Ceramic Kiln
Ceramic Kiln
How to I repair a wet ceramic kiln?
How to I fix (or find out how to fix) a wet ceramic kiln?
I have an Evenheat kiln with electronic controls in my basement. The sump pump pipe burst. The electronic control module got a little water in it, and the firebrick on the top of the kiln was saturated. We have NOT attempted to turn it on since it got wet.
What should I do to maximize the chances of using this kiln again. It’s a very expensive kiln – I don’t want to trash it.
My current plan:
1) Run dehumidifier for a week to dry out electronic controls.
2) Try to turn on. If it works, set to 200 degrees for several days to dry all firebrick. If it doesn’t work, find someone who can fix kilns.
Since what I would do is dangerous (open element mounted with exposed terminals) I would suggest buying one of the small heater fans that people put under desks and run that inside the kiln with the lid open. The dehumidifier is a good idea.
There is a risk, if you have elements in the wet row of brick that it will short to the case. If you can use only the elements away from the wet, better. The insulation is so good that you run into a strange problem – as the brick dries, it becomes a good insulator, preventing heat from getting to wetness, but while it is wet, it conducts heat to the case and makes it hard to raise the temperature (I deal with frax blanket with just adequate elements which is worse.)
If you can remove the electronic controls, better, but look inside and make sure they are clean and dry – cotton swabs may be in order. When keyboards get washed or electronics dropped in water, drying by leaving in sun is a very gentle and thorough way to clean.
Call the maker of your kiln and ask.
Realizing it may never happen again, you might want to make a habit of covering the kiln with plastic when it is not in use.
Using a kiln can a copper rod be fired into a ceramic piece?
I want to insert a thin copper rod into the piece before I do the final firing. I want the rod to remain permanently embedded. Using a permanent glue has been tried, and I’m unhappy with the results.
Hey Rose,
Copper melts at 1084.6 degrees Centigrade, approximately 786 F, and Ceramic has a transition that takes place in any clay when it is heated to approximately 1140 F or higher. So, the copper would melt.
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