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exhaust fan in kiln room

updated fri 24 oct 97

 

Wendy Hampton on sat 11 oct 97

I am building a kiln room that is 8ft x 8ft. I do not know what size exhaust
fan to install in the wall. I use an envirovent under the kiln and vent it
outside but I also wanted an exhaust fan to draw out the heat during a firing
Thanks
Wendy from Bainbridge Island WA

D A ROTHELL on mon 13 oct 97

Wendy
Get the cubic feet of your room (8ft X 8ft X height) --then decide
how many changes of air you want per minute or per hour--fans will
have this info on them( CFM or CFH) anyone at a home center or
hardware store can help you with this--Thanks Don Rothell

Karen Mickler on mon 13 oct 97

Wendy,
I installed an attic fan in my 10 x 10 kiln room - works great.

Karen
Robbinsville, NC
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>I am building a kiln room that is 8ft x 8ft. I do not know what size exhaust
>fan to install in the wall. I use an envirovent under the kiln and vent it
>outside but I also wanted an exhaust fan to draw out the heat during a firing
>Thanks
>Wendy from Bainbridge Island WA

Louis Katz on tue 14 oct 97

Exhaust fans in kiln rooms can be very useful. It is important to not rely
on them for fire safety or to remove dangerous levels of carbon monoxide or
other harmful substances. It sounds like you kiln will be small enough to
not be a problem for heat, but obviously this depends on insulation and a
host of other factors that I am not qualified to evaluate. I would suggest
that you rely on passive ventilation to some extent to reduce the effects
of burnt out motors and other electrical malfunctions. This could be as
simple as a grill near the floor and a vent in the ceiling.

Just some problems caused by faulty exhaust systems, (they were all gas
kilns)

1. Exhaust fan burned out in the old glass studio at Illinois State
University. Joel Myers came into the studio early in the morning to find
white smoke seeping out around the doors. The interior hadn't caught fire
or exploded but was hot enough to be decomposing some wood in the
structure.
2. Fire in the kiln room at University of Montana. Kiln room overheated
when exhaust fan overheated.
3. Memphis State, faulty exhaust fan filled studios with exhaust regularly
causing headaches.
These are only the incidents that I know of. There are certainly others.

Jonathan Kaplan on wed 15 oct 97

>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Exhaust fans in kiln rooms can be very useful. It is important to not rely
>on them for fire safety or to remove dangerous levels of carbon monoxide or
>other harmful substances. It sounds like you kiln will be small enough to
>not be a problem for heat, but obviously this depends on insulation and a
>host of other factors that I am not qualified to evaluate. I would suggest
>that you rely on passive ventilation to some extent to reduce the effects
>of burnt out motors and other electrical malfunctions. This could be as
>simple as a grill near the floor and a vent in the ceiling.
>
>Just some problems caused by faulty exhaust systems, (they were all gas
>kilns)


Passive exhaust systems care only partially adequate, and I might suggest
that they can be used more effectively coupled with an active exhaust
system, as follows:

It is a simple calculation to figure out how many air changes per hour a
space needs. Consult a HVAC expert or a Graingers catalog. Us a fan
designed as an exhaust fan, not a cheesy one....use one that is a direct
drive with cast blades, and a TEFC motor. Put the entire sustem on a timer,
and always make sure that there is fresh air, or make up air, being pulled
in to the kiln room. Our exhaust fans have interal shutters that open when
the fans go on, and these units are located on the rear walls pretty high
up. Fresh air is pulled in from the opposite side of the room at floor
level.

Gas kilns need make up air, especially if atmospheric burners are used.
Keepthe air in the kiln room moving. Your health will thank you!!

Jonathan



Jonathan Kaplan, president jonathan@csn.net
Ceramic Design Group Ltd./Production Services
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