CPT Posted August 14, 2013 Report Share Posted August 14, 2013 Hi.... Just wanted to throw that out there. Do you turn on your kiln late at night/morning? Just got my electric bill and it wasn't pretty. Thanks!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arnold Howard Posted August 14, 2013 Report Share Posted August 14, 2013 Just wanted to throw that out there. Do you turn on your kiln late at night/morning? Just got my electric bill and it wasn't pretty. In some areas you can get a discount for firing at night. In fact TXU in Texas has a program called "Free Nights" where in exchange for a higher electric rate during the day, you don't pay for consumption during the night. Some people in that program fire their kilns at night. All kiln manufacturers will remind you that if you fire at night, monitor the kiln occasionally. Sincerely,Arnold Howard Paragon Industries, L.P., Mesquite, Texas USA ahoward@paragonweb.com / www.paragonweb.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcia Selsor Posted August 14, 2013 Report Share Posted August 14, 2013 I fire my electric kilns overnight in Texas. I don't think I am in the free night area, but rates are low. Marcia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted August 14, 2013 Report Share Posted August 14, 2013 I fire at night to keep the studio cooler. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tristan TDH Posted August 14, 2013 Report Share Posted August 14, 2013 Those electric bills can be pretty horrifying can't they. Check with your electric company, if you are lucky you live in an area with reduced rates at night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPT Posted August 14, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 14, 2013 I'll say! I live in CA, and my kiln is in the garage. Have to keep both garage doors cracked open for ventilation, (no windows) since I don't have a vent system. If I fire at night, rates are definitely lower, but we're worried about leaving the garage doors open at night while we sleep. Maybe I just have to get up at the crack of dawn to switch it on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bciskepottery Posted August 14, 2013 Report Share Posted August 14, 2013 I fire overnight, generally starting in the early evening so the firing cycle is finished early morning. A slow glaze load could start at 9 p.m. and finish around 7 a.m. Slow bisque starts between 7 or 8 p.m. and finishes around 9 a.m. That schedules allows me to monitor the kiln through midnight before checking off to bed, and then waking in time to monitor the last hour or so in the morning. I have a vent but I also prop the garage door open with a two-by-four, with a thick wood dowel jammed in the frame the garage door rolls to discourage anyone from trying to open the door overnight. A four to six inch gap allows the warm garage air to escape outside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugaboo Posted August 14, 2013 Report Share Posted August 14, 2013 I program mine to start late night/ wee hours of the morning. I figure out how long the last firing took and what time I plan to get up and count back the number of hours needed to have it end an hour after I get up that way I can be there to make sure it shuts off as its supposed to. We have variable rates here too so am hoping running it during the night or predawn hours will save me a little bit. I have to prop the garage side door open so make sure I lock up the interior door but frankly I'm more worried about encountering a wild animal than a wild person. I also have a video camera installed that I can check from the bedroom and not even have to get out of bed to make sure everything looks ok. Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJR Posted August 14, 2013 Report Share Posted August 14, 2013 I never thought about firing at night! For 26 years I worked in an old warehouse with hardwood floors under the kilns. We were not allowed to fire at night.Now that I have my own studio, I have been turning the bisque kiln on at 7:00 a.m and then firing it during the day for 8 hours. I guess I could start the kiln at 4:00 p.m, and fire it during the evening. I don't like having kilns on when I am sleeping. I don't fire stoneware here,so it's not an issue. Thanks for the great idea! TJR. p.s. My new studio has concrete floors. T. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mudslinger Ceramics Posted August 14, 2013 Report Share Posted August 14, 2013 Hi I fire at night too. Start 9-10pm, go through to 7- 9am depending on bisque or glaze firing. Irene Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill T. Posted August 15, 2013 Report Share Posted August 15, 2013 Guess I'm in the minority, but I like to check up on my kiln quite often during firing. I usually start firing about 5 am and set a timer on the vent to come on about 6 am. The kiln is in a covered porch, and I can hear the relays clicking in my shop. In this hot weather here in Texas I turn on a small fan aimed up into the control box during firing. I'm lucky in that we have cheap electric rates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pompots Posted August 15, 2013 Report Share Posted August 15, 2013 I do fire at night too, here in LA rates are cheaper at night, and the change in the bill when I fire is almost unnoticeable against the one when I don't fire. Also one has to be careful not to jump to the next tier on the bill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam S Posted August 15, 2013 Report Share Posted August 15, 2013 I have an old manual kiln (in an attached garage) so it's daytime firing for me. Fortunately the rates here are very reasonable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doulla Posted August 15, 2013 Report Share Posted August 15, 2013 We installed solar power a couple of years ago so I fire during the day. I set the timer to start at about 5am which means it is ready for the bung to be put in when I get up. I try as far as possible to fire on nice sunny days and my smaller kiln will fire entirely on solar power so for free!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OffCenter Posted August 15, 2013 Report Share Posted August 15, 2013 We installed solar power a couple of years ago so I fire during the day. I set the timer to start at about 5am which means it is ready for the bung to be put in when I get up. I try as far as possible to fire on nice sunny days and my smaller kiln will fire entirely on solar power so for free!! Now, that's cool! I wish I could do that. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJR Posted August 15, 2013 Report Share Posted August 15, 2013 Now that is interesting.I fire on hydro elecric power from water flowing over a dam. No, not my own-way up north on Nelson River. Electricity is cheap here.We sell our power to the states for HUGE profits. TJR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted August 15, 2013 Report Share Posted August 15, 2013 I'm on TOU thats a time of use smart/meter the rates are cheaper 7pm to 1 pm until the time change then they shift 1 hour. I fire my electric during thiose chaeper rates.- The gas kilns which get fired 99% more than my electrics -it does not matter as I'm on a small Business rate plan and gas is all the same all the time. Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPT Posted August 21, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 21, 2013 Thanks for all the posts! Guess firing at 7pm would work best.....PG&E nickel and dime you to death out here in CA. Gotta find out when the billing cycle ends, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldlady Posted August 22, 2013 Report Share Posted August 22, 2013 doulla, please post some pictures of your sculptures that are larger than your avatar. want to see what you have there........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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