elements

Gretl, you need to supply much more information: What elements are you referring to? Electric coils for heating a kiln? Elements that make up a clay body? How old is the kiln, how long are you firing, and at what cone or temperature? Is the kiln located inside or outside. There are a lot of variables that affect heating elements, including usage, and external things like whether or not salt is being used in the firing, or how often things have "gone boom" inside the kiln. Assuming you are speaking of electrical heating elements, I have seen elements for a kiln used only for bisquing last 20 years (so far), and elements used in an electric kiln used for salt firing last only one year before corroding. That's not much help, I know, but I don't have a lot to go on.

Hope that helps? Wayne in Key West

They can last a hundred firings. It's good to keep a log of your firings (I make a chart with a column for bisques and one for glazes. ) I change my elements when the kiln seems to be taking too long to get to glaze temperature without any bad connections, burn outs, etc. Usually that is about two years, or 150 firings.

Gretl IoW wrote:

-- For original art, music, pottery, and literature, visit my homepage

One technique that can prolong element life is to fire them in the empty kiln to red heat (say 750oC) after installation, this puts a protective and VERY thin layer of oxide on the surface. Any subsequent firing that creates a mild reduction atmosphere in the kiln will degrade this oxide layer so it will need to be re-established with another clean firing. Hence the mentioned longevity of biscuit kiln elements.

Not all element suppliers give you this information sadly.

Steve Bath UK

In article , Brad Sondahl writes