Any One Got! Or preferably Built their own Sauna?

tim_wand

Theres so much hot air on here, there must be some experience in either owning or building a sauna.

Having set up the Turbo and a Treadmill in me out buildings I ve realised that I actually love sweating!

A few quick google searches have convinced me that If I batten off , damp proof , Insulate and Clad a square section of one of my outbuildings, this shouldn't be too hard?

My worries are, One Ventilation. And Two best heat sources, I would like a wood burner and have thought of fashioning one out of an Old Calor Cylinder, but the thought of a naked flame near so much wood in an Indoor space is obviously a concern.

Sauna Heaters can be bought for around a £100 , but how much electricity would a 6Kw heater consume, I don't want massive leccy bills.

Please feel free to chip in with your thoughts/ experiences, Either useful or Piss taking.

pblakeney

Isn't Google wonderful?

http://www.instructables.com/id/Wood-Burning-Sauna-DIY/

No personal experience though.

sungod

ok, strictly in the latter category, "but how much electricity would a 6Kw heater consume, I don't want massive leccy bills."

er, well that's 6kW, so for an hour, 6kW hours, typically aka 6 units per hour, may as well call it a quid per hour all in

having mastered the use of a single digit number, for my next trick i shall attempt the challenge of integer addition, without a safety net!

tim_wand

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19758560#p19758560]sungod[/url] wrote:

ok, strictly in the latter category, "but how much electricity would a 6Kw heater consume, I don't want massive leccy bills."

er, well that's 6kW, so for an hour, 6kW hours, typically aka 6 units per hour, may as well call it a quid per hour all in

having mastered the use of a single digit number, for my next trick i shall attempt the challenge of integer addition, without a safety net!

Cheers SG , I forgot that electricity consumption is measure in KW/h's . Looks like some late night Economy 7 heat for me

lesfirth

A lot of readers of the OPspost will also wonder how much electricity a 6kw heater uses. A greater number are falling about laughing at such a question. Lbs make their money from the former.

sungod

energy cost of gas is typically cheaper than electricity, albeit with potential for an explosive outcome rather than an electrifying one

though passing well over 25A through old cabling might also be interesting (and could waste a lot of energy if the run is long)

check the cost of cabling vs. gas pipe, if you're using it often enough it'll be more economic to use gas

tim_wand

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19758580#p19758580]lesfirth[/url] wrote:

A lot of readers of the OPspost will also wonder how much electricity a 6kw heater uses. A greater number are falling about laughing at such a question. Lbs make their money from the former.

I don't mind being considered an Idiot by not realising a 6KW appliance uses 6Kw of Electricity , I suppose if Id have stood back from the question I would have worked it out for myself. But as for being over charged in LBS , That hasn't happened since I bought my last Penny Farthing.

straas

My dad built one, essentially thick stud walls with decent insulation and tongue in groove on either side of the wall, benches inside at two heights then a sauna heater.

Used ducting through the stud for ventilation, gets up to about 80 centigrade in 30 mins or so.

The 6kw heaters don't use 6kw throughout, they generally have a couple of elements and once the desired temperature is achieved there's generally only one element on, but about a quid a go is a good guide.

I'd say he put it all together for under £600.

orraloon

Outbuildings (lucky non gender specific person) implies a long run of electric feed cable. Suggest you need to think about putting in a new mega cable feed to support the 6kw sauna heaters plus the other electrical odds n sods.

I used some spare armoured cable to feed my barn (yip, lucky non gender specific person me) but sparkies who later rewired my house did not like the run length vs cross section. Only use lights and odd sockets plus MCB-ed down for protection so get away with, no worries.

northcliff66

Its a lot easier and cheaper to add a steam generator to a shower room and turn it into a steam room. Gets hot very quickly and you sweat just as much.

In winter I phone home about 30 minutes away when on a long cold ride. Straight in there when I arrive. With a cold beer (for recovery purposes of course) if it is a Sunday. Awesome.