claman Posted January 15, 2016 Report Share Posted January 15, 2016 Aloha. I am a newbie taking ceramic classes at a community center in Hawaii. I would like to purchase my own kiln and was wondering if anyone in Hawaii or other tropical paradises can give me feedback regarding manual versus electronic controllers in an electric kiln. Humidity often causes problems with electronic devices here and before I purchase a kiln I would really appreciate input from any fellow potters who have experience firing an electric kiln in the tropics. Mahalo nui loa (thanks very much!). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted January 16, 2016 Report Share Posted January 16, 2016 I know of a few kilns with controllers in Hawaii. They are fired a lot with no issues-same would be true with florida kilns.Keep them out of the rain.Avoid skutts as they rust . There was a potter on Oahu who used to post here some. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted January 16, 2016 Report Share Posted January 16, 2016 It is possible for high humidity to cause a problem with the kiln controller. I have never seen it happen, although I have heard about it. You can dry out the circuit board with a hair dryer if it's a problem. The bigger problem with humidity is its effect on electrical connections in the control box. They will corrode much faster than in a dry environment, so you'll have to keep up on your maintenance. None of it is a big problem and shouldn't prevent you from getting a kiln, you just need to be aware of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
claman Posted January 16, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2016 Thank you both for your input. Neil, you hit the nail on the head with the corrosion issue. Electronics do not last long here, from what I can gather (recently moved here from Chicago!). Do you know what type of maintenance would be involved in preventing/eradicating corrosion? I am also near the ocean so we have the salt water in the air to consider, as well. I had decided to purchase a Skutt, and then when I read the posts about the L&L brand and its ceramic element holders, I changed my mind. But it doesn't appear to me that they make manual kilns anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
No Longer Member Posted January 16, 2016 Report Share Posted January 16, 2016 Salt air is gonna be the biggest problem more than the fact the air is wet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted January 17, 2016 Report Share Posted January 17, 2016 Just do regular checks on the connections and clean them up as needed. Replace hardware whenever you change elements. Correct, L&L does not make manual kilns any more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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