Stove in a bathhouse: install it correctly and safely

In the cold frosty winter, bath procedures are much more relevant than in the summer. This is a great opportunity not only to take a steam bath, but also to relax comfortably in a warm room. To heat a classic Russian bath, a wood-burning heater is chosen; for modern saunas, electric saunas are often used.

In any case, correct installation of the stove in compliance with fire safety standards is important. To do this, you need to select a location in advance, determine the type of furnace, what raw materials it will be heated with, and whether there will be a heat exchanger.

Users often search for:

• Stones for the sauna heater
• How to make shelves in a steam room correctly

How to install a metal sauna stove

Particular attention should be paid to the placement of the stove in the bathhouse; it should completely heat the entire room (and preferably not only the steam room), but at the same time not interfere or pose a danger.
One of the important points that you need to decide on before purchasing a stove is where it will be fired from. There are two options: install the heater completely in the steam room or move the fuel door to an adjacent room. Both options have advantages and disadvantages.

If the stove is located entirely in the steam room, it is easier to control the intensity of combustion, but then in a room that is not usually very large, you also need to find a place for firewood. And one more important point: with this arrangement of the stove, oxygen is actively burned in the room, which is not at all good. It will be necessary to make an effective ventilation system in order to replenish it in a timely manner. When placing a sauna stove entirely in a steam room, you will also need to organize separate heating for the remaining rooms. If in the summer this is not a problem - and without heating it is warm enough to undress and wash, then in the cold season heating in every room must be required.

Sauna stove installed entirely in the steam room

Placing the fuel door in another room significantly reduces the degree of oxygen burning in the steam room. If the furnace body is made of chemically inert materials (stainless steel or brick), then the process becomes completely insignificant.

This option has one more advantage: at least two rooms are heated from one stove: both the steam room and the room where the firebox is located. That is, in this way two important problems are solved at once.

The question remains with the location of the firewood, but it has to be resolved in the washing room or dressing room (where the fuel door of the stove is usually located), and there is much more space there. True, in the washing room you need to come up with everything so that water does not get on the firewood. Problematic, but possible.

Now about the disadvantages: if there is no one to monitor the stove, you have to leave the steam room and adjust the burning intensity. For some this is not a problem, but for others they don’t like it. It is worth noting one more negative point: installing a sauna stove with a remote firebox is more difficult. There should be a large enough hole in the wall into which the remote firebox can be installed. It is then covered with thermal insulation and fire-resistant materials. If this was not provided for when designing the bathhouse, you have to dismantle/cut out part of the wall.

You can install a metal stove so that fuel is added from another room

A remote firebox can be installed not only in an adjacent room. You can take it outside. But this option has more disadvantages than advantages: running outside to add firewood is already completely inconvenient. You will also have to think about heating the dressing room. But sometimes the firebox is taken outside due to the fact that they do not use firewood, but coal. Then coal dust does not rush into the bathhouse, and combustion products and the smell also remain on the street.

A remote firebox can be installed with access to the street

Regardless of where you are going to install the stove, you need to pay attention to which way the firebox door opens: in the open position it should not interfere with adding fuel. Some ovens are designed so that the door can be reversed, but you should pay attention to this before purchasing

In addition, the stove in the bathhouse must be positioned in such a way as to ensure the fire safety of the entire structure. Since most baths are built from wood, it is necessary to comply with the standards for flammable building materials. The stove (and chimney) is installed at a distance of at least 1-1.2 m from flammable (wooden) walls. The distance can be reduced if you protect them with non-flammable materials. Read more about protective screens in the article “Protective screen for a sauna stove. What are they and how to do it yourself.”

Additional wood processing

Fire safety standards require wood to be treated with special impregnations to reduce its flammability. But many people know that impregnations are not particularly useful, especially in a bathhouse, where high temperatures are deliberately planned, at which chemicals will begin to be released into the air and poison a person’s lungs. This is not the result you want to get from visiting a bathhouse.

However, not the entire bathhouse has a high temperature; as a rule, only the steam room. Therefore, in order to avoid fires in other parts of the room from sparks, for example, in the chimney area, experts advise treating the wood with fire retardants at least there.

Important! It will not be possible to treat wood once and forget it for the entire time it is used in the house. You can do a small check: if the wood chips ignite with a match, then it’s time to renew the impregnation

On average, the frequency is once every two years.

Step-by-step instructions for installing a metal stove are as follows:

• Having chosen a place to install the stove, we dismantle the old floor, taking 10 - 15 cm more than the bottom of the stove on each side;
• We dig a hole half a meter deep, compact the bottom and pour a thin layer of sand and crushed stone into it;
• We lay out plastic film to waterproof the slab (double layer);
• We cut out a frame from the road mesh, which is 5 cm smaller in width than the hole, and place it on stands made of pieces of reinforcement resting on the floor, tied to the mesh with wire;
• Fill the hole with concrete. Formwork from boards on top will make the edges smoother and raise the level of the slab. Horizontalness can be checked using a level;
• As soon as the slab hardens, we cover its surface with roofing felt, consisting of two layers, and then 1-2 layers of fireclay bricks so that the base level is equal to the floor level. It happens that the base rises above the floor by 5 - 10 cm;
• After the brick has cooled and hardened, we install the stove according to the design;
• We install an adapter in the wall with welded plates that protect the wall near the chimney;
• We weld the chimney pipe to the adapter;
• On the outside of the bathhouse, we weld another part of the pipe and cover it with a special nozzle to prevent the ingress of precipitation and debris;
• We also install a chimney there;
• We protect the slab from three walls with facing or fire-resistant bricks;
• We line the stove itself with bricks;
• We fill the tank with water, lay the stones;
• Making the first test firebox;
• We control that there are no smoke leaks in places of welding and connections, water leakage from the tank onto the stones or into the firebox, etc.

Calculations

A metal stove, together with a heater, a water tank and a chimney, has a certain weight. Cast iron units are especially massive, as well as stoves lined with brick.

If a foundation is laid under the furnace, and also if there is a reflective brick screen, the load on the beams and floorboards is quite significant. Before installing the stove, you should find out its weight, then calculate the strength of the floors so that the floor does not break under the unit under any circumstances.

Example of a brick-lined oven

Floor beams can be made from solid solid deciduous/coniferous trees, provided their length is up to 5 meters. If it is necessary to use beams over 5 meters in length, it is better to use glued beams that can withstand increased loads.

Beam 10×15 cm, solid

It is important to know the exact length of the beam. This value is taken to be equal to the length of the span that will cover the joist plus the depth of the “nest” or notch made to secure the element

The length of the notches is usually from 70 to 150 mm.

The cross-section of the beams is selected rectangular or square, less often - an I-beam profile (a combination of solid wood and OSB/plywood). The best cross-sectional ratio of a rectangular beam is 1.4 to 1. The beams are made with a width of 40 to 200 mm and a height of 100 to 300 mm. Rounded logs (11-30 cm) are rarely used for arranging the floor in a bathhouse, despite their high resistance to bending deformation.

Wooden I-beams

The pitch between the beams is usually chosen within the range of 30-120 mm, guided by the width of the slab insulation, the location of the support posts of the frame bath, or the dimensions of the subfloor sheets.

Load calculator

Table for determining the minimum permissible cross-section at a step of 1 m

About loads and rigidity

According to the set of building codes numbered 2.01.07-85, any loads are divided into:

• permanent (they are also long-lasting) - from interior partitions and external walls, roofs, soil pressure, etc.;
• variables, i.e. arising from furniture installed in the bathhouse, equipment (including stoves) and visitors, as well as snow, wind loads and some others.

Rigidity is characterized by the ratio of the deflection to the length of the beam (beam). This figure for interfloor beams is 1/350.

The values ​​of the maximum breaking load on the beams are presented in the table.

Table for calculating the breaking load (kgm2) on the floor joists (beams) of a log house

Video - Floor calculations

Accurate calculations of the maximum load on a wooden floor are quite complex; they are performed by specialists when designing large objects. For the floor of the bathhouse on which the stove will be installed, you can use approximate values ​​of the maximum load.

Thus, if the heating device, together with the base plate and other structural elements, weighs no more than 400 kg, then it can be installed on floors with support joists of the following sizes:

• if the step between the logs is 60 cm, then the dimensions for a span length of 2 meters are 75×100 mm, 3 m – 75×200 mm, 4 m – 100×200 mm, 5 m – 150×200 mm; 6 m – 150×225 mm;
• if the step between the logs is 1 m, then the dimensions for a span length of 2 m are 75×150 mm, 3 m – 100×175 mm, 4 m – 175×200 mm, 5 m – 150×225 mm, 6 m – 175×250 mm.

If your stove weighs more, then it is worth reducing the pitch between the logs or increasing their cross-section. For stoves weighing more than 700 kg, a separate base is required, not connected to the main foundation. Installing such structures on a wooden floor is unacceptable. However, only brick sauna stoves with brick chimneys have this weight.

It is recommended to fasten floor boards 50 mm thick on top of the joists. Moreover, humidity levels should not exceed the norm.

Materials

The protective screen serves not only as a barrier from a metal furnace, but also as protection for a nearby wall. If a brick oven is installed, such a device will not be required, because it itself is safe.

You can build a screen from a variety of materials, for example, mineralite, brick or galvanization.

Metal

Most often, the protective device in a sauna or steam room is made of metal or cast iron, but the casing can be made of stainless steel or heat-resistant tiles. This material is different in that it does not absorb heat, but, on the contrary, releases it into the room.

The partition around the stove can be either side or front. In any case, the distance between the nearest wall and the stove should not be less than 10 centimeters. The height of the shield should be slightly larger than the firebox.

Brick

As for the brick partition, it should be made 20 centimeters higher than the heating device. At the very bottom of such a wall, it is necessary to leave small gaps that will ensure the exchange of air between the stove and the protective screen. If necessary, these holes can be covered with doors.

The masonry of such a screen is most often made of fireclay bricks on a mortar made of clay and cement. As for the thickness of the protective structure, it should be made either half a brick or ¼ of it. But if the screen turns out to be too thin, then its level of thermal insulation will decrease significantly. The distance between the wall and the stove should not be less than 15 centimeters. The good thing about a brick screen is that it completely covers all surfaces of the stove and protects all surfaces in the room from fire. In addition, it is worth noting that a brick screen will look very nice in a steam room.

Tree

Wooden barriers are most often used as decorative handrails near the stove. In addition, such a screen will help protect bath attendants from getting burns. It will be better for the heater if the wooden screen is located at a distance of no less than half a meter from it. However, if such a structure darkens or even small stains appear on it, then it will need to be moved even further away from the stove to avoid fire. The height of this barrier depends on whether children will visit the bathhouse. If so, then the screen needs to be made higher so that they cannot get burned.

All the materials described above are perfect as a basis for creating a screen for a stove in a bathhouse. However, today many people prefer fire-resistant mineralite. After all, it has excellent characteristics. First of all, fiber cement board, as mineralite is also called, does not contain radioactive substances at all. In addition, it does not release lime. A protective partition made of such material does not need to be sheathed with anything additional. In addition, you can purchase this material at any hardware store. The only downside is that it doesn't look very nice.

Ventilation

Before installing the stove, it is necessary to create an air ventilation system. There should always be fresh air in the room, which will pass through a duct mounted under the floor. This channel will be the entrance to the ventilation system. Sometimes the stove design can be installed on legs. The ventilation entrance is made under the module. The channel dimensions are standard - 100 square meters. centimeters. Its entrance must be closed with a special grille.

There is a channel under the ceiling through which air masses will leave the room. The cross-section is made according to the size of the input channel - 100 square meters. cm. The pipe is also covered with a grill. To service the channels, special valves are installed in the gratings.

Flaws

1. Since the fuel in this case is wooden firewood, and the metal surface of the equipment is subject to strong heating, operation of the stove is associated with a high risk of ignition of surrounding elements.

Due to these circumstances, quite serious fire safety requirements are put forward for the use of a heating unit, especially when the stove is a privately produced product.

1. To carry out engineering work independently requires special knowledge. In addition, a homemade design is susceptible to all sorts of malfunctions, since such manipulations require the most accurate compliance with all technological standards. It is extremely difficult to achieve such a result in non-production conditions.

Brick laying around the perimeter of the sauna stove

Brick will not only help protect against possible burns, but will also make it possible to retain heat in the bathhouse for a long time. Make half-brick masonry and lay waterproofing on the floor. There is no need to be afraid that the boards underneath will begin to rot - the brick will always be warm, and the floor will have time to dry quickly. How to make masonry?

Cladding a metal stove with bricks

Brick laying around the perimeter of the sauna stove

Prices for fireclay bricks

fireclay brick

Step 1. Make markings on the floor. The distance between the brick and the boiler should be within 2÷3 cm.

Step 2: Place the bottom row of bricks on the mortar. We have already said above that using a clay solution is not always advisable. You can use clay only if the location of the kiln guarantees a minimum amount of water entering the masonry.

Step 2. Make a dressing at the corners, check the position of each row.

Step 3. Constantly check the position of each row of bricks using a level or plumb line.

Step 4: Carefully seal the seams. These works must be done on a solution that has not completely hardened.

Conclusion

One of the main mistakes is installing the stove yourself without referring to the instructions provided by the manufacturer. Even if the stove was purchased without instructions, you can request it through the official website or by contacting the manufacturer using contact information.

It is possible to install a metal stove in a bathhouse with independent efforts. This process will require care and strict adherence to the manufacturer's instructions. It is important to ensure fire safety. Not only the comfort of using bathhouses, but also the lives of their visitors depends on it.

Construction of a frame wall for installing a furnace with a remote firebox

A wise proverb says: “A bathhouse is built around a stove.” Adhering to this rule, arrange a foundation and a protective screen, and then begin to build a frame partition between the steam room and the dressing room.

For the partition, use timber soaked in antiseptic. The length of the beam is according to the height of the room, section 100 x 600 mm. Install two beams vertically, attach them to the floor and ceiling with perforated corners and self-tapping screws. Between the two beams you need to install a horizontal jumper and fix it with the same corners.

The result will be a frame in the shape of the letter H. At the bottom between the beams there will be brickwork and an exposed fuel channel; insulation and sheathing will be located on top.

Frame example

Use basalt wool 100 mm thick.

Thermal insulation basalt wool Paroc (Steam) thickness 100 mm

Install the slabs between the beams. Nail the horizontal battens of the sheathing 20 mm thick to install the lining. Using a construction stapler, secure the foil vapor barrier on both sides of the frame wall. Use clamps or nails to secure the lining, thus sheathing the upper part of the wall on both sides (vertical installation is assumed).

Fastening insulation and lining

There should be a distance of 3-4 cm between the brickwork and the fuel channel. Do not place the brick directly on the steel channel. The same distance must be maintained between the brick and the timber.

Masonry tools

For masonry we will use a solution of sand, fireclay clay and cement:

• soak 2 parts sand and 5 parts clay in water for one day;
• After 24 hours, add 1 part of cement and mix.

Before laying, soak the brick in water. Carry the masonry level and bandaged.

Types of brickwork

Correct dressing

If necessary, cut the brick with a grinder. It is most convenient to do the overlap using steel corners (it is on their shelves that the brick will rest).

Covering the opening

To ensure beautiful seams (and the masonry will be visible on both sides), use a factory plastic jig or steel square rod.

Drawing of a device for bricklaying

Don't forget to unstitch the seams after laying.

Furnace installation diagram. Brick portal. Recommended distances

The wall is being laid. The stove was installed immediately, for ease of work

The photo shows a brick portal and the firebox door of an installed stove. Gaps between brick and wood are visible, not yet filled with insulation.

The photo shows how the brick is laid between the wall of the log house and the stand (a vertical beam that also serves as a door frame)

Brick portal

When the masonry is completed, install pieces of basalt cardboard or mineralite into the specially left gaps. Do not use glass wool or polystyrene foam for these purposes under any circumstances.

The photo shows insulation around the brickwork

The last step will be the installation of platbands that will hide the insulation between the timber and the brick. The platbands just need to be sawed down at 45 degrees and nailed to the timber from the dressing room side with finishing nails.

Example of original finishing

Installation of the stove, its leveling and alignment are carried out after all construction and finishing work has been completed. But if not only the portal is being laid, but at the same time a brick screen is being erected around the stove, then the unit is immediately installed in its place and covered with film (so as not to get dirty with the mortar during operation).

Installation of a furnace with a remote firebox

Installing a sauna stove in its original location

Brick portal and oven - photo. Some craftsmen recommend building brick walls first, and only then covering the walls with clapboard

Foundation

There may be two options here.

First - the bathhouse floors have already been laid

The option, let’s say right away, is not very pleasant. How to solve the problem? First you need to approximately calculate the total weight of the stove along with the brickwork.

The weight of the stove can be found in the manufacturer’s passport or catalog

The weight of one red solid brick is ≈ 3.5 kg, the masonry will be half a brick. There is no longer a need, such a thickness will ensure both normal heat transfer and sufficient stability of the structure.

Red brick weight

Weight of a pallet with bricks

There are recommendations to do quarter masonry (put the brick on edge), but we would not recommend it. Firstly, laying on edge requires considerable experience. Secondly, the stability of the structure is unsatisfactory.

For reference. The dimensions of a standard single brick are 250×120×65 mm. For one cubic meter of masonry you need approximately 520 pieces with a mortar thickness of approximately one centimeter. To make calculations easier, you need to remember that for 1 m2 of half-brick masonry you need ≈ 53 bricks. Take with reserve, there will inevitably be waste.

Standard sizes of solid bricks

Find the location of the floor beam, you can find it by the floor nails. As a rule, during the construction of a bathhouse, timber is used under the flooring with a size of at least 100×100 mm; it can withstand up to 500 kg of weight. This is quite enough for a small metal stove; there is no need to reinforce the timber.

Photo of floor beams

Place a sheet of metal under the perimeter of the stove, it is advisable to make a thermal protection, strictly follow the rules of SNiP III-G.11-62.

SNiP

It is not recommended to use asbestos sheets as a thermal insulation material; today there are harmless materials made from pressed mineral wool on sale.

For brickwork you need to make waterproofing (for fireclay - no need, it is not afraid of moisture). For waterproofing, it is better to take two layers of ordinary transparent polyethylene film - it is much more beautiful than black roofing felt. The protruding film must then be carefully trimmed around the perimeter of the masonry. Do not be afraid that such a stove base raises doubts about its reliability. If the chimneys were brick, yes, even minor “wobbles” of the stove could cause big problems. In our version, the chimneys will be made of metal pipes. At the connection points and at the points where they exit outside, the structure is “floating” and is capable of compensating for small vibrations.

Types of chimneys for baths

Second option. The floors have not yet been laid

The best option is to make a stable foundation for the stove. And the presence of a foundation significantly expands the possible options for stoves both in weight and design features. How to make a foundation?

At this point, the preparatory work is completed, and you can begin to directly install the stove with an external firebox.

Selecting a location

The design of a stove in a bathhouse depends directly on its type, since stoves can be either electric or powered by solid fuel. The second option is more complex in its design, as well as in the installation process.

Of course, according to the classic version of a bathhouse, the stove is installed in a steam room.

However, the door through which firewood is loaded into it can open into another room adjacent to the steam room, or even onto the street.

It is worth remembering that when installing a stove in an interior partition, you need to take care of high-quality insulation of not only the floors, but also the walls.

In addition, this design must be thought out at the design stage of the structure, otherwise, to install the stove in the bathhouse, some sections of the partition will have to be dismantled.

Installing a stove in a bathhouse with the firebox outside is subject to the same problems, however, they are added to significant heat loss and difficulties with adding firewood, since this will require leaving the room.

Information. If the installation of a stove in a bathhouse is carried out with the firebox vented to a washroom or rest room, a much smaller amount of oxygen is burned in the steam room, and heating occurs in two rooms at the same time.

In most cases, the location of the stove in a bathhouse with an external firebox is rarely chosen. Usually the firebox and stove are located directly in the steam room. Of course, there are minor difficulties with this, since there is usually nowhere to store firewood in a steam room, and oxygen burns abundantly. However, all problems can be solved by carefully considering the details.

For such a stove, complete insulation is provided both from the adjacent walls and from the floor.

Important! It is imperative that the stove is installed in a bathhouse with an external firebox or a conventional design at a safe distance from everyone steaming, so as not to provoke burns and injuries.

The minimum safe distance from the stove to the wall in the bathhouse is 26 cm, and for unprotected partitions - 32 cm.

Installing an iron stove in a bathhouse does not require a special foundation, however, the foundation still needs to be made.

Usually this is a small platform, which is slightly larger in size than the base of the furnace. You can make it in one of the following ways:

1. Fix a sheet of asbestos on the floor surface, the minimum thickness of which should be 1 cm. Next, a sheet of metal 5 mm thick is placed on the asbestos. The base for installing the stove in the bathhouse with your own hands is ready;
2. The second method is to lay a brick base. A quarter brick is laid. Next, a sheet of metal is attached on top of it, or a concrete screed is installed.

Features of installation work

How to install a stove in a bathhouse to avoid ridiculous mistakes? There are several tips from craftsmen who have performed such work several times and built the heating themselves. Tips from stove makers.

1. Firebox door location. You need to think about the door exit for any design. The door should be opened where there will be no people present. Throwing firewood while washing is inconvenient.
2. Separate steam room. How to place the product so that the steam is directed directly into the steam room needs to be thought out in advance, even on the drawings. You can steam without any problems. A person will not interfere with those who are simply washing.
3. Ventilation lines. The accumulation of steam and heat should not exceed the norms. Stale air will not create the atmosphere of lightness and healing that is expected from a Russian bathhouse.

Those who like to spend time in the steam room will receive the maximum temperature; they will not need to get up for each portion of steam if everything is at hand.

Installation of sauna stoves is carried out in accordance with fire and electrical safety requirements. Each rule requires precise execution. All electrical lines require protection from any possible sparks or damage.

The next video contains recommendations for installing a stove in a bathhouse.

Installation rules

When installing the stove, you should adhere to the general rules and regulations necessary to ensure proper operation and safety.

The most important rule is that the stove must be located at a distance of 1.5 meters from flammable materials, and the chimney must be removed through a specially constructed passage in the ceiling and roof. To prevent ignition of wooden structures, the chimney pipe is wrapped in a steel sheet. Thermal insulation - expanded clay or basalt wool - is placed in the resulting space.

The resulting space is filled with thermal insulation – expanded clay or basalt wool.

There are also ready-made sandwich structures for chimneys. They consist of two pipes of different diameters, between which non-flammable insulating material is laid. But a finished chimney will be more expensive.

Putting the stove into operation

During the first kindling, the stove is heated for 1.5 hours, then proceed to a full fire

The brickwork is dried at a temperature of +5 - +30°C. At this time, doors and valves are opened around the clock. The first kindling takes place without the use of flammable liquids and flammable materials. Use dry newspapers and small wood chips. After obtaining a stable fire, you can add logs in small portions.

The ashpit is kept open, the intensity of combustion is controlled by closing or opening the door. Check the draft and heating rate. The heating process lasts 1 - 1.5 hours, then you can proceed to normal heating of the stove.

Installation on a wooden floor

If the weight of a fully equipped sauna stove does not exceed 700 kg, and your joists and floorboards are thick enough, you can do without a foundation. But you can’t just put the stove on the boards. A heat-resistant base is required.

When installing a metal stove, you need to protect both the floor and nearby walls

This can be a sheet of metal laid on a sheet of asbestos or basalt cardboard. Instead of a sheet of metal, you can use ceramic tiles, brick, natural or artificial stone, porcelain tiles, etc. The basic principle is a sufficient degree of thermal insulation. Although the floor does not heat up as much as nearby walls, protection is still necessary. In addition, there must be a sheet of metal in front of the stove. It should protrude in front of the firebox by more than 40 cm. This will ensure fire safety if the coals fall out of the firebox.

One of the options for installing a metal stove

Chimney installation

A feature of stoves is the release of a large number of aggressive radical molecules immediately after kindling.

If the chimney is not well insulated, it will quickly burn out under the influence of acid dew. This applies to both brick and sandwich structures.

Particular attention is paid to the fireproof cutting of the chimney and the passage unit. The dimensions of the ceiling trim for the bath are 460x460 or 600x600 mm. For additional protection of walls located closer than 700 mm from uninsulated sections of the pipe, a low-mounted double screen made of basalt cardboard is used.

Installing a bath pipe consists of several stages:

1. Markings are made on the ceiling, where a cutting pipe is then installed;
2. According to the markings made, the ceiling is cut;
3. after cutting, fire retardant impregnation is applied to the wood;
4. a cutting pipe is installed in the resulting hole and secured with self-tapping screws;
5. heat-insulating material is placed between the wooden ceiling and the walls of the pipe;
6. after the chimney is brought out through the cutting pipe, it is necessary to put a steel sheet on it from the attic side and secure it with self-tapping screws;
7. the chimney is led to the roof through a hole in the roof;

Decorative finishing

A stove in a bathhouse is not only a source of heat, steam, and increased danger, it can also be a decoration for the room.

If you only care about the safety of the stove, then it is enough to paint it with modern paint to protect the metal from corrosion. The use of heat-resistant enamel based on silicone paints is no different from conventional enamels, but protects metal at temperatures up to +800 degrees. The metal is degreased and then paint is applied. After the first layer has dried, the next layer is applied. It is recommended to paint those metal elements that will be covered with brick and insulation.

The decoration of the stove in the bathhouse can perform a purely decorative function in the form of forged decorations and additional decorative elements of the stove itself. You can use heat-resistant paints of various colors with an antique effect. Decoration can also be used to eliminate the increased danger of a sauna stove.

The stove can be lined with red brick masonry (we have already considered this method), but the masonry on the sides can be decorative, in the form of a grid. On the firebox side, the stove can be covered with a screen made of forged elements or simply with a beautiful mesh fixed in the frame.

It can be covered with a beautiful casing, also covered with heat-resistant paint, in the color you like.

A stove lined with heat-resistant stone will look impressive; this will not only give a noble look to your product, but will also improve the quality of the stove itself.

The decorative decoration of your bathhouse stove depends only on your desire, taste and wallet size.

How to determine the required thermal power of a sauna stove?

The power of heating devices is measured in kilowatts. However, manufacturers of sauna stoves take a different approach - they indicate how much steam room volume this model will be guaranteed to be able to heat to a level corresponding to the required microclimate in the steam room. Naturally, subject to high-quality thermal insulation of the latter.

This is usually indicated in passports - for rooms, for example, from 10 to 16 m³.

It would seem that everything is very simple. It is not difficult to determine the volume of the steam room, and it will be just as easy to choose a model. However, the features of the arrangement of the bathhouse can make their own adjustments.

Below is a calculator that will calculate, so to speak, the conditional or reduced “volume” of your steam room, that is, taking into account all the necessary amendments. Based on this value, it will be possible to more accurately select the optimal oven.

For example, if the result is that a stove of 11 m³ is needed, then they try to choose so that this value is approximately in the middle of the range of capabilities of the purchased model. That is, say, a stove designed to heat from 8 to 14 m³.

A few explanations on the calculation.

• It is clear that first of all the actual volume of the steam room is taken into account. To do this, you need to indicate its linear dimensions: length, width, height.
• Sauna stoves are designed for operation in high-quality insulated rooms. But in practice, it happens that log or timber bathhouses are not insulated from the inside. In this case, a fairly significant part of the heat will be spent on heating the walls, which have considerable heat capacity. Therefore, an amendment is necessary.
• If the stove is located entirely in the steam room, then all the heat generated remains inside this room. But if the firebox is made external (just on the topic of this publication), then part of the thermal energy will involuntarily be wasted on warming up the dressing room and the entire created structure of the “inset” of the stove into the wall. That is, it will also be appropriate to adjust the result.
• The quality of the door leading to the steam room is of great importance. If this is a well-insulated door with a good fit, then significant heat losses through it are not expected. But ordinary panel doors are often installed, as well as glass doors that are becoming fashionable. Of course, their thermal insulation qualities are much lower, and this will also be taken into account when carrying out calculations.
• A window to the street is not a mandatory element of the steam room interior, but it is still often present. That is, another loophole appears for heat leakage. Both the quality of the window and its area matter here. If the window is taken into account, then additional fields for entering this data will appear in the calculator.
• Areas in the steam room (on its walls or floor) lined with ceramic tiles, bricks, and stones can also play a role. Warming up such heat-intensive surfaces will require additional furnace power.
• The result will be shown in standard cubic meters, which should be used as a guide when choosing the optimal sauna stove model.

Useful tips

When heating the stove, the smoke must go freely into the chimney, since if carbon monoxide is not removed through the hood, it can cause serious harm to the human body. If a problem exists, you must immediately find the cause of the weak draft and eliminate it.

Several ways to determine the absence or interruption of furnace draft:

• The easiest way is a regular sheet of paper or a lit match, brought to the open door while the stove is firing. If the sheet or flame of a match deviates inward, then there is a draft. If there is no deviation or it occurs outward, then there may be a so-called backdraft, which can be very dangerous.

• One of the reasons for weakening draft may be a depressurized chimney, crack, break, pipe shift, or other defects.
• Another danger is an accidental spark falling into a crack in the chimney onto flammable material, which leads to a fire.
• The small size of the blower through which the exhaust is made can lead not only to the occurrence of reverse draft, but also to an insufficient supply of oxygen to the fuel combustion process.
• Blockages in the chimney can also interfere with the process of normal draft. In this case, regular chimney cleaning will help restore normal air movement. It should be noted that the presence of even one elbow in the pipe, where the bulk of soot accumulates as a result of aerodynamic processes, will greatly complicate the work of the “chimney sweep”.

• If for some reason the stove cannot be heated for a long period of time, an air plug consisting of dense air layers may form in the chimney. As a rule, it resolves immediately after regular heating begins on its own.
• Insufficient firebox volume.
• A wide and long chimney does not work with a small firebox.

No ventilation anywhere

An air recirculation system must be installed in the bathhouse before installing the stove. Clean air masses should always enter the room through a channel that is arranged below floor level. It will be considered the input of the ventilation system. If the stove model includes legs, then the ventilation entrance is cut right under them. Channel size, standard – 100 sq. cm. It must be closed with a special grill.

The channel through which the air masses will escape must be located in the place furthest from the heating device, under the ceiling. Its cross-section should be the same as that of the inlet channel. It should also be equipped with a closed grille. It's best if they have valves.

Types of construction

Nowadays you can see a variety of portable heating elements in hardware stores, but people mostly prefer a traditional brick stove.

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If you decide to install it, then before starting its construction, measure the room, because the traditional type of heating element may simply not fit there. Most often, their width exceeds 100 cm, and their height varies from 160 to 220 cm.

For all its massiveness, such a unit has a number of significant advantages:

• fireproof;
• retains heat well;
• warms large rooms.

However, if you do not have enough money for materials or the space does not allow you to build a full-fledged stove, then you should give your preference to the compact metal version.

Fire safety when installing a sauna stove

Fire safety rules when installing an iron stove in a bathhouse stipulate requirements related to mandatory compliance with fire breaks and measures aimed at preventing emergency situations.

The body and chimney pipe become very hot during combustion. Over time, wood, under constant thermal stress, oxidizes, which causes ignition, even without the presence of an open fire. For this reason, fire safety requirements when installing a stove in a bathhouse require compliance with three important rules:

• Provide safe distances between the stove body and walls made of flammable materials.

Install the stove on a non-combustible base.

Use fire-retardant material to reduce the thermal load on walls located near highly heated parts of the stove.

There are general rules that must be followed during installation:

• It is recommended that the finishing of the walls around the stove be made of non-combustible materials. If this is not possible, surfaces made of timber or logs are covered with thermal insulation and sheathed with steel sheets.

Fire-fighting measures are mandatory: treating load-bearing structures and rafters with mastics and fire retardants to prevent the fire of wooden elements.

PPB prescribes the use of fire insulating material for interior walls with a high degree of fire resistance. The use of mineral wool is allowed. To increase safety, basalt insulation is used as an insulating material, which can withstand a melting point of 1400°C.

The use of fire-retardant material to insulate the stove and chimneys is a prerequisite for safe operation.

Distance from the stove to the wall of the bathhouse

The PPB specifies fire-safe distances - gaps that prevent a possible fire. The standards state:

• A gap of 110–125 cm is left between the stove body and the wall made of flammable material. After thermal insulation, the distance is reduced to 50–80 cm.

In the direction away from the opening door of the combustion chamber, the minimum distance is 120 cm.

Fire safety standards indicate the minimum distance to combustible objects from the stove body. All other objects: shelves, wooden partitions and walls are removed by at least 110 cm.

Furnaces with a remote tunnel into an adjacent room are physically impossible to remove to a sufficient distance. Therefore, the partition between the steam room and the dressing room is made of non-combustible material: brick or gypsum fiber board.

How to install a stove on a wooden floor in a bathhouse

The stove in the bathhouse is installed from the floor, at a level as close as possible to the base, or 10-15 cm below it. It is easier to comply with this standard if the foundation and installation site are prepared in advance.

In the case of concrete floors lined with ceramic tiles, the stove is installed without the need for additional protection of the base. Wooden floors will need to be protected from fire:

• Cushion – an even layer of clay mortar is applied to wooden boards. A row of ceramic bricks is laid on it. This cushion is heat-resistant and provides the necessary protection for the tree. The disadvantage of the solution is raising the stove above the floor level by 10-15 cm.

To reduce the installation height, vermiculite plates are used, mounted to the floor and covered with galvanized iron on top.

Metal stoves weigh up to 80 kg. The rules for installing a metal sauna stove on a wooden floor in a bathhouse do not indicate the need for a full foundation for installation. The standards are aimed at protecting wooden floors from fire.

How to insulate the walls around the stove

Thermal insulation of the stove from a wooden wall is a mandatory standard. The surface of flammable materials is protected in several ways:

• Brickwork.

Ceramic tiles - you can line the walls around the stove by covering them (in the case of wooden walls) with pre-gypsum fiber board (GVL).

Thermal insulation material - for protection, special heat-resistant boards for wall cladding or basalt wool are used. The material is fixed to the surface using hardware. The surface is covered with galvanized or stainless steel.

After installing the heater and protecting the walls, they proceed to installing the chimney.

Safe placement and connection of an electric oven

A convenient solution is an electric heater. This is a great alternative to a wood stove. Doesn't take up much space. There is no chimney pipe. No need to clean or load fuel. It is enough to set the temperature correctly.

When connecting, it is important to follow the rules for connecting to the network and fire safety.

It is recommended to ground the electric heater. If this is not possible, then zeroing is carried out. To do this, on the distribution panel, the grounding wire of the electric furnace is connected to the zero terminals.

Installation of an RCD is required. This is excellent protection against short circuits during voltage surges in the network.

The wiring covering must be heat-resistant. The cross section is selected according to power and mains voltage. Read more in the article: “Electrical installation of a bathhouse.”