L L KILNS Electric Kiln Instruction Manual
- June 2, 2024
- L L KILNS
Table of Contents
L L KILNS Electric Kiln
VENTILATION
I would like a Vent-Sure downdraft kiln vent, and I have adequate room
ventilation for heat.
I am going to manually vent the kiln and I have adequate room ventilation for
heat.
INSTALLATION
I can install the kiln at least 12” away from any wall (18” is preferred) OR I will need a rolling stand My kiln room floor is non-flammable I will have a dedicated fire extinguisher or sprinkler system for the kiln room or kiln (do not locate sprinker above kiln.)
CONTROL OPTION
(hotkilns.com/kiln-features/genesis-touch-screen-control)
Genesis (Wi-Fi enabled touchscreen controller with free phone app, comes
standard on all kilns)
DynaTrol (traditional controller still available at same price)
STANDARDS & CODES
Commercial / Institutional Use
Home Use
ACCESSORIES & UPGRADES
Kiln Furniture Kit (shelves, posts) Rolling Stand Quad Elements
BROWSE ONLINE Click OR Scan To Use Our Kiln Select
Click An Image To View The Sizes Online
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Interest in: (check all that apply
OTHER
pull-apart, industrial, etc)
Specific Model? -
Small Polygonal
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Medium Polygonal
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Large Polygonal
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Square/Rect
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Front Loading
TOP-LOADING KILNS
SIZE YOUR NEW KILN TO FIT YOUR WORK
Think about size in terms of the amount of work you plan to produce and the largest piece you want to make. While it’s not necessary, it is best to fire your kiln fully loaded, which means producing enough work to fill it.
HEIGHT & LOADING
Most top-loading electric kilns are 18”, 22.5”, or 27” high. L&L also makes kilns up to 54” high inside (and larger upon request ), designed to fit any size piece or production load. You may want to consider an 18” high or 22.5” high kiln if you have trouble bending over to load.
SHAPE & CROSS SECTION
We make several different polygonal cross sections: 9”, 13.5”, 16.5”, 22.3”, and 28” diameters. We also make square and rectangular sectional kilns up to 34.5 cubic feet (our DaVinci series)
OTHER LOADING STYLES
FRONT-LOADING
Some people prefer front-loading kilns for ease of loading. L&L makes two types of front-loading kilns. The eFL Series is an affordable studio or school kiln. The Easy-Load commercial-grade front-loaders are heavier production kilns with extra insulation and larger sizes.
PULL-APART KILNS – UNIQUE TO L &L
L&L Jupiter and DaVinci sectional kilns are designed to be adjustable in
height for firing different loads. (This is not true for most other sectional
kilns including the Easy-Fire).
Because of the flexible cords on the Jupiter and DaVinci kilns and the
separate control panel, the sections are extremely easy to unplug and move
around.
BELL-LIFT KILNS – UNIQUE TO L &L
Developed for high-production and industrial environments, these kilns are optimized for loading and maintenance.
BROWSE ONLINE
Click OR Scan To Use Our Kiln Selector
NORMAL VOLTAGE IN THE USA
Most kilns are available in either 240 or 208 volts and either single or three phase. Most household voltage in the United States is 240 volts single phase. Typically, only schools, institutions, and factories have 208 volts, 480 volts and/or three phase power. Check with your electrician if you are not sure what your voltage is.
ENERGY SAVINGS?
There are no energy savings for the various voltages or phases.
See each kiln’s electrical specs to see which plug is standard to your kiln:
Typical Single Phase 50 Amp Cord
Typical Three Phase 50 Amp Cord
480 VOLT MODELS
L&L makes 28” diameter Jupiter kilns, DaVinci, and Easy-Load kilns in 480-volt versions.
ORDERED THE WRONG KILN VOLTAGE?
The kiln will not operate properly. A 240-volt kiln will lose 25% of its power when operated on 208 volts. A 208-volt kiln operated on 240 volts will draw too much power and trip your breaker. You may have to change elements and a power cord if you order the wrong voltage or phase (this is easy to do on an L&L if it happens).
INTERNATIONAL VOLTAGES
Voltage outside the United States is typically 220 single-phase or 380 three- phase. We make special elements for both 220 volts and 380 volt/3 phase at no extra charge. All models work on either 50 or 60 Hz.
CONSIDER THE COST OF MAINTENANCE
No matter how often you fire your kiln, or who fixes it (yourself or a tech), you will want a kiln that is built from the ground up to be easy-to-maintain. Owning an L&L can add up to significant savings in time and money, due to unique durability and easy-maintenance features.
THE PROBLEM WITH MOST KILNS
In most electric kilns, elements lie in grooves routed in the soft firebrick. The elements are often pinned in for further support. After one or two element changes and a few years, the fragile firebrick starts to fall apart and pins become the primary element support. It only takes one accidental bump with a kiln shelf to permanently damage a kiln around the element groove.
WHAT ABOUT PINS?
Pins can actually make the problem worse because as they expand and contract (at a different rate than the brick) the pins fracture the firebrick more.
L &L SOLVES THESE PROBLEMS
L&L’s unique hard ceramic element holders add years to the life of your kiln by protecting the fragile firebrick during element changes and from accidental bumps. Protecting both the elements and interior of the kiln and eliminating the need for pins. Without pins, your elements have the freedom to expand during firing, reducing strain on the elements and prolonging their life. Our element holders also make element changes fast and easy: there is no need to take the kiln apart, no pins to install, and no difficult crimping with special tools.
ELEMENT HOLDERS SCAN TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR CERAMIC ELEMENT HOLDERS
TYPES OF ELEMENTS
HEAVY-DUTY ELEMENTS
Low-watt density and heavy-gauge elements are included on all L&L kilns.
QUAD ELEMENTS
The combination of large diameter element coils, doubled surface area of the
Quad element design, and the superior heat transfer of L&L’s hard ceramic
element holders, quadruples element life in high-fire and production kilns.
Standard on JH and eQuad-Pro models, optional on many other models.
APM ELEMENTS
APM alloy elements are available for extreme firing conditions like long high- fire soaks, such as in crystalline glaze firing.
SINGLE-ZONE VS MULTI-ZONE
THE PROBLEM WITH GRADED ELEMENTS
Many kilns on the market control their elements as one zone. The elements in these kilns are typically graded to account for heat losses in the lid and bottom. However, with only one thermocouple, the control cannot adjust for varying load conditions (making loading more complicated). Also, as elements age and lose power output at varying rates, the built-in grading will shift and the kiln becomes more uneven.
ZONE CONTROL IS MORE EVEN
In most L&L kilns (except for School-Master & Doll kilns), there are two or three separate zones controlled by individual thermocouples. The controller automatically adjusts the zones, whether your elements are new or old.
ZONE CONTROL SCAN TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR MULTI-ZONE CONTROL
TEMPERATURE RATING
DO YOU NEED A CONE 10 KILN? Many electric pottery kilns can fire up to Cone 10. This is primarily a function of the kiln power available. Even if you are not going to fire the kiln to Cone 10 you will still benefit from the higher power available. As elements age, the kiln firing will slow down. If you start with a more powerful kiln you will get more life out of your elements.
FIRING ABOVE CONE 10?
See our special JH Series kilns for extra high-temp firing and high-fire soaks.
ROLLING STAND TO SAVE SPACE
L&L’s rolling kiln stand features heavy gauge aluminized steel construction with multiple bends for extra strength, rubber swivel locking casters, integrated vent collection box mounts, and guide posts for the kiln. Each size is fitted to the kiln.
KILN FURNITURE
HIGH-FIRE SHELVES
L&L shelves are made of a strong, dense, press-molded (not cast) high alumina cordierite body designed for high fire with little warping.
KILN SELECTOR SCAN TO USE OUR ONLINE GUIDE
WHY VENT A KILN?
A powered kiln vent eliminates the need to crack the kiln lid to manually vent the kiln. Carbon, carbon monoxide, sulphur, water vapor, and other fumes are generated from firing clay and glazes. The fumes can damage the kiln or your ware and can be hazardous. A powered vent removes these fumes from your kiln and your kiln room.
THE VENT-SURE DOWNDRAFT VENT
A downdraft vent that attaches directly to the kiln stand promotes kiln uniformity, extends element life, and improves glaze colors. It keeps fumes under vacuum and the motor is kept away from the heat of the kiln.
ROOM VENTING
A room vent or open window is also recommended. Aim for room ventilation of at least 10-25 times the cubic feet of the kiln per hour. For example, if your kiln has a volume of 10 cubic feet, you should aim for 250 cubic feet of ventilation per hour(about 4 cubic feet per minute)
KILN VENT SCAN TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR VENT SYSTEMS
DO YOU NEED A VENT CONTROL?
A vent control system allows the controller to turn the vent on and off during the program. This gives you more control over the firing and allows you to reduce the amount of air vented from the kiln and the room. Most fumes are produced at specific times during the firing process.
CAN YOU VENT 2 KILNS WITH 1 VENT?
One vent can handle up to 20 cubic feet of kiln capacity so you could vent two 10-cubic-foot kilns (two e28T-3 kilns for instance) with one vent. You can purchase a Vent Doubler to do this.
SAFETY STANDARDS
All L&L Easy-Fire, Jupiter, DaVinci, eFL, and Easy-Load kilns are listed to
UL499 Standard by MET (a national testing laboratory). This may be required in
certain schools, institutions, and factories. Only a few of our kilns are not
listed (JH Series, some Bell-Lift kilns, and custom kilns).
SERVICE
Ask any kiln tech and they will say they love working on L&L kilns – they are easy to fix and require minimal maintenance. So whether you service your kiln yourself or hire a kiln tech, you will save time and money with an L&L kiln. From the hard ceramic element holders and ceramic element terminal blocks to our unique dropdown-panel design, L&L Kilns are packed with features to keep them running longer and more reliably.
GREAT SUPPORT
Customer support is our top priority. Our dedicated team can answer any question you have, by phone or email. And we ship most parts in one to two days, to get your kiln back up and running as soon as possible
KILN SUPPORT
SCAN TO USE OUR ONLINE SUPPORT
Customer Support
TRUST YOUR KILN
