Good maintenance of the heater is key
As the heater forms the heart of your sauna and is responsible for creating the heat itself, it is important to take good care of it. In general, heaters are low maintenance, though a few things are good to keep in mind. The heater stones should be checked and changed at regular intervals. Well-kept stones that are stacked the right way ensure that the sauna heats quickly, stays warm evenly, and protects the heater elements. The stones should be rearranged once a year and worn-out stones replaced with new ones to ensure the best and energy-efficient sauna experience.
When rearranging the stones, check the heater elements as well. If they look damaged or bent, consider changing them to ensure the best energy efficiency. The stones should be rearranged evenly and sparsely to make sure air can flow between the stones.
Read more about Harvia's sauna stones here.
Heat well and go in as soon as its ready
It is important to let the sauna heat up properly and let it reach the desired temperature before going in or throwing water on the stones. If once in the sauna, you need to throw lots of water on the rocks for the sauna to be hot enough, it hasn’t heated up enough. This may lead to a shorter product life due to excess water in the heater.
It is equally important to not let the sauna sit idly after it is warm enough, as it is creating unnecessary energy costs. A good way to keep energy consumption at bay is to heat the sauna in one go for the whole family and go in the sauna as soon as the sauna is ready.
This is also where the MyHarvia application comes in handy! With the application, you can have the sauna ready whenever you want to and follow as it heats up. This way you can have it ready when you come home from your adventures and not have to wait or sit in a cold sauna.
Read more about MyHarvia here.
Healing effect already in 15-20 minutes
In terms of the various health benefits going to the sauna can have, 15-20 minutes are enough for them to apply and have an effect. You’ll also warm up nicely at this time.
To keep the sauna session as energy efficient as possible, refrain from opening doors or windows too often, as it releases a lot of heat in an instant. If the sauna has a drying vent, it should be closed for the duration of the sauna session.
Adjust the temperature in sauna
An easy way to reduce energy consumption is to lower the sauna temperature slightly. Generally, good sauna baths can be obtained at around 70 °C.
In most cases, the heat produced during sauna heating remains inside the building. If you use ventilation heat recovery or you have exhaust air with heat pump technology in use, most of the heat remains for use for heating the building.
Let the sauna dry afterwards
Towards the end of your sauna session of the day, make sure your heater is still warm enough for the heat to dry the sauna. This will prevent moisture buildups in the structures. Heaters with a large amount of stones can be turned off before you’re done with the sauna as the stones retain enough heat to dry the room. With smaller heaters, it’s advisable to keep the heater on until you’re done throwing water on the rocks. You can still enjoy the heat after this but refrain from throwing water at this point to keep excess water and moisture staying in the heater and sauna.
