Home Saunas Section
Saunas Heaters
Saunas heaters choices include:
- Wood-Fired Saunas Heaters
- Electric Saunas Heaters
- Gas Saunas Heaters
- Infrared Saunas Heaters
It is all very nice to have a great looking home sauna cubicle.
The type of wood, the external finish and the workmanship are all esthetically important issues.
However, the body cannot function without its heart and saunas heaters are just as important. So what should I choose?
Firstly you need to decide on the heaters' functionality.
It is not good to buy an inexpensive wood-fired or gas heater and not be able to use it because of the fire regulations.
Once you decided on the type of the sauna heater, hunt for the price!
Be aware that the initial price is not necessary the final cost.
You may need a certified plumber or electrician to install these devices.
Certainly, gas saunas heaters do require a licensed operator for the installation.
Wood-Fired Sauna Heater
Wood-fired saunas heaters are traditional way to steam the sauna.
However, these steam saunas units are for outdoor use only.
There are indoor wood-fired saunas heaters but these products require a chimney and the council permit.
Additional measures such as insulation and insurance can further increase the cost.
Nonetheless, this is the heater which loyal sauna enthusiasts will choose to have.
Despite the hurdles, the product is not cheap.
You can expect to pay around $1000 for a good quality unit.
What's more, for larger saunas you may need to spend in excess of $1500.
Electric Saunas Heaters
Electric saunas heaters are the most popular.
They require little regulations to install, are clean to operate and easy to run.
Most housewives love these models as there is very little cleaning afterwards.
The skeptics do not like the idea of electric heater as it spoils the spiritual nature of traditional saunas.
However, these modern units have volcanic rocks for the steam effect.
In fact, you can use these saunas heaters much the same way as the wood-fired models.
The electric elements are well encased and insulated from the external environment.
Thus, there is no chance of an electric shock when using water.
Good quality electric saunas heaters cost between $900-$2000.
Your local distributor will let you know what energy output is needed for your sauna.
Gas Saunas Heaters
Gas and propane saunas heaters are much more expensive then electric models.
You can pay 2 to 3 times as much for the gas or propane heater then for their electric counterparts.
However, gas and propane models are cheaper to operate.
In fact, the cost of running these units is minimal when compared with the electricity.
Also, the time to heat up the sauna is much faster with gas models.
These saunas heaters are the must for serious sauna enthusiast who do not like infrared technology.
The gas/propane heaters are expensive. A 40K BTU gas heater costs about $3000.
The models with twice the energy output can easily reach $5000.
The cost of installation is also substantial.
You need licensed plumbers to install these devices.
Infrared Saunas Heaters
These are the most modern sauna heaters. The idea was invented in 1965 in Japan and became popular ever since. Infrared saunas heaters are cheaper then their electric counterparts. They are also virtually maintenance free. You do not need special chimneys, nor there is need for the council approval. The infrared heaters are also very cheap to run. On average the cost of using the infrared sauna is around 5-10 cents per each session. This is very little when compared with 70 cents per use of the traditional sauna models.