Modern Russian baths no longer correspond to the traditional steam rooms that our grandfathers and great-grandfathers used. This applies to both the interior decoration and the number of rooms in the building, as well as fuel. In modern realities, a gas stove for a bath is considered the ideal solution.
Bathhouse owners are ready to sacrifice the unique smell emitted when wood burns and replace the traditional stove with gas boilers. This is due to the fact that a gas bath, namely its operation, is much cheaper. In addition, the gas burner for the bath is easy to operate.
People who decide to install modern gas burners for sauna stoves in a steam room should know about the types of such heating devices, the features of their use and installation rules.
An attempt to operate a gas stove for a bath without such knowledge can end disastrously both for the building itself and for its owner.
Advantages and disadvantages of gas stoves for baths
Gas equipment installed in steam rooms has many undeniable advantages. These are compact units. They take up little space and are able to create the optimal temperature for a bath. Its parameters can be adjusted automatically.
Other advantages of gas furnaces include:
- ease of operation;
- safety.
When installing such units in bathhouses, you can avoid the dirt that is formed when heating with wood; there is no need to arrange a place to store fuel. There is no ash in gas furnaces.
Gas heating costs are significantly lower than wood and electric heating. Burning gas produces less soot in chimneys, making them easier to clean.
Despite all the advantages, gas sauna stoves have their disadvantages:
- special permission is required for installation of equipment;
- equipment must be certified.
Gas equipment requires strict adherence to its operating conditions. Maintenance of equipment is carried out at least 2 times a year.
Gas-wood boiler
For those who cannot imagine visiting a steam room without the unique smell of burning wood and want to save on the operation of the bathhouse, a gas-wood stove may be the ideal solution.
Such a heating device is a modern universal design that allows the use of various types of fuel: natural and liquefied gas, coal and wood. This is possible due to the fact that such stoves have removable elements necessary for working on solid fuel and gas.
Devices designed for gas combustion consist of burners, filters and various valves. At the same time, to operate a solid fuel stove you need a fuel receiver. Such heating devices are not new on the modern market. They were used back in Soviet times. A striking example of this is the OGV (heating gas water heating) boiler.
The equipment necessary for gas combustion is installed in the ash pan of the furnace. If it is dismantled, the boiler will function properly using solid fuel.
Gas-wood stoves are very popular not only due to their versatility. Their cost is at an acceptable level, which is an important factor for bathhouse owners.
How to obtain permission to install equipment
Before starting the construction of a gas-heated bathhouse, it is necessary to check with the relevant services about the possibility of connecting the facility to the gas network. It is made on the basis of an application. Gas services, based on the power of the equipment planned for installation in the baths, calculate the maximum gas consumption m.cub./hour.
Based on this calculation and safety requirements, they develop technical conditions for connecting gas to the facility and issue its passport. After obtaining permission to connect gas, work is carried out by specialized organizations. At the same time, the bathhouse room to which gas is supplied must comply with the requirements of SNiP 2.04.08-87.
Requirements
To talk about the pros and cons of a heating system, you must first determine what requirements it must satisfy.
And this:
- Safety.
- Economical.
- Ease of use.
- Warm-up speed.
Knowing the requirements listed above, you can see how gas sauna stoves meet these points.
The best gas stoves for saunas
In trade you can find units of various types of construction, differing in technical characteristics, cost and design. Each model has its own advantages and disadvantages.
"Kutkin G-4.0"
Country of origin: Russia.
The model is designed for heating large baths up to 70 sq.m. It can be installed in steam rooms with an area of 20-35 sq.m. The stove is suitable for installation in a Finnish sauna, Russian bath and Turkish hammam. The factory settings of gas burners are made for main gas, but can be reconfigured for liquefied blue fuel. The material of manufacture is heat-resistant steel AISI 430. The thickness of the furnace walls is 4 mm.
Specifications:
- weight – 85 kg;
- gas consumption – 4 cubic meters/hour;
- overall dimensions – 60x520x900 mm.
Advantages:
- several temperature modes;
- durability;
- adjustable convection;
- pleasant dry steam;
- attractive design;
- closed heater;
- attractive design solution.
Flaws:
- no steam gun;
- narrow range of temperature adjustments;
- There is no protection against overheating of the oven.
"Troika No. 06-GT"
Country of origin: Russia. The model needs to be covered with bricks. The stove is designed for heating steam rooms with an area of up to 80 sq.m. The unit has a reliable automatic control system.
It has 4 degrees of protection. The body of the unit is made of boiler metal, 10 mm thick. In the furnace firebox it is increased to 20 mm. Reinforced ribs provide additional strength to the structure.
Specifications:
- weight – 450 kg;
- overall dimensions – 1600x500x800 mm.
Advantages:
- increased strength;
- durability;
- pleasant dry steam;
- closed heater.
Flaws:
- high price;
- the need for brick lining;
- mandatory foundation installation;
- large weight and dimensions.
Vesuvius Skif Forging 18
Country of origin: Russia. The model is made of steel and equipped with a cast-iron firebox door and grate. The stove can operate on wood and gas. The heater holds 130 kg of stones.
Designed for steam rooms with an area of up to 20 sq.m. The heating surface of the structure is covered with a casing, which acts as a convector.
Specifications:
- weight – 90 kg;
- Dimensions – 575x640x755 mm.
Advantages:
- strength and durability;
- interesting design;
- possibility of installing the firebox in a room separate from the steam room.
Flaws:
- The equipment package does not include a gas burner;
- There is no tray for stones.
"Ermak Uralochka-20"
Country of origin: Russia. The body of the model is made of heat-resistant steel. The stove can operate on wood and low pressure natural gas.
Gas equipment maintains the temperature in the steam room in the range of 70-120°C. The stove is designed to heat a steam room with an area of up to 20 square meters. m. The design has an open heater.
The gas burner is equipped with piezo ignition and a safety system that automatically shuts off the supply of blue fuel when the fire goes out.
When burning a stove with wood, the gas burner is removed and a glass door is installed instead. The design of the unit’s heat exchanger ensures uniform heat supply.
Specifications:
- weight – 70 kg;
- dimensions – 500x755x700 mm.
Advantages:
- the ability to use two types of fuel to heat the bath;
- large capacity of hanging tanks;
- increased security;
- strength and durability.
Flaws:
- if used incorrectly, the combustion chamber burns out;
- The equipment package does not include a gas burner.
"Koster-Potok 18"
Country of origin: Russia. The model can run on wood and gas. The design differs from other similar stoves in that it has a high smoke collector. Made of steel.
The flame divider is located in the upper part of the combustion chamber. The heater has a closed design. Combustion control processes are automated. The stove is designed to heat a steam room with an area of up to 20 square meters. m.
Specifications:
- weight – 61 kg;
- overall dimensions – 500x354x527 mm.
Advantages:
- strength and durability;
- ease of installation;
- increased security.
Flaws:
- open ash pit;
- high fuel consumption.
Do-it-yourself installation
Of course, you can install the stove or even create it yourself, with your own hands. This will save you some money. But there is a danger of making some kind of mistake, which could lead to equipment breakdown or even a gas explosion.
Installation of the device must be carried out strictly in compliance with all safety rules, and this requires certain knowledge and skills. Therefore, the best option in this case would be to carry out all work on installing a gas furnace by specialists.
Building a bathhouse is the dream of many people nowadays. However, recently, foreign technologies have been increasingly used in construction: compared to original Russian buildings, baths have now changed in appearance and have completely different characteristics. The classic sauna heater, which requires a foundation and occupies a considerable area, remains a thing of the past. Modern people prefer innovative equipment that allows them not to think about the operation of certain devices. Currently, the leading position in the market is occupied by metal gas stoves, used as equipment for Finnish saunas, Russian steam rooms and even Turkish hammams.
What to consider when choosing gas stoves for a sauna
When purchasing a unit, the main attention should be paid to its power. It should be sufficient to maintain the required temperature in the bath.
Expert opinion
Sumskikh Stas Viktorovich
Bath attendant with 10 years of experience
For heating 1 cu. m. of room requires approximately 1 kW of furnace power.
This standard applies only to those steam rooms that have good thermal insulation. If they have windows, it is necessary to increase the calculated value by 0.3 kW for each opening. When choosing the power of the stove, the internal lining of the walls of the steam room is also taken into account. For every sq. m of tiled or ceramic tiles on the walls, another 1.2 kW is added to the calculated power, and 1.5 kW must be added for non-insulated doors.
What to consider when choosing gas stoves for a sauna
Kits of one model of sauna stove may contain gas burners of different power, different from those declared by the manufacturer. Therefore, when purchasing gas equipment, it is necessary to check its actual power.
An important criterion for choosing a stove for a sauna is its size. The dimensions of the unit must be commensurate with the total area of the room.
It is better to purchase gas sauna stoves with an external fuel channel. Such equipment allows you to make maximum use of the steam room space for its intended purpose. Important factors in choosing a model are its cost and efficiency.
These values must be in an optimal ratio. All stove models are adapted for a specific type of fuel. Some of them can only run on natural gas. It will not be possible to connect cylinder equipment to such units.
All gas equipment must be certified and equipped with appropriate documentation. It will be required to connect gas equipment to the network. There is no need to buy stoves without technical data sheets and manufacturer certificates. Before paying for the goods, you must check the equipment for external damage and completeness, and also fill out the warranty card.
Main advantages
Gas sauna stoves have several advantages that set them apart and influence the growth of their popularity. Perhaps their main positive quality is efficiency. This is explained by the fact that gas today is not only an accessible type of fuel, but also the cheapest. You can save a lot on the maintenance of a gasified bathhouse, compared, for example, with those where electric or wood-burning models are installed.
Gas-powered equipment is quite simple to operate and does not require special attention. There is little ash and soot in such devices, the firebox and chimney practically do not become clogged, and they do not need to be cleaned very often.
Adviсe
- Mikhail (gas service inspector)
Owners of bathhouses who want to install gas stoves to heat them must take into account that such a building must have a solid foundation. The volume of the room for installing the unit cannot be less than 8 cubic meters. m. There must be a passage space next to the stove that is at least 1 m wide. The windows of the bathhouse must open outward and have handles on both sides.
- Vitaly (master gas equipment adjuster)
Small baths with an area of no more than 3x3 m can be equipped with stoves running on bottled gas. Such equipment copes well with the task of heating rooms.
Safety is the main rule
Like any gas-powered device, sauna devices must also be installed taking into account certain precautions. Their compliance must be mandatory.
Basic safety precautions include the following:
- The gap between the heater and the wall is at least 500 mm
- The base on which the stove is installed protrudes 100 mm from the device along the entire perimeter
- The burner hole has dimensions: width – 350-450 mm, and height – 470-550 mm
Conclusions and useful video on the topic
Having collected information on how to properly supply gas to a bathhouse, we found out that the law imposes strict requirements on the design, equipment parameters and installation conditions of the gas pipeline. Independent design and connection is prohibited. Therefore, from the moment the idea is conceived, it is worth getting advice from professionals.
In the video, a representative of one of the gas companies explains how to obtain permission to gasify residential and non-residential premises, lists the main stages and necessary documents:
If your bathhouse is already gasified and you have something to share with other owners of country estates, we invite you to participate in the discussion. In the form below you can ask questions, talk about your experience, and comment on key points. Take the chance to get useful information!
