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Kiln Smell - Toxic


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Hi there, I bought a used kiln a few months ago and have bisque fired in it twice so far. I have noticed a very chemically/toxic smell even when the lid is down and the kiln is empty and hasn't been fired in weeks. I have no idea what this smell is- I have an envirovent that works when the kiln is on, but as I say it's when the kiln's off that it smells too. It definitely is a different and much stronger, more toxic smell than any smell I have ever encountered firing any kiln. I can actually smell it inside the house when the kiln is off (the kiln is in a well-ventilated garage). The kiln is a Skutt 1027 if that matters- it is digital and I've no idea how old it is.  It actually makes me feel a bit heady when I'm working around the kiln when it's turned off. Does anyone have any idea what this smell is?? The only thing I can think is maybe someone fired with lustres, but are they potent enough to be in a kiln that hasn't been fired in weeks/months and eminate from a closed kiln?? Thanks!

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I think Mark may be on to something. I've seen a couple people here post that their cats, for whatever reason, were intent on peeing on their kilns. For them, this just caused corrosion of the kiln skin and wiring, but who knows? If the porous bricks absorbed cat urine, it is a possibility, though I would think something organic like that would burn out after a firing or two.

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I (unfortunately!) know what cat pee smells like and this def isn't it. It's more of a nail polish remover type smell. I was hoping to get a hold of the woman who sold it to me, but I bought it off craigslist and don't have her email address. Any other suggestions?

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I would high fire it to Cone 7 leaving peeps out for a good while, maybe even leaving the lid cracked for a few hours. Open your garage doors and have a fan blowing at it.

Or even better ...

Call Skutt for solid advice on what to do ..

There might be something your could fire in the kiln that might neutralize some odors.

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  • 2 months later...

It could be burnt electrical smell, it has a chemical smell. Burnt motors, switches, connections, ect. Take off all your cover panels off and look for blackened areas on connections and components and stick your nose in envirovent motor. Take your envirovent outside for a day, does the smell go away? Fried elec. can cause a fire and you don't wont that!!!     

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I would pull the wiring box covers. Years ago there was a school kiln where a family of mice made home in the box of the kiln. One of the punch out wiring plugs had been left out and they got in. The urine and fur smell was pretty bad, top that off with the sweet smell of dead mice. Real mess to clean up and repair wiring they had frayed. Once done, we fired the kiln with all plugs out to ^6 with nothing in it, pretty well took care of the odors.

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Hot cat pee smell like a bit like hot leather...i had a cat pee on a battery charger and the resulting heated cat pee gave the room a smell like a tannery...not pleasant...they use urea to process leather you see and urea is well urine.

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I would pull the wiring box covers. Years ago there was a school kiln where a family of mice made home in the box of the kiln. One of the punch out wiring plugs had been left out and they got in. The urine and fur smell was pretty bad, top that off with the sweet smell of dead mice. Real mess to clean up and repair wiring they had frayed. Once done, we fired the kiln with all plugs out to ^6 with nothing in it, pretty well took care of the odors.

 

Mice in your school kiln Pres?  I don't really get many mice.  I've seen one in my current room, since I've been with the district.  A little black shadow, moving quickly across the floor.  Of course by the time you get there, it's long gone.  They don't stay in my room long, as there's no food.  Instead, they go to the room next to me, which is Special Education.  They have food items, as they teach the students how to prepare food and such.  They also go directly above me, which is the Family Consumer Science room.  Both of those teachers call me in, to get rid of the "spent" traps.  They are terrified of mice.  I hate that they use glue traps though.  Sometimes the mice are still alive.  The snap traps are more humane.  

 

I do have a bit of an ant problem though.  Any piece of food, especially that, which is sugary, will have ants swarming it, within minutes.  One time I went to open my zipper sealed lunch box, and there were ants inside of it.  No idea how they got in, but they wanted my food.

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Most schools have mice. Some larger rodents. In my situation I would see them run around late at night, or scamper over my foot before I knew it. Even then it was rare to see one. However, most teachers have that "pick me up" snack in a closet or drawer. Any rodent worth his life would find it.

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With those winters mice and ants get frozen so I can see them not making it through.

Now as to Cuba-thats one great thing you Canadians have that we do not . Easy travel to some places our Govenment says are off limits.

I would liketo scuba dive that virgin reef system on the south side of Island. Its a reserve status I think at this point.

If you get down that way see whats up with it?

Mark

 

TJR-your message system is full or turned off I tried to PM you.

Mark

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I think the mice are all playing hockey during the school year thats way you never see them.It must of took years to teach them on how to tie thier shoes on, The ants must be in farms-all trained up by now to live in little glass boxes indoors under the lights.

I suggest taking a few ants to Cuba so they can see how thier Island buddies live.You will need to ghet them very small sunglasses which may be hard this time of year in central Canada to run down.

Mark

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