There are three main aspects that you should pay attention to when choosing a sauna heater - quality (longevity), quantity of stones and economy. Of course, the power of the heater must correspond to the size of the sauna room. The quality of the heater depends on the quality and thickness of the metal from which the structure of the heater is made. The thicker the fuel metal, the longer the heater will last. Also, the time of use of the heater depends on how the heater is fired. The Finnish manufacturers Narvi and Harvia are considered economic heaters. Finns have a deep bathing tradition and have been making heater for a long time. Over a number of years, the Finns have perfected the constructions of combustion chambers, which are really different from heaters manufactured in Lithuania or Estonia. Heaters that can hold a larger amount of stones ensure quality steam, so you should pay attention to this when choosing a wood-burning heater. However, the steam itself also depends on the type of heater. More pleasant, drier and non-burning steam is obtained by burning accumulator type heater. The wetter and heavier steam is produced by pouring water over the mesh heater.
The Finnish manufacturer Narvi offers a storage, closed-type heater Steam Master, the fuel of which is laid out with chamotte bricks. Such a heater will last long enough. When lighting the heater, you need to pay attention to the level of metal heating, if the fuel metal heats up to red, then you are lighting it correctly. This way the heater will last a long time. You should not overheat the metal to an orange color, because burning it for a long time can cause the heater to catch fire. And the climate in the sauna will become uncomfortable and dangerous for health. When the oxygen comes into contact with the heated metal, it breaks down into O3, which is unabsorbable, so there is a lack of air in the sauna. Also, strongly heated metal emits infrared rays dangerous to human health.
In the sauna, the temperature of the sauna stones is very important, it should be 3000-3500 degrees C. Pouring water on stones heated to this temperature produces abundant, good, dry Russian sauna steam.
However, not all heaters can heat stones to such a temperature. Stones located between the fuel channels of the heater or stones of a closed type storage heater can heat up to this temperature. In thermos-type heaters, stones heat up very quickly and well and retain heat for a long time. Battery-type heaters usually hold a lot of stones, and when they are heated, even at a relatively low temperature in the sauna, excellent steam is produced. Accumulator-type heaters should be lit with the lid closed. In this way, the sauna room can heat up to about 70 degrees Celsius, and the oxygen does not burn. After the heater is lit, the heater lid is opened and water is poured onto the heated stones. Such heaters are Narvi Steam Master with internal fuel or Narvi Steam Master WT and Narvi Steam Master Royal with external (fired from another room) fuel. The biggest sauna connoisseurs especially appreciate the accumulation-type smoky sauna heaters Aito. These are white smoky sauna heaters of modern construction, where the smoke enters the chimney through stones. The fire passing through the stones placed in a closed container heats them up to red and even white. The stones become perfectly clean and the resulting vapor is constant, particularly light and gentle for a long time. Aito heaters are very economical. When burning, thanks to additional air supply channels, secondary combustion is supported, so the thermal energy of firewood is used to the maximum. Thanks to the closed insulated stone container and the large amount of stones, the heat is preserved very well and lasts for a very long time. Aito's heater produces steam even the next morning after bathing.
Heaters with a grid or heaters loaded with stones from above do not produce such steam. When water is poured on the stones of such a heater, the steam is cold and wet, so when such steam is multiplied in the sauna, the heating becomes unbearable, the steam burns the skin, and it becomes difficult to breathe. Heaters with mesh are suitable for lovers of not hot, but moist saunas. These heaters are distinguished from others by a very large amount of stones. The stones and the sauna room together heat up evenly and relatively quickly. Therefore, the extracted heat is well distributed and does not go to waste. The larger the amount of stones, the longer the required heating time of the sauna room. Heaters loaded with stones from all sides heat up the firewood more than other heaters in which stones are placed only on top of the firewood. This happens because the heat from the metal kindling is transferred to the stones more slowly than to the air, and the kindlings loaded with stones do not cool down as quickly. Therefore, during particularly intensive burning, the fuel of such heaters is exposed to high loads. The best-known heaters with a grid are Harvia Legend 150, 240, 300 with internal fuel and Harvia Legend 240 Duo and 300 Duo with external fuel. These Finnish heaters with grid differ from other manufacturers in that you can reach very high temperatures in the sauna, which other manufacturers do not provide.
Another well-known type of wood-burning heater is the stone-loaded heater, which typically holds 30-60 kilograms of stones. Heaters are very economical, both the room and the stones heat up quickly, because their quantity is not very large. The cost-effectiveness of a particular model depends on the professionalism of welding the fire channels of the heater. Narvi is one of the best Finnish stone-loaded stoves. Each heater model of this manufacturer is different, perfected over many years. Narvi NC series heaters are very attractive, with tube-shaped combustion channels that allow stones to be loaded around from all sides. In this way, the heater stones heat up faster and maintain the temperature. Harvia 20 and 36 Duo heaters are also very popular, the quality of which no one would doubt. The fuel of these heaters is exceptionally convenient, wide and imitating a fireplace.
Therefore, before choosing a wood-burning heater for a sauna, you should know the exact measurements of the room, the type of fuel (external or internal fuel), the desired temperature of the sauna room and the properties of the steam you like. Based on all these data, we will objectively be able to choose and offer only the right sauna heater for you.
