Choosing a sauna stove with a separate sink and steam room

And so, important criteria when choosing a stove for a bath:

Furnace power.

The most important thing you need to consider when choosing a stove for a sauna is that the power should be optimal. You can buy a stove made of steel, cast iron, wood, gas, electric, cheap or expensive, any criterion can apply, except for one thing - it must correspond in power to your steam room. The issue of heater power can be neglected only in one case: if you have built a hammam, where there is no sauna stove in the usual sense. Incorrectly chosen power will lead to unpleasant consequences, which we will consider further.

Excess power.

It happens that people want their steam room to warm up faster. In this case, they purchase a stove with a large power reserve; yes, the steam room will warm up faster in this case, but this is only at the beginning. Then the oven will work at the minimum of its capabilities. This is a welcome sign that your steam room will be filled with hot air, but the stones will remain cold, on which it is useless to pour water - there will be no steam from them, and if there is, it will be in clouds and white, like when a kettle is boiling, and not that light and transparent as you expected.

Lack of power.

A completely different extreme is to purchase a stove with minimal power just to save money. Of course, the stove will be able to heat the steam room to the required temperature. But it will have to work to the limit, in this mode the stove will not serve you for long and will entail replacing the stove, spending time and money on dismantling and installation. Ultimately, running your oven to its limits is simply not safe.

Calculation of the optimal power of a sauna stove.

Now the next question: what is the optimal power? All manufacturers indicate for each model not only the power in kilowatts, but also the recommended steam room volume. To make the calculations easier, we will not delve into the details, and we will take the cubic capacity of the steam room as a basis. It's much easier to count this way.

Determining the cubic capacity of the steam room

If you built your bathhouse according to a project, then you will not have problems determining its volume - it is in the project. If there is no project, then you will have to work with a tape measure. We measure the steam room, write down the results, multiply them together and you get the volume of your steam room. It would seem that the volume has been obtained, and you need to select a sauna stove for it, but no, there are a number of nuances that need to be taken into account. If you have uninsulated areas in your steam room, for example, brickwork, stone cladding, windows... then you need to calculate the area of ​​these areas. Then multiply by 1.2 and add to the cubic capacity obtained earlier. If you have a glass door installed in your steam room, then add another 1.5 m3 to the resulting volume. If your steam room is made without interior decoration, then multiply the volume by 1.5.

Example: let's say we have a steam room with dimensions of 2.5x2x1.5 meters. Then, under ideal conditions, its volume will be: 2.5 * 2 * 1.5, which is equal to 7.5 m3. If a glass door is installed in the steam room, then add another 1.5 m3 to the resulting volume and get 16.5 m3. If there is no finishing in the steam room, we multiply the resulting volume by 1.5, resulting in 22.5 m3 - the cubic capacity of the steam room without finishing, therefore, you need to select the stove for this volume. If you do not want to do the calculations yourself, then you can always contact our specialists.

Now you know the volume for which the sauna stove you need should be designed. And don't forget about the stones. To fully utilize the heater’s thermal power, you should load it with as many stones as the manufacturer recommends. This parameter is also indicated for each model.

Furnace material.

It is no secret that the quality of the stove material is an indicator of how long the stove will serve you. Nowadays, the leading positions on the market are occupied by stoves made of steel and cast iron. But which material is better? Steel or cast iron? Let's figure it out.

No. 1. Criteria for choosing a stove for a bath

The issues of choosing a reliable and durable stove must be addressed before the construction of the bathhouse begins, at the design stage . This approach will allow you to calculate in advance the main parameters of the equipment, organize the necessary foundation, and provide options for installing the furnace. In this case, the main criteria for selection are:

• type and design of the stove, type of fuel used;
• power and performance, compliance of the specified parameters with the size of the steam room and bathhouse as a whole. Insufficient power leads to wear and tear on the equipment. Too high a performance means rapid heating of the room with insufficient temperature of the stones, which leads to an imbalance in the adoption of health procedures;
• operating principle of the furnace. Classic models require constant maintenance. Long-burning stoves can provide heat for 4-6 hours without requiring your intervention;
• availability of a water tank;
• presence of convection function;
• steam quality The stoves are equipped with open or closed heaters. In the first case, light, dry steam is created in the steam room, in the second - wet steam.

When choosing a kit, it is advisable to read the operating instructions, pay attention to the safety of the model and its compliance with the requirements of current standards. Reviews from users who have already purchased the selected model will also help with the choice.

How to choose the right one

For many centuries there has been a tradition of taking a steam bath in a Russian bath. It has not lost its popularity in our time. Many owners of houses and dachas build Russian baths. A properly chosen stove can be considered the heart of baths and saunas.

In order not to make a mistake and purchase the best stove, you need to take into account a large number of different factors:

• material of manufacture,
• power,
• design and other features.

To make the right choice, you need to carefully understand the design features of sauna stoves, and also take into account the cost of a specific model.

There is often a temptation to buy a cheap stove from an unknown manufacturer, which at first glance made a good impression. This is a very risky purchase. In this case, it is easy to purchase low-quality equipment.

Stove with artistic cladding Source strport.ru

When choosing, it is important not only to proceed from the quality of the purchased equipment, but also to be based on the reputation of the manufacturer. A high-quality, correctly chosen stove will allow you to enjoy a Russian bath for many years.

You must choose based on the following equipment features:

1. The fuel on which it runs.
2. Design features.
3. Device power.
4. How to handle the stove.
5. Is there a tank for heating water?
6. Presence of convection function.
7. The device of the heater.

It is advisable to read the instructions included with the sale and read the reviews of those who bought this model.

Wood, gas or electricity can be used as fuel. The best stove for a sauna is the one that is selected in accordance with safety standards and that meets all the requirements for power, material, and weight.

No. 2. Sauna stove material

If in ancient times stoves were made only of brick , today they have an alternative - steel and cast iron products . As you might have guessed, they all have their own strengths and weaknesses, but they also have some things in common. The higher quality material was used, and the thicker the walls of the stove, the longer it will last.

Brick oven

Brick kilns are becoming less and less popular today. There are several reasons. The main thing is that it is difficult to find a specialist who would competently lay out such a stove . And in Rus', the ability to install a sauna stove was considered an art, all the nuances were kept secret, but now it is almost impossible to find a decent stove maker.

Advantages:

• retains heat for a long time;
• warms up a large area;
• good fire safety;
• authenticity. If you want to take a steam bath in a real Russian bathhouse, then build a brick oven.

Flaws:

• the complexity of construction, sometimes it is impossible to find a specialist;
• heaviness. The average stove weighs about 1200 kg, which means that a reliable foundation must be prepared for it;
• high cost due to the need to pay for the work of a professional and create a foundation;
• dimensions. The brick oven will take up a significant part of the steam room;
• It takes a long time and is difficult to melt, but also retains heat for a long time.

Also, experienced bathhouse attendants note that to get steam, you need to splash water on the stove, and the smell of wet brick is not very pleasant. A brick stove, of course, looks gorgeous, but you can cheat and lay a brick screen around a steel product .

Steel furnaces

They are considered the best option. The stoves are made of chrome steel; people call them “clean air” because they do not burn oxygen. The stoves are sold ready-made; they do not require any special secret knowledge for successful installation.

Advantages:

• ease of installation;
• light weight, so a separate foundation is not required;
• compactness;
• ease of kindling;
• quick heating of the room.

Flaws:

• rapid cooling of the room;
• to maintain the optimal temperature in the steam room, you will need to constantly heat the stove, since metal has a low heat capacity;
• the fire will have to be maintained constantly;
• the power to warm up a large area may not be enough;
• low level of fire safety.

Cast iron stoves

In terms of popularity, cast iron stoves are only slightly ahead of brick stoves. Almost no one uses them anymore either. There are a lot of reasons, but such units also have a lot of advantages, so think about it before choosing.

Advantages:

• high heat capacity and heat transfer;
• durability up to 40 years;
• ease of kindling;
• safety.

Flaws:

• heavy weight, so you will have to build a foundation;
• high price;
• Cast iron is a brittle material that can crack or split during transportation or significant mechanical stress.

It is worth mentioning the so-called potbelly stoves , primitive structures with a pipe and a door. Of course, such equipment can be used, but it is still a relic of the past, which is inferior in functionality and safety to modern analogues.

The best manufacturers of sauna stoves

In our country there are a number of companies that specialize in the manufacture of metal heating devices and have achieved some success in this matter. The list of the best manufacturers of wood-burning sauna stoves includes the following enterprises:

• "Teplodar". The company uses original metalworking technologies that provide products with high reliability and durability. The use of high-quality materials and an effective control system for production processes virtually eliminates the risk of burning out the furnace elements.
• Termofor. The stoves of this manufacturer are distinguished by their exceptional smooth heating of the room and the special softness of the steam. This is achieved due to the fact that the critical elements are given a special shape, providing the necessary density and intensity of heat flows.
• "Vesuvius". The highlight of the products of this brand is the unusual design and original design. The company offers many models designed in a wide variety of styles, from traditional classics to avant-garde high-tech.
• ETNA. Sauna stoves from this manufacturer are distinguished by well-thought-out designs; the developers accurately calculated the thermal load on each of the elements. This made it possible to reduce the wall thickness, which means reducing metal consumption and the price of each product while maintaining strength characteristics.
• “Throw it down.” The company offers an extensive catalog of products in all price categories, from budget to premium. This approach allows the manufacturer to satisfy the needs of all categories of consumers and helps expand the customer base.
• TMF. The company is engaged in mass production of inexpensive, but exceptionally high-quality models without complex design delights and bells and whistles. The brand's products enjoy deserved popularity among consumers.

The following rating of wood-burning sauna stoves for 2021 is based on the principle of increasing their technical and economic indicators. When evaluating products, the advantages and features of each design are taken into account, taking into account practical experience from operation. For objectivity, information for analysis is taken from customer reviews published on open Internet platforms.

No. 3. Sauna stove power

The dimensions of the steam room play a decisive role when choosing the power of the product. In order for the temperature inside the steam room to be optimal for the body, the bath should not be overheated. With too much power, the air will be hot and the stones will be cold. If you choose a model that is insufficient to warm up the steam room, it will take a long time to heat the bathhouse with corresponding energy costs. In this case, the service life of the furnace will be significantly reduced. In general, the furnace should have optimal power and, preferably, a sufficient range of its regulation.

The method for calculating the required power is as follows:

• calculate the volume of the steam room. For example, for a room measuring 3*2 and a ceiling height of 2.3 m, the volume will be 13.8 m3;
• calculate heat loss from cold surfaces (windows, doors). We calculate the area of ​​these surfaces and multiply it by 1.2, since each such square meter absorbs the heat necessary to heat 1.2 m3 of volume. Let's say in a steam room there is a window 0.5 * 0.8 m (area 0.4 m2) and a door 2 * 0.9 m (area 1.8 m2). The total area of ​​cold surfaces is 2.2 m2. It is necessary to increase the calculated volume by 2.2*1.2=2.64 m3;
• We summarize the obtained indicators. Yields 16.44 m3;
• We make allowances for the material of the bathhouse. If the bathhouse is made of logs, without finishing (minimal thermal insulation), then the result is multiplied by 1.6. If the inside of the bathhouse is lined with clapboard and there is a layer of insulation (maximum thermal insulation), then you can take a coefficient of 0.6. Let's say our bathhouse cannot boast of high-quality thermal insulation, then 16.44 * 1.6 = 18 m3, which means we need an 18 kW stove. It is better to take with a margin of 20%.

Power range , i.e. The ratio of minimum and maximum power is ideally 1:10. Such a furnace can operate at both 3 kW and 29 kW. The power in furnaces is regulated in several ways:

• you can regulate the amount of fuel supplied. Convenient for gas stoves, but not wood stoves;
• limiting the amount of incoming air. Option for wood burning stoves;
• release of excess heat into the environment. Literally - open the door and ventilate the steam room.

If the manufacturer has not indicated the power of the furnace, then it can be approximately calculated by multiplying the volume of the firebox by 0.5.

Conclusion

Which sauna stove is best to choose for a Russian sauna? It is impossible to give a definite answer, but it is worth choosing between wood-burning and electric stoves, because... gas is not supplied everywhere. Next, the main criterion for selection is the power of the furnace. We have given the calculation formula above. The remaining parameters depend on your desire and wallet.

Having correctly determined the initial data, selecting a stove for a bath according to the parameters is not difficult. All characteristics are indicated in the product passport. Among manufacturers, the Finns confidently hold the first place, offering, among other things, fairly budget-friendly systems. The presence of a Russian-language website and the design of the case also influence the choice, which is not at all as small as we would like.

No. 4. What fuel does the stove run on?

Wood stoves

Wood-burning stoves are a classic option for a Russian bath. With the help of such models, a special atmosphere of comfort and coziness is created in the room. Wood-burning fireboxes are practical, durable, easy to use, and wood is an affordable and ubiquitous material. If there are problems with gasification and electricity in the region, then firewood is the only option.

pros:

• no additional communications are required, there is no dependence on supply companies;
• Providing fuel for a wood-burning sauna is quite simple. It is possible to purchase the material or prepare it yourself;
• depending on your preferences, you can purchase different types of firewood, differing in composition, productivity, and efficiency of use;
• pleasant aroma of wood;
• wide range of stoves.

Minuses:

• you will have to build a chimney and clean it periodically;
• When fuel burns, ash is formed, which must be regularly removed from the ash pan and chimney;
• using wood to heat a steam room is more difficult and takes longer than using alternative fuels;
• you will have to constantly add firewood.

The result of firing a wood-burning stove largely depends on the quality of the wood and even the skill of the stoker.

Gas ovens

Sauna stoves operating on gas have a large mass and corresponding dimensions, and their connection must be made with the assistance of qualified specialists. Installing such a structure relieves the owner from constantly monitoring the flame level and lining the firewood. Mains or bottled gas can be used.

pros:

• compactness. Unlike wood-burning stoves, gas stoves do without a firebox and ash pan, so they are just right for small steam rooms;
• there is no need to monitor the availability of fuel. True, in the case of bottled gas, one must not forget to fill or change the cylinders;
• the indoor temperature can be controlled by changing the fuel supply intensity;
• no need to clean ash:
• operational heating of the room.

Minuses:

• the need to connect to the gas pipeline, but this is impossible without the involvement of a specialist. If there is no gas in the region, you will have to use cylinders, and this is not entirely convenient;
• The fire hazard of gas furnaces is higher than alternative options.

When purchasing a gas stove, carefully study its technical data sheet. You can only trust trusted and reputable manufacturers and stores - no private traders. It is better not to buy used gas stoves; there is a high risk that they do not work exactly as they should.

Electric ovens

Electric sauna stoves do not have a chimney. The advantage of such models is the absence of carbon monoxide, which eliminates the possibility of poisoning by combustion products. The power of such equipment is selected based on the size of the room, but the energy consumption of electric furnaces is quite high. Today, electric ovens are considered the most popular and are available in a wide range.

pros:

• compactness and light weight;
• fast and uniform heating;
• ease of use, flexible settings, functionality;
• no chimney, so you don’t have to build or clean anything;
• low cost;
• does not require a gas connection;
• fire safety.

Minuses:

• Electric ovens are not suitable for areas with frequent power outages. You can, of course, use a generator, but this is not very convenient;
• cost of operation.

When connecting, make a separate grounding circuit for the oven.

There are also combined types of stoves, for example, gas and wood. Such a product will be bulky, but practically universal.

Criteria for a good sauna stove. FORUMHOUSE expert recommendations

What should a good sauna stove be like? FORUMHOUSE experts help determine the criteria for a good stove that can satisfy the needs of both professional steamers and simply those who like to lie on the shelf.

Svetlana RevinaMarketologist

Ideally, a modern sauna stove should be easy to operate and at the same time provide the sauna with steam in the required quantity and in the best quality, be compact, but at the same time powerful and economical. And most importantly, a modern sauna stove must be universal and provide sauna conditions in a wide range.

Sometimes even members of the same family have different preferences for temperature and humidity conditions in the steam room: one just needs to “warm up”, another likes to steam at low temperatures and high humidity, while the third needs vigorous steam. So, if a stove is capable of creating all these three modes, and also changing them quickly, then this is a good stove.

Requirements for sauna stoves change along with our entire lives. People work more and more, live faster, and have less and less time for rest. Therefore, as Svetlana Revina says, recently stoves that are capable of heating a sauna space in 30-40 minutes, and not in two or three hours, as was the case just a few years ago, have begun to take leading positions.

However, people who are truly passionate about saunas primarily require two things from a sauna stove: that it quickly gains heat and produces “light” steam.

Vadim Kornevmaster

The first quality of a sauna stove is that it quickly gains heat and, if possible, maintains it for as long as possible. The most important thing is that a person comes to the dacha, heats the bathhouse in an hour, an hour and a half, or two, and then calmly steams all evening. What else is important? So that the steam is soft, does not burn, so that nothing blows anywhere... And everyone selects the temperature for themselves.

The advantage of good stoves is that they provide maximum output with minimal investment of time and energy. A minimum of wood, a minimum of effort - and after an hour and a half a person begins to steam.

Based on the type of heating, stoves are divided into electric and fuel, most often wood-burning. Interesting solutions have appeared, such as pellet burners for sauna stoves. There are sauna stoves that are heated with gas (but gas heating is rarely used in individual saunas). Other types of fuel for baths in our latitudes are used extremely rarely.

Yuri KozakHead of direction of LLC "SHIDEL".

Electric stoves have their own advantage: no chimney is required, no direct combustion processes; on the other hand, it is believed that heating a bathhouse with electricity is an energy-intensive solution. It is possible to create the correct temperature on the stones of an electric stove in not a sauna, but a bathhouse mode, but in a domestic environment it is quite difficult.

What else is good about an electric oven: you can install an automation that will start it at the right time from a smartphone, and by the time the owners arrive from the city, it will heat up to the desired temperature.

Yuri Kozak

But when a complete process is needed - there are such cases, I heard about them from bathhouse attendants - two stoves are installed in the steam room. They start the electric one in advance with a smartphone, and then, when they arrive, they heat it with a wood-burning stove.

As Yuri says, this is not a mass solution, but from the point of view of building a bathhouse, it is an additional investment: you need to install two stoves, and accordingly, increase the volume of the steam room. Therefore, this story for a country bathhouse is interesting, but not very common.

Wood-burning stoves are the most popular in our baths. They can be brick, metal, there are stoves made entirely of natural stone, and there are combined ones: a metal firebox with an outer lining of either brick or stone. Metal stoves are now the most common option. Cast iron stoves stand apart in this row.

Many people install steel stoves - they are valued for the quick heating of the fireboxes themselves, the rapid transfer of heat to the entire room, such stoves quickly warm up the casing, shelves... But these same qualities are also associated with the disadvantages of steel stoves - infrared heating is perceived as extreme and is not suitable for everyone. Some people simply cannot stand such a bath.

Sometimes such “unbearable” baths are influenced by a complex of reasons. In addition to harsh heating, there are problems with air exchange in the bathhouse. It is believed that steel stoves burn a certain amount of oxygen and create more intense circulation, which means that while people are in it, it is especially important not to forget to properly supply air for breathing. Ventilation is needed in bathhouses with any stoves, not only with metal stoves, but if you have one, a special FORUMHOUSE section discusses the issues of arranging ventilation in steam rooms with metal stoves

The main advantage of metal stoves is fast heating. Strictly speaking, it was because of this that people began to abandon brick stoves in favor of metal ones. All-brick stoves take the longest to heat up, in which the fuel chamber is made entirely of fire-resistant brick. Such a stove is heated all day long - here it would be appropriate to recall the hero of Shukshin’s story “Alyosha the Beskonvoyny”, who on Saturdays refused to work on the collective farm because he heated the bathhouse all day.

On the other hand, the process of heat transfer from a well-heated brick kiln to the body is softer and occurs in a more uniform manner. Brick stoves take a long time to cool down, do not require constant heating, and do not distract from bath procedures - steaming in such a bath is really very comfortable.

But if your whole family will be steaming for a total of two hours, you need to think about whether it would make sense to spend the whole day heating such a bath?

Vadim Kornev

Why were brick ovens made before? Because there were no others, there simply weren’t.

There are intermediate solutions between metal stoves with fast heating, but infrared heating, and brick stoves with long heating and slow cooling. They allow you to use both effects and choose the optimal process. For example, you can use an internal metal stove, which is lined with heat-intensive material.

This intermediate option is probably the most popular now.

Vadim Kornev

I have probably 25 years of experience as a stove laying specialist, and before that I also helped as a helper. And my recommendation is this: buy a good cast-iron stove in all respects (the thicker the wall, the better) and line it with a gap of half a brick. Make such false walls, with a door, the top can be closed, maybe open, the firebox should be on the side of the dressing room, the stove itself should be in the steam room. Be sure to remove the side pipe so as not to remove it after some time when the stove wears out. All sauna stoves wear out, only some stoves last 2-3 years, while others last 10-20 years.

Why is this being done? Steam, according to Vadim, becomes softer.

Vadim Kornev

The combination of cast iron and brick gives both soft steam and quick heating of the oven - in an hour and a half you can heat a decent-sized steam room to the desired temperature: some like 80 degrees, some like a hundred, some steam at 120. And heat up a brick oven It takes 5-6 hours for it to maintain 120, not everyone has that time.

For cladding a metal stove, either fired bricks or natural stones are used. Unlike bricks, with a smaller volume they can accumulate heat faster and release it longer. When choosing this option, consider the quality of the metal stove.

Vadim Kornev

A stingy person pays twice, a particularly gifted person pays three times. Therefore, I would not recommend saving on anything here. It’s better to buy a normal, good stove made of thick cast iron, and then use it for a long time and smile.

Our clients, for whom we build baths, are sure that they know everything, do not listen to advice, buy such an inexpensive stove, line it with bricks, invest money, and after three years this stove burns out, they have to disassemble and reassemble everything again.

Therefore, it is better to overpay 10-15 thousand rubles once and buy a good, luxurious stove.

Svetlana Revina

A sauna stove must be reliable, that is, it must last as long as the sauna will last.

Historically, bathhouses were heated in a black way; now they are very exotic, which can only be found somewhere at tourist campsites. During heating, the entire bathhouse warmed up, and there was a certain meaning in the fact that the smoke did not go down the chimney, but passed through the entire room: at the same time, all unwanted microorganisms were killed.

Yuri Kozak

Steaming in such a bathhouse is interesting and even comfortable, but you have to be a big fan of bathhouses to organize one for yourself. I haven't even heard of such people. Instead of a black bath, an “intermediate” solution has now been preserved in closed brick ovens with direct heating of stones: where flue gases pass through the stones. Such stoves begin to be used after the fire burns out. Enclosed stones allow the stones to heat up more, especially with direct heat. For home use, indirect heating with covered stones is considered safer. My opinion: for a black fire (even not in the classic version) you need a professional bathhouse attendant.

Svetlana Revina

An undoubted advantage for a sauna stove is the presence of a large heater, and even better, when one stove has an open and closed heater, so that it is possible to heat the stones to produce different types of steam.

If we talk about placing stones on sauna stoves, then recently the so-called grid stoves have become increasingly popular: a grid is installed along the entire contour of the stove and laid with stones. This is an alternative to brick or stone cladding: the harsh heat from the metal does not produce direct infrared heat.

Unclosed linings and mesh stoves remove infrared heating, and stoves with closed linings go even further and already allow you to achieve the “light steam” effect characteristic of a traditional Russian bath.

How is a Russian bathhouse different from others? The sauna has low humidity and high temperature, over 90 degrees. In Turkish baths it’s the other way around: clouds of low-temperature steam hang in the room. A Russian bath is characterized by superheated “light” steam, and for its formation it is necessary for water to fall on the surface with a temperature of about 300 degrees. Such steam does not hang in the steam room like fog, it is almost invisible, it is well perceived when breathing. And many people who always said that they could not stand the bath, having experienced the effects of light steam, became enthusiastic steamers.

With open stones it is difficult to achieve such a “Russian bath” effect, but with closed heaters it is achieved with a smaller volume of stones and a shorter heating time.

In stoves of this design, all the stones are located above the firebox, in a box made of either brick or ready-made stone cladding. They have a cast iron door on top into which water is poured.

Yuri Kozak

They also try to lay the stones in a special way, they make a watering can - a “steam gun” to pour water directly into these stones.

By the way, the choice of stones for a sauna stove is also a very serious thing. Not every stone is suitable for a steam room; for example, the presence of sulfur can lead to poisoning. It’s better not to collect stones yourself, but when buying, look for the presence of hygiene certificates, but buying super expensive stones is not always justified. It is important to understand that “not all minerals are created equal.”

Vadim Kornev

The main thing is that the stones do not fall down or burst, and they must be changed every three years.

A good stove is half the success. The second half is insulation and arrangement of the steam room. If a proper vapor barrier is made, and there is no blowing from the floor, and a drain is provided so that the water that is splashed on the heater goes away, and the right wood is selected for finishing the steam room, then it will be a pleasure to steam.

And with the availability of modern materials, not setting up a steam room properly is simply a sin.

Vadim Kornev

In 1990, there was nothing except rusty nails and some boards. People made from scrap materials, and they made decent baths. Now a person can simply go and buy what he needs. Therefore, everything must be done well right away.

Vadim believes that the only way to save money when building a bathhouse is to search the Internet for information about manufacturers and representatives of trading companies, find where the same thing costs a little less, ask for some discounts... Also: for installation or laying work on a sauna stove, Vadim recommends hiring only good, well-known craftsmen or a company. Someone who will feel responsible for their work - so as not to have to redo it and pay for the same work a second time.

FORUMHOUSE moderator NickB believes that a really good sauna stove should satisfy only four requirements - join the discussion on our portal. We also offer you an article about materials for the interior decoration of a bathhouse and a video about what a real Russian steam room should be like.

No. 5. Firebox location

Depending on the location of the firebox, stoves are:

• with an extended firebox;
• with the classic one.

Stoves that are mounted between the steam room and the dressing room have an elongated firebox The stove can be heated from the dressing room, which has a positive effect on fire safety and convenience. The one who throws firewood will in no way interfere with those who are steaming, and there will be less dirt in the steam room, and the microclimate in it will be better. A conventional firebox is located in the steam room itself.

No. 6. Steam source

Sauna stoves can be conventional or with a steam generator . What is the last one for? And in order to provide the room with a sufficient amount of steam when the stove itself cannot cope. The first sign of a real Russian bath is dry and light steam. Not all modern ovens are capable of producing it in sufficient quantities.

Light steam is obtained at a temperature in the steam room of 850C. In this case, finely dispersed steam is obtained when water hits stones heated to 5000C. With such heating, the air temperature certainly rises, to incredible limits, and as a result, you can get a burn. To prevent this from happening, they created ovens with a steam generator . It warms up much faster than the stones and saturates the steam room with the necessary steam, while the air temperature in it remains optimal.

Useful tips

When choosing the best stove for a Russian wood-burning bath, you should listen to the recommendations of experts. The most frequently asked questions are:

1. Which heating device is better: steel or cast iron?

   The first heats up faster, the second is capable of providing light steam. Prices for cast iron stoves are noticeably higher.

2. What is the difference between sauna and Russian bath stoves?

   The air in the sauna should be dry, and there should be steam in the bath. Accordingly, ovens for them should have different heating modes.

3. Is it possible to make a sauna stove yourself?

   Theoretically, this is possible if the materials, equipment and appropriate skills are available, but the costs can be significant and significantly exceed the cost of factory products.

A good stove for a Russian bath is a complex structure made of high-quality steel or cast iron. It is impossible to repeat the production process at home, which means the characteristics of such a product will be low.

No. 7. Cold and hot ovens

Depending on how hot the walls are, ovens can be:

• hot , the surface heats up to 1000C, so the steam room quickly becomes warm. Such stoves are great if there is no constant heating in the bathhouse. The downside is the inability to control the temperature in the steam room, to the point that the air can become very hot;
• walls cold ovens they heat up to 45-500C, cold air is taken in through special channels, and it returns in a heated state. The thermal regime is stable, humidity and temperature can be adjusted. It will take a long time for the steam room to warm up, but if you are not in a hurry, you will appreciate all the advantages of these stoves.

No. 8. Heater type

Furnaces can be:

• with open heater. Flue gases heat the walls of the stove and the buried stones. You can start steaming literally immediately, but cooling down occurs quickly. These are safe stoves; soot does not accumulate on the stones; however, more fuel is consumed here than in stoves with a closed heater, but you can stay in the steam room as long as you like.

• with a closed heater. In such furnaces, the stones are heated not by the metal, but directly. To obtain the desired temperature, the oven must be heated for several hours, but then it itself maintains heat for 10-12 hours. Such stoves were previously used in public baths, but now they are rarely used. The efficiency here is much higher, but you won’t be able to steam until the stones are completely warmed up. Soot collects on the stones, and safety is somewhat lower.

No. 9. Technical equipment of the furnace

Pay attention to convection ovens . They provide optimal air exchange in the steam room. Due to the design of the heater and the protective casing, the heating temperature of the air is quickly equalized, and there is a constant movement of cold and hot air masses. Non-convection ovens require more time to create optimal conditions in the steam room.

The stove can be equipped with a tank for heating water . The container can be built-in or remote. The first option is suitable for a steam room designed for 2-3 people and will provide them with a sufficient amount of hot water. The portable tank is installed in bathhouses with high visitation rates.

If there is a need to heat adjacent rooms (dressing room, shower, locker room), then you can take a stove with a heat exchanger . As a rule, a combined heating principle is used. The steam room is heated by convection, and adjacent rooms receive heat through the flow of heated coolant through radiators.

Briefly about the main thing

Choosing the right stove for a sauna is not difficult if you know the power to heat the room. Power calculations are made based on parameters such as the amount of heat loss, thermal insulation coefficient, volume and area of ​​the steam room.

Rating of the most popular and high-quality models of sauna stoves:

• Harvia M3.
• TMF Geyser 2014.
• Hephaestus PB-04.
• Varvara Terma Kamenka.
• Harvia Legend 240 Duo.

The stoves are sold with a water container, have a beautiful finish, and can be used for aromatherapy.

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No. 10. Furnace shape

The shape is the last thing people pay attention to, and then they consider it more from the point of view of dimensions. It is worth noting that classic rectangular ovens are a priority. They are more stable and heat up evenly, which cannot be said about cylindrical models , the upper and lower parts of which are heated differently.