Test a new kiln empty?

[Gwen Kelly]

Hi Folks,

Long story short but I’m ordering a new kiln and I won’t be there to receive it. My sister who has very little pottery experience will be.  To be able to make any warrantee claim, any problems or defects must be reported within 10 days of delivery. That means my sister will have to run that first test fire without me.
 

Can she test fire the kiln empty? Will that damage the kiln? Will it be an effective test? I feel like the answer is probably that it won’t damage it to fire empty, but it won’t be a particularly good indicator of whether it’s working properly either. 
 

Thoughts? Advice? Thanks!

-Gwen

[Min]

First firing of a new kiln is best done without any work in it. Machining oils burn off the elements, moisture that has gotten into the bricks, any coatings that might have been applied and most importantly to condition the elements. An alumina oxide coating will form on the element wire during the initial firing that helps protect from premature wear due to corrosion from the fumes generated while firing work.

Each manufacturer should have directions in the operating manual on their preferred method, example of one here: https://hotkilns.com/sites/default/files/pdf/dynatrol-first-firing_1.pdf

Welcome to the forum and congrats on your new kiln!

[Bill Kielb]

5 hours ago, Gwen Kelly said:

To be able to make any warrantee claim, any problems or defects must be reported within 10 days of delivery. That means my sister will have to run that first test fire without me.

I assume this is not a manufactures warrantee so firing an empty kiln and seeing if it reaches your firing cone will be a test. You are right in assuming that it won’t necessarily indicate if it will fire to cone when fully loaded. If it’s a new kiln, then likely a decent indicator. If it’s a used kiln then it’s still good to know all the elements are working and it can make temperature empty. Do you have electric set up for it would be my next question so if new and you have electric in place, then even firing it full of shelves will be a better test than empty.

So in the end if this is a shipping warrantee, then make sure she visually inspects everything closely for damage, misalignment, excessive cracks. Your kiln manufacture likely provides a much longer warrantee against normal defects. She likely can snap a few pictures of top, bottom, inside, outside and send them to you. Sometimes it’s easier to notice physical defects in a picture especially if she is unsure what it should look like to begin with.

[neilestrick]

Shipping damage claims typically need to be made within 24-48 hours of receiving the kiln, so she'll need to uncrate it and inspect it for damage the day she gets it. While the truck is still there,  note on the bill of lading any damage to the outer packaging, and take a video as you unpack it later.  The manufacturer's warranty is typically more like 3 years, so I'm not sure where this 10 day rule fits . A large percentage of my customers don't do their first firing within 10 days of receiving the kiln.  I would  have the kiln manufacturer clarify what is required in the 10 day period.