Dagmar Posted December 6, 2021 Report Share Posted December 6, 2021 Hi, I am new to this forum, and have been reading several posts... I have been doing ceramics at a local studio (classes) for a number of years and decided that it may be time to become a bit more independent have the chance to do work in addition to classes. Thus, I started looking into buying a kiln. I think I have narrowed it down to two choices (at least for the time being) but I still have so many questions! Maybe some of you can help answer any of them?? Choices: L&L easy fire kiln (seen better reviews for L&L compared to Skutt) - either a 18T-3 kiln or 23S-3 kiln ==> I mostly do small to medium size items, including bowls, cups, art work. I initially thought of getting an 18T but then saw a comment that with the posts it may get too narrow to place large items. I guess, a large/wide item could sit on the top shelf without posts? Then again, with the 23S there seems to be more room to play, and it is not so narrow an opening that the loading seems easier. But, does it take a lot longer to fill the 23S compared to the 18T? Location and venting: Also, still trying to figure out where to put it. We have plenty space in the basement. The only way i can vent the kiln is through one of the small windows, as i am not going to drill a 4" hole through the concrete foundation. I have been trying to figure out how big the plate is where the fan is attached to in the L&L venting system. based on drawings, it looks about 2X as tall as the 4" pipe and no idea how wide. Does anybody have the dimensions (I cannot find this anywhere and i looked on the L&L website/specs). Furnace issues? Our furnace is in the basement. Can the kiln be in the same room as the furnace (gas operated) and water heater? If yes, is there a minimum distance? Are there different guidelines/laws for this by state, county or city? Voltage: for the L&L kiln, when looking at the Sheffield Pottery site, it gives me the option of 1phase and 3phase (not for us). However, on the clayking site, I need to chose between 208V and 240V (single phase) when i place the order. I know we have 240V to the house, but I don't have a line/plug yet for this, and so i don't know if I need 208 or 240V. (I'd like to purchase this soon as there are some specials/deals and don't want to wait until after the holidays and see the prices go up significantly). Sorry for throwing out so many questions . I'd be grateful for any productive input into this!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted December 6, 2021 Report Share Posted December 6, 2021 22 minutes ago, Dagmar said: Choices: L&L easy fire kiln (seen better reviews for L&L compared to Skutt) - either a 18T-3 kiln or 23S-3 kiln Get the e23S-3. You'll be very limited by the width of the e18T-3. The 23 will be much better for bowls, plates, etc, and you'll have less wasted space due to the wider diameter. 23 minutes ago, Dagmar said: Location and venting: Also, still trying to figure out where to put it. We have plenty space in the basement. The only way i can vent the kiln is through one of the small windows, as i am not going to drill a 4" hole through the concrete foundation. I have been trying to figure out how big the plate is where the fan is attached to in the L&L venting system. based on drawings, it looks about 2X as tall as the 4" pipe and no idea how wide. Does anybody have the dimensions (I cannot find this anywhere and i looked on the L&L website/specs). You'll mount the downdraft vent fan motor to the wall using the included bracket, then run a duct (rigid or flex, your choice) to the window. Make a board that will fit into the window opening that you can attach a 4" dryer vent cap to. 25 minutes ago, Dagmar said: Furnace issues? Our furnace is in the basement. Can the kiln be in the same room as the furnace (gas operated) and water heater? If yes, is there a minimum distance? Are there different guidelines/laws for this by state, county or city? Check with local codes. High efficiency furnaces are a sealed unit and bring their combustion air in from outside, however if you have a cold air return vent in the same room you might not want that. As long as you have enough makeup air to compensate for the air being pulled out by the vent you should be okay. But check with local codes. 27 minutes ago, Dagmar said: Voltage: for the L&L kiln, when looking at the Sheffield Pottery site, it gives me the option of 1phase and 3phase (not for us). However, on the clayking site, I need to chose between 208V and 240V (single phase) when i place the order. I know we have 240V to the house, but I don't have a line/plug yet for this, and so i don't know if I need 208 or 240V. (I'd like to purchase this soon as there are some specials/deals and don't want to wait until after the holidays and see the prices go up significantly). Homes have 240V single phase service. But it wouldn't hurt to have an electrician verify that in case there's something goofy going on that needs to be dealt with. Before you order the kiln you'll need to get an electrician in to make sure your electrical panel can handle the kiln anyway. FYI, downdraft vents do not vent the heat coming off the kiln, they only vent fumes. So you'll need to figure out a way to move cool air through the space, like a fan in an open window, or consider getting an overhead hood from Vent-A-Kiln. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denice Posted December 6, 2021 Report Share Posted December 6, 2021 I had a kiln in the basement of a old house, like you I asked people about a venting system. This was before all of the systems that are available now, I had a professor offer me a overhead vent system he was using, he said it was big, bulky and hung down so far that it was hard to load the kiln. I asked him how tall his ceiling were and he said 8ft, I told him mine were a little over 6 ft. If you look at buying a over head vent make sure you have the height. I ended up going through a window and running a rigid duct near the kiln, I put a duct fan in it to pull the fumes out, it was still a little fumy so I didn't work down there when I was firing. I had a door to close, it didn't seal tightly, fresh air could be drawn in and flush out the fumes. Our gas furnace was on the same side of the basement, I would turn it off while the kiln was fuming so none of the fumes would be pulled into the furnace. Denice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dagmar Posted December 8, 2021 Author Report Share Posted December 8, 2021 Thanks Denice. I think the vent will deal with the fumes, and i'll look into venting the warmth out somehow, if needed. Maybe the space is large enough to compensate if i open another window while it is running. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dagmar Posted December 8, 2021 Author Report Share Posted December 8, 2021 Neil - thanks for all your input - this is tremendously helpful! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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