I had a kiln that lasted 34 years before I retired it, generally firing one or more times per week. Elements, relays, and other parts were replaced multiple times over the years, but it was a tremendous work horse. Take good care of your kiln, and it can last a very long time.
Determining the right size kiln for you can be daunting. Ingrid has identified several factors need to be considered:
1 - Find out if you have enough electrical power to run a kiln. Kilns require more power than other appliances and are mostly 240 volt, single phase electricity for houses. Check with an electrician before you buy a kiln.
2 - If you do not own the property, do you have permission to install a kiln?
3 - Do you have a safe location to install your kiln? A kiln should be placed 18” or more from a wall. Is any nearby furniture, flooring, or wall coverings flammable? Remember, lots of floor tiles are flammable. A concrete floor is best, but it has to be at least 6 months old. An alternative is to place your kiln on top of aged concrete stepping stones. Make sure the concrete stepping stones exceed the perimeter of your kiln.
4 - Make sure that the kiln can be vented in some way. Fumes and heat can be bothersome, and the option to vent can be easily achieved with a fan and an open window, or a vent system purchased from the kiln manufacturer.
5 - The outside walls of a kiln can easily reach 600ºF when it’s firing, so you need to make sure the kiln is not accessible by young children (or pets) who could burn themselves on the hot kiln walls.
6 - Please be aware, the inside dimensions of a kiln are not the dimensions of what size pots can be fired in the kiln. You’ll be giving up at least 2 inches in height, one for .5” posts and an additional 1” for a kiln shelf to protect the base of the kiln, as well as 1” at the top to make sure you don’t touch the underside of the lid to the top of any pots, and there is room for airflow at the top. Therefore, a kiln that is 27” deep will provide only 25” maximum height for pieces. And it's the same for the usable width of your work. A 27" wide kiln can only reasonably accommodate 25" diameter pieces.
7 - Based on what you have made so far, what is the widest and tallest dimensions of pottery that you have made? Do you anticipate needing to make pieces with those dimensions again? How often will you make them?
8 - Based on what you have made so far, how many pieces will you need to fire and how often? If you don’t mind firing once a month, will you remember how each piece was glazed, or will you keep process notes so you can duplicate results you like and avoid results you don’t like?
- Do you love to make tiles, but not mugs or vases?
- If you want to bisque fire 3 pieces a month, will you be sharing kiln space with someone else?
9 - How do you feel about being in control of your firing versus having your pieces fired by someone else?
10 - Remember, a kiln is like a car. You will be spending money on electricity, getting elements, thermocouples replaced, and likely need to replace kiln shelves, posts, and stilts as the years go by, plus pyrometric cones are a continuous cost.