Considerations for kiln unconditoned space

[Singing Pond Farm]

I'm looking to acquire my first electric kiln and was planning to install it in our barn, which is dry but unconditoned and can get humid in the summer. We live in NH so the space will be freezing in the winter.

Would this be feasible and are there things I should consider related to the space being unconditioned? Most of my firings will be in the fall and winter as I'm busy with our farm spring and summer.

Eventually I'd like to renovate the barn and have a more comfortable, insulated working space but for now this is what I'm working with. Thanks!

[neilestrick]

The only issue with humidity is that it can cause the electrical connections to corrode more quickly. That said, my kiln are in an unconditioned space in the midwest and it hasn't been a problem. It has to be pretty swampy for it to be an issue, and even then it's just a matter of replacing the connectors more often. The bigger issue is the moisture from the firings, so definitely install a downdraft vent. As for the cold, if you're looking at a digital kiln, the controller cannot operate below 0 degrees, so if it's super cold out you will need to heat up the space a bit in order to fire. A small space heater next to the kiln will usually do the job. The other issue to be aware of is the safety of having a hot kiln in a barn. 'Barn' can mean a lot of different things, but at it's basic definition it's a space with a lot of flammable materials,  so you want to make sure you have sufficient clearances around the kiln from anything flammable.

[Singing Pond Farm]

Thank you for sharing your experiences and suggestion for the downdraft vent, it's much appreciated! And yes, clearance will be important, it's a 200 year old barn and I hope it will outlive me too!