Electric sauna stoves: tips for choosing

Recently, electric stoves for saunas or baths have become very popular. This electric boiler has a wide range of advantages that make it very convenient to use.

Electric furnaces do not occupy a large space and it is not at all necessary to carry out a whole range of installation work, as with a traditional furnace. An electric stove does not require the discharge of a separate chimney, and they also have the function of temperature control, which can always be easily changed depending on personal preferences — just press a couple of buttons.

Another indisputable advantage of electric furnaces for the sauna is the complete absence of soot and burnt waste, which reduces the procedures for cleaning the stove to zero.

Installation of such a device can be done anywhere in the sauna - whether it is the center of the room, the corner or against the wall. For an electric furnace, you do not need to build a special foundation, as for a standard stove. The selected temperature is reached in an extremely short time.

An electric stove does not require constant harvesting of firewood and does not emit any harmful substances, such as carbon monoxide. Moreover, the stove is safe, as the possibility of burning it is unlikely. Such stoves can be placed even in the apartment.

The electric sauna stove is the main body of the stove, a tubular heater and a tank in which the stones are placed. The internal device of this device includes several channels for ventilation, through which heated air flows. The entire unit is controlled by the operation of a separate device, which should not be located in the sauna itself.

It is imperative to move the control box out for safety., as this device must be in a dry room. Quite often, in addition to the control unit, a remote control is attached to the device.

Such a remote control device allows you to adjust the temperature to a comfortable level in the sauna, postpone the start of the unit until the set time, and also allows you to set the device to turn off automatically. Also some devices allow you to adjust the humidity.

When the device is turned on, heating elements start to work, which transfer their heat to the stones. The heater turns off automatically when the desired temperature is reached, and turns off when the stones start to cool. Level of heating is regulated thanks to the thermal relaywhich keeps the temperature at one particular level.

Electric sauna ovens can be divided into several types in different categories. In particular, according to the principle of operation, it is possible to distinguish electric stoves and stoves with a steam generator. Their difference is that the principle of operation of the sauna heater is to heat the sauna air from hot stones, and the stove with a steam generator produces steam in the room. This is a steam electric stove. In such electric furnaces, a function with automatic water supply is often provided.what allows not to check constantly the amount of liquid in the device. Usually such furnaces are made with an evaporator.

Oven thermos has a small size and a nice look. In terms of design, you can find completely different electric stoves, even those that resemble a fireplace and create a unique comfort in the room. In addition to the electric steam generator, a tape construction or a combined construction may be present in the furnace.

Tape heaters have several advantages. Such heaters are very durable and, importantly, economical. The tape heater is able to warm up a much larger volume, unlike a conventional steam generator.

Heating the room with a belt oven is one and a half times better. And to damage the tape heating is almost impossible, as it protects the durable ceramic tape. Combined designs can combine both a steam generator and a tape type of heating.

The advantage of closed enclosures is that they can keep warm for much longer., although the heating of the air is not so soon. These furnaces are heavy and sometimes they need to establish a special foundation.

For open-type furnaces, air is heated quickly, but the ability to retain heat for a long time is reduced.. But these furnaces have a small weight and they do not need to install a separate foundation.

Best of all proven furnace with a body of cast iron. They are better able to retain heat, are very resistant to high temperatures, reliable and have a very long service life.

Induction oven from a metal or cast-iron frame, it is also capable of rapidly heating the entire room, but the metal cools soon enough. By the way, for arrangement of the Finnish bath just use furnaces from metal.

Also popular materials for the production of stoves for a bath is stainless steel and aluminum.

According to their power emit heaters, which have enough power in the 220. As a rule, these are small stoves, suitable for a standard sauna or a mini stove for a single home sauna. A single sauna can even be used in the apartment.But more serious electric furnaces need a capacity of 380 c.

Modern manufacturers offer a wide range of different sizes for stoves. You can select wall and floor heaters. Wall mounted stoves are perfect for a sauna with a small area. Floor stoves can have various forms - cylindrical, square, spherical or angular stoves.

Corner oven is one of the most convenient options, because it helps to save free space of the room. But in order not to damage the walls due to high temperature, it is required to ensure their protection in the form of a metal shield or to shield the furnace from the wall with bricks. For outdoor heaters, a foundation may be required.

There is a list of certain manufacturers who have long demonstrated the high quality of their products on the market. Good performance have furnace Finnish manufacturers.

In particular, the firms producing the best electric sauna furnaces include:

• Sawo - This is a Finnish manufacturer that supplies high-quality stainless steel ovens with a remote control and scented cups for aromatherapy lovers.Despite its compactness, the furnaces of this company are distinguished by a large volume of stones placed in them, good and fast heating, as well as a strong design.

• Harvia. Kamenka from these Finnish producers can be both floor, and hinged. These furnaces are characterized by complete automation of their work.

• Tulikivi - This is a company that offers stoves with a rather sophisticated design. To decorate their furnaces, the manufacturer uses materials such as granite, marble, natural ceramics.

You can also select and domestic analogues of electric furnaces. Production of electric stoves such firms as Ermak, Teplodar, Uralprom are engaged in Russia. The products of these firms also differ in quite good characteristics, while their price is much less than foreign stoves. Although domestic consumers prefer to use more foreign stoves, but nevertheless, reviews about Russian-made stoves are also quite good.

When choosing an electric sauna stove, you should be guided by some criteria that will help you choose the right sauna stove.

One of the main parameters is the volume of the future steam room. For a good sauna, it is important to correctly relate its power and height, width and length of the room. The main thing to remember is that 1 kW of electricity should fall on one cubic meter of space. Also it is necessary to correlate the voltage in the room with the capabilities of the stove. Usually, 220 volts or 380 volts are needed for furnaces.

Another important factor that should be considered when choosing, is the management of the electric furnace. As mentioned above, the furnace can be with a built-in control unit or with a remote control. Although today many manufacturers combine both of these elements.

The subtleties of the heating element are also one of the most basic criteria to which attention must be paid, because the heater is the main component of the entire system in an electric furnace. Furnaces with heating elements are very popular, furnaces that have a strip heater are slightly behind them.. Although heating elements are able to warm the air to impressive temperatures, at the same time, they are quite fragile and do not have a guaranteed long service life. If you buy a furnace with heating elements, then it must be made of stainless materials.

Tape heaters can please the impeccable quality of work, long service life and environmental friendliness. Models in which both heaters are combined combine the best sides of both models.. But the cost of the combined heating of the furnace is still quite high. Also popular is the steam oven system.

When self-assembly electric stove is extremely important to comply with some mandatory requirements:

• First of all, in the future sauna there must be a ground loop. When installing the furnace, you need to connect its cable and the zero terminal of the switchboard.
• Also, the connection of the electric machine must be made through a special device that shuts down the unit in case of a malfunction or short circuit.

• It is imperative that the wires to be used in a hot room be able to withstand high temperatures and high humidity. It is also necessary to observe the gaps and leave a certain distance between the stove and the nearest surfaces.
• If it is possible to meet all these conditions, then you can directly proceed to the self-installation of the stove.
• For each element of the stove features of its connection.

• The remote control panel of the stove must be fixed at the door to the steam room for convenience, or removed from the effects of high temperatures by moving it to a room at a normal room temperature. It is extremely important to have a circuit breaker for the control unit in the switchboard.
• You can use ordinary wires for the remote control cable, since there are no particularly important requirements for them.

For cable when connecting to an electric oven there are some important points. Normal wire is strictly not recommended to connect to such a furnace.. For this there is a special cable that has special rubber insulation and is highly resistant to high temperatures. Also the wire is additionally protected by a metal tube or by its grounding through a metal sleeve.

Cables for sensors of the furnace are always bundled with the furnace, so they do not need to be selected separately. The instructions for the electric furnace detail signs of the installation points of the sensors, depending on each model.

Installation of the design of the furnace itself also requires certain steps. To get started is to check the presence of all necessary components of the stove.

Of course, each model may have its own list of such elements, but, as a rule, these are the following parts:

• electric furnace frame;
• stones;
• mounting plate, screws;
• supports and plates for fasteners.

It is necessary to carefully inspect the furnace for any damage and the absence of any of the elements. It is also worthwhile to correlate the capacity of the furnace and the area of ​​the room.

Further, it is recommended to further strengthen the walls at the place of installation of the furnace. Usually there are mounting holes on the back panel. In these holes it is necessary to place the existing fasteners so that their fixing part is directed upwards.

Then you need to install the mounting bar. It is better to pre-mark on the wall the exact place of its fasteners.. Then the strap is attached to the body of the stove, and then the whole unit can be mounted to the wall surface. Here need to use self-tapping screws, designed to work on metal.

After the electric stove is fixed against the wall, it is worth making sure that it is standing exactly. In case of any distortions, it is not necessary to remove the furnace again. Most electric stoves have adjustable legs that can be adjusted so that the stove is level.

Next is to proceed with the placement of the junction box. Whenever possible the best option would be to place the distribution box outside the sauna room. But if such an opportunity is not provided, then the box is installed in the steam room. But in this case, it should have good heat-resistant properties. The approximate temperature that it must withstand is + 120-125 degrees. Isolation of the connected wires must also withstand high temperatures.

Then you can install the control panel and room temperature sensors.A cable is used to connect the oven with the remote control.

As mentioned above, there are remote controls and control units on the furnace itself. Therefore, there is no universal installation instructions. Everything will depend on the model of the electric heater and the console, and their installation is carried out in accordance with the attached instructions. When installing the sensor, the optimal distance between it and the ceiling is about 4-5 cm. It is extremely important to prevent deviations when installing the sensor.otherwise it may not work and overheating will occur in the steam room. The sensor is also able to automatically turn off the stove from the network in case of excessive heating of the air.

One of the main factors for the efficient operation of the sauna is the proper installation of good ventilation, which will ensure high-quality air exchange.

When operating an electric oven, it is recommended to completely replace the air in the steam room about six times per hour.. Air exchange can be both natural and forced.

With natural ventilation should be organized intake of air from the street.. For this, two channels are made. One - for the flow of air, and the other - as exhaust.The hood should be under the ceiling, while it should be at the maximum possible distance from the sauna heater. And the channel for air supply should be made at a short distance from the floor.

Forced air exchange is the use of a fan in the sauna room. To do this, in the wall immediately above the stove it is necessary to make a ventilation channel in which the fan is placed. And the exhaust duct is installed at the minimum possible distance from the floor.. The fan must be of such capacity that there is 10 cubic meters of air per person per person in the sauna when the heater is running. A big plus of such ventilation is that the fan distributes the air in the room as evenly as possible.

A very important and crucial point is to connect the stove to the mains. For proper installation, you must strictly follow the individual instructions to the heater.

Next you need to equip elektrokamenku for its subsequent work. First of all, you need to properly place the stones in the stove.

This process is performed in the following steps:

• First you need to remove all the stones from the package and find one of them, which has rounded corners. It must be placed in the heater first. The rest of the soapstone corners have no external differences, so you can put them in any order.
• But when laying stones worth installing fixing plates. Their number may vary depending on the model of the stove. Install the plates so that they can block the stones from each other. This is done in order to leave gaps. It is necessary to lay all the stones so that they completely cover the heating elements.

• After laying the stones, you need to fix the support plates above them in order to fix the stones in one position.
• Then the top soapstone is placed in the stove, which also has rounded corners.

Before putting the sauna stove in constant operation, it must be heated when first turned on according to certain rules. It is necessary to set the heating temperature to +50 degrees. An hour later, the unit must be turned off and wait until the stones are completely cooled.

After these actions, you should turn on the heater again, but set the heating temperature already up to +80 degrees. Sauna need to warm up at this temperature for about an hour, and then turn off the stove. Then you can use the device all the time.

It is important to remember that it is not recommended to water the stones in the first stages of heating. This can damage their integrity.

In order to continue to work the stove without failures, it is necessary to follow some mandatory rules for its operation and safety precautions:

• water stones in the stove need to be very careful, since the release of a large amount of steam can leave serious burns on the skin;
• a working oven should not be closed or any objects in the immediate vicinity of it;
• It is important to ensure good air circulation in the sauna and in no case completely close the air exchange channels;
• It is not recommended to visit the sauna while intoxicated or in poor state of health;
• pregnant women are not recommended to go to the sauna;

• children should not be left in the sauna without adult supervision; children under 6 years old should not visit the sauna without a doctor's permission;
• You should not expose a very high temperature, as this can harm health;
• in no case can not visit the sauna in case of malfunctions with the stove;
• Do not use seawater when watering stones. Due to the large amount of salt, metal elements in the heater may start to rust;
• in no case can not close the temperature sensor in the room.

To maintain the necessary hygiene in the sauna room, after each visit to it, it must be cleaned up and dried thoroughly. For drying, it is worth fully opening the ventilation channels.

Periodically you need to inspect the stones in the heater for damage and cracks.. This should be done at least once a year. If some elements are damaged, their further use is not recommended and the stones must be replaced.

Do not clean the oven with abrasives.. It is best to use regular soft cloth to wipe the oven.

To test electrical appliances, it is better to use the help of qualified professionals.

With some defects in the furnace can sometimes cope on their own.

If suddenly the stove does not heat the sauna, you can try to solve the problem as follows:

• first, turn on the stove;
• then adjust the heating using the control unit;
• you need to make sure that voltage is flowing to the furnace. The cable may have been damaged somewhere and should be replaced;
• also need to check temperature sensors. Maybe they are malfunctioning and turn off the oven automatically;
• and most importantly - you need to check the fuses.

The second quite frequent malfunction, which can also be dealt with on its own, is insufficient heating of the sauna. It is important to remember that under normal conditions, the air in the steam room should be fully heated in one hour.

If this does not happen, you can do the following:

• increase the heating temperature;
• check the stones for damage, their correct laying and a sufficient amount.The main thing at the disposal of stones is to leave gaps between them, otherwise hot air will not flow to them;

• possibly incorrectly correlated stove power and steam room area;
• check the ventilation - perhaps the air flow is too large and the room immediately cools down;
• it is necessary to check whether the heating system itself is ok. If the heating elements begin to turn red during operation, then this is one of the above reasons, if not, then the heating system itself must be replaced.

In case of other serious malfunctions of the sauna heater, you should seek help from a specialist.

An electric stove is an excellent substitute for standard stoves that require firewood. The stove is able to warm up the room well and deliver much less hassle for its maintenance and operation. An electric stove can be a very original and creative design solution that can set a certain atmosphere for a room and become a major part of the entire sauna. With proper care, the electric furnace can last for many years. The choice of such an electric stove is guaranteed to make the sauna a comfortable place to relax at home.

How to choose an electric oven, see the following video.