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FAQ/Answer |
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At what point should you turn off the Orton vent? |
It depends on what you are firing. Generally, you can leave the vent on throughout the firing and cooling cycle. The vent will help remove moisture during “candling” at the beginning of the firing. Moisture will get into the fan and vent duct but wil ... [More] |
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Can glazed ware be placed near the vent holes of a down-draft kiln vent? |
Do not place ware directly under vent intake holes drilled in the kiln lid. The room temperature air coming in through the holes can cause crazing in glazes. The vent intake holes should be drilled toward the outer edges of the lid so that they won't ... [More] |
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Can I open the kiln lid to let it cool faster, or do I have to wait for it to cool down by itself? What temperature is safe to open the kiln? Does an Orton vent affect cooling time? |
Paragon recommends cooling the kiln to room temperature before unloading. From the shut-off temperature down to 1000 F (537 C), a motorized downdraft vent has little effect on cooling time. However, from 1000 F to room temperature, the vent can reduc ... [More] |
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Can the Orton Vent Master be used on small kilns such as the SC-2? |
Yes, you can mount the Orton Vent Master on the top of the SC-2. You will need one 1/8” vent hole in the top of the kiln. No other modifications should be needed. ... [More] |
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Can you still fire the kiln if you have removed the down-draft vent for repair? |
If you fire a top-loading kiln with the Orton KilnVent turned off or removed for repair, cover the air exit holes in the kiln bottom. An easy way to do this is to place a kiln shelf over the holes. ... [More] |
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Does the cool air from the Vent Master affect the bending of the cone in the Kiln Sitter/Auto-Cone? |
The Vent Master has almost no effect on a cone in the Kiln Sitter / Auto-Cone. The airflow through a kiln is reduced to almost a static condition when the kiln reaches temperatures above 1000 degrees F. This is because the air expands and becomes lig ... [More] |
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Does the Orton downdraft vent shorten cooling time? |
From the shut-off temperature down to 1000 deg. F, the vent has little effect on cooling time. From 1000 deg. F to room temperature, a vent reduces cooling time by about two hours. ... [More] |
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How do I vent the door of my front-loading kiln? |
You should install the Orton Vent Master on the kiln. The door of the Dragon and Iguana kilns remains closed throughout the firing when you use the Orton vent. It is mounted to the back wall of the kiln. The Dragon and Iguana steel cases are ... [More] |
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How do motorized vents operate? How do you install them? |
The overhead Vent-a-Kiln vent is positioned over the kiln with the aid of a counter-weight. As heated air rises from the kiln, the vent pulls it outside through an aluminum duct. This system also helps lower room temperature around the kiln. ... [More] |
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How do you check the ware through the peephole when using a downdraft vent? The instructions state to leave the peephole plugs in. |
The plugs are inserted to form a negative pressure inside the kiln when using a downdraft vent. Without that negative pressure, fumes could exit the kiln through the smallest brick crevice. But it is okay to remove the peephole plugs occasionally to ... [More] |
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How much does the downdraft vent increase firing time? |
The Orton KilnVent increases firing time by about five minutes for firings up to cone 4; 12 minutes for firings from cone 4 to 10. It has little effect on the maximum temperature that the kiln can reach. ... [More] |
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I am using a clay that produces more fumes than usual. Should I keep the kiln lid open during candling? Should I vent the lid to get rid of the extra fumes? I am using the Orton KilnVent. |
Some clays contain an especially high number of impurities. If the Orton KilnVent has enough intake vent holes, it can vent the fumes from even those problem clays. a) When using the KilnVent, keep the lid or door completely closed and the pe ... [More] |
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I can still detect odors even though I use an Orton KilnVent. What do you recommend? |
A downdraft vent comes in several brands. It is used on ceramic and glass kilns to prevent fumes from escaping the kiln into the firing room. The downdraft vent removes just enough air to create negative pressure inside the kiln. This preven ... [More] |
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I have a computerized kiln equipped with a downdraft vent. Yesterday I discovered that a peephole plug is missing. Can I run the kiln safely with a missing peephole plug? |
A motorized downdraft vent requires peephole plugs. You can still fire the kiln with a missing plug, but the vented kiln will not fire as evenly as it would with the plug. The vent will also allow some of the fumes to escape from the kiln if a plug i ... [More] |
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I own a Janus-27 dual-media kiln [with elements in the lid and sidewalls]. My kiln has three 1/4” holes drilled into the lid. Is this a problem when the kiln is set to the glass setting? |
No, the three 1/4" holes in the lid will not affect the heat distribution. This is because the holes are drilled in the outer edges of the lid. The air is drawn into the firing chamber near the kiln walls, away from the shelves. Regarding th ... [More] |
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I want to install a downdraft vent on a glass kiln that has elements in the lid. Is it necessary to drill holes in the lid? |
You do not need to drill vent holes in the lid. The kiln should have adequate space around the lid for the necessary air intake of a down-draft vent. ... [More] |
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I want to install a downdraft vent, but I don’t want to drill a hole in an exterior wall. Is there an alternative? |
You can route the vent duct to a window. Place a tight-fitting piece of plywood in the window. Cut a hole in the plywood and attach the duct to the plywood. When you are not firing, you can remove the plywood and close the window again. ... [More] |
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I’ve heard that firing an electric kiln with all the plugs in throughout the entire firing would damage the elements. |
Elements last longer in an oxygen environment. Closing the peepholes for the entire firing would reduce the oxygen in the kiln, because the vapors from burning organics would remain inside the unvented kiln. This could reduce element life. Fo ... [More] |
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If I vent the kiln with a motorized vent, should do I still need to move the cars outside when firing the kiln? |
Yes, you should park the cars outside the garage while the kiln is firing. This is because all flammable materials should be removed from the garage while you are firing the kiln. This includes paint, boxes of newspapers, gasoline, and the lawn mower ... [More] |
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Is it okay to dry clay pieces in the kiln on a 150-180 degree F. temperature hold? |
The ideal is to load only bone-dry ware into the kiln. However, if your schedule does not permit that, then candling the ware inside the kiln is fine. It is important to vent moisture from the kiln during candling. Continue the candling stag ... [More] |
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Is the small hole in the back of the FireFly a vent hole? |
No. The hole in the back of the FireFly is for the thermocouple of an external pyrometer. If you need to vent the kiln, place a 1/2" post under the front of the kiln lid. When the venting period is over, remove the post and close the lid all the way. ... [More] |
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My top-loading kiln has elements in the lid and sidewalls. I want to add an Orton Vent Master to the kiln. Do I need to drill air intake holes in the lid? |
No. Air intake holes are not drilled in a kiln that has lid elements. The only holes needed are drilled in the firebrick bottom, where the vent cup pulls air from the kiln during firing. ... [More] |
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Should you use a downdraft vent even if you are not firing hazardous glazes? |
You might consider the other advantages of the downdraft vent besides removing fumes. A downdraft vent also pulls fresh oxygen into the kiln, which helps burn carbon out of the clay. Heat distribution is a little more even too. People have reported t ... [More] |
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What causes vibration in the older style Kiln Vent that mounts under the kiln? |
1) The kiln is not level. 2) Dirt has collected in the squirrel cage. 3) Moisture has corroded the squirrel cage unevenly, throwing it out of balance. Orton sells a gasket that reduces vibration from the motor. The gasket f ... [More] |
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What is a down draft kiln vent? |
The Orton Vent Master is a down draft vent. Small air exit holes are drilled in the bottom of a top-loading kiln and usually the back of a front-loading kiln. The vent pulls a small amount of air from the kiln to create a slight negative pressure, wh ... [More] |
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What products contain carbon monoxide and organics? |
All clays produce fumes that are harmful to breathe. Venting is important, because these fumes can affect the quality of the ware. Be sure to fire only in a well-ventilated area, and preferably with a KilnVent or overhead vent. ... [More] |
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What type of duct do you recommend for the KilnVent? |
Between the kiln and the KilnVent, use only the duct that is furnished with the vent. Between the vent and the outside of the wall, 4” aluminum dryer duct will work. 4” PVC pipe will last longer than the aluminum and is recommended over aluminum, esp ... [More] |
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What types of motorized vents are available for electric kilns? |
Firing ceramics produces fumes that contain small amounts of carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, and sulfur dioxide. For health reasons, we recommend—and building codes in some areas require—that kilns be vented with a motorized vent. The two vent systems ... [More] |
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When using a down-draft vent system, should the greenware be loaded at the bottom so the gases are sucked out first and don't contaminate the glazed pieces above them? |
The down-draft vent, such as the Orton Master Vent, draws air from the bottom of the kiln through small holes drilled into the firebrick bottom. Makeup air enters the kiln through holes drilled into the lid. The air removed from the kiln is vented ou ... [More] |
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Why does the down-draft vent under my kiln vibrate? |
The down-draft kiln vent is widely used on ceramic kilns. The vent pulls a small amount of air from the kiln during firing. The fumes removed from the kiln are then vented to the outside through a duct. Most vents are placed under the kiln, ... [More] |
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Why doesn’t your Dragon kiln have vent intake holes for the Orton Vent Master? |
Some kilns don't need vent intake holes. On our Dragon front-loading kiln, we don't drill extra vent holes for the downdraft vent, because the corners of the door create a small gap due to the expansion of the firebricks. Those gaps serve as air inta ... [More] |
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Will firing the kiln with the KilnVent turned off damage the kiln? |
No. It is okay to fire the kiln with the Orton KilnVent turned off. (If you are using another brand of vent, consult the manufacturer. Some vents must be removed to fire the kiln with the vent turned off.) ... [More] |
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on:
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“Custom and standard Kilns and Industrial Furnaces for ceramics, pottery, heat treating, enameling, |
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