Mary Kings on tue 18 apr 00
After firing the gas kiln at our co-op this past weekend for 16 hours, my
firing partner experienced some unpleasant reactions the next day. These
symptoms consisted of dizziness, nausea ,very severe headache and extreme
tiredness. I had no symptoms other than tiredness from lack of sleep. Could
there be a connection to the kiln? The carbon monoxide detector was
triggered at one point during the latter part of the firing when the glaze
reduction was taking place.
Is there anyone out there who has had a similar experience? We are quite
concerned about the safety of our members if there could be a danger with
our kiln.
Mary Kings,
Waterloo Potters Workshop
ferenc jakab on wed 19 apr 00
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mary Kings"
To:
Sent: Wednesday, 19 April 2000 5:06 am
Subject: Carbon Monoxide & Gas Kilns
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> After firing the gas kiln at our co-op this past weekend for 16 hours, my
> firing partner experienced some unpleasant reactions the next day. These
> symptoms consisted of dizziness, nausea ,very severe headache and extreme
> tiredness. I had no symptoms other than tiredness from lack of sleep.
Could
> there be a connection to the kiln? The carbon monoxide detector was
Mary,
I would imagine the CO effects would be pretty well immediate. Your partners
symptoms may have been a gastric virus or something he ate or drank which
you didn't. As I understand it CO symptoms are subtle and going to sleep for
ever is one of them.
Feri.
Marvin Flowerman on wed 19 apr 00
Hi Mary:
It sounds like you have inadequate ventilation in the kiln area. I fire a
gas kiln, use an oxygen probe, but have the kiln outdoors in a very
well-ventilated, but protected area and so my personal exposure to carbon
monoxide is virtually nonexistent.
Does this ventilation observation make any sense in your situation?
Marvin Flowerman
(marvpots@aol.com)
John Baymore on thu 20 apr 00
------------------
(clip)
These symptoms consisted of dizziness, nausea ,very severe headache and
extreme tiredness. I had no symptoms other than tiredness from lack of
sleep. Could there be a connection to the kiln? The carbon monoxide
detector was triggered at one point during the latter part of the firing
when the glaze reduction was taking place.
(snip)
Mary,
Hi. It was really GREAT to hear that your kiln room even HAS a CO detector
and it is plugged in and in use. All too many kiln rooms do not have that.
It is a cheap insurance policy.... and a good monitor of your ventilation
system. Whenever I do consulting on a kiln installation or build a new
kiln for someone (with an indoor kiln room) I strongly recommend that they
invest the diddly little sixty bucks or so and put one in (along with a
flamable gas detector, if that applies to the site).
BTW... I recommend the Nighthawk one with the digital ppm display. And to
have it hardwired into the room AC so it CAN'T be unplugged. Try to find
an older one on the back shelf of the hardware store (year or two).......
the newer ones have been downgraded as to their low level display......
don't read low levels as well.
The symptoms you describe COULD be related. They also could be a simple
coincidental =22flu=22 and the connection to the kiln and the firing is
completely unrelated. Or........ did you guys go out and really party
after the firing =3Cg=3E? Shy of a blood O2 reading on your friend at the =
time
all this occured, you'll never REALLY know. In fact, YOUR tiredness
could also be more than lack of sleep. But then again....... maybe not.
The reaction of an individual to a level of toxin or stressor in their
environment is highly related to all sorts of other issues like general
health to start with and genetic predisposition to susceptibility of
problems with a particular toxin. For example, if someone already had a
compromised oxygen exchange from another source (cardiac problems, anemia,
etc.), then they would likely experience more severe symptoms from the same
CO exposure than a healthier person might. That could easily explain
differences in the two of your reactions if it WAS carbon monoxide that
caused the illness . Another possible issue is the exposure
duration........ if one of you spent more time exposed than the other. Or
the concentration of the CO in one part of the room compared to another
could be VERY different......so a person 6 feet away may have had a lighter
or heavier exposure.
Lots of possible variables.
However.......... if the CO detector went off, that is saying that your
kiln room ventilation is quite inadequate. That is the reason you have
that litle bugger sitting on the wall =3Cg=3E. If it is showing a
reading............ then that is something that you should not ignore. I'd
be looking at how you might remedy that situation. In a properly set up
kiln room a CO detector with a digital ppm display should show NO change of
CO level at any point in the firing.
Look at your ventilation and try to figure out the flow patterns of the
general dilution air. It flows sort of directly from the make-up air
louvers to the exhaust fan. Is it inadvertantly disrupting the pickup of
gases off of the kiln before that effluent can get to the hood venting the
kiln? Relocating the make-up air source can often fix this situation. Or
relocating the vent fans (usually more expensive).
Look at the pickup flow velocity at the hood over the kiln..... is it
adequate to capture the junk leaking off the chamber? Hot gases coming off
the kiln have a strong upward velocity to them...... trying to catch them
and turn them is difficult. The hood should use the natural bouyancy to
assist capture. Also the hood should extend well out around the
source..... in other words the perimeter of the hood should be a bit bigger
than the perimeter of the kiln. Is the hood too high from the top of the
kiln structure... and in their upward journey the effluent leaking off the
chamber gets a chance to mix with room air?
If there is no local ventilation hood at all over the kiln chamber ......
then you are totally relying on general dilution ventilation of the
room...... and that requires a BIG fan to turn over the air quickly enough.
It also allows junk to leak out of the kiln room through every
non-airtight crack and hole in the kiln room. Also important is a well
though out location for make-up air introduction. And of course adequate
flow of combustion and make-up air into the room.
So ..... a few thoughts on the subject. Hope it is of use.
Best,
..........................john
John Baymore
River Bend Pottery
22 Riverbend Way
Wilton, NH 03086 USA
603-654-2752 (s)
800-900-1110 (s)
JBaymore=40compuserve.com
John.Baymore=40GSD-CO.com
=22Earth, Water, and Fire Noborigama Woodfiring Workshop August 18-27,
2000=22
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