Paragon Lid-Door Safety Switch User Manual

How to Adjust the Paragon

Lid/Door Safety Switch

Wear firing safety glasseswhenlookingintothepeepholeof

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a hot kiln.
Do not open lidordooruntil kiln or furnace hascooledand

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all switches are off.
DANGEROUS VOLTAGE! Do not touch heating ele

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ments with anything.Disconnectkiln or furnace beforeser
vicing.

The safety switch on your kiln turns off the heating ele
ments when the lid or door of the kiln is opened. (The digital
controller will continue to operate.) When the lid or door is
closed again, the elements will turn back on.

Indications that the safety switch is out of adjustment:

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The run light on the controller islitbuttheelementsdonot
heat.

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The safety switch turnsoff the elements part-way through
a firingduetoexpansionofthedoororlidathightempera
tures.

We have included instructions for adjusting three types of
lid/door safety switches:

The Tilt Lid
Safety Switch

Top-loading kilns use the tilt
switch to turn off powertotheel­ements when the lid is raised.
The switch is mounted at the
back of the lid.

1 Program the kiln to fire atfull

rate so the elements will turn on
and stay on without cycling.
(Please consult your manual to
program a full rate.) After the
kiln hasfired for about a minute,
have someone raise and lower
the lid. Do you hear a clicking
noise when you raise the lid?
(The relays click when they turn
the elements on or off.)

2 If you do not hear the relays

click, close the lid and lift the tilt
switch housing byhand.Youcan
usually adjust the tilt switch by
bending the housing up or down
slightly.

5 By tiltingtheswitch, you should hearthe relays turn onand

off. If you do not hear the clicking, then disconnect the power
to the kiln and look for a disconnected wire. If the wiring is
okay, replace the switch. (You can also test the switch with an

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ohmmeter. See instructions on the next page.)

6 Adjusting the tilt switch

changes the distance the lid
opens when the elements turn
off. You removed the tilt
switch in step 4. With the
switch outof the way,you now
have access to the bolts that
hold the switch mounting
plate. Loosen the 2 bolts.

Loosen switch mounting plate.

Adjust switch mounting plate.

7 The 2 mounting holes are

enlarged so that you can adjust

the angle of the switch
mounting plate. Raise
the back of the mount­ing plate to increase
the distance the lid
travels before the ele­ments shut off. Raise
the front of the
mounting plate to de­crease the distance.
Make only very small
adjustments.

8 Tighten the bolts in the switch mounting plate.
9 Reinstall the tilt switch. Repeat step 1 to test the lid.
10 Reinstall the tilt switch cover.

The Door Rotary
Safety Switch

The door rotary
safety switch is
mounted on top of the
door hinge shaft.

1 Use a ¼” nut driver

to remove the screws
from the door switch
cover. Liftoffthecover.

3 If you still do not hear the re

lays click, remove the screws
from the switch cover with a ¼”
nut driver. Lift off the cover.

Remove the tilt switch screws.

cure thetilt switch. Remove the switch.(Note how it is aligned
so you can reinstall it correctly later.)

4 Remove the 2 screws that se

­fire at fullrate so theelements will turn onand stay onwithout
cycling. (Please consult your manual to program a full rate.)
After the kiln has fired for about a minute, open and close the
door until you hear a clicking noise. (The relays click when

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they turn theelementson or off.)Theelements should turn off
when the door is opened 1” - 2”.

©2007, by Paragon Industries, L.P. IM-235/2-07

2 Program the kiln to

3 Look at the door

switch from above. You
will see adiskwith an in
dentation. When the
switch arm moves into
the indentation, the ele
ments should turn on.
As you open and close
the door, watch the disk
so that you will under

The rotary safety switch with door closed.

stand which direction to
adjust the disk.

4 Loosen 2 allen

screws that holdthedisk
to the door hinge shaft.

5 Rotate the disk to

change the position of
the indentation. Then
tighten the allen screws.

The rotary safety switch with door open.

Tightening the allen screws.

6 Repeat step 2 to test

the switch. If the ele
ments do not turn on
when the switch arm is
in the indentation, then
disconnect the power to
the kiln and look for a
disconnected wire. Ifthe
wiring is okay, replace
the switch. (You can
also test the switch with
an ohmmeter. See in­structions in the next
column.)

7 Reinstall the switch cover.

The Door Push-Button
Safety Switch

The door safety switch is mounted inside the front of the

switch box.

switch with an ohmmeter.
See instructions in the

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next column.)

2 The switch is activated

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by the safety switch lever.
Gently bend the lever with
pliers to change how far
the door opens when the
elements turn off.
Bending the lever toward
the switch box increases
the distance the door
opens when the elements turn off.

Testing the Safety Switch
with an Ohmmeter

First, becomefamiliar with theohmmeter. Touch the ohm
meter probes together. That is the reading you should get
when thedoor/lidisclosed.Ananalog(needleindicator)ohm
meter will show the needle moving all the way over. A digital

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meter will show 0 - 14 ohms.

Separate the ohmmeter probes. That is the reading you
should get when the door/lid is open.

1 UNPLUG kiln/disconnect power.
2 Remove the door/lid

switch cover.

3 Place ohmmeterleadson

the two switch terminals.
(Tilt switch: Touchan ohm­meter probe to the wire in­side each wire nut.)

4 Have someone open and

close the door or lid. You
should get continuity on the
ohmmeter when thelid/door is closed.Ifnot, replace oradjust
the switch.

Testing the rotary safety switch.

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1 Program the kilnto fire at full rateso the elements will turn

on and stay on without cycling. (Please consult your manual
to program afull rate.) After thekilnhas fired forabouta min
ute, open and close
the door until you
hear a clicking noise.
(The relays click
when theyturnthe el
ements on or off.)
The elements should
turn off when the
door is opened 1” ­2”.

If you do not hear
the clicking, press the
safety switch button.
If you stilldonothear
the clicking, then dis
connect the powertothekiln and look foradisconnected wire.
If the wiring is okay, replace the switch. (You can also test the

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Testing the door push-button
safety switch.

A close-up view of the door
push-button safety switch.

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Mesquite, Texas 75149-1122
800-876-4328 / 972-288-7557
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[e-mail]
www.paragonweb.com