Technical Phone Support for L&L Kilns

Before you Call!

Use the incredible search engine on this web site! We use a very intelligent search system. Type in almost any phrase, word or question and you have a very high chance of getting an immediate and highly detailed answer to your question. TRY IT FIRST! You might just get your answer immediately.

The next best method is to use email - you may actually get a faster and more detailed answer than a phone call. Click here to email the right people that can help.

What you need Before Calling

Collect your kiln’s model number, serial number, voltage and phase- (This is located on the back of your owner’s manual or on side of the control box. Note: it is not the model number of Kiln sitter). 

Get your wiring diagram

Be sure to get your wiring diagram if you don’t have it. You can get this free from our office if you know your model number, serial number and voltage. This is the key to understanding what is happening electrically and it makes a great visual reference to share with the tech support department over the phone.

get a multimeter

Get a “Digital Multimeter”.  Digital Multi-meters are inexpensive.  For around $50 or less you can get one at a place like Radio-Shack or Home Depot.  Get one that can test at least 250 volts AC and 28 volts DC, also ohms from 0 to 200, and is able to show at least the tenths decimal place for accuracy. See this tutorial in how to use a multimeter.

if you need an electrician

Sometimes you may need to hire help, like an electrician, to test live electricity if you cannot.  If you go to the trouble of hiring someone to provide on-site service, the kiln must be hot and exhibiting its problem when they test it. Sometimes it is difficult to coordinate the electrician, the hot kiln, and our tech support on the phone all at the same time, but it can be necessary to make the most of the electrician’s time, and to fix the kiln in a timely fashion.   It is usually best also to report to technical support the date and approximate time an electrician is expected to arrive.

limitations to be aware of

As a practical matter the technical support staff is limited by the fact that we are at some distance from your kiln, communicating by email or telephone and are often working with you through multiple sessions to fix your kiln’s problem. Because of this limitation, there is only so much we can do to help you.  We rely heavily on your accurate and complete description of the problem, and your responses to our questions.  Unfortunately we do not have sophisticated information tracking that will remember the details of each problem, so we rely on you to remember where we are in the process of fixing your kiln each time we talk.

Application Support

Distributors usually offer some degree of application support. For instance if you are having problems with firing your work the first place to go for answers is the people who supply your clay and glazes. We offer some application support on this web site but it is minimal. Generally, this is outside the scope of our service. Look at the External Links for many great sites that can help you. You can also email Rob Battey or Jeff Zamek who do independent consulting for ceramic application issues.

rush shipments

If you need to order parts and you are in a hurry be sure to tell the office that and request (at cost to you) second day or next day delivery. We typically ship parts out the same day if the order is given to the office before noon (Eastern Standard Time). 

be comprehensive and proactive

We have found through long experience that is best when trouble starts to replace all of a certain part. If your elements are old and one burns out – change the whole set of elements. The same is true for thermocouples, thermocouple wires, element terminal screws, power cords, and contactors. Do not expect control panel components to reliably perform after 15 or 20 years. The heat of kilns causes unavoidable oxidation of electrical components - some that you can't see. Kilns need to be rebuilt occasionally. Changing JUST the part that is causing the immediate problem is just asking for more trouble in short order. ASK ABOUT OUR PACKAGE REPAIR KITS! Old kilns are no different than old cars – they can last for years with proper maintenance but they will break down at inopportune times without it. Fortunately kilns are not that complex and we have very good instruction materials available on-line in addition to our free phone support.