Anyone know what could be wrong with my AIM 99ls?

[Jerry Gash]

The elements in my kiln fire up as soon as i plug it in, doesnt matter if its on on or off, im wondering if theres a bad wire or something, anyone have any ideas what it could be??

[smutboy420]

If the switch is off and it still stays on. The relay is Stuck in the on position.
Some times you can bang on it to get it un stuck and it MIGHT work for a short time again. But will stick its self again. So you will need to replace the relay. NOTE: AIm (and other kiln makers) Use ridiculasly low amp relays for what ever size kiln they are installed in.
you want to have atleast 30% higher rating then what the kiln pulls. Or the relay will have a short life.

[homer]

J is right, I just replaced the relay in mine last year.... same problem....

[Jerry Gash]

Do i gotta order one from aim or are they cheaper somewhere else??

[Firekist]

relay's are cheap (from what i remember).. it's being in a hurry and having them shipped overnight that gets ya =0

order 2 while you're at it.. save on shipping for next time.
z---seth

[Jerry Gash]

Just called AIM, they want $25 a pop plus shipping....looks like im gonna have to wait till my broke ass gets paid.

[smutboy420]

You might be better off still getting it from Aim inless you know what kind of relay you need in it. like the coil voltatage and the contact rating.
The relay in mine needed to be all wired compleatly difrent to put the right relay in it that its should of had in the first place if they cared to do it right in the first place.

It had a 240 volt operated relay and I wanted to put a solid state relay in that operated on 3-32 volt dc. But I had to run the wiring from the controller difrently to have it so the relay was powered from the controller and not the main 220 volt line.

But it would of been alot easier to of just replaced it with a simuler 1 with a bigger amp rating and kept it with there wonky janky way of doing things. (oooh!!! they saved a whole foot of wire.)
It was not hard to do. But if I din't know how it really needed to be. it could of been a nightmare
Its not some thing thats would of been intuitive to everyone.

[Jerry Gash]

Im prolly just gonna go ahead and order them from aim, i was thinking about asking them if it would be difficault to convert my kiln from 120v to 220v being i have it available in my new shop. Think that it would be possible to do???

[Greymatter Glass]

Are you talking about relays or infinate range switch?

A relay is a device that switches power via an external signal. Mostly used in digital kilks, most relays these days have been replaced by SSRs - Solid State Relays.

An infinate range switch is what comes on a non-digital AIM kiln. They're marked 1-10(HI) usually. These are cheap ass components and AIM uses about the lowest quality available. No matter if you have a 120 or a 240 V kiln they use the same part, which is fine, but doesn't mean you can run twice the current through it if you're only running 120. Anyways, despite the poor quality components AIM uses infinate switches DO have a limited life span, usually 200,000-300,000 cycles max. Every time you hear that faint click while the kiln is on is a cycle.

If you want a replacement in a hurry look up a ceramics supplier in your area, call around and find one that services kilns and they will have one. Skutt, Paragon, any brand should work. I pay about $18 locally for a new switch.

Alternately you can go to Home Depot or Sears and get a replacement Range switch for an electric stove. GE or Kenmore or whatever they have get the right amperage rating and hook it up.

One huge note I should have mentioned sooner.... Take your knob with you! So far I have found 2 systems for knobs. One is a square key, one is a half circle key. Get whichever one you need, or get the right knob if you can't.

-Doug

[Greymatter Glass]

110 to 220 conversion is simple.

You need a 220 power cord ($10 home depot) and a 220v element, AIM sells them for AIM kilns or you could make your own or call Joppa glass and order from them, or find a local ceramics cupplier and talk to them, I know NM Clay makes custom elements.

You could even make due with the 110v element for a while, but it wont last as long running 220 through it, so you'd have to replace it anyways probably within months.

Make sure you hook the switch up right.

-Doug

[smutboy420]

If its a 99LS it should have the infinite switch and the 99LS/D is with a digital control and relay.

I din't catch the non /D part before.

[Jerry Gash]

Its a 99ls with the fugi digital...

[smutboy420]

Definitly back to the relay diagnosis then.

[HaulAss]

Hey smutboy if these relays are rated rediculously low can i get a better one that will last longer? Mine in my 99ls keeps going bad too... its stuck at 1050 now and i have to plug it in and unpplug it to turn it off, its stufck at 1050.

[smutboy420]

Its appering like everyone needs to replace the relay in there aim kilns after a year or so.

Yes you can go bigger on the relay to prevent them from burining out as fast or at all even. if its a digital kiln.
Or if its the kind with a dial/knob to set the heat you can most likly get a higher rated infinite switch.

When you say its stuck at 1050. Is that the only temp it will hold? Does it keep going higher and higher if you don't unplug it? or is it just you can't change the temp any more?
is it a dial type(infinite switch) or digital control?

[somewhere]

Hey smutboy if these relays are rated rediculously low can i get a better one that will last longer? Mine in my 99ls keeps going bad too... its stuck at 1050 now and i have to plug it in and unpplug it to turn it off, its stufck at 1050.

Yea this lost me to. Are talking about you controller?

[somewhere]

Thinking some more why doesn't Aim fix there error. The relays are obviously under rated. Someone needs to call them and see what they have to say for themselves.

Or do they just want the extra parts money? LOL:dieslaugh

[smutboy420]

Because It would cost a whole whopping $5-$10 more to do it right. and the problem don't show its self till a year after they made the sale.

[somewhere]

Seriously some one should call them out. I'd love to hear what they have to say.

BTW: I'd call them if I owned one.

[Jerry Gash]

Ide call them but i dont know what im talking about.

;)

[smutboy420]

I'd call them but I don't think they would care.
the $5-$10 they save might be $50-100 more they might tac on to the price if they put better relays in. I'm sure they know it already.
Its not a problem thats exclusive to just Aim's tho either.
But I like mine still and it wount be giving me the melt down again.

[Julian]

I have an Aim (non digital) with an add on external digital controller.
It has a mechanical relay dealie that so far I have replaced twice, maybe three times? The thing is rated at 25 amps. The kiln is 15 amps, 120V.
I know it's knackered when I set the temperature and nothing happens. The first relay lasted a couple of years. The first replacement, only a couple of months and the current one, several months so far.
I buy them from http://www.digikey.com for about $20.

Can anyone advise me, is it relatively simple to replace the mechanical relay with a solid state one?

[castaway]

You need to replace your mechanical relay with a solid state one I run 4 kilns in my studio and all have solid stale relays, never a problem as long as you use the correct heat sink. have a look at this link http://www.onetemp.com.au/thyristors.htm
cheers, Bernard

[smutboy420]

Can anyone advise me, is it relatively simple to replace the mechanical relay with a solid state one?


Relatively yes its pretty easy to switch it to an SSR. It just depends on how relative it is to you lol.

Useally there is only 1 pole on the ssr that is switched on or off and the controller its self may have to be programed to work an ssr at its lower coil voltage then the macanical types. Useally 3, 6, or 12 volts dc
if your controller does not have a setting in it for an ssr you will need to get one that works from the line voltage 110volt or 220 and the on/off relay in the controller will turn the power to it on or off. Just like a macanical relay.
But most controllers will allow you to use the lower voltage ssr's inless its real old or some thing. Do you have a manaual for the controller? if not do you know what controller it is?

And heat sinks do help. a lot of SSR'S can be rated for more amps if they have a heat sink installed.

[steven p selchow]

I have the same problem with my kiln its a sattalite...Jim Thinwold from glassline took over that business, but its basically the same kiln he sells. I have a pc board in mine..it was built in 1987...I've replaced the relay, and that didn't do it, So I have another one to try..but the good news is its stuck at 1050-1080..so I can use it still.

have to plug it in and un-plug to turn it off to, the dial doesn't work, replaced that to.

[somewhere]

I have an Aim (non digital) with an add on external digital controller.
It has a mechanical relay dealie that so far I have replaced twice, maybe three times? The thing is rated at 25 amps. The kiln is 15 amps, 120V.
I know it's knackered when I set the temperature and nothing happens. The first relay lasted a couple of years. The first replacement, only a couple of months and the current one, several months so far.
I buy them from http://www.digikey.com for about $20.

Can anyone advise me, is it relatively simple to replace the mechanical relay with a solid state one?

mechanical relays are only designed to switch so many times per second. It's possible your controller is trying to switch the relay to fast. I think this is programable thru the hyteresis and you can set the cycle time.

Mechanical relays are also on the low end of the totem. They have a limited # of cycles. I still prefer MDR's mercury displacment relay. They won't cycle as fast as an ssr but will switch millions of times more then any other type. With maybe the exception of an scr.

[somewhere]

You need to replace your mechanical relay with a solid state one I run 4 kilns in my studio and all have solid stale relays, never a problem as long as you use the correct heat sink. have a look at this link http://www.onetemp.com.au/thyristors.htm
cheers, Bernard


A thyristor is the same as a SCR Silicon Controlled Rectifier. That is the best you can get. Not only can they last forever they will also make your elements last longer and are more efficient way to control power.

[Jerry Gash]

The relay went bad in my kiln again. Was wondering how long it had been since I replaced it and found this thread. Looks like it's been 8 years.

[PyroChixRock]

8 years is a good relay. :D

[Dom]

Yup.. funny my aim99 relay lasted almost exactly eight years as well.. When I called aim they were like wtf... 8 years of daily use is pretty good.

[brads]

Seems pretty consistent. Consistency is good...

Although the following info is more related to the much earlier posts in this thread than the last few, I thought I'd throw it in anyway since the subject seems to come up fairly often. The link is to a paper that does a pretty good job explaining the difference in service life between mechanical relays and solid state relays. You can find it here (http://www.crydom.com/en/Tech/Newsletters/Solid%20Statements%20-%20Life%20Expectancy%20of%20SSRs.pdf).