Kiln hookup advice?
 

So I had just about decided to set aside a little bit more money than I
really should spend, and buy a slightly larger kiln. But I found that I
probably won't have the electrical outlet I need unless I either hire an
electrician or supplant my dryer. So alternatives are the cheaper kiln and
an electircian, or the larger kiln and keep swapping plugs behind my dryer.
Neither really fill me with joy. Anyone have any handy advice that will help
me get the most for my limited funds? Maybe there is an alternative way to
get 220v? or maybe the power to my well pump can be used, but that might
require that I have my kiln on the back porch, basically outside. Bad Idea?

Thanks.

"Sam" wrote in message
om...
So I had just about decided to set aside a little bit more money than
I
really should spend, and buy a slightly larger kiln. But I found that I
probably won't have the electrical outlet I need unless I either hire an
electrician or supplant my dryer. So alternatives are the cheaper kiln and
an electircian, or the larger kiln and keep swapping plugs behind my
dryer.
Neither really fill me with joy. Anyone have any handy advice that will
help
me get the most for my limited funds? Maybe there is an alternative way to
get 220v? or maybe the power to my well pump can be used, but that might
require that I have my kiln on the back porch, basically outside. Bad
Idea?

Thanks.

Sam:

Bad idea. Keep the kiln under cover, if you can. An electrician should be
able to install another outlet tapped off your dryer outlet for no more than
$50-100, depending on where you live, as long as you know the electrician,
and "promise" not to try to run both at once!
(You would probably trip the breaker anyway, running both at once.)
Or you can go the correct way and have a dedicated line run, and put the
kiln wherever you want.
Changing outlets from dryer to kiln might not be a bad idea, since you can
only use one at a time that way, and that eliminates the risk of fire from
an electrical overload.
We all know that the idea is to keep the fire _inside_ the kiln, not outside
:)
Hope that helps,
Wayne Seidl

"wayneinkeywest" wrote :

Bad idea. Keep the kiln under cover, if you can.

Screened in "Florida Room"?

Hope that helps,

It does, thanks. But I am still not sure what to do... I will probably
have to agonize over it for a few more days before I will allow myself to
make a decision. In the end, money (or the lack of it) will be the deciding
factor.

"Sam" wrote in
om:


"wayneinkeywest" wrote :

Bad idea. Keep the kiln under cover, if you can.

Screened in "Florida Room"?

Hope that helps,

It does, thanks. But I am still not sure what to do... I will
probably
have to agonize over it for a few more days before I will allow myself
to make a decision. In the end, money (or the lack of it) will be the
deciding factor.



I would have thought that a dryer would probably run a 1kw an hour. My
small 1 cubic foot kiln is rated 5 kw and no way could that run off an
ordinary power point either for safety or the ability for the kiln to
reach temperature.

I had to run a dedicated line from the power board to the kiln, complete
with a heavy duty plug and socket. The new line was the same size line as
the one to the electric stove and has worked well and I am able to use
the stove and dryer at the same time as my kiln.

The other thing we tend to overlook at the time of installing new lines
etc (particularly if it is done by a friend who looks the other way and
takes a short cut from an existing plug) is the insurance aspect. Your
kiln won't catch fire but your power points and plug may melt down
causing a fire and unless you have the proper paperwork they will
disclaim liability.

And talking of small kilns, it takes the same amount of time and effort
to fire a small kiln as it does a big one

John W

Sam wrote:

So I had just about decided to set aside a little bit more money than I
really should spend, and buy a slightly larger kiln. But I found that I
probably won't have the electrical outlet I need unless I either hire an
electrician or supplant my dryer. So alternatives are the cheaper kiln and
an electircian, or the larger kiln and keep swapping plugs behind my dryer.
Neither really fill me with joy. Anyone have any handy advice that will help
me get the most for my limited funds? Maybe there is an alternative way to
get 220v? or maybe the power to my well pump can be used, but that might
require that I have my kiln on the back porch, basically outside. Bad Idea?

Thanks.


I used to have my kiln on the backpoch in Maryland for several years,
it was a fairly deep porch with a roof of course. (i bought the kiln
used, used it there for quite a while there and moved it to Europe,
where it lasted for another ten years or so). I think as long as you
keep it out of rain and snow, i don't see a reason why it should not be
on the backproch. My new kiln is in sort of a leanto to the pigsty
(where my workshop is) with roof and sidewalls, but great bis openings
for windows. I don't have to worry about ventilation that way.

Monika

--
Monika Schleidt

www.schleidt.org/mskeramik
(If you wish to send me a mail, please leave out the number after my name!)

Screened in "Florida Room"?

A screened in Florida room is fine. Are you in FL?

Wayne Seidl
(in Key West)

"Uncle John" wrote :

I would have thought that a dryer would probably run a 1kw an hour.

My dryer plug is one of those 220v/30amp triangular things about 3
inches across like the one at...

http://electrical.aubuchonhardware.c..._and_stove_cor
ds/range_and_dryer_plug-522401.asp

It runs off a doubled 30 amp breaker.

"wayneinkeywest" wrote in message
...

Screened in "Florida Room"?

A screened in Florida room is fine. Are you in FL?

Yep, 3rd generation native. Space Coast area. Wishing I could afford to live
in the Keys... it was COLD this morning up here in the frozen north.

Give some thought to a larger kiln 18 tall 17 wide. You can get bigger
pieces and more pieces in and fire longer. Unless you are into only small
thrown pieces or jewelry you might finde the larger kiln less frustrating.
24 hr cycle probably for each. Think of it as a long term investment and
spread the cost over the years.

I opted for the larger, and shared power (using a licensed electritian) with
the stove 50 amps. Adding an extra line entirely would have meant a major
service change from 100 to 200 amps. It took some convincing of my wife
that it wouldn't interfer with the cooking (about two months) and 300$ to
the electritian who did a neat quick job.

Very happy with the results,

Marty

in article , Sam at
wrote on 3/8/04 2:20 PM:

So I had just about decided to set aside a little bit more money than I
really should spend, and buy a slightly larger kiln. But I found that I
probably won't have the electrical outlet I need unless I either hire an
electrician or supplant my dryer. So alternatives are the cheaper kiln and
an electircian, or the larger kiln and keep swapping plugs behind my dryer.
Neither really fill me with joy. Anyone have any handy advice that will help
me get the most for my limited funds? Maybe there is an alternative way to
get 220v? or maybe the power to my well pump can be used, but that might
require that I have my kiln on the back porch, basically outside. Bad Idea?

Thanks.