If you want to quickly build a sauna, and conditions do not allow the use of wood-burning or gas stoves, then the best option is to purchase a ready-made electric heater for saunas. It will save you from problems with fuel, and it can be used in any room.
Electric sauna stove
Calculation of the power of an electric furnace for a sauna
Surely, it is no secret to anyone that electric stoves for saunas and baths are much more convenient in terms of use and care.
However, choosing an electric heater for a bath is also a rather scrupulous matter, requiring a thorough and serious approach to yourself. Electric sauna stoves, as you know, are most often used when it is not possible to install a standard, wood-burning one, or when the owner of the sauna or bathhouse does not express a desire to tinker with fuel, and so on.
We want to tell you about how to choose the right electric heater for a bathhouse, based on the size and other parameters of the room of the bathhouse itself.
Formula for calculating the power of an electric heater for a bath or sauna
So, first of all, you will need to find out the volume of the bathhouse or sauna room itself . To do this, you will need to use the knowledge acquired during your school years. The calculation is made using a simple formula:
Next, we move on to calculating the estimated volume of the bath or sauna. To do this, you first need to find out the area of uninsulated elements of the room. These include uninsulated walls, windows and doors, partitions, and so on. After this, for each uninsulated square meter of area it is necessary to add 1.2 cubic meters. If the walls of your bathhouse are made of unsheathed logs, then the number you get in the end will need to be multiplied by a factor of 1.5.
For 1 cubic meter of the estimated volume of the steam room, a power of 1 kW will be sufficient.
Thus, by completing all three steps, you will be able to most accurately calculate the required power of an electric furnace for a sauna or bathhouse.
Source
Main rules
Over many years of using electric ovens, a standard way of using them has developed:
- The designated corner is carefully insulated with mineral wool and covered with aluminum foil. The waterproofing must be secured with a reflective layer inside, and the joints must be securely taped.
Proper insulation of steam room walls
- Typically, an insulation thickness of 5-10 cm is sufficient. It is believed that every open 1 square meter of a stone wall increases the power consumption of the furnace, which is equivalent to increasing the volume of the room by 1.5-2 m3.
- The top of the walls is finished with clapboard 12-16 mm thick. There should be about 1 cm of free space underneath for ventilation.
- The optimal height of the steam room is 190-210 cm. This will reduce the power of the stove and speed up heating. The distance from the top shelf to the ceiling should be 110-120 cm, since the warmest air is at the top.
How to calculate the power of a sauna stove?
The correct choice of a sauna stove will allow you to create an optimal microclimate in the sauna. The main criterion to be followed when choosing is the power of the furnace.
The thermal power of a furnace is the amount of thermal energy released during the combustion of fuel per unit of time.
Power can be:
Insufficient. If the furnace power is less than necessary to create a comfortable temperature, the steam room will quickly cool down. In this case, you will have to heat the stove at the limits of its capacity, which will lead to excessive fuel consumption and rapid wear of the stove.
Redundant. In this case, the stove will heat the room but produce heavy steam, which is definitely not conducive to relaxation.
Optimal. This is the kind of power you should strive for when choosing a stove for a sauna.
The main task of a sauna stove is to create a comfortable temperature for a specific room. Therefore, the power of the furnace is calculated based on the dimensions and parameters of the steam room. The capacity is calculated based on the volume of the steam room, but additional factors also need to be taken into account.
To heat one cubic meter, 1 kW of thermal power is required. Therefore, the first thing you need to do is multiply the width, length and height of the steam room. As a result, you will get the volume of the steam room with the minimum productivity of the furnace.
For example, the steam room has dimensions of 3 * 4 * 2.5 m. Multiplying, we get 30 cubic meters. In principle, you can use this value, but not everything is so simple; other points need to be taken into account:
Does the steam room have a window? If there is, you need to add 3 kW for each square meter of window area. For example, in your steam room the window size is 40*30 cm. You need to add 0.3m*0.4m*3 kW = 0.36 kW
If the steam room has brick walls, then each square adds 1 kW. This is done because brick has a high heat capacity and therefore requires additional heating.
If you install a glass door, you need to add another 2 cubic meters to the volume of the steam room
If you have good insulation with a vapor barrier, the joints are taped, you don’t need to make any changes. If the insulation is not very good, you can add 20-30% to the already found power.
If the stove is fired from an adjacent room, it is also necessary to increase the required productivity by at least 10%.
This could be quite a big increase. But it is better to reduce the temperature than to fail to heat the steam room to the required temperature. The supply is especially important for periodic baths. In winter, within a week, they freeze through, so power reserves may come in handy. Also, a reserve is needed so as not to heat the stove at maximum power. Thanks to this, the oven will last longer.
Power calculation for saunas
The power of a sauna stove is also calculated by the volume of the steam room, taking into account the degree of insulation, the presence of windows and the material from which the door is made.
The power of an electric furnace is calculated as follows:
Log house without additional insulation - 1.4-1.8 kW per cubic meter
Wall thickness 100-140 mm - 1.5 kW per cubic meter
Wall thickness 200-240 mm -1.75 kW per cubic meter
Frame technology 0.6-0.8 kW per cubic meter
In the presence of constant heating, to calculate the power of an electric furnace, an average of 0.7 kW per cubic meter is taken.
Electric sauna stoves operate at full power only when the temperature rises, then energy consumption decreases.
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With our recommendations, you will not have any difficulties when calculating the power of the furnace. We wish you success and easy steam!
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Cost of heating with electricity in a house
The most expensive expense item in a private home is the cost of heating with electricity, if you have heating with an electric boiler. With the cost of 1 kilowatt per hour around 3 rubles, let’s calculate how much it will cost.
For simplicity, let’s calculate the area of the house as 100 square meters. And then everyone will be able to calculate how much it will cost him to heat his house with a specific area.
While there is no gas and you heat with electricity? Prepare 50-60 thousand rubles for the heating season for a house of 100 sq.m.
For every 10 square meters of a well-insulated house, you will need 1 kilowatt of electric boiler power. For 100 square meters you will need a boiler with a capacity of at least 10 kilowatts.
Electricity consumption for heating with such a boiler power will be 10 kilowatts per hour in cold weather - the boiler will operate continuously. Total 240 kilowatt-hours per day. If you have frosts below -30C for a month, then your electric boiler will consume 7200 kilowatt-hours of electricity. Isn't it weak? More than 7 megawatts per month! Which will cost you more than 20 thousand rubles just to heat your home.
However, in practice, such frosts occur in central Russia and even in the Urals for no more than 1-2 weeks during the winter. Sometimes, in some winters, however, there are prolonged frosty periods, as, for example, in the winter of 2013.
The rest of the time, when winter temperatures fluctuate at -15C -20C, the boiler operates half the time. That is, your approximate cost of heating a house of 100 square meters will be equal to 10 thousand rubles per month.
These are the winter months - December, January and February. In November and March, the boiler will operate only 8 hours a day at full capacity, or gradually consume only a third of the electricity. This means that in November and March your electricity costs for heating your house will be approximately 6-7 thousand rubles.
In October and April, the cost of heating with electricity will be completely insignificant - 2-3 thousand rubles.
To summarize, the total cost of heating a well-insulated house with an area of 100 square meters in central Russia and the Urals will be 50-60 thousand rubles for the entire heating season. And the practice of heating with electricity confirms this.
Of course, if you have gas or heat your house with a solid fuel boiler, then you can omit these calculations.
Electric sauna stove: how to choose?
But it won’t be a matter of choice, you just need to get a sufficient understanding of what a sauna stove is, what types the market offers, and how to take into account the features of an existing steam room when purchasing. We will try to provide comprehensive information on each of the points.
And we’ll start, perhaps, by answering the question about what types of electric stoves there are:
By voltage: 220V or 380 volts
The voltage in a regular household electrical network is 220 volts. Therefore, most buyers are interested in their furnace operating from such a network. This would save them additional hassle and expense.
However, in practice, the voltage consumed is directly dependent on the power of the purchased unit. And the power, in turn, depends on the volume of the heated room . It follows from this that the owner of a large family or family-guest sauna does not have to count on cutting costs - a large stove will need a 380-volt network.
Electric heater SAWO MINI MN-23NB-Z. Photo by SAWO
You can bring 380 volts into a house or apartment - it’s not particularly difficult, you just need to take three instead of one phase. Difficulties arise with permits and with replacing wiring (it must be thicker than usual). Well, don’t forget that you will have to pay more for electricity bills, but this does not depend on the network itself, but on energy consumption.
By the way, you can easily install a three-phase 380 volt network in private homes - not everyone knows, but this issue is resolved at the request of the consumer.
Let's name several models of each subspecies:
Electric sauna heaters 380 volts - EOS 34 A, Harvia Virta HL 90, Tylo SD 20, Helo Seidankivi Seita 1052, Polytech "Christina" with evaporator ENU-18i.
Electric sauna stove Harvia Trendi KIP (220v and 380v)
With and without a steam generator
Another interesting point: do you need a stove with a steam generator in a sauna? After all, a sauna is called a “dry air bath” for a reason - there is little steam in it, the main “ingredient” is dry heat, which makes a person sweat (and convection is responsible for evaporation). How will he sweat if the humidity in the bathhouse increases?
Do you know, for example, why in Japan at 30 degrees the heat is considered unbearable, but in continental Asia even at 50 degrees people continue to calmly go to work? Because high humidity does not allow sweat to evaporate from the surface of the body, and it does not cool it (continental air is much drier than island air). The result is overheating, heart problems and other related ones.
However, sometimes a steam generator is necessary. For example, when we are talking about a heater that can operate in the “sauna” and “Russian bath” modes. Of course, it will be a surrogate, but it will be fast. The heater will almost instantly heat the bath to 60 degrees, and the steam generator will produce (if it can) fine steam.
Steam generators are also different: built-in and separate. Here are some models.
Steam generator Helo HNS 34 T1
Separate:
Built-in : all models with the word Combi in the name.
Electric stove for mini-sauna
A mini-sauna is a very small room (from 1.5 cubic meters), designed for one or two people steaming at the same time. Recently, it has become fashionable to arrange these right in city apartments.
Pleasant things are combined with useful things. A mini-sauna does not consume much electricity, and you can even make it yourself. The main thing is to take good care of thermal insulation.
What kind of stove can be used for a mini-sauna? Of course, also tiny. By the way, sometimes manufacturers put the word Mini or Compact in the name of such products. Here are examples of some models that you will find on the market:
Sawo - Mini and Mini-X series (see photo above). Harvia - Vega Compact, Delta, etc.
Harvia Delta D23 oven. Harvia Photos
By place of production: Finnish electric furnaces and all others
Who is considered the best manufacturer of sauna stoves? Of course, those who understand the intricacies of this bathhouse better than others. And in this regard, the Finns have practically no competitors - this is their national pride, which they are happy to export to the whole world. But exporting is always expensive.
Here are the names of companies that are popular in the market:
According to the material of electric heaters: tape and tubular
Well, of course, the ovens themselves are not belt or tubular. We are talking only about the design of the heating elements, which can be either in the form of tubes or in the form of a ceramic tape. Tubular shells are usually made of metal.
Today, most electric heaters are equipped with tubular elements. The reason may also be a reduction in cost. But this is not the best option for the consumer. They are not as economical as tape ones. The latter also burn less oxygen!
Electric sauna stove, strip. Photo source
Useful video
Also watch a video about choosing electric stoves for a sauna from different points of view:
Cost of electricity in the kitchen
If you don't have gas, you'll have to cook with electricity. Modern electric stoves are highly efficient, but they also consume 5 to 7 kilowatts of electricity per hour at full power.
A modern kitchen, even with a powerful stove, does not consume much electricity.
The approximate cost of cooking with electricity will be from 300 to 500 rubles per month, regardless of the size of your home.
Rating of electric sauna stoves
Well, we looked at a number of models based on various criteria. It would be a good idea to bring the information together to make it easier for the reader to make their choice. Therefore, we decided to invite users to take part in compiling a rating, this time of electric sauna stoves.
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For our part, we have selected a list of the most popular manufacturers, because it is important to know who you can trust, and the parameters of the steam room and the needs of all consumers are different, it is not possible to take them all into account. But with our joint efforts we can easily help beginners with their choice.
Now is the time to move on to practical issues. Let's start with those that are asked by those sauna owners who have already decided to buy an electric heater. They need to know how to choose a stove with the right parameters.
Power calculation
It is easier to calculate the power of an electric stove than a wood stove. The manufacturer indicates the power in kilowatts in the passport. The consumer can only determine the volume of his steam room in order to get his bearings. But! There is a formal volume, and there is an adjusted volume after adding coefficients - for example, for surfaces without thermal insulation, for heating adjacent rooms in winter, etc.
So, tiles, glass, stone - you need to calculate their surface area, multiply by 1.2 and add to the formal volume.
the glass door to the steam room separately - just add an extra one and a half cubes to the existing numbers.
Then it’s simple: for one kilowatt of stove power - one cubic meter of steam room space, if the stove has heating elements , and one and a half cubic meters if there are tape heaters .
Cost of lighting in a private house
If you install energy-saving lamps with an average power of 13-15 watts in all the lamps in your home, which is equivalent to a regular lamp of 75 watts, then your costs for lighting your home will be within very reasonable limits.
In winter, lighting operates for 10 hours a day, and in summer – for 3-5 hours, excluding external lighting. Of course, if external lighting is installed correctly and equipped with light and motion sensors, then external lighting will work no more than internal lighting.
Modern sensors make home and garden lighting efficient and cost-effective.
So, you have a house of 100 sq.m., in which you have approximately 20 lamps with a power of 15 watts. That's only 300 watts per hour. With an average lighting time of 7 hours (both in winter and summer), this is only 2 kilowatts per day or 60 kilowatts per month.
That is, the cost of lighting in a private house of 100 square meters will amount to no more than 200 rubles per month.
The heating system circulation pump, boiler automation, VOC compressors, televisions, satellite receiver, computers, gate drives, washing machine, phone chargers - all these are consumers of electricity in a private home. And they all require kilowatts, although not much. It will cost you approximately 200 to 300 rubles per month to maintain these devices.
Dimensions
The smaller the sauna, the more important the size of the stove becomes. Low-power heaters are usually very modest in size. As an example, we can mention the Harvia Compact stove - its width is 24.5-30 cm, depth 22 cm, height 54 cm. It weighs only 9 kg (without stones). Another model from the same company - Vega Compact - weighs even less: 7 kg and has dimensions: 28x29.5x50.5 cm.
Yes, and one more interesting point : ovens of the same size (within the same line) can have different power. This allows the manufacturer to reduce production costs, and the consumer to choose a standard-sized heater for the volume of the steam room.
Further information will be useful to those who have already purchased a stove and need information on how to properly install and connect it.
Installing an electric stove in a sauna
Of course, an electric heater is not nearly as demanding as a wood-burning (and even more so a brick) stove. It does not need a foundation or a chimney ; many models can be mounted on the wall, and some can even be hung from the ceiling! However, some preparation is still necessary.
Where the heater will stand, it is better to lay out the floor with tiles or otherwise make it non-flammable (put a sheet of metal, for example). A suspended structure does not need this.
You will find the minimum distances to the main surfaces in the stove data sheet . Usually they are small, but they should be observed exactly or upward.
But if practically no questions arise regarding the installation of the furnace itself, then the same cannot be said about its connection.
Gas sauna stoves.
In addition to the fact that the fuel for such a stove is gas, the stove also has a thermostat and a gas fuse. This is how it differs from a wood stove.
Just like with wood stoves, there are pros and cons.
Advantages of gas stoves:
- Compactness. Due to their design, gas stoves do not have a firebox or ash pan, which means that such a stove can easily be installed even in a small steam room.
- Fast warm-up with low gas consumption.
- Maintained temperature. Thanks to the thermostat, you can set a temperature that is comfortable for you and it will be maintained.
But gas stoves also have disadvantages, albeit a few:
- Availability of gasification. Without gas, the oven will not work, so you need either a gas pipeline or a gas cylinder.
- When using a cylinder, you will need to take care of the fire safety of not only the bathhouse and the place where the cylinders are stored.
When buying a gas stove, it is important to follow the rules:
- Be sure to check all documents: technical passport, documents confirming compliance with gas equipment standards. If there are no documents, then only you yourself are responsible for the reliability of the stove.
- Under no circumstances buy gas stoves from private owners; buy them only in large stores that specialize in selling bath equipment.
- Gas stoves have a service life, after which it is dangerous to use the stove.
Connecting an electric stove in a sauna
The fact is that each sauna owner must independently take care of grounding the purchased unit. If you are not particularly versed in electrics, then entrust the connection to professionals , it is worth it.
It was already mentioned above that electric heaters come with different voltages. For those that can be connected to a regular network, nothing needs to be changed in the wiring. But for those with a voltage of 380, you already need to stretch a cable of the appropriate quality and thickness .
So, grounding. It is better to make its circuit separate for the sauna, rather than using the circuit of the distribution panel . It's not that difficult - the Internet is full of information on how to make a ground loop yourself. It is preferable to conduct the core through cable channels.
In addition, we can recommend connecting the stove to the network not directly, but through a device that ensures that the electrical appliance is turned off if a short circuit occurs or the air in the steam room gets too hot. Such a device will not be needed if a differential circuit breaker with a leakage current of 30 mA is installed.
Most models provide a choice of a built-in or remote control panel. In the second case, you will have to take care of connecting the remote control. Typically, owners place it either at the door or in an adjacent room.
Electric furnace sensors allow you to monitor and control the heat. They also require installation, but all its points must be described in detail in the installation instructions for your stove.
A separate question is what wires can be used to connect the electric heater. If the oven is designed for 220 volts, then the wires will be three-wire, if for 380 - five-wire. An important issue is the sheath of such wires. The fact is that vinyl is in no way suitable for your purposes. It is correct to use rubber-insulated wiring that is not afraid of high temperatures.
*** So, we will consider that the short course for the future owner of an electric heater is completed. I wish you health and a pleasant stay in your own sauna!
Features of installing an electric heater
The installation procedure requires the fulfillment of a number of requirements, primarily related to fire safety. All this is regulated by SNiP.
SNiP 41-01-2003. Heating, ventilation and air conditioning. File for download.
In addition, all necessary information must be indicated in the manufacturer's instructions. It is better to entrust the procedure itself to a specialist, since you will have to deal with high voltage, but if you wish, you can familiarize yourself with the basic requirements. According to standards, the stove should be placed in the corner closest to the door. In addition, today mounted models and devices are produced that can be placed in the center of the steam room (provided that all safety standards are met).
Installation diagram of the HARVIA Vega PRO BC electric floor oven
Electric heater Harvia Cilindro PC70H
Electric oven Harvia Legend PO11
- The area of the floor where the heater will be installed can be covered with fire-resistant material (for example, asbestos cement sheets or tiles).
Fireproof base for the stove
The photo shows a fireproof cladding made of soapstone tiles
A powerful foundation is not required here; a base made of refractory brick or a sheet of metal laid on a heat-insulating base is quite sufficient.
- A small gap should be left between the walls and the walls of the device (it should be indicated in the technical documentation). Typically this gap is 0.5 m.
Electric heater installation diagram
- The device can be placed closer than 50 cm to flammable surfaces, provided that they are protected using a special screen.
Installation of an electric heater
Method of installing an electrical device in a sauna
- There should be an inlet ventilation hole behind the heater (approximately 50-100 mm from the floor). The outlet is located on the opposite wall. Their diameter should be 15-20 cm, the specific figure depends on the power of the heat generator.
An example of a sauna arrangement indicating the position of the ventilation holes
- For safety reasons, the furnace body should be protected with a protective structure. There must be a gap of at least 70 mm between the latter and the device itself (each model has its own indicator).
Safety guards for electric heaters
As for the installation itself, all electric furnaces essentially consist of the same elements connected by cables. The electrical circuit is not complicated: the input terminals of the controller receive electricity from the network, and the output terminals are connected to other cables leading to the heat generator.
Note! If the design provides for a steam generator, then separate wires should be drawn from the control panel to it.
There are certain rules for installing each of the elements.
Furnace body
Inside the housing there are heating elements, as well as their connection points. If the stove is designed to work with stones, then it cannot be turned on without them, as the heaters will simply break. Before laying, the stones should be thoroughly washed (by the way, their sizes are also regulated - usually 6-9 mm). The heating rate of the steam room largely depends on these dimensions.
Laying stones in an electric heater
Remote Control
The operation of the heating device is controlled using the remote control. Sensors report changes in operation. When installing the remote control, please adhere to the following requirements.
Control panel mounting options
- The remote control (if it is not built-in) must be installed in a room at room temperature.
- It is recommended to lay the cables during the construction of the walls.
- The wires from the remote control are pulled to the electrical panel and connected to a separate switch. The rating of the latter must correspond to the power of the heater.
- Cables from sensors cannot be routed in the same wall penetration.
- The presence of an RCD in the circuit is mandatory.
- If the cable is pulled through the wall (to connect the remote control to an adjacent room), then you need to make a hole in the right place and install a tube made of non-flammable material there. The cable is pulled through this tube, after which the hole is sealed with cement (or any other non-flammable material).
HELO® CAVA® – schematic diagrams for connecting the oven and control panel
Electric heater control panel PUEKM-02 Structural electrical diagram
Temperature and humidity sensors
To connect sensors, special heat-resistant cables must be used.
PRKS, heat-resistant cable for sauna
UL3135 cables
Each of the cables must be solid, that is, several sections cannot be connected together for extension. The location of the sensors is indicated in the manufacturer's instructions, but, as a rule, they are mounted above the shelves, above the heater and above the front door.
Grounding
A grounding terminal is provided at the connection point for the electric furnace. It - grounding - must be installed in accordance with GOST.
GOST 12.1.030-81. Electrical safety. File for download.
GOST 12.1.030-81
If this is not possible, you need to ground it, that is, connect the ground wire to the neutral terminal of the distribution panel.
Wire cross-section
An electric oven is a fairly powerful device, which means that the cable used for connection must correspond to the kilowatts consumed, otherwise a short circuit will occur as a result of it burning out. To select the correct cross section, please refer to the table below.
Video - Choosing an electric heater for a bath
Electric sauna heaters
The stove in the sauna is an indispensable attribute of this place of relaxation. The atmosphere in the steam room depends on the quality of this equipment. Electric sauna stoves are now very popular. They are able to create an optimal atmosphere in the steam room, maintaining a stable level of heat and moisture. This effect has been achieved by many manufacturers of this equipment for a long time. In order to study the models in more detail, we will consider the types and requirements for this equipment.
How to achieve the optimal temperature in a sauna?
The air temperature in the sauna is one of the most important factors that must be observed to achieve an optimal and comfortable atmosphere in the steam room. A sauna or bath is usually divided into several zones. This is a direct steam room, shower, changing rooms or relaxation area. The normal temperature for a steam room is considered to be 50-55 degrees. In the shower it is necessary to maintain approximately 40 degrees, and for the relaxation area the normal temperature is 22-25 degrees.
soundproofing blanket on the walls
There are several design measures that must be followed to achieve a comfortable atmosphere in the sauna: (See also: Site map)
Nowadays, it is popular to build baths and saunas on your own plot of land. The sauna has always been an integral attribute of a comfortable holiday, especially since it also perfectly lifts the spirit and energizes health. Many people try to build this relaxation area on their own. You can also build sauna stoves with your own hands. Let's consider what is needed for this?
How to build a sauna stove yourself?
If the structure weighs more than 750 kilograms, then a special foundation is supposed to be built for it. It should be dug to the depth of soil freezing, which is on average half a meter. The foundation supports must be made in the form of columnar piles. To do this, a foundation is constructed, which is a concrete slab. It is the beginning of the construction of a complete structure.
It is important to know: under no circumstances should the foundation of a future building be installed together with the foundation of the building. They shouldn't touch. This is due to the fact that the subsidence of the foundation must be free. The distance between the two bases is filled with sand. (See also: Electric hot water boilers: advantages, disadvantages and types)
After installing the base, a cement screed is poured onto it. It should be poured level and be 20-30 cm below the floor. Waterproofing is laid on the dried surface. One layer of brick is subsequently laid on the roofing material layer, after which the waterproofing layer is repeated, on which the last layer of brick is again placed. A sauna stove with such a foundation will be stable, and thanks to waterproofing it will be possible to avoid the formation of fungus or prevent rotting.
Lightweight structures can be installed without a foundation. For their construction, metal structures are often used, which are lined with brick. The base of the building should be reinforced with boards or piles on which metal sheets are laid.
How to calculate the power of a sauna stove?
The power of the device must be optimal. It should not be too large, as in this case it will be impossible to stay in the sauna. Also, it should not be too weak, as it will be impossible to achieve the desired effect. Power should be calculated taking into account the following indicators:
Electric sauna stoves with sufficient power can heat a room in 3 hours. It is best to purchase a mechanism whose power exceeds the parameter designed for a specific room. To calculate this indicator, you need to know the area of the room, the height of the ceilings, and the thickness of the walls.
Let's give an example of choosing the power of an electric furnace for a sauna. If the thickness of the walls of a wooden sauna is approximately 14 cm, and the area of the room is 8 cubic meters, then a device with a power of 14 kW is required. If there will be more than 5 people in the sauna, then the walls in its room should be as thick and massive as possible. This will help keep you warm for a longer time. If it is assumed that no more than 5 people will visit the sauna, then the thickness of the walls in the room should not be too wide and the power of the electric furnace is 5.5 kW.
The greater the power of the device, the faster the room will heat up. For example, with a power of 50 kW or more, the room will heat up in half an hour. The power can be adjusted independently. The heating regulator can be installed directly away from the source itself. This could be a break room or locker room. The device can be controlled via a remote control.
Features and principle of operation
An electric oven is a device consisting of a housing, a thermal insulation layer and a heating element (usually a heating element) . In some cases, tape heaters may be used. They are much more durable, unlike heating elements, and do not burn oxygen as much.
There are also combined models, but their cost is much more expensive. On the outside of the case you can see special metal plates with channels for air circulation. The body itself is filled with stones. Steel screens, which are placed one after another, act as a thermal insulation layer.
This device operates from an electrical network of 220 Volts..
IMPORTANT! The main condition for safe, normal operation is that the outlet must be installed in a dry place. That is why all models are equipped with a long cable that extends outside the steam room.
The principle of operation of such furnaces is simple: the heating element heats the stones inside the chamber, from which heat emanates . Due to this, such devices received the name “electric heater”.
The stove can be installed either on the floor or mounted into the wall. Many modern models can be mounted in both of these ways.
Most electric furnaces are designed for “dry” steam . If you add too much water to it, this can lead to breakdown of the heating elements. Therefore, many manufacturers equip their stove models with special steam generators, thanks to which you can achieve the “Russian bath” effect.
Advantages of an electric furnace
Electric sauna stoves are environmentally friendly and safe to use. They are made in a compact form and do not interfere with the presence of a large number of people in the sauna. A big plus is the possibility of remote control. This device runs on electricity, which is not always profitable, given the constant rise in prices for this service. It is almost impossible to get burned on an electric base. Its coating consists of a steel material that does not heat up during operation.
Please note: it is better to choose an electric furnace made of stainless steel rather than painted aluminum or zinc, as such structures will last longer. In addition, the material is not capable of releasing any harmful toxic substances when heated.
There is an opinion that electrical appliances cause oxygen in the room to dry out. It is now a proven fact that this opinion is absurd. The only thing that can happen to an electric oven is the heating coil burns out, but it can be easily replaced by ordering it online or buying it in a store.
Tools
The tool kit should consist of:
- tape measure and square;
- Bulgarians;
- welding machine with a set of electrodes with a diameter of 3 mm;
- cutting wheels for metal;
- file;
- hammer, pliers.
You also need to take care in advance about personal protective equipment during welding work:
- protective mask;
- workwear made of dense material;
- closed shoes;
- rubber (dielectric) gloves.
Classification by manufacturer
The Supra stove is made from environmentally friendly natural material. This device uses natural stones, which not only play the role of a decorative element, but also fit perfectly into the overall concept of the sauna. The manufacturer took into account all technological requirements and also improved the design of its products.
The Gorenje stove is an electrical appliance made of cast iron. It can be used both in the bathhouse and in the sauna. The stove perfectly retains heat in the room and has several heating modes. This sauna stove combines the use of modern technologies with traditional methods of steam generation. Such equipment is easy to control by setting the necessary parameters.
Fabrilor fireplace inserts are presented by a French manufacturer that has been on the market since 1970. Fireboxes are made of cast iron, steel or non-ferrous metal. Often, a manufacturer combines these materials to create a product of the highest quality. Such fireboxes can be used without harm to health. This manufacturer also produces products from natural stone.
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Operating rules
A do-it-yourself electric oven must be operated in a room with a reliable ventilation system. The electrical wiring must be in good working order, its energy capabilities allow it to withstand the load from this electrical appliance, eliminating the risk of a short circuit.
In addition, there are a number of rules that must be followed:
- Do not connect the device to the power supply system without sufficient water in the device.
- Before the first fire and periodically during operation, measure the resistance from the network, which should not exceed 3 - 5 ohms.
- To prevent damage to the heating elements due to scale, you need to fill the device with water softened with vinegar or citric acid.
- Once every six months, the stones are moved into the electric furnace and cleaned of dust and cracked elements.
- If in winter the bathhouse is not heated regularly, then after each visit to the bathhouse the water from the stove must be drained, since it can expand when freezing and break the connecting seams of the body.