PotterPutter Posted December 7, 2016 Report Share Posted December 7, 2016 Hi all! I posted a while ago asking feedback on having an electric kiln outside, and fabricating some type of enclosure for it. You gave me a lot to think about and I have scrapped that idea. So, I am trying to figure out if my new scheme will work. I do not have a basement, garage, or covered/screened patio so a kiln would have to go inside the house. My studio is in an 8x8 spare bedroom - (gotta love small houses from the 50s!) - and it's a great little setup. There is one exterior wall with two windows. I really only need a small kiln ~1 c.f. - I do this as a hobby and would probably fire it 2 times a month. Electrical will be handed by a pro - but what about fumes and heat? I will fire to cone 6. If the kiln produces 5940 BTUs, how hot will the room get, particularly in the summer when it's in the 90s outside? Might be nice in the winter, not so much in the summer. I will vent it however I need to - either a venting system or a fan in the window. Does a fan in the window really work for heat and fumes? (I won't be working in there while the kiln is doing its thing.) I think the place where I take classes has 7-8 large kilns running all the time and only fans in the windows for ventilation? I plan on having the kiln on casters. It will live in a corner and be moved to the middle of the room when fired, so about 3 feet. Is cement board on wood floors sufficient? Please let me know what you think. I so appreciated all of your feedback the last time. Thanks!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted December 8, 2016 Report Share Posted December 8, 2016 A 1 cubic foot kiln won't heat up the room much at all. And a fan in the window should be plenty to vent it. Put a sheet of cement board under it, and keep it 18 inches from anything flammable. If you go larger, like a 4 cubic foot kiln, you'll want a real vent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Celia UK Posted December 8, 2016 Report Share Posted December 8, 2016 My small kilns - 40 litre and 60 litre (less than 2.5 cu ft) are in the garage. I only ever run one at a time. Worst thing I notice is fumes around the 250-350oC (480-650 oF) mark. I'm not paranoid about venting and have none except normal garage draughts or sometimes leaving door propped open. However - I totally avoid going into the garage at the above temperatures because I suspect these fumes aren't good ones! (Think I may have read carbon monoxide somewhere, but I might have imagined that!) I wouldn't think they'd do much good inside the house, even if you're not working in the room at the same time. I think you'd want something extracting them out so they don't leak into the house. This is only my experience - for all I know they may smell awful but be safe enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
High Bridge Pottery Posted December 8, 2016 Report Share Posted December 8, 2016 If you are not even in the room while it's firing I would be happy with opening a window for venting with the room being that small. Maybe if you are in the room for hours at a time with the kiln firing then I would want a fan to clear any unwanted gasses a bit quicker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcia Selsor Posted December 8, 2016 Report Share Posted December 8, 2016 be very careful about the wiring. I had a test kiln that I had in Montana moved it to Texas. IT was 110 v house wiring. IT was fine in Montana but slightly melted the outlet in the carport in Texas.. ENough so that I wouldn't use it until I had new wiring. I had new wiring put into my kiln shed for all the kilns including that one. Marcia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JBaymore Posted December 8, 2016 Report Share Posted December 8, 2016 Many of the 110VAC "test" and "doll" kilns require a 20 AMP 110VAC circuit....not the typical 15 amp ones. This typically requires that the wiring between the breaker and the outlet is 12-3 or even 10-3 romex rather than the typical 14 -3. So yes... be careful of the house wiring for the kiln. best, ..............john Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcia Selsor Posted December 8, 2016 Report Share Posted December 8, 2016 I am excited about my new kiln shed and studio. I am taking 5 kilns with me and rebuilding my large raku when I get there. bringing the insulation with me since I already have it. marcia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
High Bridge Pottery Posted December 8, 2016 Report Share Posted December 8, 2016 240v does make having a reasonable sized test kiln on household wiring much easier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcia Selsor Posted December 8, 2016 Report Share Posted December 8, 2016 Yes it does. BUt you need the right outlet for the right amps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curt Posted December 9, 2016 Report Share Posted December 9, 2016 Fumes at higher temps are actually minute metal particles, so fine that they are airborne. Not good to breathe. Do you wax your pots for glazing? If so the fumes around the 250 -350 mark could be the wax volatilising. The compounds and volatiles produced by burning wax, acrylic, etc at around those temps are toxic and potentially even worse for you than breathing metal fumes. Again, not good. Money spent on ventilation is money well spent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Min Posted December 9, 2016 Report Share Posted December 9, 2016 Best to let your home insurance company know you are operating a kiln in your home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PotterPutter Posted December 9, 2016 Author Report Share Posted December 9, 2016 Thanks everyone! The electrician is coming Monday to sort out the electrical bits and I am feeling much more hopeful about having my own kiln. My insurance company said that as long as I am not running a business out of my house, they are ok with it. Their main concern would be customers coming to the house, which doesn't happen. I am really grateful for this forum. Hopefully I'll have lots of kiln firing and glazing questions in the new year. Happy Holidays!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PotterPutter Posted December 14, 2016 Author Report Share Posted December 14, 2016 All is a go with the electrician and the 240v circuit will be installed at the beginning of January. I am leaning toward a slightly larger kiln than originally planned - 2.3 cubic feet. Thanks again for all the advice and feedback. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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