The purchase of a kiln often represents a significant outlay for the person or organisation involved.

There are a number of pitfalls to avoid which should be fairly obvious but which continue to trap the unwary.

With 20 years of experience behind us, we are in a good position to assist you in finding the solution which best fits your needs and your pocket. We can also help in overcoming any challenges presented in the siting of the kiln.

Our advice is impartial and our aim is to assist you in making the right decision for you.

We have been supplying kilns since 1992 and our preferred manufacturers are Rohde Gmbh and Potterycrafts Ltd. We can supply other makes on request.

ROHDE KILNS - These are high quality kilns from Germany and the range includes Top loaders, Front loaders, Gas kilns, Raku kilns, Fusing kilns and Hood kilns for ceramics and glass. At Hesketh we use an Ecotop kiln. All the kilns come with a 3 year guarantee (exluding heating elements) and Gas and Raku kilns.

POTTERYCRAFTS LTD KILNS - Potterycrafts Ltd are an established British kiln manufacturer and have many years of experience in kiln building. All the kilns are supplied with an automatic controller and the hobby kilns are particularly good, coming as a complete package with kiln, controller and kiln furniture set to get you started. All the kilns come with a 3 year guarantee. Controllers come with a 1 year guarantee.

We recommend studying the list of kilns on offer to match the nearest kiln to the size and configuration you require. Please feel free to contact us if you need help in making a decision.

Before ordering you need to check to see if the kiln will fit the space, e.g. pass through a doorway etc. and check the electricity supply.

In some cases the kiln may need to be built on site or delivered as a split cabinet. The manufacturers need to know this before they can start building your kiln.

Remember that many kilns are built to order and this can involve a lead time. Please ring to confirm.

You should check the condition of the kiln before signing for receipt.

Rohde kilns
Rohde have been continuously active in changing the way in which kilns are dispatched and the use of larger pallets, stronger boxes, smaller boxes on top of the kiln have all played a part in reducing damages, but damage does still happen. Just because the packaging looks OK does not mean that the goods are OK.

Check the goods by opening the box and examining it for damage; if damaged, sign – 'DAMAGED'. It is a simple matter to remove the box in order to check the condition of the kiln (see attached pdf ).
If the shock-watch is red, sign as 'SHOCK-WATCH ACTIVATED' regardless of what the subsequent checking reveals.
If there is a small empty box on top of the consignment (usual on top loaders) and it is flattened make a note, 'BOX DAMAGED'.
If it is not possible to open the kiln box (in the presence of the delivery driver) to check the goods, sign as 'UNCHECKED'.

Essentially unless you are really sure (by checking) that the goods are undamaged there should be a note on the receiving papers, either 'unchecked', 'shock-watch activated' or 'box damaged'.
If you have any concerns at all then please get in touch with us at the soonest.

for Other Manufacturers
Similar considerations apply. If the packaging is obviously damaged persuade the driver to wait whilst removing packaging - if the kiln is damaged refuse the delivery and contact us.

If damage is cosmetic and the interior of the kiln is not damaged and you are happy to accept delivery, sign as damaged and then contact us.

If you do suspect/find damage then please take photos.
If you have any concerns at all then please get in touch with us at the soonest.

Please refer to our 'Community Links/Useful Links' page for a list of experts who can assist with installation, fitting of replacement parts, trouble shooting and servicing of your kiln.

Visit 'Useful Links' page

The kiln needs to be sited in a room with good ventilation, you could fit an extractor fan if there is no window.

If the kiln is to be sited in a school classroom then it should be caged and padlocked to prevent children gaining access to the kiln and its controls.

It is advisable to fire your kiln when there is nobody in the room and if you have off-peak electricity/white meter then it is cheaper to fire overnight.

Make sure there is nothing left either on the top of or leaning against the kiln as this would be a fire hazard.

It is important to look after your kiln once it is installed and you begin firing. You can prolong the life of your elements by making sure the ware is completely dry before loading the kiln, keeping the vents/bung holes open to ensure steam and gases escape.

If you are unfortunate to have an explosion, carefully hoover out the shards both at the base of the kiln and in the element grooves.

Always place a kiln batt on the base of the kiln - if you have a glaze run, a batt is cheaper to replace than a kiln base!

We recommend you keep a Firing Book to log all your firings etc and this will help to indicate when elements will need to be replaced etc, which is after approximately 50 - 60 stoneware firings. It also helps us to troubleshoot if you are experiencing problems.

Make a note of the make of your kiln, model and serial number (which can be found on a metal plate on the kiln) as this will help when ordering elements and spare parts.