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getting the kiln hooked up

updated sat 8 sep 01

 

Michael Wendt on wed 5 sep 01


Jennifer,
Even the old houses with fuses have 220 volt service. Both the electric
range and the water heater operate at 220 volts. I went to the hardware
store and bought a cord with a plug for the range outlet ( sometimes called
a pigtail, cute, huh?) and wired it to my kiln. Then all you need to do is
unplug the range and plug in the kiln. Be sure to vent the kiln out a window
and I still recommend you build your own vent rather than buy one as all the
commercial ones have the fan in the wrong place. You need to place the fan
outlet at the outside wall and then attach the dryer duct to the fan inlet
and the vent holes in the kiln. That way, if your vent pipe starts to leak,
it sucks in room air rather than spewing fumes out into the room it is in.
Good Luck,
Michael Wendt, wendtpot@lewiston.com
Jennifer wrote:
Ok, I have a big problem and I dont know what to do. I want to hook up an
old kiln. Paragon a88. It runs off a 220. I just moved to an OLD house and
it need some (alot) of fixing up. Anyway, I have no 220 outlets anywhere
in this house. My question is : is there another kiln that I could buy that
would run off of a regular plug? Could I change the plug on the kiln to fit
a regular plug????( I dont think I can, but its just a question). I know
this is not a very Clayart question, but I got alot of pots that are nakie
and I was hoping to get them glazed soon. Thanks.

Jennifer~ Still in Ohio... Does anyone elses pets try to eat clay?? I think
my dog is going nuts!!!

jennifer on wed 5 sep 01


Ok, I have a big problem and I dont know what to do. I want to hook up an
old kiln. Paragon a88. It runs off a 220. I just moved to an OLD house and
it need some (alot) of fixing up. Anyway, I have no 220 outlets anywhere
in this house. My question is : is there another kiln that I could buy that
would run off of a regular plug? Could I change the plug on the kiln to fit
a regular plug????( I dont think I can, but its just a question). I know
this is not a very Clayart question, but I got alot of pots that are nakie
and I was hoping to get them glazed soon. Thanks.

Jennifer~ Still in Ohio... Does anyone elses pets try to eat clay?? I think
my dog is going nuts!!!

Marcia Selsor on thu 6 sep 01


Dear Jennifer,
I have an old a88 among other kilns. It only runs on 220. You can get
small kilns that run on 110 but they don't hold much. I just tore all
the wiring out of my a88 to rewire it and convert it to a gas/electric
kiln. Some of the old wiring was pretty far gone. I am glad I am
replacing all of it.
You might talk to an electrician and have a look at your circuit box.
There may be room in it for a 220 circuit. Dryers use them. If your
house predates electric dryers or has never had one in it, then a new
bigger circuit box can be expensive.
Marcia Selsor

jennifer wrote:
>
> Ok, I have a big problem and I dont know what to do. I want to hook up an
> old kiln. Paragon a88. It runs off a 220. I just moved to an OLD house and
> it need some (alot) of fixing up. Anyway, I have no 220 outlets anywhere
> in this house. My question is : is there another kiln that I could buy that
> would run off of a regular plug? Could I change the plug on the kiln to fit
> a regular plug????( I dont think I can, but its just a question). I know
> this is not a very Clayart question, but I got alot of pots that are nakie
> and I was hoping to get them glazed soon. Thanks.
>
> Jennifer~ Still in Ohio... Does anyone elses pets try to eat clay?? I think
> my dog is going nuts!!!
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at melpots@pclink.com.

--
Marcia Selsor
selsor@imt.net
http://www.imt.net/~mjbmls
http://www.imt.net/~mjbmls/May2001.html
http://www.imt.net/~mjbmls/Tuscany2001.html
http://www.imt.net/~mjbmls/Gallery.html

jay s. gertz on thu 6 sep 01


I think it is a good idea no matter what type of electric kiln you are
using to get another 220 circuit. The amount of juice that these
electric kilns pull does make a difference, especially if you have a
refrigerator going, air conditioner, kids watching tv, etc. A good
electrician should come out and look at your service box and make the
necessary changes...it should not cost over $100.

mungo


----- Original Message -----
From: "jennifer"
To:
Sent: 05 September, 2001 8:42 PM
Subject: getting the kiln hooked up


> Ok, I have a big problem and I dont know what to do. I want to hook
up an
> old kiln. Paragon a88. It runs off a 220. I just moved to an OLD
house and
> it need some (alot) of fixing up. Anyway, I have no 220 outlets
anywhere
> in this house. My question is : is there another kiln that I could
buy that
> would run off of a regular plug? Could I change the plug on the kiln
to fit
> a regular plug????( I dont think I can, but its just a question). I
know
> this is not a very Clayart question, but I got alot of pots that are
nakie
> and I was hoping to get them glazed soon. Thanks.
>
> Jennifer~ Still in Ohio... Does anyone elses pets try to eat clay?? I
think
> my dog is going nuts!!!
>
>
________________________________________________________________________
______
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots@pclink.com.
>

Michael Wendt on thu 6 sep 01


My apologies to all,
As Dave Finkelnburg very kindly and gently pointed out to me, Bailey makes
the kind of kiln vent I have described, so if you want one that cannot leak
fumes even if a hole develops in the pipe, be sure to look into theirs if
you don't feel comfortable building your own. I like the way Dave handled
this, and I am not shy to let you all know that I don't even come close to
knowing everything, so thanks to you all for sharing AND CORRECTING. It's
like amplifying the mind when this many people come together and share and
correct information.
Regards,
Michael Wendt wendtpot@lewiston.com
Dave wrote privately:
Hi Michael,
Are you familiar with the Bailey kiln vent? Mine is wall-mounted, away
from the kiln, rather as you suggest. Could easily be installed in a
window, although I vent mine through the roof. It sucks through a flex-hose
from the kiln. Sure has made the glaze area a lot nicer!

Gary Elfring on thu 6 sep 01


>Ok, I have a big problem and I dont know what to do. I want to hook up an
>old kiln. Paragon a88. It runs off a 220. I just moved to an OLD house and
>it need some (alot) of fixing up. Anyway, I have no 220 outlets anywhere
>in this house. My question is : is there another kiln that I could buy that
>would run off of a regular plug? Could I change the plug on the kiln to fit
>a regular plug????( I dont think I can, but its just a question). I know
>this is not a very Clayart question, but I got alot of pots that are nakie
>and I was hoping to get them glazed soon. Thanks.


Even though you don't have any 220 outlets, my guess is you have 220 electric
service (if you are in the US or Canada). It's a very rare US home that
doesn't have 220.

Old homes will usually have 30 amp, 60 amp, or 100 amp 220 service. If the
kiln is
small you can get an electrician to install a 220 outlet, provided you have
60 or 100 amp service. (If you have 30 amp service you would have to upgrade to
100 amp service first.) To check your service, go to the fuse box/breaker box
and see if you can read the current rating of the main breakers (at the top
of a
breaker box, or the biggest thingies in a fuse box. They come in pairs.
Don't touch
anything!) You also need to know what the current draw of your kiln is.
Consult an
electrician who understands high current wiring for a 220 socket.



Elfring Fonts, Inc Bar Codes, MICR, and decorative fonts for Windows
http://www.elfring.com

John Hesselberth on thu 6 sep 01


on 9/5/01 10:18 PM, Michael Wendt at wendtpot@LEWISTON.COM wrote:

> Be sure to vent the kiln out a window
> and I still recommend you build your own vent rather than buy one as all the
> commercial ones have the fan in the wrong place. You need to place the fan
> outlet at the outside wall and then attach the dryer duct to the fan inlet
> and the vent holes in the kiln. That way, if your vent pipe starts to leak,
> it sucks in room air rather than spewing fumes out into the room it is in.


Hi Michael,

You are right that many commercial vents suffer from the design defect you
describe; however there are two that have it figured out--maybe some more
that I am unaware of. Both L&L and Bailey sell kiln vents with the fan
mounted on the outside wall. I have no idea why the others can't understand
and fix this simple thing. If they monitor Clayart maybe one of them will
help us understand why they don't redesign.

Regards,

John

Web site: http://www.frogpondpottery.com Email: john@frogpondpottery.com

"The life so short, the craft so long to learn." Chaucer's translation of
Hippocrates, 5th cent. B.C.

Tommy Humphries on thu 6 sep 01


Jennifer,
Please do not try to alter the plug on the kiln to try to make it work with
the older wiring in your home, at least not if you are attached to the
house, as this is a good way to burn it down. The best bet would be to get
someone knowledgeable to run a sub panel off your main breaker box with a
220 circuit for your kiln. This will avoid any stress on the home wiring,
and you will be insured of getting enough juice to run your kiln properly.
This is assuming that you have enough room left in your panel for the extra
breakers. Might be a good time to upgrade the electrical service to the
entire house.

There are 110 kilns out there, but they are typically the smaller "test"
type kilns. I have one that will hold 3-4 mugs and it will fire to ^6 in 5
hr..

Most animals crave clay... it is good for the digestive system. Many people
crave it too, for the same reason...they don't call it kao-pectate for
nothin!

Tommy


----- Original Message -----
From: "jennifer"
To:
Sent: Wednesday, September 05, 2001 7:42 PM
Subject: getting the kiln hooked up


> Ok, I have a big problem and I dont know what to do. I want to hook up an
> old kiln. Paragon a88. It runs off a 220. I just moved to an OLD house
and
> it need some (alot) of fixing up. Anyway, I have no 220 outlets
anywhere
> in this house. My question is : is there another kiln that I could buy
that
> would run off of a regular plug? Could I change the plug on the kiln to
fit
> a regular plug????( I dont think I can, but its just a question). I know
> this is not a very Clayart question, but I got alot of pots that are nakie
> and I was hoping to get them glazed soon. Thanks.
>
> Jennifer~ Still in Ohio... Does anyone elses pets try to eat clay?? I
think
> my dog is going nuts!!!
>
>
____________________________________________________________________________
__
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots@pclink.com.
>

Jocelyn McAuley on thu 6 sep 01


Hi Jennifer,

Even though your washer/dryer and oven run off of 220v, I wouldn't
recommend outfitting your kiln to use the same plug they do. I'm not
familiar with your kiln, but its likely that it has a higher amperage
draw than these appliances do. Also, your kiln may require a different
gauge of wire...

Even if you could run your kiln off the plug in the kitchen/house etc, is
that a suitable place to be firing it? Think of fumes, and radiant heat.


There are kilns that run off of household systems 120v, etc. Look at some
of the online catalogs of companies that sell kilns online (use a search
engine to look these up). But, it might be cheaper, and better on your
conscience to have an electrician do the job correctly. There are several
discussions in the archives on things you should know about your kiln's
requirements when contacting someone to do your wiring.

I too am in an old house with wiring issues (can we say *no* grounded
outlets? Grrr). I'm planning on using my tax return money to have an
electrician wire my garage.

Hope this helps!


PS I remember someone else on the list has a clay eating dog. They
collected its doggie piles and fired them... well you could say this dog
ate alot of clay!

--
Jocelyn McAuley ><<'> jocie@worlddomination.net
Eugene, Oregon

Patrick Logue on thu 6 sep 01


Jennifer
Hi, Pat in W.Pa.
Without going into too much detail, all I can say is
hire an electrician.
It's not as simple as some people seem to think.
I dont know how big an a88 is but i bet it pulls more
watts than your stove.
in my opinion electricity is nothing to be tinkering
with.I'm somewhat familiar with it and it still makes
me nervous
Good luck
Pat
--- jennifer wrote:
> Ok, I have a big problem and I dont know what to do.
> I want to hook up an
> old kiln. Paragon a88. It runs off a 220. I just
> moved to an OLD house and
> it need some (alot) of fixing up. Anyway, I have
> no 220 outlets anywhere
> in this house. My question is : is there another
> kiln that I could buy that
> would run off of a regular plug? Could I change the
> plug on the kiln to fit
> a regular plug????( I dont think I can, but its just
> a question). I know
> this is not a very Clayart question, but I got alot
> of pots that are nakie
> and I was hoping to get them glazed soon. Thanks.
>
> Jennifer~ Still in Ohio... Does anyone elses pets
> try to eat clay?? I think
> my dog is going nuts!!!
>
>
______________________________________________________________________________
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change
> your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be
> reached at melpots@pclink.com.


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Tommy Humphries on thu 6 sep 01


I guess that breed would be a PUG???????

Tommy


----- Original Message -----
From: "Jocelyn McAuley"

> PS I remember someone else on the list has a clay eating dog. They
> collected its doggie piles and fired them... well you could say this dog
> ate alot of clay!
>
> --
> Jocelyn McAuley ><<'> jocie@worlddomination.net
> Eugene, Oregon
>
>
____________________________________________________________________________
__
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots@pclink.com.
>

jennifer on fri 7 sep 01


Thanks to everyone! I am going to have the electrician come over and hook
everything up. I dont even want to try to get my hubby down there. I have
a washer and dryer hooked up, but the plugs are different. The fuse blows if
we have the washer and dryer going at the same time, so I think the
electrician is a good thing.I think I will feel more comfortable putting the
kiln in the garage. If anything is going to burn down I would much rather it
be the garage.
Jennifer~ Ohio..

Katheleen Nez on fri 7 sep 01


Dear Jennifer: No advice about hooking up yer kiln.
However all my cats have loved drinking the clay water
from the slurry bucket. And I remember asking my
cousin Nathan Begaye about letting the animals do
this, and he said Puppy used to love drinking clay
water from Hopi clay.However I am a little put off
about the yellowish color/stain that appears after you
set your freshly glazed bisque pieces out to dry - but
I guess I'll have to take that up with the City water
people...NEZ off to NYC
http://beam.to/katheleennez

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