Volleybiggs Posted April 16, 2023 Report Share Posted April 16, 2023 I have an older Duncan kiln DK820 X1 I bought for pretty cheap. When I started it up it was smoking like crazy. It got warm but the elements didn’t glow red but did get hot. Is it normal for an older kiln to smoke nonstop. I thought it was just humidity or possibly the old elements. Also I will replace them but I see prices all over the board. I saw a company in Canada that sells the for $40 an element and in the USA I saw several with 145 for one. Just wondering what y’all think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Kielb Posted April 16, 2023 Report Share Posted April 16, 2023 Looks like 4 elements per set so that may be influencing the various prices you see. If worn, then all get replaced, they wear together, so for one section, one set is needed which means 4 elements per set. the elements should glow even if worn so you may not have run it long enough, or check you have 240 volts. When kilns are idle for years generally dust and oils will burn off. This will go away after the element temperature reaches 800-1000 f. here is a decent copy of your manual https://aakilns.com.au/pdf/Duncan_Kiln_Service_Manual.pdf. Your model appears to be listed and a wiring diagram is included in the manual. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted April 16, 2023 Report Share Posted April 16, 2023 14 hours ago, Volleybiggs said: Is it normal for an older kiln to smoke nonstop. Kilns do not smoke unless there's something in the kiln that's burning. Did it smoke early on in the firing? Are you sure it was smoke and not steam? Could you see the smoke or just smell it? Did you vacuum out the kiln before firing it? One of the big downsides of Duncan kilns is that they use twice as many elements as most kilns. Instead of one element going around the kiln twice, they use two separate elements, and each element is more than half the price of the longer style elements. Duncan has been out of the kiln business for a really long time, so I'd shop around and just get whatever's cheapest. Try Euclids.com if you haven't. $40 per element sounds about right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Callie Beller Diesel Posted April 16, 2023 Report Share Posted April 16, 2023 Euclid’s is Canadian. They’re a division of Pottery Supply House and are based in Oakville Ontario. The $40 won’t include shipping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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