Do you see that blob? That's where one of my kiln elements broke and melted during my last firing, which happened only 8 months and 55 firings after the elements were replaced. And although the tech support from L&L Kilns assured me that some people burn out their elements much faster than that, I'm still bummed. The original set of elements that came with the kiln lasted for over 200 firings. But back then I wasn't making pots full-time, and firing much less frequently. The second set lasted for 120, which is about normal for a cone 6 studio. So truthfully, 55 is really bad. I guess the difference is mostly due to the volume of making pots full-time. These days, I sometimes unload a kiln while it's still about 200°F, so I can fire it again asap. I've been meeting all of my wholesale deadlines comfortably. I could probably afford not to be in such a hurry, and give my elements a break.
I'm not completely satisfied with the volume explanation, because do you see how distorted and crooked the elements look near the break? The rest of the element looks much better than that. So do the other 5 elements. There is another change I made to my kiln recently ... in January I bought new plate setters, which allow me to fire multiple plates in a very compact and dense stack. I always placed the stack right next to where this element broke. Hmmm. I know an uneven load causes your kiln to work unevenly. Maybe this stack of plates has a lot more mass than I realized. I should keep the stack further away from the elements from now on.
The good news is that because the remaining elements are only 55 firings old, it should be ok for me to replace only the broken element and its zone mate, rather than all 6. At $50 each, that's a relief.
I'm not completely satisfied with the volume explanation, because do you see how distorted and crooked the elements look near the break? The rest of the element looks much better than that. So do the other 5 elements. There is another change I made to my kiln recently ... in January I bought new plate setters, which allow me to fire multiple plates in a very compact and dense stack. I always placed the stack right next to where this element broke. Hmmm. I know an uneven load causes your kiln to work unevenly. Maybe this stack of plates has a lot more mass than I realized. I should keep the stack further away from the elements from now on.
The good news is that because the remaining elements are only 55 firings old, it should be ok for me to replace only the broken element and its zone mate, rather than all 6. At $50 each, that's a relief.
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