How Hot is a Cremation Oven: Everything You Need to Know
People are always curious about the cremation process and want to know everything involved. You deserve to have the correct answers to your questions to avoid common misconceptions. Therefore, we’ll focus on one of the frequently asked questions: how hot is a cremation oven?
Here’s everything you need to know:
How Does Cremation Work?
The purpose of cremation is to get rid of the human body by reducing it to ashes. For that to happen, the body is exposed to high temperatures in a cremation chamber or retort. In a simple cremation, there’s no need to put the body in a casket.
The crematorium attendants use a standard corrugated box for holding the body temporarily. A box is necessary to comply with the health and safety codesand show respect to the deceased. After that, they transfer the body to the cremation chamber through a mechanized door. This door stays closed to prevent the loss of heat.
Unlike traditional practices, where people used to set the body on fire, modern cremation uses pre-heated ovens. These ovens use natural gas or propane to provide heat. So, how hot is a cremation oven?
What is the temperature of the cremation oven?
Each crematorium may use different temperatures, depending on the model of its chamber. But the optimum temperature range for most cremation ovens is 1,400 to 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit.
The higher the temperature, the shorter the time it takes to cremate the body. Studies show that complete incineration of the body takes 2 to 3 hours at temperatures between 670 and 810 degrees Celsius (or 1,238 and 1,490 degrees Fahrenheit).
Since the retort operates at such high temperatures, the interior of the chamber has to be fireproof. Crematoriums use fire-resistant bricks to build the cremation chamber. Such bricks have melting points of 2,800 to 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
At the end of cremation, the hair and flesh of the body evaporate, but the bones remain. The retort discharges the fumes from the process through an exhaust system. Finally, the bone fragments are allowed to cool before being crushed into a fine powder. These cremated remains, or what we call ashes, are given to the family in an urn.
Is Cremation Environmental Friendly?
The human body consists of water, carbon, and bones. During cremation, the high temperature turns the hair and the flesh into vapor. Then the system filters it before releasing it into the air. In addition, the crematorium uses boxes made of organic materials to transfer the body to the oven.
They avoid dressing the body in clothes that produce toxic fumes when burned. For these reasons, cremation is considered environmentally friendly.
Besides flame-based cremation, some crematoriums use alkaline hydrolysis, which uses chemicals to decompose the human body. It dissolves the bones in a liquid solution, leaving behind the bones. But this is a new technology, and not many use it currently.
When you compare cremation and a traditional funeral, cremation is considered more environmentally friendly because it doesn’t use natural resources like land and trees.
To Learn More About Cremation Services, Contact Florida Family Cremations
The optimum temperature of a cremation oven is 1,400 to 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit. It takes 2 to 3 hours to incinerate the body at that temperature. The specific time depends on the body size and whether the crematorium uses a casket or a simple box.
If you have more questions about cremation, don’t hesitate to ask us. Florida Family Cremation is dedicated to helping you get the right information about cremation. Call us to learn more about our affordable cremation services in Clearwater, which include direct cremation and veterans’ services.