Orton VentMaster Expansion Kit (2 Kilns, 1 Vent)

To Vent or Not To Vent… what are the options?  

Now we all know that kilns need to have adequate ventilation in their environment, but ceramic and pottery kilns also benefit greatly from interior ventilation systems. Usually referred to as a VentMaster, these internal vent systems give you many benefits in your firings: 

• In the greenware to bisque stage, an internal vent system helps to get the excess moisture out of the kiln more quickly. 
• During the glaze firing, internal vent systems get rid of excess moisture during the first portion of the firing, but also help your glazes to mature properly and develop more intense colors, especially in the red and yellow hues. 
• If you are using glazes that have any toxic elements, this internal venting is essential to keeping your work environment safe. All of the noxious fumes inside the kiln are exhausted outside where they dissipate quickly and are not trapped inside with you! 

Vent systems typically have a vent hole in the floor of the kiln where the vent attaches. The vent then pulls a small amount of air through the body of the kiln via a vacuum effect and then exhausts that air through an exhaust vent hose which you direct away and out of your firing area. This could be done through an exterior wall or through a series of hoses through a window, or out a doorway, or even into another wider, better-ventilated space.  

Paragon and Olympic have the option of supplying a 240v Auxiliary Output Plug (AOP) on their controllers that will allow you to program when to turn your VentMaster on and off during your firing with the 12-key and smart touch controllers.  In order to take advantage of this feature, you should specify the AOP option and the 240v VentMaster.  Otherwise, the 120V VentMaster is simply plugged into a regular household outlet and turned on and off manually.

Want to learn and explore more options for your VentMaster?  Read all about the do's and dont's for ceramic/pottery kilns. Check out our blog post here.