Whether you are using an electric sauna heater or a wood burning sauna stove, there is a difference in the amount of time it takes to heat up your sauna room. The size of your heater should be appropriate to heat the room. While wood burning sauna stoves take longer to heat than an electric heater, your sauna room should be fully operational within 30 minutes of turning it on.
There are a number of things that can affect the heat in your sauna, whether it be poor insulation of the sauna, burned out heater elements, or rocks that are packed to tightly. We’ll get into how to address under performance of your sauna in this article as well!
A brief overview of how a traditional sauna heater works
Your sauna heater will begin to heat the rocks immediately, it is not the heater itself that needs time to warm but the rocks which are located in the heater surrounding the elements. Electric heaters tend to heat up faster than a wood sauna stove because they begin to heat these rocks immediately upon turning it on. The time it takes for your sauna room to heat is simply waiting for the rocks to warm. Of course, this can vary by room size.
Of course, wood stoves will take longer to heat up and the time it takes to become ready to use may vary depending on which type of wood you’re burning, how large your sauna room is, and the size of your wood burning stove.
Our electric sauna heaters are designed to heat your sauna room in 25-35 minutes, but it can take longer for certain heaters. Use this as a general rule of thumb when allowing your sauna room to heat up prior to use. It’s always better to let your heater warm the rocks for longer periods of time than it is to get in the sauna right away and start throwing steam.
We carry a full line of both wood burning stoves and electric sauna heaters, as well as parts such as elements, control switches, etc. If you are considering upgrading your sauna heater, all of the heaters we sell come with a 5 year warranty! Give us a call at (612)505-9700 or request a quote online.
How To Use A Sauna With Rocks
If your sauna heater holds rocks, it is designed for water to be added to the top of the rocks to create a soothing steam effect. The way this works is that when your sauna heater has been given appropriate time to heat up, anywhere from 25-35 minutes, the heated rocks will vaporize the water creating an immediate steam release. If you’ve used a traditional Finnish sauna before, you have experienced this first hand.
There is truly no sauna experience like the traditional steam sauna experience.
To use your sauna with rocks, follow these steps:
- Turn the sauna on (ideally 30 minutes prior to use, but this can vary by heater quality and room size)
- Ensure the rocks are heated appropriately by adding a small amount of water to the top of the rocks
- Wait 3-5 minutes between steam events, allowing the rocks to dry prior to adding additional water
How much water can I add to my sauna stove at one time?
Depending on the total volume of rocks on your stove, you can add anywhere from 2-6 ladles of water over the top of the rocks. Adding water to rocks that have just received it will create a lessened steam effect, which doesn’t hurt the sauna heater itself but it may take longer for the rocks to re-heat.
It really is that simple, saunas are not rocket science and this practice has been utilized for hundreds of years. In our opinion, the traditional sauna heater that holds rocks is the single best type of sauna money can buy. Whether you have an outdoor sauna with a wood stove, or an indoor sauna with an electric sauna heater, these traditional saunas create a relaxing environment unlike any other.
Do I have to add water to my sauna heater rocks?
Of course not, you can utilize your sauna simply by enjoying the heat produced from your sauna heater with no water added to the rocks. With that being said, we highly encourage the use of water on the rocks of your sauna stove. It increases the amount of steam created by your sauna, which in turns create more sweat release from your body.
When Can I Add Water To My Sauna Heater Rocks?
Both wood burning stoves and electric sauna heaters can take water over the rocks to create enhanced steam in your sauna room. Not only will adding water to your sauna rocks once the heater has had a chance to warm up create a more relaxing sauna experience, it allows the user to achieve the desired results of their sauna faster. Adding water to the rocks of your sauna heater is one of the critical components of utilizing a sauna.
For the best steam result from adding water to the rocks of your sauna heater, you should wait anywhere from 15-30 minutes upon starting the sauna heater itself. A good way to test whether or not the rocks are heated is to pour a small amount of water over the rocks and gauge the result. If the rocks create steam instantly and there is minimal water dripping from the bottom of your stove, your stove has heated appropriately.
If the rocks take more than 6-8 seconds to dry and appear to remain wet, it is wise to wait a few more minutes while your rocks continue to heat. While adding more water at this point is not likely to damage the sauna heater itself, your sauna will operate more effectively if given a bit more time to heat the rocks.
The photo below shows a custom outdoor sauna we recently built with a rock tower heater. Rock tower heaters offer more rock mass, which enhances the overall steam effect in your sauna room. View more pictures of this sauna here.
How can I make my sauna room heat faster?
While the time it takes a sauna to heat up depends on several important factors such as room size, heater size, and the quality of insulation, there are a few things you can do to ensure your sauna is well heated by the time to enter the sauna itself.
One of the easiest ways to heat your sauna faster isn’t a hack at all, it’s simply planning ahead of time for when you will enter your sauna. The more time you can give your sauna to heat up, the hotter it will be when you enter. Now, this isn’t the answer you were likely looking for, so we’ll discuss a few other tips.
First, always ensure the door to your sauna is closed when you initially start the room. For the maximum temperature when you choose to enter your sauna, only keep the door open for as long as it takes you to enter the room. This will ensure that heat inside the room doesn’t escape.
The second tip is actually contrary to heating faster. This is, give your sauna a few extra minutes to heat prior to using it! Many people try to force their sauna room to heat faster by entering sooner than they typically would and adding excessive water to the sauna heater rocks. This will only prolong the heating time of your sauna. Giving your sauna an extra 5 minutes prior to entering can make a huge difference in the rock heating cycle in between adding water to the rocks.
If waiting longer doesn’t work, try one of these suggestions.
Adjust the rocks in your sauna heater
Time and time again we will go to inspect a heater that is functioning improperly, only to find the rocks are packed to tightly. If you have an electric sauna heater with rocks, the heater will not function properly if they are packed tightly. The heater needs air flow through it to properly heat the rocks and a rock mass that is too dense will take more time to heat.
That’s not to say you should remove the rocks, because you shouldn’t. Proper rock placement is critical in both performance and protection of the heater elements.
If you have noticed that your heater element is burned out and you own a Finnleo sauna heater, give us a call at (612)505-9700. We have a full inventory of most heater elements for Finnleo sauna heaters.
Check to ensure your sauna is properly vented
Recently a customer was in our showroom asking about why his sauna wasn’t heating up properly. He was only able to achieve a max temperature of 150° Fahrenheit. After some discussion, we realized that he had blocked both vents in his sauna! His assumption was that these vents were letting to much heat out, so blocking them was what should be done.
Venting in a sauna with an electric stove does more for the sauna heater than anything else. Heaters need air flow in order to function properly and these vents are specifically designed to allow the heater to properly function.
If your sauna isn’t heating up properly, give it more time, adjust the rocks, or check to ensure your sauna is properly vented. If these steps do not work, it may be time to upgrade your heater.
The last piece of advice we have on getting your sauna room to heat faster is replacing the rocks in your sauna heater. While it can take years, eventually, the rocks in your room will start to break down. Replacing the rocks in your sauna heater is a good, cost effective way to increase the rock mass in your heater, which will help the room heat faster once the heater is fully operational and warm.
Or, as the Finlanders say, chucking steam!
We hope you enjoy your sauna experience, if you have questions on anything sauna related, give us a call. We would be thrilled at any opportunity to serve you, even if it’s simply asking questions about sauna.