FAQ
My burn times are running long (longer than 75 minutes)
Check the most recent lift test; if it is lower than -3 (say, -2.5), clean the top of the unit to see if the situation improves Check to see if the ceramic tubes are touching the sides. When they rub, they cause the weight to appear to be jumping around and/or going backwards Verify the filter temperature. Do this only after the unit has been heating up for more than 10 minutes. This can be done by turning the unit off, holding down the ‘7’ key, and turn the unit on. Hold down the ‘7’ until the red display lights up and check the numbers in the ‘chamber temp’ and the ‘percent loss’ windows. ‘Percent loss’ should be the larger number. If it is not, replace the filter element—there are two filter elements, based on series. NC-1410 for the 1087/1275 series, and NC-1425 for the 859/945 series
My burn times are running long (longer than 75 minutes)
Check the most recent lift test; if it is lower than -3 (say, -2.5), clean the top of the unit to see if the situation improves Check to see if the ceramic tubes are touching the sides. When they rub, they cause the weight to appear to be jumping around and/or going backwards Verify the filter temperature. Do this only after the unit has been heating up for more than 10 minutes. This can be done by turning the unit off, holding down the ‘7’ key, and turn the unit on. Hold down the ‘7’ until the red display lights up and check the numbers in the ‘chamber temp’ and the ‘percent loss’ windows. ‘Percent loss’ should be the larger number. If it is not, replace the filter element—there are two filter elements, based on series. NC-1410 for the 1087/1275 series, and NC-1425 for the 859/945 series
My results are not what I expected
Check the most recent scale calibration. If it has been longer than a year, get it recalibrated Check the most recent lift test; if it is lower than -3 (say, -2.5), clean the top of the unit to see if the situation improves Check to see if the ceramic tubes are touching the sides. When they rub, they cause the weight to appear to be jumping around and/or going backwards Verify the time and date on the scale. If you see ‘--:--’ it means that the information has been lost and needs to be reset. If possible, verify that the scale is reading correctly. If you have a known weight, this can be used. Otherwise, compare against an external scale
My results are not what I expected
Check the most recent scale calibration. If it has been longer than a year, get it recalibrated Check the most recent lift test; if it is lower than -3 (say, -2.5), clean the top of the unit to see if the situation improves Check to see if the ceramic tubes are touching the sides. When they rub, they cause the weight to appear to be jumping around and/or going backwards Verify the time and date on the scale. If you see ‘--:--’ it means that the information has been lost and needs to be reset. If possible, verify that the scale is reading correctly. If you have a known weight, this can be used. Otherwise, compare against an external scale
How do I/How often should I run a lift test?
A lift test is performed when you turn the furnace on for the first time in the morning. It should be at room temperature. Once the scale countdown is finished, and the chamber is empty, hit start. The green display should pull down to somewhere between -3 and -8 We recommend doing a lift test at least monthly. If possible, perform the test weekly
How do I/How often should I run a lift test?
A lift test is performed when you turn the furnace on for the first time in the morning. It should be at room temperature. Once the scale countdown is finished, and the chamber is empty, hit start. The green display should pull down to somewhere between -3 and -8 We recommend doing a lift test at least monthly. If possible, perform the test weekly
How do I clean the NCAT furnace?
Remove the exhaust, the top cover(s), and use a shop-vac to clean the soot and residue. Use the vacuum to clean the blower fan as well. Once the cleaning is complete, set the filter to 900 degrees, and the chamber to 650 degrees, and let it burn clean for 4 hours. To set the filter temperature, hold down the “5” key while turning the unit on. It will say a number, and “FIL SP”. Type in 900 and hit enter, then reset the machine. Before burning a sample, you will need to reset the temperatures to your preferred settings. When calibrating the scale, we recommend pulling the scale out of the unit and checking for debris and residue. Things can build up, especially when the liquid runs down the tubes to the scale
How do I clean the NCAT furnace?
Remove the exhaust, the top cover(s), and use a shop-vac to clean the soot and residue. Use the vacuum to clean the blower fan as well. Once the cleaning is complete, set the filter to 900 degrees, and the chamber to 650 degrees, and let it burn clean for 4 hours. To set the filter temperature, hold down the “5” key while turning the unit on. It will say a number, and “FIL SP”. Type in 900 and hit enter, then reset the machine. Before burning a sample, you will need to reset the temperatures to your preferred settings. When calibrating the scale, we recommend pulling the scale out of the unit and checking for debris and residue. Things can build up, especially when the liquid runs down the tubes to the scale
How often should I clean the NCAT furnace?
We recommend cleaning the furnace at least once every 6 months
How often should I clean the NCAT furnace?
We recommend cleaning the furnace at least once every 6 months