What parts commonly fail on a kiln / how fast do parts typically fail on a kiln?
Good question. All parts will eventually fail, the real question is “when”. Elements: Elements produce heat by resisting the flow of electricity. The heat generated by the element must be dispersed (radiated) away from the element and element life is directly affected by how well that heat is dispersed. When operating, the typical element will be operating at 2500°F. The peak temperature within the kiln may range from 1400 to 2350°F. If you notice, at the highest peak temperature within the kiln there is little difference between the element temperature and the temperature within the kiln, thus an element operating at this elevated temperature will generally have the shortest life. As a general rule glass artists seldom consume an element, and ceramists firing to 2000°F will have significantly better element life than a potter firing to 2350°F. Why can’t we give you a number of firings before element failure? Because there are other factors, such as the mass fired in the kiln, presence
