Which sauna stoves are better: cast iron, steel or stainless steel?

The material from which the firebox is made determines the most significant parameters of a wood-burning stove: from the service life to the heating time of the steam room. The market offers models of sauna stoves made of cast iron, black steel, 09G2S steel (a type of black steel) and stainless steel. Each material has both undeniable advantages and disadvantages. Let's try to figure out both together.

To compare all the listed materials, let's first define the criteria. In our opinion, it is best to use the following comparative characteristics:

• Burnout temperature;
• Thickness;
• Oven service life;
• Steam room heating speed;
• Oven cooling time;
• Fragility of the material;
• And, of course, the price.

Cast iron stoves

Cast iron is chosen not only by lovers of Russian baths. This metal is famous for its durability, although it is fragile and is susceptible to temperature changes. Taking a metal stove made of cast iron to a bathhouse means spending twenty years in its company.

Of course, there are not many manufacturers, but among them there are better and worse ones. We will help you figure out who is who in the bathhouse cast iron market. Read the article about metal stoves made of cast iron with the self-explanatory name “Cast Iron”.

Metal sauna stoves: cast iron, usually wood-burning. Of course, you can also make a gas stove from cast iron, but on sale you will only find wood-burning cast-iron sauna stoves. By the way, there are non-bathhouses, but also made of this metal - they don’t have any heater at all. Take a closer look at the available options described in the article “Cast iron wood-burning stoves for baths.”

Cast iron with closed heater

Lovers of Russian baths know that they need a stove with a closed heater . And if there is no good stove maker to install a brick stove, then the best option would be a cast iron one. That is why they are looking for manufacturers of the necessary stoves.

We have collected all the available information in the review “Limited Selection: Cast Iron Stoves with a Closed Heater” - there are all the manufacturers, models and their features available on the market.

The best cast iron

A stove for a sauna made of cast iron metal is sought by those who understand a lot about durable metal. If treated with care, cast iron will be the best of metal sauna stoves, because it will last for twenty, if not thirty years. However, there are very few manufacturers of such units. You can learn about them and the advantages of their products from the article “The best cast iron stoves for a bath.”

Heat Resistant Stainless Steel Range

Our warehouse in Moscow offers a wide range of products made from heat-resistant steel of various grades. The high quality of the products sold is confirmed by manufacturer certificates and meets the requirements of international standards. Domestic brands of heat-resistant stainless steel in our catalog include: 08Х13, 08Х17, 08Х18Т1, 10Х23Н18, 12Х13, 12Х17, 14Х17Н2, 20Х23Н18, 20Х13, 30Х13 and 40Х13. Among foreign analogues, AISI 310, AISI 310S and AISI 321 steels should be noted.

Read also: Orthophosphoric acid application area

Product sizes and prices are constantly updated, so contact our managers to quickly and correctly place your order.

Steel wood stoves

A cast iron stove is not cheap, a steel sauna stove is much more affordable, and the choice of models is so wide that it makes your eyes wide open. If you look only at steel wood-burning ones, then even so there are still a lot of them. There is only one way out - to decide on your preferences and look for a manufacturer that best suits them .

Iron stove: the best for a Russian bath

Everyone knows that the best ones for a Russian bath are brick ones, however, iron stoves are not all the same; among them there are undoubted leaders and outsiders. You can get acquainted with the first ones if you follow the link leading to the article “Choosing the best stoves for a Russian bath: models with a closed heater and a rating of the best stoves.”

The best wood-burning iron stoves for a bathhouse

Those who decide to buy an iron stove for a bathhouse, of course, want to know which one is better. And since firewood is still the main type of fuel in our country, we decided first of all to orient the reader on wood-burning stoves - “How to choose the best wood-burning stove for a bathhouse (for 3 categories of bathhouse attendants).”

The best iron stove for a bath

The choice of the bathhouse owner is small: either he will have an iron or a brick stove. And if the second option is definitely not considered for one reason or another (and brick is not without many disadvantages), then all that remains is to look for the best option from iron ones. We are ready to share with you not only our findings, but also the popular rating, in which everyone can take part. You will find it in this article.

Wood-burning sauna stove “Harvia”, stainless steel

The Finnish Harvia is very popular, and people like both its electric heaters and wood-burning stoves. Moreover, she has all models of sauna stoves made of stainless steel and/or structural steel . Details of the model ranges in the article “Review of wood-burning stoves for bathhouses “Harvia”: features, marking meanings and other nuances.”

Brands of heat-resistant stainless steel

The main grades of heat-resistant stainless steels produced by the domestic and foreign metallurgical industry include:

• 20Х20Н14С2, also known under the name EI211 (imported analogue of AISI 309) is a type of high-alloy chromium-nickel alloy containing chromium and nickel up to 22% and 15%, respectively;
• 20Х23Н18 or EI417 (analogue of Western European and American manufacturers AISI 310) - austenitic refractory steel, products from which are used in reducing environments with temperatures up to 1000 °C and oxidizing operating conditions up to 1100 °C;
• 10Х23Н18 or EI417 (AISI 310S) – a low-carbon modification of the AISI 310 alloy, the need for use of which is due to the presence of a corrosive environment due to the influence of condensates and high-temperature gases;
• 20Х25Н20С2 or EI283 (analogue of foreign steel under the brand AISI 314) is a non-magnetic, non-hardening, austenitic alloy, resistant to ultra-high temperatures.

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Varieties

With water tank

A few words about metal sauna stoves, wood-burning, with a water tank. A water tank is a useful device when there is no centralized hot water supply, but we’re not used to it, right? Therefore, we will choose wood-burning metal sauna stoves that are suitable for installing tanks. Descriptions of suitable stoves are in the article “Which sauna stove with a water tank is suitable for your steam room.”

With heat exchanger

There may also be an iron sauna stove with a heat exchanger. If the owner prefers a remote tank, which will also heat the room, then it is worth thinking about a stove with a heat exchanger - this is where the water is heated, which then goes into the remote tank. You will find a variety of designs in the article “Choosing a stove for a bath with a heat exchanger for water and heating.”

Stove-fireplace

Let's take a brief look at these iron sauna stoves: fireplace stove. A nice addition to a successful stove is a large fireplace glass or portal. The main thing is to choose the right one: so that the glass is fastened correctly (not pointwise), so that some kind of glass self-cleaning system is present (otherwise you will have to constantly wipe off the soot by hand). About what you have to choose from - our article “Choosing a stove-fireplace for a bath: options and nuances with a door, tips for self-construction.”

Sauna stoves

The Finnish sauna is the main place where iron stoves are used. They are perfect for each other. And this opens up the widest possibilities for choice - the quality of the steam does not matter (a sauna is a dry-air bath), heating is permissible to high temperatures. In general, everything that is easier to manufacture and use is a welcome guest in this bathhouse. If you want to know what to look for when choosing, read the article “Sauna stove.”

Wood burning

Although the sauna is increasingly associated with electric heaters, wood-burning sauna stoves are still popular - both in the homeland of the sauna in Finland and abroad. Moreover, everything that does not fit well in a Russian bathhouse can be safely placed in a Finnish one. And it's all about condition. Details are in the article “What are wood-burning sauna stoves and what to base the choice of such a stove on? Buy or make?

Metal stove design for a Russian bath

The Russian bath has several requirements for stoves, one of which is purely structural. Let's put it this way: if this part is not included in the design of the metal stove, then there is no point in installing it in a Russian steam room at all. What kind of detail is this and what kind of stove in a Russian bath should generally correspond to - read the article “Features of stoves for a Russian bath.”

Stove for a Russian bath with a closed heater

Well, above, we were probably in vain to intrigue so harshly about the secrets of the stove for the Russian bath. In fact, everything is very simple: it must have a closed heater. Cast iron and brick stoves with a closed heater are popular. Not all manufacturers on the market make these. Therefore, it is worth getting to know those who make them better and finding out which models are better. Take a look at the article “Choosing the best stoves for a Russian bath: models with a closed heater and rating of the best stoves.”

Design of a metal sauna stove for a steam room

A variety of metal stove designs are suitable for a country steam room. The main thing is that the owner knows exactly his preferences and they are taken into account in this very design.

Those who like a Russian steam room choose stoves with closed heaters, lined with brick on all sides. The rest choose between top and bottom ignition, vertical and horizontal design and other nuances.

We devoted the article “Types of stoves for steam rooms: wood-burning, gas and electric stoves” to what kind of stove can be placed in a steam room.

Metal stoves for baths made of pipes

One of the extremely popular solutions when making a homemade metal stove for a bath is to use an industrial pipe of large diameter - usually half a meter . But don’t think that it’s just the ease of manufacture that captivates you. Heat spreads radially, so the cylindrical shape is as close to ideal as possible . That's why metal pipe sauna stoves are an excellent solution.

If you want to learn more, get acquainted with the diagrams, and try out how to create your own stove, read “Stove for a bathhouse made from a pipe.”

Characteristics [edit | edit code]

Heat resistance (scale resistance) of steel is characterized by resistance to oxidation at high temperatures. To increase scale resistance, steel is alloyed with elements that change the composition and structure of scale. As a result of introducing into steel the required amount of chromium (Cr) or silicon (Si), which have a greater affinity for oxygen (O) than iron (Fe), dense oxides based on chromium or silicon are formed on the surface during the oxidation process. The resulting thin film of these oxides hinders the process of further oxidation. To ensure scale resistance up to a temperature of 1100 °C, the steel must contain at least 28% chromium (for example, steel 15Х28). The best results are obtained by simultaneously alloying steel with chromium and silicon.

Common Questions

Below are detailed answers to questions that often arise regarding metal sauna stoves.

Brick or metal stove for a bath

The ancient debate among bathhouse attendants about the merits and demerits of different types of stoves will never end. And we do not at all pretend to put the last point in it. We just want you to be informed about both the pros and cons of both options.

Briefly and to the point: the advantage of a brick stove is, first of all, that it provides uniform, soft heat for a long time, while the stones in a closed heater heat up as they should and give off light steam. The brick one can be recommended to lovers of Russian baths, but they should know this: it takes a long time to heat, several hours . You need to heat it skillfully so that the chimney does not crack . During operation, constant care will be required for the masonry - it can crumble due to temperature. In general, the stove is for a skilled bathhouse attendant, even if installed correctly. The disadvantages include the high cost and rarity of good craftsmen .

The advantage of a metal stove is almost exclusively in the heating speed of the steam room . Everything else is shortcomings that can be partially smoothed out. It cools down quickly. This can be adjusted using a brick or stone casing. It will also extinguish hard infrared radiation. Steel stoves are made from thin (2 mm on average) steel and have seams . If the steel is not chrome-plated, then everything burns out, rusts, and the seams burst. Not right away, of course. Cast iron ones last longer in this regard - they are cast and thicker.

How to line iron sauna stoves with bricks

Before you take up the trowel, figure out what function the brick casing for an iron stove in a bathhouse performs - this will determine the shape and thickness of the masonry. After this, you need to calculate the required number of bricks. And if the base under the stove is already ready, then you can proceed with these data. Unless you want to stay a quarter of an hour to read the article “How to line an iron stove in a bathhouse with bricks.”

Metal stoves for a bath: photos of brick lining options.

Sauna stove: cast iron or steel

A little has already been said above about why a cast iron stove is better than a steel one. But here is a question of budget - those who can afford an expensive cast-iron stove can choose chromium-alloyed steel , which is also quite durable. And so - steel ones are cheaper, last less than cast iron ones, and are not afraid of mechanical and thermal damage (well, not to the same extent as cast iron ones).

Cast iron ones are taken by those who want to invest once and for a long time. And lovers of Russian baths also take them - they line them with bricks and the result is almost a brick stove.

Read some of our articles about cast iron stoves to get a more complete understanding of this metal in the bathhouse (see above).

Metal bath stove: installation in a steam room

You need to think about the stove even before building a bathhouse, because there are a number of requirements related to its place in the steam room. A metal sauna stove is dangerous - anyone who would not want to burn down their own sauna understands this. We advise you to familiarize yourself with the basic rules for installing a stove in a steam room, which minimize the risk of fire, described in the article “Installing a metal stove in a bathhouse.”

How to properly heat a sauna with a metal stove

Among metal stoves there are units with two types of ignition. The most common is bottom ignition. It is used in furnaces with a grate and an ash pan.

To start kindling, you need to prepare a certain amount of finely chopped firewood, literally splinters, and a newspaper will also come in handy. Then you should open the gate and the blower damper - this is done to create maximum draft inside the furnace. However, depending on the weather, cravings may not occur immediately. The solution to this problem is to warm up the chimney. However, you should prepare for the fact that when lighting, some of the smoke will end up inside the bathhouse. (Note that this does not happen with all stoves, although it depends on the chimney design.)

ADVICE! Warm up the chimney by burning newspaper. A few crumpled sheets are enough to get the traction going.

Then they begin
to lay the first portion of firewood . The volume of the filling is one-third or two-thirds of the volume of the combustion chamber. Not more! Needless to say that they must be dry and correspond in length to the dimensions of the firebox ? It happens that the owner puts in longer wood than the combustion chamber can accommodate; it sticks out and can cause a fire at any moment!
The blower door or damper is kept open until the first coals appear. Then they cover it, but carefully watch how the colors change: the darker and redder the flame, the less oxygen in the firebox - the door still needs to be opened slightly again, but if the flame is light, whitish and the hum of the stove is heard , then there is clearly excessive draft - adjust it with the blower door and damper. The correct color of the fire in the firebox is yellow, the color of straw.

The second bookmark is made only after the first burns down to coals. The number of bookmarks depends on how warm the bath is. When the room temperature reaches the desired level, you can switch to the slow burning mode. To do this, the draft is reduced, and only 1-2 logs are placed in the firebox.

IMPORTANT! Never close the gate completely. This not only promises trouble in the form of smoke entering the room, but also makes carbon monoxide poisoning . However, there are gates with gaps that are physically impossible to close completely.

The type of wood also matters: conifers will quickly clog your chimney as they emit a lot of resins. The best are birch logs, as well as oak, alder, and aspen. Firewood from fruit trees is also good. It is acceptable to use fuel briquettes.

ATTENTION! You cannot heat a sauna stove with coal. Do not use charcoal lighter fluid. And you shouldn't burn garbage in the oven.

Why does the iron stove smoke in the bathhouse?

If you are not the first to notice that an iron stove in a bathhouse is smoking, then first of all you should check the design for defects . This applies primarily to homemade stoves, however, factory ones can also be defective. Or the stove may simply burn out from old age and intensive use - if the firebox has lost its tightness , smoke will inevitably escape into the room.

The second common cause of smoke is lack of traction. You need to check the chimney to see if it needs cleaning.

It was said above that firewood should not fill the firebox more than 2/3. Otherwise, smoke may appear.

Do not forget! Combustion must not be allowed outside the furnace, that is, in the combustion tunnel. This happens when firewood is laid longer than the firebox.

It is also worth paying attention to the regularity of the appearance of smoke and the surrounding circumstances. In some cases, only when there is wind does the smoke return to the bathhouse, then the solution is simple: you need to place a protective cap (deflector) on the top of the pipe.

In other cases, the cause may be a nearby high wind obstruction. But it must really be close to the pipe, then smoke appears because of it - increasing the length of the pipe and installing a deflector will help. The problem with insufficient pipe height above the roof ridge is solved in a similar way - the minimum distance should be half a meter.

How to paint an iron stove in a bathhouse

Heat-resistant paint that can withstand heating of several hundred degrees is suitable for painting In addition, such dyes are usually also resistant to rust.

For example,
organosilicon enamel (SO) can easily withstand temperatures of 600 degrees or more. It is not afraid of temperature changes and has excellent adhesion to metal.
The Russian “ Certa ” can survive more than 700 degrees. And if you take black paint, then its heat resistance is even higher - it doesn’t even care about 900 degrees.

Tikkurila produces Thermal , a durable alkyd enamel that can also be used to paint an iron stove in a bathhouse .

But this is paint in cans. And if you want to paint from a spray can , take Kudo .

In addition, there are special dyes that are designed to withstand direct fire. These can be used to cover the inside of the firebox. But they are not cheap.

Important point! When choosing a paint, ask the consultants if it is designed for steam action . The issue of painting a stove is discussed in more detail in this separate article.

*** Well, our guide to the section of metal sauna stoves is complete. If you have any questions that you haven’t found an answer to, ask them on the contact page.

Definition and types of heat resistance

Heat-resistant stainless steel is an alloy that, due to its physical and chemical properties, is resistant to aggressive chemicals and mechanical wear at temperatures above 500 °C. Such high performance properties are achieved due to the inclusion of a large number of alloying elements in the material composition. Chromium, nickel, titanium help strengthen the metal crystal lattice and prevent the active spread of oxidation processes. Heat-resistant material does not undergo plastic deformation at high temperatures and does not form rust or scale.

The division of heat-resistant stainless steel into types is due to the different content of alloying elements, differences in alloying methods, and the final purpose of the steel. There are 4 groups of stainless heat-resistant alloys:

• austenitic with chromium content up to 26%, nickel up to 25%, molybdenum up to 6%;
• ferritic, which contain no more than 0.2% carbon and up to 27% chromium;
• ferritic-austenitic (mixed, or duplex) steels with the inclusion of 18-28% chromium and up to 8% nickel;
• martensitic contain 10-13% chromium and no more than 1% carbon.

Classification of furnace units

Most often, homemade stoves are made with cooking surfaces.

According to the characteristics of the device they are made:

• chamber;
• duct;
• bell-shaped

In chamber stoves, flue gases enter a special chamber and are completely burned there due to natural circulation. Their design creates a similarity to the burning of an ordinary fire in a confined space. In domestic models, the combustion compartment is connected to the afterburning compartment into a single module called the crucible. Its vaulted shape ensures complete combustion of fuel. An example of such a design is the classic Russian stove.

In a ducted unit, the flue gases first burn out, then gradually cool down and move through the channels located between the partitions. When moving, they give off heat to the furnace body. There is no afterburning inside until the temperature in the combustion chamber reaches 400 degrees. The efficiency of these devices does not exceed 60%.

In a bell-type furnace, combustion products move to the roof of a special bell and linger there, burning out completely. Then the gases sink to the bottom and give off heat to the body. To kindle such a unit, it is enough to warm up only a small area of ​​the hood. Its efficiency can be 75%.

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I'm baking and thinking about the topic of the message. There is a strong opinion among people that the thicker the better. Like, the thicker it is, the longer it won’t burn. For example, I have heard recommendations of 4mm stainless steel or 8mm black steel.

From a durability perspective, it’s hard to disagree with this argument. But let's approach it from the functional side. Why do you need a stove anyway? Of course, to heat it up.

Let's say we want to heat the steam room to 100 degrees. To do this, we need to heat the stove harder. Let's say we have 2 stoves of the same design, but one is made of thick iron, the other of thin. Which oven can heat up to 100 degrees faster?

We can definitely say that the stove is thin. Will a thick stove heat up to 100 degrees? For this to happen, a certain amount of heat must first be transferred from the firebox to the stove, and then the stove must transfer the required amount of heat to the steam room. This takes time. And the thicker the metal, the longer this time.

Which stove is best for a sauna: comparison table by type and useful tips

Author: darkdreamer · Published 03/27/2018 · Updated 04/11/2018

Everyone enters the bathhouse differently, but leaves equally happy. Of course, if the steam is good. Otherwise, the bathhouse does not bring pleasure, but complete disappointment. How to ensure that the temperature in the steam room is always in perfect order? Of course, equip it with a suitable stove. In addition, the organization of security in the premises is also closely related to this issue, so the choice should be taken more than seriously. Which stove is best for your sauna? Let's look at the most popular types and try to figure out which choice can be considered optimal.

comparison table

Application of heat-resistant stainless steels

The use of heat-resistant alloys of one grade or another is determined by the characteristics of the operating environment and loads:

• 20Х20Н14С2 (AISI 309) – parts and assemblies of thermal furnaces, conveyors, and boxes for cementation are produced from steel of this grade;
• 20Х23Н18 (AISI 310) is used for the manufacture of parts for conveyor belts, furnace conveyors, heat treatment units, fuel combustion chambers (including internal combustion engines), motors, gas turbines, doors;
• 10Х23Н18 (AISI 310S) is used mainly in mechanisms, installations and units for transporting hot gases - turbines, methane conversion devices, exhaust systems, high-pressure gas pipelines, heating elements;
• 20Х25Н20С2 (AISI 314) is used in the field of furnace construction - metal products made from stainless heat-resistant steel of this grade are used for the manufacture of furnace screens, rollers, and boiler hangers.

Installation Features

When considering a well-made stainless steel stove, pay attention to the following points:

• Stainless steel has a high rate of thermal expansion. When heated, it “drives” and “twists”. It is leveled by the presence of stiffening ribs in heated surfaces and high-quality welds.
• Heat dissipation must be uniform. Such a stove cannot be closely lined with bricks or too thick a layer of stones.
• Hot stainless steel is easily deformed. Therefore, it is advisable that the stones do not put pressure on the stove body. This is achieved by constructing a false mesh shell around it.

A well-designed stainless steel stove will last much longer than a regular one (20-30 years). When choosing, you should pay attention to the manufacturer, steel grade, the presence of stiffeners in the firebox, and convex reliable welds.

Wood or electric?

It's already been the 21st century - and it seems that in recent years we have begun to notice this not only in the calendar, but also in how rapidly the industry is developing in all its many segments. Electric stoves logically replace conventional wood stoves, but do their advantages really seem so clear? Let's look into this issue immediately.

• basic installation;
• convenient operation;
• economical consumption of resources.

However, all electric stoves without exception have one drawback - they produce too wet steam , which is more suitable for a sauna than for a traditional Russian bath. That classic dry steam, recognizable and pleasant, can only be produced by a wood-burning stove. However, it requires proper care, and such a stove needs more or less aesthetic finishing. All this logically entails corresponding costs.

Article on the topic: How to make a picket fence with your own hands

True, if you are making a sauna with your own hands on your balcony, then such a stove is the way out of the situation.

Conclusion

The use of expensive heat-resistant steel must be justified. You should not use materials intended for the manufacture of parts of industrial structures in the manufacture of a small sauna stove.

But if a potbelly stove is used to heat a country house with a large area, in this case it is important to select a material for the stove taking into account heat resistance and resistance to exposure to aggressive environments and high temperatures.

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