When it comes to choosing a sauna heater, it can be emphasized that it must be fire-resistant, compact and economical. Also, the power of the heater must be sufficient to heat the room. Heater safety is the most important factor when choosing a heater. The construction must be such as to prevent the possibility of burns by accidental contact with the heater. After all procedures, the heater must be able to dry the steam room.
Sauna heaters and their types
There are several types of heaters. Recently, electric and wood-burning heaters are most in demand. If you want to get the maximum pleasure and benefit, then specialists recommend choosing a wood-burning heater. Modern wood-burning heaters are of very good quality, they do not need to be fired for a long time, because they are made of high-quality steel.
You also need to pay attention to how powerful the heater should be. This may also require the help of a specialist. Several main factors must be taken into account: how often the heater will be lit, how the ventilation will be carried out in the steam room, what is the design of the heater and what is the efficiency factor, the area of the sauna itself and the type of wood for burning.
However, there are times when electric heaters are superior to wood-burning heaters. The electric heater does not need to be constantly lit, and there is no need to clean the inside from ash. When living in an apartment building, smoke extraction can be a serious problem that is not easy to solve. In such cases, electric heaters are the best solution. Compactness and light weight are also one of the main advantages compared to a wood-burning heater.
Electric sauna heaters. Electric heaters are more common due to convenience. However, they use electricity, which is not always desired by sauna owners. On the other hand, wood-burning heaters are a traditional solution, some can build them themselves, while electric heaters are a novelty.
Wood-burning heaters. Wood-burning heaters have good ventilation and smoke pipes, heat resistance to very high temperatures and require additional precautions - the heaters cannot be placed too close to flammable surfaces. Heaters are equipped with a stone tank that stores heat. It is important to use only stones intended for heaters.
Gas heaters. There are also gas-fired sauna heaters for both steam rooms and saunas. However, they are not reliable and of guaranteed quality, so understandably, they are not popular at all.
Type of sauna heater according to the material of manufacture
Brick heaters. If we are talking about a Russian sauna, then brick heaters are considered an ideal option. They have been used for saunas for centuries. However, brick heaters have a number of important disadvantages:
• It is difficult to find a good craftsman, and if you do, then the services will be really very expensive.
• A very good heater base must be made, which also adds to the trouble and expense.
• It takes a long time to heat the heater - at least three or four hours. In addition, if you need a lot of time, you will also need a lot of firewood.
• Brick heaters often need to be repaired: cracks often appear, which must be removed in time.
Metal heaters. All metal heaters can be divided into heaters for steam baths and sauna heaters. They have different purposes and designs. What is ideal for a steam room is not always suitable for a sauna. But under certain conditions, heaters for steam baths can also create a dry air bath - a sauna.
Metal heaters are perfect for saunas: they heat the air quickly. For a normal temperature steam room, it can be prepared in about forty minutes. Prepared - it is heated to about 90° C. Metal heaters heat up faster than brick ones. Several criteria should be taken into account when choosing good and suitable sauna metal heaters:
• First, focus on the thickness of the metal of the heater and the quality of the seams: the thicker the walls, the longer it will last.
• Second, choose heaters with a suitable margin. In order for the premises to always be well heated, the heaters must have an energy reservoir. This will avoid extreme operating modes.
Steam sauna heaters have one main difference: they have an internal heater. In it, the stones are heated to 500-650° C. After pouring water on them, we get light, very hot steam. Sauna heaters are equipped with open stones. And their size has almost no effect on the state of the steam. Even stacked large stones are still insufficient: the stones can only be heated up to a temperature of 200-250°C.
Finnish sauna heaters are one of the most popular
One of the most popular are Finnish-made sauna heaters. They are more expensive, but this is justified because more expensive metals with more chromium are used for their production. Due to the increased amount of chromium, Finnish heaters are more durable and resistant to heat.
Although the Finns love the dry sauna the most and for a long time they made heaters specifically for saunas, relatively recently the Finns started to make heaters for steam baths as well. Sauna lovers can only confirm that Finnish heaters are reliable, of excellent quality, but at the same time, each manufacturer has its own peculiarities. Finnish heaters are one of the most reliable, Finnish manufacturers: Kastor, Narvi, Harvia, Helo, etc.
Which heater will be the best for your sauna, you can decide only by yourself or with the help of experts. If it is difficult to choose and decide which option is most suitable, specialists will be happy to help.
