Fixing Burnt Blue Female Connectors on My Kiln

I was having some trouble with bubbling glaze on pieces that never had issues before. After the second time (I probably should have checked the first, but I always think it’s a glaze application issue), I unscrewed the control panel to take a look.

That’s when I found that the 1 and 2 female blue connectors were brown. Not great.

This led me down a research rabbit hole, but I couldn’t find a step-by-step guide. So, I emailed Skutt Tech Support with a photo. Their response:

“You should cut those 2 blue connectors off the wire and crimp on new ones. Those discolored because they have become loose and no longer have a tight connection to the tabs. If you keep firing your kiln with those connectors, it will feed into the inside of the baffle plate and burn out the inside wires.”

They also said I could find replacement connectors at Ace (and probably other hardware stores). So, I picked some up. Make sure you get the right size and amps!

The Fix

I also had to buy a crimper and stripper. I got a combo pack from Amazon. It was tricky to use since I’ve never done this before, but you don’t learn unless you try!

Steps I took:

1. Cutting the wire – I stripped it down to the right length for the new connector.
   • My wire had some fiberglass strands that didn’t cut with the rubber. My electrician friend said not to worry about them, so I left them.
2. Crimping the new connectors –
   • At first, I crimped too softly because I was afraid of overdoing it.
   • Turns out, you need to crimp hard for a solid connection.
   • The tug test is a must—if it’s loose, it will cause more issues.
   • I used the old connectors to check how much pressure was needed and kept them in my toolbox for reference. (tore them a part to see!)
3. Reinstalling the connectors – I used jewelry pliers (because that’s what I had) to make sure they were snug and secure like the others. Use the other connectors as reference for how much it should be pushed in.

The Test

I ran a diagnostic test to check the amps and voltage. Skutt has videos and documents on how to do this if you need guidance.

Then, I did two cone 08 firings (low biscuit firing) to see if everything held up.

Note: My amps were low, meaning my elements are old and need replacing. They’re currently on backorder, so I’m manifesting that they arrive ASAP. But for now, I figured a low-temp firing would be okay.

After the firings, I opened the control panel, and everything looked good!

Success!

I’ll probably do a separate post on running a kiln diagnostic test, but for now, I hope this helps anyone dealing with burnt connectors. Let me know if you’ve ever had to do this repair and if you have any tips!

Disclaimer: I am not a professional electrician! This is how I fixed my kiln, but this is not a how to!