. It is usually on the side of the
switch box. The dataplate lists the watts, amps, and volts. If
watts are not listed, multiply amps x volts. (Example: 15
amps x 240 volts = 3,600 watts.)
Divide the wattage of your kiln by 1000, which gives the
kilowatts. (Move the decimal point 3 spaces to the left.)
Examples:
10,800 watts ÷ 1000 = 010.8
4,800 watts ÷ 1000 = 004.8
800 watts ÷ 1000 = 000.8
EnterthatamountintheKWoption:
From , press repeatedly until
appears. Press .
The controller shows 4 digits for entering kilowatts:
. Enter kilowatts for your kiln.
Press .
Press to return to .
Note: Please do not confuse kilowatts with kilo
-
watt-hours. A kilowatt is 1,000 watts. A kilowatt-hour
is 1,000 watts powered for one hour.
To view the cost of a firing, press the
key after the kiln
has fired to completion and flashes.
Id / Computer ID
Enter an ID Number for Connection to a Computer
This feature is for assigning an identification number,
from 1 to 15, to the controller. It is used only for hookup to
a personal computer, which requires an optional kit.
From , press repeatedly until
appears.
Press . Use the and keys to select an ID
number from 1 to 15. Press
. Press to
return to .
TEdE / Temperature Deviation
Adjust Temperature Sensitivity of Error Codes
The temperature that the controller is trying to reach, at
any given time, is called the set point. During heating or
cooling, the set point changes at the rate you programmed.
During a hold, the set point remains steady.
The Sentry shows error messages when it can’t maintain
the set point temperature. The cushion, or leeway, allowed
before an error message flashes is called Temperature De
-
viation. When the temperature is off target by more than
the Temperature Deviation setting, the alarm sounds.
Temperature Deviation affects these error messages (see
page 19):
Fail to Heat
Fail to Cool
Low Temperature Deviation
Note: On controllers that have pre-18D software, the
TEdE setting also affects the HTdE High Temperature
Deviation alarm (page 20). On 18D and later control
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lers, the HTdE setting is always 100°F / 56°C.
Some people worry when , or ap
-
pears. They wonder if something is wrong with the kiln.
Here are four ways to stop the alarm messages from ap
-
pearing during routine firings:
Test your kiln to find its fastest firing rate and
its slowest cooling rate. Then program the controller using
rates within the range of the kiln’s heating/cooling capac
-
ity. Example: If your fastest heating rate is 600° per hour,
enter a rate no faster than 600°.
Set the deviation temperature to a higher
number in the TEdE option. The higher the number, the
less likely that an alarm message will appear.
Set the deviation temperature to 0 in the
TEdE option. This turns off the FTH, FTC and LTdE
alarms (page 19). We do not recommend a 0 setting.
Program a segment at FULL rate (9999°).
This will shut off the deviation alarms for that segment.
(However, deviation alarms will continue to work during
the hold and all other segments with slower rates.)
CAUTION: The High Temperature Deviation
(HTdE) alarm shuts off the kiln to prevent an overfire.
On controllers with pre-18D software, entering a tem-
perature deviation of 0 turns off this important alarm!
On all controllers, entering a FULL rate also turns off
this alarm for the segment with the FULL rate.
Changing the Deviation Temperature
From ,press repeatedly until
appears.
Press . Change the deviation temperature.
The higher the number, the less likely you will acti
-
vate the alarms.
Press . Press to return to .
Note: The factory default TEdE setting is 100°F /
56°C.
The Fail to Heat code appears during
a firing when the kiln cannot heat as fast as programmed.
The Temperature Deviation is set to 100°F / 56°C.
TheFailtoHeatcodewillappearifthetemperatureis
100°F / 56°C or more below the set point.
SFTY / Maximum
Temperature
View the Kiln’s Maximum Operating Temperature
From ,press repeatedly until
appears. Press . The temperature displayed is the
maximum operating temperature programmed in the Sen
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try for your kiln. (This temperature is also shown on the
kiln’s electrical data plate.) It can be altered only at the fac
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17