Operating instructions
Terminating Error
Messages
and error messages
turn off the kiln and flash the following:
I
Total firing time in hours and minutes
I
The kiln shutoff temperature
I
The current kiln temperature
----/NoThermocouple
After the controller was plugged in, it could not detect a
thermocouple.
BAdP / Bad Programming
Causes:
I
A program has been entered with 0 rate in the first seg
-
ment.
I
When you press , all programmed temperatures
are below the current kiln temperature.
ETH / Electronics Too Hot
I
The circuit board temperature is above 176°F / 80°C.
To lower board temperature, use a fan to blow air across
the kiln switch box into the louvers. (But do not blow air
intothekiln’speepholes.)If youhavemore than one kiln in
the room, place them at least 3 feet apart. Never allow the
firing room temperature to exceed 110°F / 43°C. (Measure
room temperature 3 feet away from the kiln.)
FAIL / Thermocouple Failure
The controller is no longer receiving voltage from the
thermocouple. Causes:
I
Defective thermocouple
I
Disconnected thermocouple lead wires
I
Defective board
I
Electrical noise
FTL / Firing Too Long
I
The temperature change is less than 27°F / 15°C per
hour and the firing time is two hours longer than the
current segment was programmed to fire. This message
can appear during heating-up or cooling-down seg
-
ments. sometimes appears because the cooling
segment was programmed faster than the kiln could
naturally cool down.
I
will flash if you program a cooling segment tem
-
perature that is below room temperature. When
appears, press .
Check for worn or burned out elements, defective re
-
lays, low voltage and defective thermocouple. Reprogram
a slower rate in heating-up and cooling-down segments.
Note: To avoid messages, try firing the kiln at a
slower rate.
Note: During a firing, Present Status shows the ac
-
tual firing rate of the current segment instead of the
rate you programmed. If you think your kiln is heating
or cooling too slowly, compare the rate shown in Pres
-
ent Status with the rate you programmed for that seg
-
ment. This is another reason you should always keep a
written record of your firing programs. (Pre-18D soft
-
ware versions show the programmed rate in Present
Status rather than the actual rate. See page 18, SOFT
option, to look up the software version.)
HTdE / High Temperature
Deviation
Causes:
I
During a heating-up ramp or a hold, the temperature is
100°F / 56°C above the programmed temperature.
I
During a cooling-down segment, the temperature is
100°F/ 56°C above the segment’sstartingtemperature.
I
A fast rate caused the controller to overshoot the target
temperature.
I
A relay is stuck in the closed position sending power to
the elements.
See “Power Failures,” next page.
Note: You can disable the HTdE alarm for a segment
by programming a FULL rate (9999°). HTdE will con-
tinue to operate during the hold and in all other seg-
ments that have slower rates.
PF1 / Power Failure
The power failed during a controlled cooling segment.
Thekilntemperaturewasbelowthelastactivecoolingseg
-
ment temperature when the power came back on. The kiln
will not resume firing. See “Power Failures,” next page.
PF 2 / Power Failure
The power failed. The kiln temperature was below
212°F / 100°C when the power came back on. The kiln will
not resume firing. See “Power Failures,” next page.
PF 3 / Power Failure
The power failed. The temperature dropped 72°F / 40°C
while the power was off. The kiln will not resume firing.
See “Power Failures,” next page.
TC 2 / Thermocouple Failure
The thermocouple of a single-zone kiln failed while the
controller was at .
20 Ramp-Hold