Seeking advice on first kiln (kiln size / sectional design / local brands?)

[Picassowhat]

Hi everyone.

My spouse and I are in Toronto and have been members of a studio for some time now. We recently decided that, with lots of space in our semi-finished basement and no kids to support, we would take the plunge and set up a basic home studio for the two of us. After months of reading incredibly helpful posts / responses from other members, I thought I would sign up myself and ask a few questions to assist with this big step. I will try to keep this short.  

18 x 22 vs 23 x 18?

My spouse and I are in Toronto, Canada and have been members of a studio for some time now. We recently paid off the mortgage and decided that, with lots of space in our semi-finished basement and no kids to support, we would take the plunge and set up a basic home studio for the two of us. I am trying to be judicious in selecting an appropriate size (informed, among other things, by current output, somewhat longer term outlook (i.e. pieces getting larger / taller) and energy consumption, since I don't want to upgrade my 100 amp panel) and am considering two kiln sizes which I understand are fairly common (give or take 1/2 an inch) across different brands: (i) 18 x 22  (thinking Cone Art 1822D or Skutt KMT 822-3) or (ii) 23 x 18 (thinking  Cone Art 2318D or Skutt KMT 1018-3). 

Any thoughts on these two sizes? My spouse and I are hobbyists only and don't (I think) plan to start selling our stuff anytime soon. I have seen lots of posts recommending both of these sizes for home studio use and expect that, frankly, one can't really go wrong with either size. The only thing that brings me back to the 18 x 22 size is the (fantasy) that, perhaps at some point, I will be throwing extremely tall cylinders / other shapes. The reality is that, currently, I have a lot of trouble hitting 12 inches so, frankly, I might never get anywhere near that height such that 23 x 18 might do my spouse and I just fine (and would provide an additional cubit foot or so to boot). 

Sectional vs. non-sectional?

Cone Art is the local brand in Toronto so am thinking this might be the "safer" bet, if I need service down the road. That said, for the smaller (18 x 22) size, the Skutt is sectional but the Cone Art is not. In your view, would / could the lack of sectional design on the Cone Art 1822D be a problem? I am thinking, for instance, of some future need to replace elements or, more worrying, bricks. I assume that folks replace bricks in non-sectional kilns all the time (I have zero experience with kiln repair) but wanted to know if this lack of sectional design was a huge red flag for folks with more kiln experience than myself. I have attempted to find online "how to replace kiln brick" online videos but they all seem to relate to Skutt / other sectional kilns so this makes me a tad nervous. 

Local brand?

I would also be interested to hear from any local Torontonians who have Skutt kilns. Any issues with repair, given that Skutt is not based in the province / country? I assume that one could have any repairs taken care of by local pottery experts (e.g. Tuckers or Pottery Supply House) but thought I would ask. I have read many times on this forum that it may be prudent to purchase "local" kilns so thought I would put this out there as well.  

Thanks to everyone for reading and for any thoughts one any of the above questions which you might be able to provide. I have benefitted tremendously from reviewing other posts on this forum and hope one day to be able to return the favour (once I get a bit of "kiln owner" experience under my belt)!

[Hulk]

Hi Picassowhat, Welcome to the Forum!

The models are near 3 or 4 cubic feet. I'd hesitate on putting either into enclosed space - fumes and heat.
A powered kiln vent* would definitely help with the fumes, however, an overhead exhaust, else some serious ventilation of the space would be in order, imo. 

I'll circle back with more...
You might consider L&L as well?

*draws a tiny stream of superheated kiln atmosphere, mixes it with ambient air, and then exhausts outside, which helps: keep fumes out of the space, the elements last longer, make nice glaze colors.

[Picassowhat]

Thanks Hulk!

Should have made it clear that our intended space for the kiln is a decent sized (350+ sq ft) room in a semi-finished basement with several windows. And, absolutely, we will be purchasing a vent (Orton or other model) and taking other steps (directional fans?) to help with ventilation (in addition, perhaps, to air purifiers for the dust). 

I had thought that many folks have their studios in the basement but pls let me know if I have that wrong!

I understand that L&L is another popular brand. It does seem as if, here in Toronto, these are harder to come by. My impression is that the main brands sold by local retailers are Cone Art and Euclid (which I am also considering). Based on my (admittedly limited) experience, other brands, including Skutt, are harder to find. I guess that was one of my questions: are there obvious downsides to purchasing a kiln brand which does not appear to be sold by many local retailers (i.e. in terms of getting parts etc.). I fully appreciate that commerce is now global (and am myself guilty of buying  way too much stuff on Amazon) but, when it comes to kilns, I wasn't sure if one wanted a more "local" presence for one's kiln brand. 

Also, any thoughts on sectional vs. non-sectional (in terms of maintenance and any other consideration) would be welcome. 

[Hulk]

Aye, many potters have electric kilns indoors.

I found my seven cubic foot kiln overwhelmed my previous Studio, a single car garage with open/vaulted ceiling.
With the powered kiln vent on (exhausting outside), the rollup and person door (opposite walls) open, the heat was still "a lot" and there were some fumes that escaped.
The kiln vent did really help with the fumes but did not eliminate them. 
When I added an overhead hood with 400 cfm fan (exhausting outside), I could be in the space with the rollup door up half a foot, a window open and the person door open; the heat was much more bearable, and the fumes greatly reduced to almost imperceptible.
And earbuds in with hearing protection over them. ...that big fan - loud.  

There aren't any ceramic supply type stores nearby where we are, however, that some of the closer ones (just a few hours) are dealers did influence my decision for a new kiln.
I like the sectional arrangement; for starters, I could move it from the pallet in the driveway to its spot by myself, piece by piece.
Down the line, should it ever need to be moved, it will be easy, and, then maintenance perhaps easier as well.
New kiln, oh, how I do love it! It has numeric control, three zones (my first kiln, an ancient Skutt, was manual with a kiln sitter).
Clickety-click go the relays.
I like the element upgrade - there's more element, a lot more. The heating seems much more even.

A thought occurred (while working, err, playing in the Studio this afternoon).
The size of the ware is certainly limited* by the kiln size.
The amount of work in each cycle is too. I wanted to fill my countertop, leaving enough room for a glaze bucket, some tools, and some "splash" zone - that's how much glazing practice I wanted to do at once. At first, a kiln load was daunting. Now it seems just right!
How much throwing it takes to make a load, I like as well.
The trimming, eeeh, I'm working on it.
How much throwing, trimming, glazing, etc. would you wish to do for each glaze fire? 
 

*Unless you spend for thin and light shelves, figure losing 1.5" or so for the bottom shelf, just up off the floor, right off the bat.
From there, another inch or so for each level, and allow some space for oops.
 

Edited July 20 by Hulk
grammy

[neilestrick]

Get whatever brand is local to you so it's easy to get parts and it's easy find a repair person should you need one. Both ConeArt and Euclids are good companies to deal with.

I highly recommend the 23" wide kiln instead of the 18" wide model. The 18" height will not be problem. 95% of handmade pots are well under 12" tall, so you'll have plenty of room to work with in an 18" tall kiln. The 18" width, however, will be very limiting. Lots of wasted space there when you try to fire anything other than mugs. The 23" wide kiln will allow you to efficiently load bowls, plates, etc.

At minimum, get a downdraft vent for the kiln. If removing heat from the space is an issue and you don't have a way to get good cross-ventilation with windows and fans, then consider a Vent-A-Kiln hood system.

[Picassowhat]

Thanks to you both. This is extremely helpful. 

Based on your recommendations, and my own recent thinking, I expect I will go with the Cone Art 2318D (4.7 cubic ft / 35 amps). My sense is that we don't (and likely won't for the next several years at least) need the next size up: 2322D (5.83 cubic ft / 48 amps), which may also be pushing our current electrical set up. Because we have gas stove / dryer and a gas boiler for hot water and heat, I think we can likely work with 35 amps (I spoke with an electrician who will visit the house soon to take a look), but 48 amps might be pushing it.

I do like the idea of staying "local" for a kiln purchase and am inclined to purchase a kiln with a sectional design (ease of transport, maintenance etc.). 

And, yes, we will purchase a downdraft vent system (Tuckers sells the Orton vent master) and, for starters at least, will also (i) install a fan in front of the window (which is itself right in front of where the kiln will go) to pull out hot air (neilestrick: in an earlier post you recommend something like this fan) and (ii) leave other basement windows open for circulation. 

We have a tile floor in our basement - would it be OK to place the kiln on that surface? I was also thinking of buying some patio pavers and creating a small "base" on which to sit the kiln and kiln stand. Would that be preferable to increase safety?

I am really grateful for this wonderful help. THANK YOU!  

[Denice]

I purchased a L&L from Neil  two years ago the 23x18 is a nice size to work with.   I had a taller Skutt,  as I got older I had a hard time reaching the bottom and loading heavy shelves.  I bought the thinner shelves this time to make loading a little easier.  The L&L has a larger diameter than my old Skutt  so my husband put some big castors on it so I can roll it out the corner and fire it at a safe distance from the walls.   Adding a little height also makes it easier to load.  I am 71 and have some health problems,  my husband would gladly help me but I want to keep doing things myself as long as I can.    I wanted to cover all the bases when buying a kiln,  no one has mentioned age or bad backs yet.    Denice

[Picassowhat]

Thanks Denice! Your thoughts on a 23 x 18 kiln are very helpful, as I have never actually used one myself (just seen them in studios).

As many have noted on this site, it can be a bit challenging / stressful picking one's first kiln. Don't want to go too small, of course, but don't want to overshoot and get something that you can never fill (or that creates a sense of pressure to work faster / fill more quickly). I work at a reasonable pace (my spouse is a tad slower) but, again, we are merely hobbyists and like to take things at our own pace.

A bit of a Goldilocks problem I guess...  

[Denice]

When you have been a potter as long as I have you become a kiln collector,  I also own a small beginners kiln and a new Paragon Caldera test kiln.  My old test kiln was needing a lot of work,  I decided to buy a new one with a controller and thicker bricks.    I get more accurate results from it the kiln doesn't cool down too fast like my old thin wall test kiln.   My third kiln I found at a estate kiln,  it had been fired once.   Somehow they broke the kiln setter,  it had been sitting there for 35 years.   The replacement part was 50 dollars,  It cost me  $300 for a $1400  kiln.  It is nice to have a smaller kiln to fire special orders in.  Before you buy your kiln you should volunteer at your studio to help load, fire and unload a kiln.   Someone who does it a lot can give you some helpful tips and points.  I have seen many kilns ruined by people who had no idea what they were doing.   I bought one at a estate sale that had glaze splatter and dripping all over the walls.   They  also  had a ton of dried out C10 clay and low fire glazes.  The kiln was being sold with 100 boxes of new stilts and a couple of good shelves.  Those would cost a lot more than the 100 dollars I paid for the kiln.   They offered to give me the clay,  I told me I didn't work in that Cone,  we loaded the kiln,  shelves, stilts.  Took them home and threw the kiln away.   I am surprised  that there isn't more used ones for sale.    Kilns were scare during Covid people decided they were potters after watching UTube.    After Covid many of these same people were dumping there adopted dogs,  I was sure things like kilns would be next.    Denice

[Picassowhat]

Denice - great suggestion. My spouse and I attend a studio every week and I have asked the owner if I might be able to "shadow" / assist her anytime she needed help with Kiln-related tasks. We have been going  to the same studio for some time but, given the cost, we are generally limited to one three-hour stint per week (though we sometimes manage to attend a second weekly session). 

We were initially thinking of only getting a wheel (we really want to continue improving our technique) and having stuff fired elsewhere but, after months of research / inquiries / other steps, we are realizing that, at least in downtown Toronto, options for firing work at someone else's studio are few and far between (and, if they exist, very expensive). We also don't drive, which doesn't help matters. As a result, we have now decided that a smaller kiln might make sense. It is expensive, yes, but we are lucky enough to have the space / finances necessary to install one at home (I appreciate that many will not be so lucky) so think we might buy it when we buy our wheel. 

To be honest, our time working with clay is extremely fulfilling / healing (when it isn't heart breaking / frustrating ) so, on balance, this seems like a mindful / worthwhile investment. I am also creeping toward retirement and can see myself devoting even more time to developing my skills once work is behind me.

[Hulk]

You might enjoy mixing up glazes from raw ingredients as well.
The potter I bought my first kiln from said, "This is what can happen when you get interested in glazes..." whilst gesturing toward several shelves of glaze containers, then toward bins and containers of powders. May they rest in peace. Their attitude and outlook, setup, wares, and accumulated stuff is still an inspiration.
I was already on that track, having seen what premixed glazes co$t.
Heh, it might take a while yet to come out "even" and start saving, for I'd bought some of the common staples in fifty pound bags - kaolin, silica, gerstley borate, talc...
One has the option to "tweak" their own glazes, for the recipe is known.

When designing and setting up your air handling, consider positioning an/the intake such that it can double as a dust removal for your glaze mixing station.

Added:
One can start with a glaze or two, particularly if a) a Studio you've worked in will share recipes and b) you like the clays the glazes were used on and can get them - then you've a good chance.

Edited July 22 by Hulk
added

[Picassowhat]

I can only dream of getting to a point where we are creating / tweaking our own glazes but, certainly, that would be a wonderful and fascinating step in our ongoing pottery journey. 

I also like the idea of doing pottery when I feel like doing pottery, rather than fitting into an existing studio schedule. Don't get me wrong: we love our current studio (and have had generally positive experiences at every studio we have worked at) and existing studio scheduling options are decent enough. That said, further flexibility would be great so that, for instance, we could work on pottery  early in the a.m. before work or late one evening without too much planning / travel (particularly during the colder Toronto late fall / winter). 

[oldlady]

have you invested in any of the many books on making pottery?   your local library probably has many but the small  ones showing only one technique are not as useful as an older textbook that would take you from digging clay to finishing porcelain.  watching youtube is definitely not enough.   having a textbook will allow you to learn WHY the potter is doing whatever she/he is showing.  "old" books are best, the basics have not changed in centuries.

one of the biggest things a beginner should know it how  Cones work.   even if you are buying an electronic kiln, the basics of cone temperatures will keep you from becoming one of the covid buyers who confused cone 06  with cone 6 and melted their cone 06 work all over the bottom several inchesof bricks, shelves, posts and anything else, instantly reducing their expensive kiln to junk.  

used equipment is less cost and useful, a kiln and a wheel can last your entire working life and new is not always better than a well built older model.

sounds like you two are going to have fun.  and yes, the shallower depth should allow you to age comfortably.

[Kelly in AK]

On 7/22/2024 at 9:30 AM, Picassowhat said:

I can only dream of getting to a point where we are creating / tweaking our own glazes but, certainly, that would be a wonderful and fascinating step in our ongoing pottery journey. 

Oh you may be surprised how things change when you have your own kiln. 

The only advice I have, which you’re already accounting for, is to buy a brand you can get parts for easily. I have two electric kilns in my classroom, different brands, both well known. One is easier and less expensive to service than the other. (I’m not trying to be coy here, I just don’t have enough experience to comfortably recommend a specific brand. It could be that I’m just bad at shopping for kiln parts.)

[Picassowhat]

Thanks OL and Kelly for your helpful comments. 

Re: books, I do absolutely see the value in "book learning" and have reviewed a number of volumes to date ("how to" volumes, meditations / essays and other texts). I personally find this kind of learning valuable and have sought to combine this with "hands on" practice. And, yes, I certainly hope to purchase something "local" to facilitate future maintenance etc. 

To be honest, there are certainly moments when my spouse and I ask ourselves if we are nuts to get a wheel and kiln for the house. We could, of course, simply keep attending the studio, which is a lovely place and which, if / as necessary, allows us to check in with the owner for tips / instructions. I guess we are thinking, after having now attended multiple studios for some time, that it would be nice to have 24/7 access to equipment, in our own space, to allow us to continue to develop our skills when we want (and be in control of the music!). And, not that this is a driving factor (again, we are lucky enough to be able to afford and have the space for such equipment), but we easily pay more in studio fees per year than the kiln "sticker price" and, over the years, this had added up very quickly. 

There are, of course, some great benefits to attending a studio (we have made friends, way more glaze options than we would have at home, no mess to clean up at home etc.) and our plan would be to continue our membership, perhaps on a more limited basis. But, after having thought about it for a good while now, the notion of setting up a (very basic) studio in the basement is proving more tempting / realistic than ever. 

Would love to hear from other hobbyist potters who have done so and who, some time down the road, are happy with or regret that decision.  

Edited July 24 by Picassowhat
Typo

[Hulk]

Happy with the decision, yep.
Time at the wheel!
I'd wanted to learn to throw for a long time.
Oh, there's plenty of room for improvement...

There weren't any public studios in our town, early 70s*, and no ceramic lab in Junior High.
In high school, other choices nudged wheel prerequisite, hand building, off the list. Junior college, I got the prerequisite in, aah, Wheel I was full, full, full...
...decades later, I began researching equipment for a home Studio within a week of my first Wheel I session.

I miss looking over all the work twice a week, meeting and visiting with other potters, the vibe when folks settle into making...

The dust, travel time, limited space for ware and gear, dice roll on the clays (maybe good, maybe not), the various fragrances**, nah.
I was well into trying clays and mixing test batches of glaze before the last day of Wheel I - and getting more hours at the wheel at home than in class.

*I'd seen a throwing demonstration in person, Fall 1970 - oh, I wanted to learn about that!
**some products - hair spray/jell, cologne, perfume, dryer sheet residue, body spray, et cetera - "ruins my day"

[oldlady]

visiting the kiln in your jammies and slippers is a definite plus.

working late into the night without worrying about the clock is another.

asking some of the friends you have made at the studio to come visit could be another.

designing the space to suit YOUR needs is tops.

[Picassowhat]

Thanks Hulk. While somewhat terrifying, the thought of having our own equipment downstairs is also very exciting. Had an electrician at the house yesterday and he indicated that we have enough space for the Cone Art 2318D (35 amps). In fact, he said we could, if we wanted to, install the larger Cone Art 2322D (48 amps) without issue. 

We have largely settled on the 2318D (23.5 x 18 // 4.7 cubic ft) but, following our chat with the electrician, are now wondering about the slightly larger Cone Art 2322D (23.5 x 22.5 // 5.83 cubic ft). I am still inclined to go with smaller kiln but I confess that it is a bit of a toss up. I hesitate to ask another "what size kiln is best" question (I know that there are many of these on this and other sites) but curious if anyone does have strong views? Or, for those of you who actually sell kilns, do you have a sense of which size is more popular for home studios?

The only "hard" shortcoming to the 2318D that I see is, of course, less height, but I am nowhere near throwing anything close to 16 inches (which I assume is more or less the limit for this kiln size) so wonder if this is truly a factor. Otherwise, the size difference isn't huge, and I wonder if it might be a benefit to go with the slightly smaller 2318D (which, I think, is still a decent size for home hobbyists) to fire somewhat more often so as to expedite the kiln firing learning process (though, I suppose, this will create more wear / tear on kiln parts).

I wouldn't want to buy too large and then have to wait longer to fire / firing a half empty kiln. Anyway, any thoughts would be welcome. Again, thanks for taking time for your comments thus far (and my spouse says "thank you!" too). Very helpful and very kind. Much appreciated. 

[oldlady]

re used equipment, an electric kiln is simply a box of some shape, made of special kiln bricks and wires that heat to the cone you need to produce finished work.   if the wiring is bad you simply replace it.   if i am right, the brick box is simply a container and the wires, called elements, can be changed to go to whatever cone you choose.  maybe it was only fired to cone 06 all its life.   serious brick damage is a walk away from it.

some used kilns are in like new condition and are being sold because "mom" doesn't use it anymore and the kids are just emptying the house.  these are usually very inexpensive once the kids decide that their idea of "half the price of a new one" is not valid.   the "furniture" is normally included in the price.

btw, the average electrician has no experience with wiring for a kiln.   ask a pro, get a name or two from a ceramic supply house and talk to them.  you may need additional capacity to use it.  kilns can last many years without maintenance.  i had my first one, an 18x18 inch paragon brand from 1966 until i sold it to buy a larger electronic one in 2002.  sold the old one to a beginner for $ 100.  she could still be using it.   the original kiln never even needed replacement elements.

Edited July 25 by oldlady
correction

[Picassowhat]

Thanks OL. I have spent the last year or so looking online for a used kilns but for some reason, nothing much seems to have popped up in the Toronto area.  In the end, we decided to go "new" though, should an interesting used kiln materialize, we are certainly open to seriously exploring that option. Our electrician is great and very experienced (he installed our panel a few years back) but, certainly, I told him that he could reach out to the retailer if he had any questions. 

Another reason we are leaning toward the smaller (2318D) rather than the larger (2322D) kiln is the lower amperage (35 vs 48). Even if we have the electrical room / capacity for the latter (as our electrician has indicated), we would prefer to place less stress on our electrical system unless there is a very good reason to purchase the larger kiln.

Edited July 25 by Picassowhat

[oldlady]

are you ready to tell us your decision?  we are interested.

[Picassowhat]

Hi OL. Thanks for reaching out! And thanks to you and everyone else who generously shared information / thoughts on my original questions. Supremely helpful. 

We are in the final stages of a decision on buying a kiln. This is where we are at. We have decided to shop "local" and purchase a kiln for which support / parts are readily available near where we live. Being in Toronto, the two options are Cone Art, manufactured by Tuckers, and Euclid, manufactured by Pottery Supply House. While we are also interested in other brands (and, in particular, Skutt and L&L), we like the idea of having the manufacturer based in town. I should also note that, based on my own experience with a range of kiln-related questions and earlier non-kiln related purchases, both Tuckers and PSH are great to deal with (as, I expect based on other comments / posts, is also true of Skutt and L&L).   

As between Cone Art and Euclid, we have decided to go with Cone Art, because it has sectional options for the size we are interested in (Euclid does not). 

The final question is size. As noted previously, we are looking at the Cone Art 2318D (23.5 x 18 // 4.7 cubic ft. // 35 amps) and the Cone Art 2322D (23.5 x 22.5 // 5.83 cubic ft. // 48 amps). We have almost fully decided on the 2318D, largely because of the lower amperage and my expectation that we will be able to fill this kiln size perhaps somewhat more regularly. The only factor that sometimes has me thinking about the 2322D is the 4.5 additional inches of height, though the chances of either of us throwing anything taller than 16 or so inches (the max, I assume, for the 2318D, after factoring in at least one bottom shelf + posts), is pretty much nil for the next long while (I am not sure I have ever made it to 12 inches, let alone 16, and my spouse tends to make smaller / shorter pieces). 

We keep delaying the actual purchase (we get excited but then tell ourselves stuff like "are we crazy?" // "we aren't pro potters so don't need our own kiln!") but, I suspect will pull the trigger soon. Would be nice, among other things, to have our own (very basic) studio set up before the Canadian winter sets in.  

Edited August 23 by Picassowhat

[oldlady]

good thinking.   you are not crazy.  just think about all the future canadian winters where you will be warm inside your studio doing whatever you like with the clay and glazes YOU like while others are trotting along to a centralized studio wrapped up in warm clothing and dodging traffic through the snow.  or sitting at home because it is just too much trouble to go out.

you are also deciding based on a measurement of height.   several shelves of shorter items add up to the 18 inside measurement.   as you have discovered,  you will probably take a very long time to be able to throw anything you want to keep that is close to 12 inches.  time to make it well enough to be satisfied and glaze it to save.   your decision on the worth of each piece will hone down to only the best.

hulk is right about buying 50 pound "chemicals" to make glaze.   ( i think they are all minerals.)  read a bunch of recipes to check out how many are in nearly every one.   check amounts to see large quantities of one or two ingredients and tiny bits of others.  the difference in cost is amazing between full bags, 50 pounds versus a single pound.  i only regret the spanish red iron oxide because it is so messy.

stop worrying about details, if you buy a new kiln you probably will not need to replace any part of it except elements for many, many years.     those are sort of similar to a new car eventually needing new tires.   look forward to using it for many years of happiness.   whenever, if you decide it is not for you, you will be able to sell it to someone looking for a used one.  they are scarce, you know.

  

 

[Picassowhat]

One final question, for anyone who might have any thoughts on this last point. 

As noted, we have narrowed our choice down to the Cone Art 2318D (23.5 x 18 // 4.7 cubic ft. // 35 amps) and the Cone Art 2322D (23.5 x 22.5 // 5.83 cubic ft. // 48 amps).

From the perspective of a more experienced ceramist, is there any obvious advantage to one size over the other? I fully appreciate that, ultimately, such decisions must be informed by personal choice / need, but are there any obvious metrics / factors which might lead such a person to gravitate to one or other other model? I am thinking, in particular, of the additional 4.5 inches of height. Are there any considerations (assuming price / electricity / space are not an issue) which perhaps favour one of these models?

Apologies for the further question! And thanks to everyone who has previously provided thoughts. What a helpful / lovely forum. I hope I can repay the favour at some point in the future!

Edited August 27 by Picassowhat

[PeterH]

On 7/25/2024 at 2:47 PM, Picassowhat said:

Another reason we are leaning toward the smaller (2318D) rather than the larger (2322D) kiln is the lower amperage (35 vs 48). Even if we have the electrical room / capacity for the latter (as our electrician has indicated), we would prefer to place less stress on our electrical system unless there is a very good reason to purchase the larger kiln.

I haven't noticed this mentioned so far ...
What size breaker is your electrician intending to use for those kilns? (It may be worth asking as I understand that some "domestic" electricians are not up to speed on the regulations for equipment like kilns, and it shouldn't be 35 & 48.)

https://coneartkilnsshop.com/index.php/product/2318d/
https://coneartkilnsshop.com/index.php/product/2322d/