John Baymore on mon 30 sep 02
=
Bruce,
Here is a copy of an earlier post of mine on this basic subject from the
archives. There is another long relevent one too I think....... I'll see=
if I can find it.
______PRIOR POSTING TO CLAYART_______
Date: Thu, 11 Jun 1998 10:56:09 EDT
Reply-To: Ceramic Arts Discussion List
Sender: Ceramic Arts Discussion List
From: John Baymore
Subject: Gas kiln help
Comments: cc: Stuart Altman
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----------------------------Original message----------------------------
Stuart,
(snip)
Would someone who has had experience with this situation be
willing, in the next day or two, to help me with this? ............ The
kiln will be about 50 cubic feet, perhaps a Minnesota flatttop, perhaps
a catenary arch, gas-fired, cone 10.
(clip)
Glad to ..... on occasion, I do this stuff for people.
(snip)
--Whom do I need to contact in order to install a kiln in a
residential neighborhood? The fire marshall? Zoning office? Building
inspectors?
EPA? Insurance company? The neighbors, to see if they would consider
it a nuisance?
(clip)
Hate to say it but ............ possibly "yes" to all of the above.
Eventually. So much depends on the specific TOWN and it's level of
bureaucratic and legal awareness and desired level of control over what
happens within its borders. Generally speaking, the more urban the
location, the more regulations and permits you will have to have, the
morerural the less. The more urban the location the more the installatio=
n
will cost.... the more rural the less.
The first level to look at in your endeavor is the mayor's office/
selectmens office. They know what is allowed in what districts in town
and what the procedures are for doing things. If they say a broad "yes"
to the general concept then the rest is a matter of formalities on the
specifics of the installation that you can get into after you buy it. If=
they set
up hurdles you have to jump through, then you have to decide if the hurdl=
es
are "iffy" enough that you don't want to take the gamble.
As a generalization....which is ALWAYS a bad thing to do.........:
Residential A is usually OUT most everywhere..... it is usually NIMBY cit=
y.
Your kiln will probably be looked on as the thing that will bring
property values down in the entire neighborhood . Even Res. B ( allow=
s
some non-residential uses) is often a problem. Places that allow
agricultural along with residential are usually better. Liberal home
occupations
zones are OK.... tightly restricted ones (professional offices only) are
usually out. Rural areas are almost always the best.
If pottery and gas kilns is important in your life, then your housing
location decision should take that into account. You may have to give
up the typical suburban RES. A district for the sake of the kiln. Not fo=
r
sure.... there are certainly gas kilns located in Res A districts........=
..
but it is possible.
So the first place to check is the town offices. Find out what they
have to say about your idea of being a potter in that particular
neighborhood. Be open about it.... don't hide any of it. Describe the fu=
ll
reality.
Will you sell out of the studio? Will there be a sign? Will trucks
deliver materials? How much production do you anticipate? Will UPS be
doing regular pickups of shipped pots? All that stuff.
Get all this stuff out in the open. You are investing a lot of money in
moving there and you want to be able to do what you want. If you hide
the facts.... then you can get nailed after the fact and end up in a
battle....
or not being able to run the pottery business and being stuck there. =
Then having to re-locate again.
Guage the response from the main town office as 1.) warm 2.) indiferent
3.) hostile. If you get number 1, that's great. Number 3 probably says
look at another piece of property. Number 2 is more typical.... and
will require you to do some digging.
Ask if there are any other potters in town with gas fired kilns. If
there is, go visit him/her and find out what they went through getting th=
e
kiln in. They are your greatest asset. They can tell you who is
supportive
and who is the "bad guy". They'll know who is knowledgeable on the
subject.
They'll know where they made mistakes in the installation itself, or in
how they went about getting it. See how their property compares to your
proposed site in regard to zoning, population density, and the like, and
draw some conclusions about the applicability of what they experienced
to your situation.
Sometimes this "installing large kilns thing" (BTW....you'd probably
have similar issues if you installed a 50 cubic foot electric kiln) is a
real
issue when buying a site to open a pottery. Permits and variances and
the like usually go with the owner, not the property. So as a non-owner
you
can't go before the town officials and get a permit....only the owner of
the property can get that. But the existing owner will sell the
property to you...... and the permit or variance does NOT usually transfe=
r
from
them. So sometimes this situation is the old .....pig in a poke. Buy
it and then see if you'll get the permits.
The best situation is one in which you pretty much KNOW you have as many
of the variables going in your favor as possible. Then it is a worthwhil=
e
gamble. Talk to the town officials that will have to make the
decsions.... guage their responses. Decide on the "gamble factor".
If you are doing this as STRICTLY a hobby, then you have one hurdle out
of the way. As a hobby, many issues of town zoning laws that apply to
businesse or home occupations don't apply. Basic building codes (if
there are any) ALWAYS apply.
If you are selling your work, then the first order of business is to
make sure that the property is in a zoning area that allows home
occupations
(or actual businesses) without a permit or variance. If that is the case=
,
check the laws and make sure that certain emissions of "noxious =
elements" is not included in a list of things you can't do....... could
come back
to bite you if a neighbor doesn't like the kiln . A potters kiln
of the 50 cubic foot size COULD be looked at as an "industrial furnace" b=
y
those not predisposed to look kindly on such things.... and come into
conflict
with the list of things thjat produce "noxious" stuff.
Watch for clauses in the home business section about not having exterior
equipment or materials showing. That could preclude an outdoor kiln or
even a separate kiln shed.
The gas inspector and the building inspector (if there are any) will get
involved at some point cause they have to approve the final
installations. This would be after you have the property. You can usual=
ly
get
approvals........ it just is the cost associated in making them happy
that is an issue. Since there are few jurisdictions that have specific
regulations naming "gas fired pottery kilns" on the books.........
each kiln installation can be open to pretty WIDE interpretation of exact=
ly
HOW it must be installed.
That is both a blessing and a curse.
Whatever you do DON'T let anyone classify it as an industrial furnace.
There ARE regs for those and they are COSTLY. Prohibitively so. It is
simply an artist potters kiln. That will baffle them in searching for
printed regs . Ain't none. SO........ that leaves YOU (or another
potter) =
as the expert on artist potter's kilns. Then you can tell THEM a lot of
how =
it should be installed.
Do your homework and put on a professional presentation and you'll
probably not have too much of a problem. Let each inspector have their
little
"suggestion" be added into the plans...... they like to feel that
they did their jobs........ and away you go. If you are clever you'll as=
k
a
leading question or two for their suggestion that addresses an area that
won't
be too costly to follow their advice...... whatever it is. That way YOU
channel what they suggest instead of letting them FIND a place to make
changes (for lots of money). If you are really good at this... you'll
channel your questions to get them to recommend exactly what you planned
to do in the first place .
It is always a good idea to talk to the potential neighbors. If they
are supportive then you will have few problems. If they aren't, even if
you
are "legal" than they will be a constant source of irritation and
will eventually find a way to shut you down. Show them pictures of your
proposed type of kiln and what it will look like. Explain what you do.
Show them your pots. Again...... guage their reception.
As to the EPA stuff..... that would be after the fact if at all. It is
little known.............. but if you are running a pottery business,
in many locales if the kiln is large enough you do need both an EPA
installation permit and an annual operating permit. Has to do with aIr
quality standards in questionable air districts. Call the local EPA
office....... they're in the phone book. Few people get these permits
and to my knowledge the EPA does not go looking for craft type potters. =
They have bigger fish to fry. However, if a complaint is ever filed with=
them, then you get in hot water for not having the permit. Generally not=
one
to be too concerned with.
(clip)
--If I'm asked what will be coming out of the chimney, what's the
answer?
(snip)
The vast preponderance is simply hot colorless carbon dioxide and water
vapor, with occasional small amounts of carbon monoxide during parts of
the firing cycle (don't play this up too much, and omitt completly it if
you
fire in oxidation or feel comfortable not telling the whole truth).
Occasionally you will see some thin light vaporous steam off the chamber
and off the chimney. No significant smoke ever from a gas kiln (if it
is, you are firing wrong). Yes.... there are traces of many of the glaze
chemicals in the effluent.... but these are so small that I'd not
mention it unless someone gets VERY specific....... and if they are getti=
ng
THAT
specific...... you should abandon looking at buying that site.
(snip)
--What questions should I ask at the local gas company (and what are
the "right" answers), about, say, the size of the gas main in the
street?
The need for an additional line (size?) from the main to the kiln and a
heavy duty gas meter? The pressure, energy content, and flow rate of the=
ir
gas?
(clip)
The right answers are ....." Sure no problem...... we've put in a few
kilns in this town and know how that stuff works. We like potters. Did
you
know that the gas inspector and the fire marshall in town are both potter=
s?
Fire marshall has a big anagama. Building inspector does large scale
raku pieces."
Ask enough questions that you sound like you know what you are
doing..... not so many that you seem inexperienced. Sounds tough, I know=
.
Ask if they handle any other gas fired ceramic kilns in town. Ask what
requirements they have for such a unit as to flame safety systems. Ask
who the gas inspector is.
The gas company's job is to know gas supply. You tell them what you
need, they'll tell you how to get it and how much it'll cost. They LOVE =
to
tell you how much it'll cost . Propane is about 2500 BTU's per cubic
foot at STP....natural is about 1000 BUT's.....but that info in this
situation
is not really important. You figure your needs in BTU requirements....th=
ey
figure how much gas you need.
For a 50 cubic foot kiln of IFB, you'll need about 500,000 BTU's of fuel
available at peak draw..... and you'll never really use this. This is
the "rule of thumb" design figure generally used to figure gas
requirements for this type of kiln. Even if you ever reach that typical
design limit in
draw (which I doubt) ....it'll be for a very short period... maybe 1
hour. Most of the cycle will be well below this.
So you TELL them you need this absolute maximum BTU volume input. =
They'll tell you if, and how, you can get it supplied at your site. And
what
it'll cost you .
Watch certain code regulations....... at 500,000 BTU's input on natural
gas in some locales, this places the kiln in a bracket that requires a
double block system on automatic safety valves.......... gets expensive a=
nd
complex. Redundancy in the safety system..... costs $ and adds
electronics. Complexity. Not good. In this case, use 480,000 BTU's as
the design value to get around the requirements.... no real significant
impact on kiln operation.
Propane is no problem for any practical maximum draw......... and for a
kiln that size you'll need a MINIMUM of a 500 gal. tank, unless you go
with liquid withdrawal burners, or with a liquid withdrawal evaporator to=
convert liquid to gas (not recommended......for technical and $
reasons). If you go propane, use vapor withdrawal burners for simplicity
and cost.
I'd recommend a 1000 gal. tank for that size kiln, particularly if you
are in a colder climate area..... so you don't have problems with
vaporization in the cold winter months.
Propane storage tanks require certain setbacks and clearances to
structures. Make sure the property supports these without variances. =
Some towns require propane storage permits for tanks. Usually a rubber
stamp
issue once the installation to use the gas is approved. Some neighbors
don't like large propane tanks . Might want to bury it for
aesthetic reasons to keep the neighbors happy.
If it is natural gas, and there is not a main nearby, they'll want to
charge you for the mains extension. Lots of $ generally. Probably
want to skip that option altogether.
If you have natural onto the property, and the line has to be upgraded
in diameter to meet the flow requirements from the street, you'll have to=
negotiate who pays. It is their job to know the line size. The meter
often needs to be replaced with a larger capacity unit.... again
negotiate who pays. Remember the joint capacity of the house and the
kiln......
both have to be supplied off the main line. Get separat4e meters for
tracking purposes.
If the property has natural on the site, but the volume in the mains
will not support both the kiln and the house load, you might opt for
propane
on the kiln leaving the house on natural. However, in many locales this
requires a special "dual fuel" permit be pulled for the property
..... usually from the fire marshal or the fire dept. Sometimes from the=
building dept. Some places won't allow it at all.
As to pressure........ you can fire a kiln on ANY pressure. You just
have to design the combustion system to work with that. Volume is the
issue,
not pressure. On low pressures, you need to supply air by mechanical
means. The gas pressure will not be useful to entrain the necessary
air. No big deal. Does add some cost though.
If on natural, plan on low pressure, 4 - 11 inches water column, as
typical pressure unless you are in an industrial area, and plan on using
forced
air burners. If you have higher.... still go with forced air burners and=
low pressure. If on propane, you can use low pressure and forced air
burners, or go with high pressure .....like at least 5 pounds sq. in. g.
venturi
burners and skip the dependance on electrical energy links. High
pressure venturis (good industrial quality ones) entrain more percentage =
of
primary air than low pressure ones, and hence give you more options on ai=
r
handling capacity.
Avoid all low pressure venturi burners or the cheap one piece cast
burner/retention nozzle units even for higher pressure......... poor air
handling capacity.
Keep in mind that with forced air burners there will be some roaring
noise........ that might affect the neighbors late at night. Even
venturi burners operating at higher pressures roar. At 2 AM, they all se=
em
loud. ANmd the glow from the open port burners seems awfully bright at 2 =
AM
too. Some people would find this to look very hazardous..... check the
neighbors.
As to getting around code and nervous town officials...... if things get
rough you can opt for a Geil kiln instead of a site built unit or other
manufacturers unit. They carry AGA certification. The gas people in
town will be familiar with this certification (like gas stoves and dryers=
)
and it may help.
So.... all the time I have for now. Hope some of those thoughts are of
help from an old longhaired kiln designer / installer / consultant. =
Best of luck with the potential property.
______END OF PRIOR POSTING_________
Best,
.......................john
John Baymore
River Bend Pottery
22 Riverbend Way
Wilton, NH 03086 USA
603-654-2752
800-900-1110
JBaymore@Compuserve.com =
Charles Moore on mon 30 sep 02
Clayart friends,
I am going to include a small extract of John Baymore's advice on getting a
permit (and insurance) for a gas kiln. But I would like to follow John's
advice about checking about past experiences in my area.
Though I have a Sacramento address, I live in the county (not the city) of
Sacramento. Has anyone in the Sac county had experience with permits for a
gas kiln, especially for a kiln enclosed within a structure? Please contact
me. My email is as above; my phone number is (916) 485-7723.
Thanks for your help.
Charles Moore
Sacramento/Sacratomato (for Janet Kaiser's benefit)
Thanks, John, for your very helpful guidelines.
John said:
Ask if there are any other potters in town with gas fired kilns. If
there is, go visit him/her and find out what they went through getting the
kiln in. They are your greatest asset. They can tell you who is
supportive and who is the "bad guy". They'll know who is knowledgeable on
the
subject.
They'll know where they made mistakes in the installation itself, or in
how they went about getting it. See how their property compares to your
proposed site in regard to zoning, population density, and the like, and
draw some conclusions about the applicability of what they experienced
to your situation.
John Baymore on tue 1 oct 02
Bruce,
I just found the other old CLAYART posting I was thinking of out of the
archives. Some info is redundant to the last one... but there is some n=
ew
stuff too. Here it is:
_______PRIOR CLAYART POSTING_________
Date: Wed, 29 Oct 1997 07:45:45 EST
Reply-To: Ceramic Arts Discussion List
Sender: Ceramic Arts Discussion List
From: John Baymore
Subject: Gas kilns and zoning
Comments: cc: Corinne Null
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----------------------------Original message----------------------------
......clip......
This is a question for all of the potters with gas kilns. Do all of
you live in the country where there is usually a minimum of zoning laws?
Anyone living in the city or the suburbs with a gas kiln? We're
thinking of moving and this is a concern for me--don't want to get stuck =
in
an
area where I could not build a gas kiln.
.....snip......
Debra,
I have been doing kiln design and installation work for potters and
institutions for about 20 years so I deal with this ALL the time. This
type of discussion is the first part of the consulting process. First
of all, it is VERY hard to generalize on this type of thing. The specifi=
cs
of the situation matter a LOT. I am also assuming you are in the US....
don't know anything about the rest of the world. That being
said............
The general, highly simplistic answer is that the more urban, the more
regulations. The more rural, the more "easygoing". You can
extrapolate that also to the more urban, the more expensive to install an=
d
the more
rural, the less expensive to insatll. You can also add, the more urban
the longer the process takes and the more paper it takes, and the more
rural
the faster and less "paper pollution" generated .
Putting in a 40 cubic foot gas kiln in Boston on natural gas is a lot
larger project and more costly than putting in a 40 cubic foot gas kiln
on propane in downtown Wilton, NH. Done both .
There are sort of two general types of kiln installations. Legal and
illegal. Both exist all over the country. As a pro ..... I tend to shy
away from the illegal ones . In fact, I strongly advocate legal
ones. Illegal ones can make it harder for others to get kilns in legally=
.
In some places potters just go ahead and put in the kiln. Don't ask and
don't tell. If the town is pretty "laid back", often you can get
away with this even though you have a backhoe in to dig the foundation an=
d
concrete trucks and so on. Often the kiln is there for years with no
problems.
Unless there is a complaint the kiln merrily fires away. Keep the
neighbors happy..... give em' pots!
But there are downsides to such an installation that have to be
considered before just doing it. For example, if there were a fire or
explosion
from the kiln and it was not a legal installation, the insurance carrier
could disallow any claim. Such an occurance could open you to civil or
criminal charges if there was injury or property loss to someone else. I=
f
suddenly the town found out and had a real problem with it, daily fines
accrued
over the years could come to a tidy sum. At the least, suddenly the town=
could issue a "cease and desist" order, and the investment in the kiln
suddenly
goes kaput.
There are plenty of this type of installation around. Lots have gotten
away with it for long periods. You have to decide how much of a gambler
you are to take this approach. It works for some.
Regulations vary from state to state and town to town. Some also depend
on whether you are a business or are doing this as a hobby. Some depend =
on
the fuel you intend to use. Some depend on the BTU input per hour of
the total peak draw of the kiln. And so on.
Most of the regulations you might hit are well meaning in intent. They
are generally intended to make the installation safe and to not cause
hardship on others. Sometimes you get an overzealous official that gets
rediculous and tries to throw the book at it....... but that is rare. If=
you are
not a really well versed pro in the area of kilns and combustion, then mu=
ch
of this regulation stuff is probably a good idea to follow. Yes... I hav=
e
seen propane kilns plumbed with old garden hose and pipe clamps run to
rusty homemade burners that have been there without problem for
years...... but it is NOT a good idea and it is depending on the vast
knowledge of
the particular potter, constant attention to detail, and a darn good dose=
of
luck .
If a town has had a "bad" experience with a gas kiln......... that
might just be that a prior installation recieved a lot of complaints from=
neighbors cause it was "unsightly", or could have been because of =
something more germane like a fire............ they will tend to look on
new ones
more skeptically. If they have never had a gas kiln in town, they might
be conservative cause they don't know anything about it. The BEST and
easiest places are towns that have gas firing potters merrily being
upright,
wonderful citizens .
Your first research should be to find other potters who live in the town
who already have gas kilns. They can be your best allies. Talk to
them. Find out what they went through to get the kiln in, and also how
long
ago. Find out (tactfully) if there were any problems..... complaints or =
a
fire or anything like that. Ask who in the town govt. was helpful and wh=
o
was a problem. Find out what permits they needed and how easy it was. A=
sk
what they were MADE to do that they didn't intend at first. Find out
specifics on that aspect. Get all the prior info you can. Arm yourself
well.
Once you have done some basic research and are ready to "tip your
hand", go to the town offices and ask generally about this subject. Lo=
ok
at a
zoning map at the property you are considering. Ask about business
uses. Look for other "non-conforming" business uses in near where you are=
considering. Ask for a copy of the zoning regs and read them carefully.
If it specifies a building code, get a copy of that too and read the
sections that could apply.
Sometimes you can go to the zoning board before you buy a place to get a
ruling.... but often you have to buy the "pig in the poke", and THEN
ask if you can do what you want.
In most "more urban" places you will first need at least a building permi=
t
as if you were putting in a new bathroom or constructing a new
outbuilding. If you are a business, not a hobby, this permit may have to=
FOLLOW
getting a business permit for the location. There may be both a local
business
permit and a state permit. This may be true even if you don't "sell
retail" out of the location....... you are then just a "manufacturing
operation".
This building permit will then open up the kiln installation to the
local inspectors.... often including the building inspector, the gas
inspector, and the fire marsahll. This might all be one person . It
will
certainly cause the local building codes to apply. (Luckily the local
codes rarely SPECIFICALLY list regs for a gas fired kiln....this is of
GREAT use.) None or few of the inspectors will have ANY experience with
gas kilns. But they will all have to approve the installation at some
level. Remember that no matter how much of a front they put on, they
will be looking for any help that can get so that they can look like they=
know what they are doing with this darned kiln thing .
You can USE the lack of specifics on gas kilns in the code to your
advantage. The more well concieved, professional, and specific your
installation proposal is, the more likely the officials will be to
assume that you are knowledgeable and an expert in the field. Put togeth=
er
an
"impressive" documentation of your background, as well as the
detailed plans for the installation. Give references and quote names. Y=
ou
need
to become the expert. So that they will take YOUR advice on what
constitutes a safe installation.
BTW.... if you don't really know this stuff well, invest a little and
get help in this presentation. You might only get one shot at it. Not
only
will it make the permitting issue easier, it will make sure that the
installation IS safe.
Some locales DO have specific regulations on gas kilns written. This
comes from prior experiences mainly...... lots of kilns installed or some=
sort
of a problem having occured. An example of this is that the State of
Mass. requires that all gas kiln installations be approved by the Mass.
Fuel
Gas Regulatory Board. Requires detailed plans submitted.
I am not an engineer...... just a kiln builder of many kilns and many
years. On some jobs (quite urban) I have had to get a licenced engineer
to officially stamp the plans that I designed and drafted. Not redrawn o=
r
redesigned .... just stamped! The town would not accept them without
a licenced engineers approval. This is a simple review, a (hefty) fee
paid, and a rubber stamp (actually....an embosser). But it had to be don=
e
or
no kiln.
Whatever you do, DON'T let them classify the kiln as an "industrial
furnace". You are a "quaint" artist , not an
industrialist. There ARE lots of regs for that industrial installation a=
nd
they =
usually result in lots of very expensive toys. You'll end up with al=
l
sorts of
electro-mechanical combustion equipment, and someone is going to
probably want to discuss effluent emissions. =
For example on one natural gas
installation I was involved with in a very urban setting, to light the
kiln you flipped switches in the correct order at a remote panel to start=
the
combustion air blower, self-check the electronics, check the main gas
pressure and main air pressure, and then a solenoid pilot gas valve
opened, spark ignition lighted it, an ultraviolet sensor proofed the pilo=
t
flame, then a hydrostatically operated gas valve automatically opened for=
each
main burner, and so on and so on. Yes...... thousands per burner!
Speaking of emissions...... It is little known that in many parts of the=
country you will need an EPA permit to install and operate a gas fired
kiln to be completly legal. Call the local EPA office to find out if the=
place you are considering is one of these. Some of what applies here is
dependant on the size and use of the installation. Remember ...... you
are an artist potter, not a factory. You'll need to know the total BTU
input of the kiln.
Often it is a good idea to have something specific that you thought up
for each of the local inspectors to "find" and get his/her 2 cents input
into. If you "feed" them something that you know will be cheap and you
would have done anyway, then they won't go looking for something on their=
own that
will end up costing you thousands . And they will feel that they
have done their job....cause they recommended something that you should d=
o,
and you did it. Ask their opinion on something they can relate to like a
clearance, not some pottery-techno aspect that they will freak over. =
Maybe suggest a value that is a little "short"...... and mention that
somewhere
you read that someone recommends more than that. Then ask what the
inspector thinks........ (more is always better ????). You'll get the
higher number, which you were going to do anyway . There is a
bit of an "art" to doing this .
Residential A (housing....period) .......or whatever the local "powers
that be" call it in the particualr locale......., is the hardest place to=
get a gas kiln in (legally). If the zoning doesn't at least allow home
based
businesses with a permit, you might be in for a long battle. Expect the
neighbors to be agains this installation. It often is percieved to
lower their property value in an exclusive residential area. Residentail=
B
(some light business use like hairdressers, lawn mower repairs, and the
like)
is easier than A. Less "NIMBY" factor. Residential /Agricultural is
generally far easier and should be the target. Commercial and
Industrial are usually a piece of cake, but carry their own problems at
times in
otherareas like the classification of teh kiln as an "industrial furnace"=
which brings down all sorts of (expensive) code requirements.
One approach to getting in a gas kiln is to start off with a nice
unobtrusive (NIMBY clean, inefficient, resource depleting......just had
to say that ) electric kiln. Move into town and make yourself a
"cultural
asset". Volunteer to do demos at the local schools. Get involved
with the scouts. Donate pieces to the local charities. And so on. After=
you
have become a solid contributor to the town, THEN approach them about the=
gas
kiln with complete documentation and plans. This often works in places
that might be difficult straight off. But if the gas kiln is 100 percent=
a
necessity..... this is a gamble. It is no guarantee. Just an educated
tactic. (Also a nice thing to do anyway .)
One possible solution to allay fears of kiln is to go with a commercial
unit rather than site built. This will be more expensive per cubic
foot, but it might make a kiln possible at all. Look for a kiln with AGA=
certification. (Guess who that is?....check CM ads.) That means that
it is certified by the national standards overseer, and that certificatio=
n
MAY be what gets the local gas and building guy to buy into the
insatllation. You will then have to put the kiln in according to all the
mfgr.s
recommandations. That certification does the CYA thing for you, and
tells the inspectors the unit is "OK".
If you MUST have a gas kiln, do your homework BEFORE moving to a
localle. That criteria needs to be part of the decision of WHERE to move.=
=
Rural
IS easier. There are some places (few) that actually and specifically
prohibit any new gas kilns (Concord, MA is an example I, have been told
by a former kiln client...... when their kiln "dies" they've been told
they can't replace it and no new installations are allowed in town).
Hope all of this is of help. Best of luck in your move.
_____END OF COPY OF PRIOR POSTING TO CLAYART_______
Best,
.......................john
John Baymore
River Bend Pottery
22 Riverbend Way
Wilton, NH 03086 USA
603-654-2752
800-900-1110
JBaymore@Compuserve.com
http://www.JohnBaymore.com
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