KilnVent Products
Orton makes and sells KilnVent venting systems for electric kilns. Six models are available to fit every type of installation. This patented system uses downdraft venting to remove all of the fumes from a kiln.

Why Do We Vent Kilns?
To Improve your Fired Product

All products fired in electric kilns contain organic materials that make carbon monoxide and other fumes when they are burned. These include clays, glazes, decorating products, decals and the like. Fumes released may contain sulfur oxides, hydrogen fluoride and metal vapors, depending on the products fired. Carbon monoxide and other fumes can affect the color and properties of the fired product if they are not removed from the kiln earlier in the firing. Red, green, gold and similar products are particularly affected by carbon monoxide at temperatures where the color develops.

To Improve your Work Environment

Removing fumes released from the kiln from your work environment is important, since these are unhealthy to breathe on a regular basis. Carbon monoxide can cause headaches and nausea. Other fumes can potentially cause health problems.

Methods for Venting
Typical methods for venting include:

• Propping lid and keeping peepholes open until red heat - then closing up kiln
• Hood above kiln to capture 70 to 85% of fumes released
• Venting (such as downdraft venting) to pull fumes of kiln and pull in fresh air

Downdraft Venting
Orton invented downdraft venting some 12 years ago and it is the standard used to vent electric kilns. With downdraft venting, gases are pulled out of the kiln near the bottom of the kiln and then mixed with room air and exhausted to the outside through a duct.

Orton's downdraft venting systems are better than hoods because they improve firing conditions in the kiln and removes essentially all fumes from the kiln room. They will improve temperature uniformity in the kiln, extend the life of heating elements, Kiln Sitter parts and Type K thermocouples and reduce the cool down of your kiln by 4 to 6 hours. Also, with the Orton system, the kiln stays closed up during the entire firing. The Orton venting system is sold under the trade names KilnVent and Envirovent. Other manufacturers sell systems that pull fumes from the kiln during firing, but Orton has not measured their effectiveness.

Reasons to Chose an Orton KilnVent
Orton KilnVent products are high quality venting systems, with a 2-year warranty, that will provide many years of useful service. They use a reliable motor/blower and most models are made of stainless steel. The units are listed by ETL (equivalent to UL) and they comply with European CE requirements.

People rave about the benefits of downdraft venting. We are sure you will be pleased with one of these Orton products. Our customers tell us they have reduced bad product, eliminated nasty smells, been able to fire products together that in the past caused problems, they are able to remove ware from the kiln quicker and their heating elements last much longer.

It is better than a hood because it improves firing conditions in the kiln, it costs less to operate and it removes all of the fumes and not just part.

During operation, the KilnVent system keeps the kiln under a slight negative pressure. This pulls the fumes out of the kiln and pulls in a small amount of fresh air. Firing times are essentially the same. The fumes are exhausted directly into a duct system and removed from the kiln room. Improved air flow in the kiln results in more uniform temperatures, reducing hot and cold spots.

Health and Safety Issues
OSHA has set standards for carbon monoxide exposure of 35 ppm (parts per million) for long-term exposure and 200 PPM for short-term exposure. Independent testing has shown that fumes near the kiln can exceed 200 PPM near the kiln during the firing of greenware. This can cause headaches, fatigue, sore throats and nausea. When properly installed and operated, a downdraft vent removes ALL harmful fumes and provides a safer working environment.

Regulations
Most states and localities have set venting requirements for firing kilns in public places. Your local and state health board should have this information. The Uniform Mechanical Code lists accepted venting methods. The downdraft system made by Orton is listed in the 1992 approved Code. Orton downdraft vents have been certified by ETL (Intertek Testing Services NA, Inc.), a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory) See www.osha-slc.gov/dts/otpca/nrtl/index.html for more detail on OSHA safety testing labs. Orton's vents have earned the right to bear the ETL mark in the US, CETL in Canada. Additionally, Orton downdraft vents bear the CE mark for sale into the European Market.