A wood-fired sauna vat is a real hot attraction in nature

How to steam in a vat

Hello, dear readers!

Today I would like to tell you about an amazing bathhouse that has become so popular lately. And we are not talking about the latest technologies and super new achievements. Quite the opposite. It’s not for nothing that they say: the new is the well-forgotten old. So, the topic is a sauna vat, how to steam in it and what is the benefit of such a procedure?

Despite such a long history, the design of this font has remained virtually unchanged. As before, it is an iron container made of stainless steel or cast iron. What do you think is the main difference from other types of baths? The answer is obvious - the location of the object.

The sauna vat is located in nature, near an open pond or other source of water. And you can “take baths” both in summer and in winter. It is a beautiful bath complex, which was born thanks to the meticulous work of technical specialists, raising its production to the level of art.

Bath in a vat

In pre-Christian Europe there were wooden barrels for bathing. Hot water heated in small boilers was poured into them. It was difficult to make a capacious cast-iron vat using primitive metallurgy.

Barrel baths have been known since ancient times. But preparing such a bath is troublesome. For noble people, a large bathing vat made of wooden planks was filled with water by servants. Near natural hot springs, a vat was hollowed out of stone. In the Alps you can still find a bathing vat in the form of a depression in the rock.

Heated vats became of interest to doctors in the mid-19th century. Factories smelted iron and steel. The washing barrel was no longer needed. Anyone could buy a bathtub or cast iron vat for water procedures. The barrel baths fell out of use.

There was a fashion for spa treatment. Not only aristocrats went to the waters. Hotels for the middle class appeared around the healing springs. The heated bath has become a popular spa treatment.

Tourists learned what a vat with healing water is in the Carpathian village of Lumshory. There is a unique radon source there. For those wishing to be healed, a cast-iron bath vat with water from the spring was heated. Usually they set up a bathhouse on the shore.

The cast iron vat is heated from below. Since it contains a large volume of water, the walls do not become hot. They stay warm. You can lean against them during the procedure. Flat boulders are placed at the bottom of the font and a wooden flooring is made.

The bathhouses stood under awnings or in the open air, on the banks of a mountain river. In some places there is a vat for steaming, and not far away there is a vat for cold water. Tourists continue to write rave reviews about this place.

Fact. It is believed that the outdoor bathhouse with a vat came from the Carpathian region. In Japan, a wood-burning sauna vat is usually located indoors. Its warmth warms the house.

Medical contraindications

Everyone knows that in every business there are both positive and negative aspects. Our sauna vat was not left out either. Before taking hot baths with herbal infusions, it is strongly recommended to consult with your doctor. Here is a small, but not complete list of contraindications for “hot water activities”:

• Any disease that occurs in an acute form
• Increased body temperature
• Tuberculosis in open form
• Diabetes
• Cardiovascular diseases
• Cirrhosis of the liver
• Oncological diseases
• Urolithiasis disease
• Epilepsy and other diseases

Let's finish talking about contraindications here. I would like to believe that you do not have them or will not have them in the very near future. After all, health is the most valuable thing we have.

Water and flame

An outdoor bathhouse is an attraction for friends or guests of the bathhouse complex. Ordinary people, from Japan to Finland, tried to keep the bathhouse warm. The traditional furaco and Finnish barrel are heated by a wood stove. Its efficiency is higher than that of a fire.

An outdoor swimming pool in a snow-covered courtyard looks impressive. Promises extreme sensations. The procedure itself invigorates by alternating cold air and immersion in hot water.

In Lumshory you must first go down into a heated cast-iron vat, then plunge into cold water. The famous Carpathian vats usually stand on a solid base of stones. The fire is lit below. Beech logs are used. The stones, like a stove, retain the heat of the wood.

Sometimes a group of people gather to steam in a vat. From the outside, the picture resembles cheerful sinners in a cauldron. The imagination pictures a cauldron on legs and a fire under it. This cast iron vat is on sale! On the manufacturers' websites they call it a rejuvenating vat. It is ordered as an addition to a sauna or Russian bath. A steel brazier is placed under the sauna vat, which stands on supports in the open air.

The secret of rejuvenation. If there is no source of mineral water nearby, aromatic salts and dry herbs are added to the rejuvenating vat. After treatments in herbal infusion, the skin looks fresh and youthful.

A cast iron vat suspended on supports on chains looks original. A fire is made under the cauldron. The hanging vat sways and it is difficult to install the stove for fire safety reasons. But the water over the fire warms up enough for 3-4 people to swim.

The water from the stove heats up faster. A cast iron vat of 1200 - 1500 liters for outdoor use heats up in 2-3 hours. It will take longer to heat the vat over a fire. Everything will depend on the wind and air temperature. A vat in a room closed from the wind warms up faster.

The cast iron vat is heated by a stove installed under the bottom. Another popular option is an outdoor oven. A heat exchanger is installed inside its metal body. Water flows into it through pipes or hoses. A stationary or hanging vat is heated by circulation. The movement of water in the heat exchanger begins when heated. Compared to a vat on a fire, it is more convenient to regulate the temperature in a stove.

The right choice, which material is better

In order for the sauna vat to serve for a long time and with high quality, it is better to pay attention to expensive materials, because they will rust less, and the temperature they can withstand will be higher. During the construction of a structure, it is very important to lay out its base with high quality and with great attention. If you do something wrong, then it will be much more difficult, longer and more expensive to correct. A cast iron vat takes 2-3 times longer to heat up than a steel one. But it is valued for its rounded shape, the absence of welds, corners, as well as for its good heat capacity, service life and wall thickness. In general, it is almost impossible to make a product from cast iron yourself; it is better to use steel for this. In order for the structure to be ready for use at the appointed time, it is recommended to start heating it several hours before.

Stainless steel heats up faster, looks presentable and, in addition, can last a long time. The risk of corrosion of this material is minimal. Although it retains its original appearance for a long time, sometimes you may encounter manufacturing defects. It is worth considering that stainless steel is expensive, and the structure will need to be assembled from several elements.

Font with stove

A font with a stove built into the container is often made of stainless steel. A heated sauna vat with a built-in stove is smaller in volume. The water comes into contact with the heated furnace wall. The bench occupies only part of the space along the sides.

Brands appeared on the market, for example the Siberian bathhouse. This is an outdoor swimming pool lined with cedar planks. It is in demand among owners of recreation centers. If a bathhouse is installed near the guest house, the cost of living increases.

The outdoor hot tub is equipped with a steel container. A sheet metal vat weighs less than a cast iron vat. It is easier to transport and install. It heats up faster from any heat source. External wooden cladding allows you to retain heat in cold weather.

Siberian cedar font is good for health. In hot water, wood releases resins and other useful substances. A font with a stove and internal lining made of cedar is installed in sanatoriums. It is offered as part of a range of health treatments. It is in greater demand than a heated bath.

A wood-burning sauna vat is installed next to the steam room. It is filled with herbal infusions. A vat for cold water is placed nearby. It is pleasant to relax in water with herbs after the heat of the steam room.

A popular installation option is a cast iron vat with wooden lining on an open veranda. A hot tub in the fresh air will pleasantly cool you down after a steam room. If the bathhouse is located on the shore, there is always enough water in the river or lake. The whole range of procedures complements bathing and swimming. In winter they plunge into the ice hole.

Making a bathing bowl for a sauna: where to start

Bathing in vats attracts many people. Many people want to buy them. But the best option is to do it yourself. It will cost significantly less. If you decide to make your own, you should carefully consider the following starting points:

• choose the appropriate material. Often preference is given to sheet structural or stainless steel 2-5 mm thick;
• determine the size of the vat-sauna boiler and the method of its installation;
• choose an effective protective coating for metal;
• develop a diagram of seats and footrests.

These preliminary important points do not end there. So, in particular, you need a well-thought-out system for heating and draining water. However, in this regard, there is no point in reinventing the wheel. The best way is to borrow proven industrial circuits.

Bath tub made of steel

Bathing in a cast iron vat is, of course, great. But there is no question of making it yourself. There are quite a few obstacles to this. Therefore, when preparing to make your own, you should only consider a homemade steel bath vat.

The right choice of material for a bath tub: which one is better

In the case of stainless steel, which provides higher durability, you will have to use the services of a professional welder. With your own efforts, it is quite possible to weld only a boiler from completely ordinary steel.

Drawings, dimensions and manufacturing procedures

A homemade vat for a Transcarpathian bath should have dimensions that ensure sufficient ease of maintenance. Traditionally, they have the shape of truncated pyramids with 6 or 8 sides. In other words, the bowl is not round, but polygonal. Below is a drawing of one of these options.

As a rule, the diameter of a bath tub is selected within the range of 220-260 cm, and its depth is 60-80 cm. A multifaceted bath tub has the following advantages:

1. It simplifies the edging and welding of individual elements that have straight rather than curved edges.
2. It makes it easier to replace one of the structural elements if the need arises.
3. Greater comfort is guaranteed for those sitting in the font, whose backs rest not on a rounded, but on a flat surface.

Drawings, dimensions and manufacturing technology

Each owner can independently calculate the size of the structure he needs, based on his own capabilities and preferences. As a rule, it is assembled six-sided and octagonal, which is why it looks more like a polyhedron or circle, the diameter is 2.2-2.6 meters, and the depth is 0.6-0.8 meters. If you go beyond these data, the design may be inconvenient. Due to the fact that a stainless steel bath tub has several edges, it has a number of advantages:

• It is easier to cloud the walls than cast iron structures with rounded surfaces;
• Cutting and connecting individual steel elements is much easier than making patterns with curved lines;
• If necessary, the damaged part can be replaced without much difficulty.

The assembly of this structure does not represent the highest level of professionalism. The main thing is to be patient at the stage of cutting metal blanks.

Gallery

The Furaco font is made of cedar, so it is very important to comply with certain operating conditions:

— When heated, layers of different temperatures are formed, so the filled container must be stirred; for this, clients are asked to use a special cedar paddle. — Before filling Furaco, you need to check that the drain hole is closed. — If the font dries out without water, the top hoop may fall off. In this case, you just need to return it to its original position and tighten the fasteners. As soon as the font swells, you should loosen the hoop. — You should not leave the font for a long time without water in the summer! To avoid drying out of wooden baths during storage, do not expose them to direct rays, and also avoid exposure to third-party stoves and radiators. — In summer, it is recommended to keep Furaco filled to avoid drying out; in this case, the water is replaced at least once every five to six days. — To care for the surface of an outdoor steam room from the outside, it is enough to cover it once a year with a mixture of natural vegetable oils and turpentine, which protects the wood from waterlogging and environmental changes. — Caring for the internal surface involves cleaning with a soft brush without abrasive detergents that damage the surface. You can use soda. Next, you need to rinse the container thoroughly. - Under no circumstances should you light a stove in a stove that is empty or less than half filled with water! — The minimum water level must be at least five centimeters above the top surface of the stove or 15 cm below the top edge of the font. — When filling Furaco, you must first splash the water throughout the font so that it is quickly absorbed into the wood. This may require more liquid than can be contained in the container itself before it becomes sufficiently airtight. — You can start heating the stove only if the pipe is already at least 10 cm deep in water. — The surface of the stove should never be dry if there is a fire in the stove. — The stove must be cleaned after 3–7 times of use. — It is not allowed to drain water from the font before the fire in the stove has completely gone out and the ash has cooled.

Pay attention to the operation of the furaco font in winter:

— In winter, at sub-zero temperatures, freezing of the water in the Furako font is not allowed! Therefore, after using the bath, it is necessary to pour out the water before ice begins to form. — If you plan to use a Furaco font with an internal or external stove every day in winter, then you need to heat the stove to prevent the water from freezing, and also install a system for circulating and filtering water. This will allow you not to drain the water every 5-6 days, but to do it much less often (once a month). — When using Furaco with a plastic insert in winter, you need to take into account the fact that the plastic used becomes brittle at -5C and, accordingly, any operation of a Furaco steam room with a plastic insert at temperatures below -5C can lead to breakage of the entire product. — Furaco hot tubs with a composite insert in winter, on the contrary, easily cope with sub-zero temperatures (down to -20C) and easily tolerate use without any damage! There is the possibility of additional insulation of the composite bowl, as well as other additional options and equipment, which our specialists will tell you in detail. — The average time to warm the water in a furaco font (1800 mm in diameter) to 40C at sub-zero external temperatures will be 3-5 hours, depending on the degree of air cooling. It was experimentally verified that at an air temperature of -7C, the water in the font warms up to 37C in 4 hours. — Heating efficiency depends on the ambient temperature and the quality of the firewood used. We recommend using dry, medium-sized hardwood firewood, or the most effective fuel for Furaco is sawdust pellets. One firebox will require about 10 kg of pellets. They remove more heat and a minimum of soot and ash. For quick ignition and effective maintenance of fire in the stove, especially in winter, the use of pellets is recommended.

Heating a stove with pellets is always convenient, comfortable, and economical!

We steam and wash ourselves in a new way. Bath tub

The bath tub in its classic form was used by representatives of many cultures and peoples; almost all European peoples and peoples of the Asian region used this device for bath procedures. This is probably why every nation has its own modernizations of this bath device. Some people must have cedar benches in the vat, others use additional wood lining, and somewhere a specially shaped lid must be used to make the procedure especially effective. But, be that as it may, everyone’s prerequisite is warm water and an oak broom to add aroma.

Health benefits

We can talk about the benefits of a sauna for hours...

First of all, a bath in a vat is a unique combination of five basic elements of nature: air, water, wood, metal and fire, which, when in contact with each other, can give birth to true harmony in the human soul, and give the body an incomparable charge of energy, help get rid of a number of physical ailments. It has been scientifically proven that the sauna-chan is an excellent remedy for gout, radiculitis and rheumatism, as well as for recovery from injuries and fractures. In addition, it will help you:

• defeat colds and improve immunity;
• improve blood circulation, heart and blood vessel function;
• remove toxins and cleanse the blood;
• normalize the functioning of the musculoskeletal system and strengthen the nervous system;
• cope with stress and insomnia;
• stabilize blood pressure and activate metabolism;
• stimulate the functions of the thyroid gland and other internal organs;
• restore the elasticity and firmness of your skin;
• overcome excess weight;
• have an analgesic and restorative effect.

And this is not a complete list of the “benefits” of this procedure. Apparently, this is why today a bath in a vat is becoming a real salvation for most people who have already discovered this ancient tradition and want not only to prolong youth and beauty, but also to maintain health for a long time.

Bath tub where to drain the water

The vat does not require special maintenance other than periodic cleaning.
You can wash it with a regular sponge. If you don't plan to use the vat for a while, cover it with a lid and cover to protect it from wear and tear and extend its life. A few years after you start using it, you may need to replace the wood and some minor service repairs. provides service both during the warranty period and after its expiration, so if you have any questions, you can contact us - we will come and provide the necessary service.

How long does the procedure take and how does it work?

The optimal duration of vaping is 25-35 minutes. But many, especially in good company, as well as those who regularly steam in a sauna vat, increase the steaming time to 1 hour or even longer.

At the very beginning of heating the vat, add aromatic oils or herbs, as well as pine branches. By the time the water heats up, the additives will have time to infuse and their aroma will have developed.

You can start vaping when the water temperature in the vat is about 40C. When the water reaches this temperature, stop adding wood to the stove - steaming takes place on smoldering coals, this allows you to maintain the required temperature for the required time.

While vaping, you can drink herbal tea, infusion, or sbiten for even more benefits for your health.

After the end of steaming, drain the water and close the vat with a lid.

Where and in what cases can it be used

The sauna vat is recommended:

• To treat colds and activate the immune system;
• To normalize the functioning of the circulatory system, especially after suffering from colds and injuries.
• In terms of combating excess weight, to get your figure in order after the autumn-winter period of inactivity;
• For rehabilitation after limb injuries, bone fractures and soft tissue injuries;
• To improve psychological state, correct mood and relieve stress;
• As a cardiovascular workout;
• To restore the respiratory system;
• In the end, this is an excellent hygiene procedure for keeping the body in great shape.

But as for the time of use, here it is recommended to carry out treatment procedures in the morning or evening, for pleasure, there are no restrictions, the main thing is that it is safe.