Evolution Of The Sauna Heater

The sauna and the first sauna heaters wereof these choices.
invented in Finland over 2000 years ago, whenSauna heaters still use stones to heat the sauna
the Finns discovered the many health benefits ofroom, but they can be quite sophisticated in how
saunas. It was so much a part of their culturethey heat the sauna, regulate the temperature of
that Finnish emigrants took the sauna traditionthe air and the stones, and use energy as
with them wherever they went in the world,efficiently as possible. They transfer heat to your
introducing it to other countries and cultures. Sincebody by using a combination of radiant heat, heat
that time it has become extremely popular allconductive materials and air convection to
over the globe, while remaining an integral part ofcirculate both heat and moisture.
life in Finland itself.Basic Heaters
The sauna experience is revered and honored inThe most basis sauna heaters can be wall
Finland, to the point that it is viewed as a spiritual,mounted or floor mounted. In the case of a wall
almost sacred practice. It provides a number ofmounted electric heater, the thermostat is usually
health benefits, including:o Relief of musclelocated toward the bottom of the heater itself so
sorenesso Clearing of respiratory systemo Easingit does not measure air temperature within the
of discomfort from arthritiso Cleansing of bodysauna with a great deal of accuracy. A floor
toxinso Improved circulationo Relaxation andmounted heater is a bit more accurate since the
stress reliefheater is located on the floor of the sauna and
So how does a sauna generate the heat andthe thermostat is located on a wall about one
moisture necessary to make it such an enjoyablefoot (30 cm) from the ceiling.
experience? Let's take a look.While basic heaters bring a sauna up to
The First Sauna Heaterstemperature fairly quickly, they struggle a bit to
The key to any sauna is the heater, which haskeep the air and the stones at the correct
evolved tremendously since the first saunas weretemperature in some circumstances. For instance,
built into embankments in the ground. Writtenif the room is left unoccupied for an extended
records dating back to 1112 describe the firstlength of time the air might stay hot but the
saunas as using stones for heaters, with thestones themselves may cool down enough to
stones first being heated using a wood fire in awhere they can't provide enough steam for the
stone stove. This method continued to be usedroom. Other problems with maintaining proper
as the Fins progressed to above-ground saunasheating can occur if the room suddenly fills with a
built with large logs.large number of bathers after being left empty
The wood fire method of heating a sauna was afor a long time, or if traffic in and out of the
slow, smoky process. It took up to 12 hours tosauna is so frequent that the heater has trouble
bring the room up to the proper temperature andkeeping the room up to temperature.
smoke from the wood fire remained in the saunaAdvanced Heaters
itself, turning the inside black with soot. TheMore advanced sauna heaters have multiple
smoke was eventually vented through a small airphases of heating control to better control the
hole located in one of the walls so that batherssauna temperature. Some have two sets of
could at last enter the sauna and begin soaking upheating elements, one of which stays on
the benefits.continuously and the other of which kicks on
Improvements to the Sauna Heaterwhen extra heat is needed. Other heaters have
Over time, sauna heaters evolved and improvedseparate temperature controls for the stones and
as technology changed. The open wood firethe air within the sauna, so that both stay heated
eventually gave way to metal woodstoves thatproperly. There are even heaters that have
used a chimney to vent smoke to the outside.special lids and fans to help adjust and control
This type of heater still took a great deal of timeheating for a variety of common usage situations.
to properly heat a room, though, so the sauna didInfrared heaters have gained popularity in the last
not truly surge in popularity until the advent ofdecade or so as they provide a different type of
electric sauna heaters in the 1950's.sauna experience that many people prefer.
For the first time, saunas could be quickly andInfrared heating radiates warmth directly to your
easily heated using the convenience of electricityskin, much like the sun does but without the sun's
instead of the traditional wood fire. Thisharmful ultraviolet rays. Infrared heat penetrates
improvement made it easier to own and enjoy abeneath the skin up to one to two inches, which
sauna, helping to spread it even further into thecan be particularly enjoyable and helpful to arthritis
mainstream of other cultures.sufferers and others with joint and muscle pain.
Today's Sauna HeatersMany sauna traditionalists discount the use of
Today there is a wide range of sauna heatersinfrared heaters as not fully providing a true sauna
available, including electric, gas, traditionalexperience, but other sauna lovers find infrared to
wood-fired and infrared. These heaters offerbe just as or even more beneficial than a
unprecedented choice and convenience for saunatraditional set-up. The best way to find out which
enthusiasts, making it easy to put a sauna justtype of heater you prefer is to use both kinds,
about anywhere you want one. Modern heatersseveral times if possible. This will help you decide
also make it possible to enjoy your choice of awhich experience you prefer so that when you
wet sauna, a dry sauna, a steam sauna, a saunago to install your own sauna you can select the
using infrared heating elements or a combinationheating unit that will best meet your needs.