Home sauna fitting considerations

There are a number of factors that need to be considered when contemplating the installation of a home sauna.

Naturally space and a suitable location appear at the top of the list, however there are some other considerations that need to be given a high priority. Below you will find information concerning the services and provisions that a sauna requires and on our Sauna locations page you will find further information concerning where to locate a home sauna.

Electrical supply

Most home saunas will use an electrical power source for either, a stove style heater, or an infrared heater. This means that it will be necessary to have a suitable insulated power supply for the sauna.

Because both types of sauna heater have a comparatively high electricity demand it is necessary to have a similar electricity supply source to that required by a power shower or a steam bath. This may require some modification to the electricity supply to the sauna room and this will need to be included in the project plan. The fitting of a specific purpose electricity supply will require the services of an electrician.

Ventilation

Saunas that use infrared heaters do not heat up the air directly and therefore they generate no direct humidity or water vapour. However, traditional stove style heaters do heat up the air within the sauna and it can be advisable, in certain circumstances, to plan sauna-specific ventilation for the sauna room.

In general, a small 2, 3 or 4 person sauna room will adequately vent away any vapour or excessive humidity if the room in which it is located has an opening window. In cases where there is no window (or other form of ventilation) it can be prudent to provided an extraction fan. An extraction fan can quickly expel moist air from the room and bring the temperature back down to ambient levels. This keeps the room fresh and prevents any problems that may be associated with damp.

Gas supply

If the sauna stove is to be fuelled by gas, then a mains gas supply, with associated vent and extractor, will need to be plumbed into the room in which the sauna will be situated. This is a job for a plumber or a heating and ventilation engineer and it should not be attempted by a novice. Your country or region will have legislation that will specify who can perform this kind of work and how it should be done. In the case of some gas powered stoves a water supply may also need to be plumbed into the sauna room.

Flue

In the case of any fossil fuel burning stove (e.g. gas, wood, coal etc) it will be necessary to have an adequate flue to safely extract the gases resulting from the fuel’s combustion. As with any gas supply, this installation will required a qualified professional in the plumbing field.

In the case of all of the above it is advisable to work out the cost and feasibility of any additional installation measures prior to purchasing a sauna kit.