![]() Smaller saunas in the 4-by-6-foot range don’t require as large of a heat source compared with a 6-by-8-foot sauna or a 12-by-12-foot sauna, and prices will vary based on stove output. Stoves need to heat the sauna to temperatures between 150 and 195 degrees, so the larger your sauna’s size and capacity, the more output you’ll need from your stove. When pricing sauna stoves, the biggest factor in determining cost is the size of the sauna. The radiant heat produced by an infrared heater differs from traditional sauna heaters in that the infrared light heats the body from within as opposed to heating the air. Infrared heaters are another option for saunas. They’re also an excellent choice for outdoor free-standing saunas, but they do require extra planning for connecting electrical wiring. Electric saunas are a good fit for urban areas and can be installed indoors, so you could convert some unused basement space or a storage room into a home sauna. ![]() Most electric sauna stoves require 220-volt wiring and are hard-wired to the electrical box. ![]() While woodstoves are the most traditional type of sauna heater, they do require additional work to prepare the fire before a sauna, and they also require the cleaning out of ash buildup after use.Įlectric sauna stoves produce a similar experience to that of woodstove-fired saunas, but don’t require the starting or feeding of a fire. Woodstoves are also the only option for heating your sauna if you’re building in a remote area without access to electricity. Woodburning saunas are normally found in a free-standing structure that’s not connected to a home, because of the fire risk. Then, water can be poured on the rocks to create steam. The fire in the stove heats rocks placed on top of the stove – usually igneous rocks, which are formed when molten rock solidifies – to attain a temperature between 140 and 200 degrees Fahrenheit. While all saunas share a similar construction form, the different types of saunas are defined by their heat source.Ī woodburning stove is the most traditional type of heat used in a sauna. Sauna HeatersĪccording to the North American Sauna Society, the definition of sauna is “a specific room heated to about 150 to 195 (F) degrees, and where the temperature and humidity of the room can be controlled with sprinkling water on the rocks in the heater/stove.” The traditional Finnish sauna is a dry sauna with relative humidity in the 10 to 60 percent range, compared with a Turkish-style steam bath, which has 100 percent humidity. While you may not have a lake available to plunge into after a hot sauna, you can still experience the soothing, relaxing, and cleansing benefits of a sauna that you’ve built yourself. The sensation – both exhilarating and frightening at the same time – is one that will stay with me for a lifetime. After staying in the sauna for half an hour, we bolted across snow-covered ground and ran into the lake, which was not yet frozen for winter. ![]() Though I had used saunas in health clubs, my first true sauna experience was in a friend’s outdoor free-standing sauna on the shore of a Minnesota lake in December. At one time, the city of Duluth, Minnesota, had 12 public saunas available for a fee, and the Duluth Family Sauna – which is still in operation – has been available to the public since 1921. Taking a “sauna bath” was a tradition Finnish and Scandinavian settlers brought with them from their homelands, with the sauna’s origin going back about 2,000 years. The widespread use of saunas in Minnesota and the Upper Midwest can probably be traced back to the many Finnish immigrants who came to the area in the late 1800s to work in the lumber and mining industries. Health clubs, fitness centers, and even hotels may list saunas in their marketing materials, touting their health and fitness benefits. In Minnesota, where I live, the use of saunas is quite common, and it’s not unusual for people to have a sauna in their backyard or basement. ![]()
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