Sauna Electrical Requirements: What You Need to Know Before Installation
Saunas have become a necessity in many homes due to their therapeutic benefits. So, if you've decided to install a 3-person traditional sauna for your home, you need to leverage the maximum benefits and opportunities. You'll surely have relaxing sauna healing sessions with sufficient firewood, electricity, and the best heater. Depending on which sauna heater you choose (wood-burning or electric) you'll need electrical hookups or a wood source as well as a bit of water for your steam therapy tool to function properly.
This guide will look at everything you need to know about traditional sauna electrical requirements.
The Difference Between Sauna Heater Types
A sauna heater is the nerve of the traditional steam sauna. It provides the comforting heat and sufficient steam for a relaxing sauna session. As mentioned earlier, traditional style sauna heaters can either be wood-burning or electric. Both heat your sauna in the same way, by warming the stones which then disperse the heat throughout the sauna. How they are powered is where they differ.
Wood Burning Heater
Many sauna enthusiasts prefer the wood-burning heater as they enjoy the atmosphere of a flickering fire and the aroma. You'll need firewood for this type of sauna heater as well as a chimney kit. Although it may be more of a challenge to control the temperature of your sauna, it'll become easier as you continue using it.
Electric Sauna Heater
While wood-burning heaters are a popular choice, so are electric sauna heaters. That is because they tend to be quite convenient once they’re set up: you can turn them on with a flick of a switch and easily control the temperature.
An electric sauna heater uses electricity to heat the elements creating the heat required in a sauna. The electric heater requires 220 volts to heat the sauna stones, but it depends on the type of sauna you install. With an electric heater, it's recommended that you hire a qualified electrician for the wiring process. A licensed professional will ensure that they follow the National Electrical Code for new electrical connections added.
Below are the electrical requirements for the different sauna types:
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Infrared sauna: 110/120 Volts
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Traditional sauna with a wood-burning heater: 110/120 V for lighting and outlets – or none if you don't require extra lighting.
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Traditional sauna with an electric heater: 220/240 V
Does My Sauna Need a Dedicated Circuit?
For most homeowners, electrical appliances are a source of concern. So, to function properly and ensure your electrical sauna doesn't trip a breaker, it's important to have a dedicated circuit. Depending on the type, or if you have large sauna heater to heat a large space, it is advisable and safer to use a dedicated circuit for your sauna.
How Many Amps Does a Sauna Use?
If you're looking to install a sauna in your home, you probably want to know its power consumption. It will have a different current draw depending on the sauna type you want to install, inside or outside of your home. For instance, a small portable infrared sauna has a different power consumption than a 6-person traditional sauna.
To better understand, a current is measured in amps and is the amount of electricity a sauna needs to operate. Voltage measures how fast the electricity is provided. Therefore, all saunas have different amps amounts that vary by manufacturer, model, and more. Generally, the most common traditional saunas using electrical heaters usually use around 15-20 amps. Traditional saunas using a wood-burning heater use 30-50 amps, and infrared models use 15-20 amps.
When adding a sauna to your home, you must ensure the sauna meets the above requirements. Regardless of the sauna type you're installing, whether it is indoor or outdoor, a licensed electrician will wire it to its circuit breaker in the electric panel. This is to ensure it meets the National Electrical Code to avoid the frequent tripping of the circuit breaker and other potential safety concerns.
Therefore, before purchasing a home sauna kit, confirm the available capacity in your electrical panel. Most homes, especially newer ones, have over 50 amp capacities to wire a new sauna. However, some older homes have only 60 amps for the entire home. As such, you'll need to check your electrical capacity before purchasing and installing a home sauna.
Don't fret if your home doesn't have enough power capacity! You can still upgrade your electrical panel to raise the capacity in your home.
Are Saunas Expensive to Run?
Let's face it! Your home sauna will use a lot of power to produce the heat you enjoy. While they use extra power, they only incrementally affect your electricity bill, which you'll hardly notice at the end of the month. Most traditional 3-4 person saunas usually cost around $4 to $6 monthly to operate 2-3 times a week. Although they're not "free to use," they're substantially less expensive than paying for a health or spa club membership.
Wiring an Electric Sauna Heater
Wiring an electric sauna heater should only be done by a licensed electrician. If you don't have any experience running new electrical connections, it's imperative to get professional help. These are small jobs and are usually affordable to hire out. And you can rest asssured that the National Electrical Code is followed and everything is done correctly and safely.
If you decide to take on the wiring as a weekend DIY project, follow your local and NEC codes. Refer to the manual of the specific sauna electric heater for the correct instructions.
Below are the steps to wire an electric sauna heater:
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Install a circuit breaker in the breaker box (40-50 amps). Carefully read the sauna heater’s accompanying manual for the correct heater capacity and should rarely be a GFI breaker
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Run a cable of a suitable gauge/diameter to your sauna's back wall
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Axe the cable in the sauna to a circuit protector or a disconnect box
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Connect the electrical wires from the disconnect box to a junction box for the heater.
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Wire the cable from the electrical heater to the junction box. Seal the hole around the entry of the cable.
Wi-Fi Powered Sauna Stoves
A new age of Wi-Fi-powered heaters has arrived! These feature Wi-Fi-connected controllers that allow you to control your sauna from any smart device anywhere. You could be commuting home from work while setting the sauna at the right temperature so it is perfect when you arrive.
Some of the major brands with this option are HUUM and Harvia’s Xenio Wi-Fi Remote Kit. This technology has revolutionized home ownership and experience, with many homeowners using the new design and technology.
The HUUM Wi-Fi powered stoves comes with a Wi-Fi connection via a mobile application. HUUM branded stoves in particular have stunning heaters reflecting the predecessor wood-burning saunas we've known for ages. Besides being an amazing work of art (see images below), a Wi Fi controlled HUUM Sauna stove delivers a superior heat and steam and works like the typical electric sauna. They also have a large stone capacity that allows users to generate more steam for a more intense sauna experience.
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The HUUM Electric Sauna Heaters that we carry include the Hive, Drop, and Hive Mini. All available with power ratings between 3.5kW to 18kW. This means you can get the best heater for your sauna bathing experience, whether for a large health club facility or vacation rental or your small personal home sauna.
The Wi-Fi connectivity allows you to connect to a smart device such as a smartphone or UKU sauna control. This allows you to set the ventilation, heating, temperature, and time remotely from anywhere. This saves you time and ensures that your home sauna is at optimal temperature for when you get home.
Don't Want to Deal with Traditional Sauna Electrical Requirements?
Suppose you prefer the old-school style saunas that don't need electricity. In that case, you can go for the wood-burning stoves for their authentic experience. They're the least expensive sauna option and come with an unforgettable nostalgic ambiance. Wood burning stoves has a soul-warming scent that adds to the relaxing benefits of your home sauna.
Wood-burning stoves don't run on electricity, meaning you don't need an electrician to wire it for 220V. However, there's a trade-off where you'll need to install a vent or a chimney. Another downside is that it's challenging to control your sauna's temperature. Usually, wooden sauna stoves take longer to heat up from a cold start.
In some areas, wood is not cheap, and if you're in a major city without a nearby forest, softwood can cost up to $300/cord, and hardwood can go up to $600/cord.
Summary
The right type of sauna entirely depends on you. Maybe you want an electric sauna's fast and convenient properties or prefer the traditional experience of a wood-burning sauna stove. With either option, you'll find that a home sauna will help you and your family escape everyday stresses and leave you relaxed and at peace. Let's look at the benefits of each type:
Benefits of Electric Heated Sauna Stoves
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Cleaner and easier to maintain
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Easier to install as there's no chimney stack needed
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Easy to use: You just run the programming device or flip a switch
Benefits of Wood-Heated Sauna Stoves
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More radiant heat for better steam production
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Promotes the ambience of the outdoors
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Provides an authentic way to heat up a sauna
For the best sauna experience, it's crucial to understand how it operates and what you need. Go for a heating source that works best for your specific needs. Choose which one fits your lifestyle best and will allow you to escape the day-to-day stresses, leaving you refreshed and relaxed.
If you are unsure of the ideal heating source or want to learn more about traditional sauna electrical requirements, browse our electric heater collections or contact us – we would be happy to answer any questions you may have and help you find the best sauna heater for you.
Let customers speak for us
I haven't even built this sauna yet (Rainelle), but I have to give an ENORMOUS shoutout to Adora and especially KELLY for their help on this one. This was a big purchase for us, and these ladies went way out of their way to make it work out for us. The first sauna that showed up was badly damaged in shipping, and from what it sounds like - that is not typical. At all. So Kelly helped us to get it squared away, and it took what could have been a horrible customer experience into a fantastic one. Give this woman a raise!
We really like our sauna! Quality of the sauna seems decent. The quality of the accessories was not! The back recliner was all busted up out of the box.
My wife and I would occasionally sit in the sauna at our gym after a workout. It was hot but a little gross. I can't tell you how many times we bailed on the gym sauna session because someone else was playing their phone too loud, someone was breathing like they were gasping for air, someone decided to be shirtless in public, someone is weird or any number of other reasons. Loved the sauna feeling but HATED the gym sauna.
We bought a sauna for our home and installed it in our basement to escape the gym sauna experience. We absolutely love it! We sauna daily. Without the angst and frustration of hoping to avoid an awkward gross experience at the gym sauna.
If you are considering a sauna purchase, spend a little extra and get the WIFI enabled heater. This is the best way to make sure you get the benefit of owning a sauna. The app on our phone is easy to use. Just click the on/off button on the app and set your temperature to your desire. I like 171. My wife likes 153. Once it hits the temperature, the app will let you know. You can even turn on your sauna while you are on the way home from the gym. The WIFI version and the app make all the difference in usability and enjoyment of your investment. If we did not have the app and the WIFI version, we probably would probably skip 2/3 of the sessions we currently take.
The sauna is well made. Wood quality is excellent. Very few knots and blemishes. Hillsboro Almost Heaven saunas are a great choice for quality components, solid electronics, easy to use controls and an enjoyable sauna experience.
This is a standard kit sauna. I made several modifications but I am very satisfied with it so far. I have a few shingles left to install tomorrow and then will move onto to interior. MSW has been easy to work with and I recommend them.
I really love this sauna. I use it about four times a week to help me wind down before bed and calm my ego. Customer service at MySaunaWorld was great.
Assembly took me roughly 8–10 hours total over two days, and I’m not a particularly handy person. The step by step instructions video was straightforward and easy to follow.
I paired the sauna with the HUUM Drop 9 heater (the largest HUUM Drop), and it performs very well. I hired an electrician to install it (about $900 extra). It easily heats the sauna to 190°F plus. I personally like it around 180°F, which it reaches in about an hour. Also, you can pour water over the hot rocks to make the air hotter and steamier. Make sure to mount it low so that it can heat everything above it. (I mounted mine 6” from the ground to the base of the heater.) I love that I can start heating the sauna from my iPhone, even when I’m not on my home Wi-Fi.
I got the double-bench configuration going across the back of the sauna which lets two people lay down. The area around the lower bench is cooler which is nice to have different temperature seating options.
The sauna looks fantastic, smells great, and feels solid. I would recommend this sauna to a friend.
We love our new Almost Heaven Pinnacle barrel sauna!
Delivery was perfect, the assembly was a breeze, and the sauna fits perfectly in our space.
The only regret we have is not to have made this purchase 10 years ago!
I had been thinking about installing a sauna for quite some time. I kept going back and forth between framing one in or a prefab that I assemble. I spent several weeks going over the various websites looking at designs for both and writing out the pros/cons for each. After much deliberation, I reached out to My Sauna World to purchase an Almost Heaven Greyson.
It came way sooner than expected which was a good thing, so I had to arrange for my electrician. I assembled it very easily, with my wife holding just one panel, and then I ran into a problem. The last wall was short. It took a lot of head scratching and measuring and remeasuring as well as back and forth communication with both My Sauna World and Almost Heaven. It turned out that I had been sent 2 glass panels that were the same dimension when the 2 glass panels are actually designed with different dimensions. The new panel was sent out without question, and the rest of the assembly went easy.
I will say that the folks at My Sauna World were extremely responsive and did a great job as liaison back to the manufacturer.
Overall, I had a really positive experience, and we are very happy with the Greyson with the Harvia Spirit 8kW stove.
We also have the duckboard flooring (that is a must) sitting on top of the concrete floor. The back and leg rest are also recommended.
Note: this is advertised as a 3-4 person but in reality it is a good 2 person. And lastly, I grew up with sauna my whole life, starting with my grandpa’s wood burning sauna. This non insulated Greyson type will not get up to the same temperatures, but it does get the job done. Very pleased with the product and do recommend (to frame one in my self and buy a pre-cut kit would have cost a few thousand more overall)
Their customer service is refreshing in a world where most companies fail miserably with service. They should teach customer service to other companies and government agencies. We have only tested the actual product to make sure it works, but along the way, we had multiple questions and the replies were quick and helpful. The sauna was easy to assemble.
Frankly, I was stunned at the quality of this product. Equally stunning is how easily everything fits together. It’s well and I’m looking to an improved lifestyle.
Back rests are a nice size and fit perfectly in my Lugano 3-person sauna. They are very comfortable (especially considering they are wood) and make sitting in the sauna an even more pleasant experience. To think that they were added in free to my purchase of the sauna is hard to believe. Very pleased with customer service from My Sauna World.com !
Well built, good quality, reliable, and matches my barrel sauna very well
I purchased this since it was significantly more affordable than from the brands website. It arrived quickly and is function perfect. It's easy to install and looks great. I had issues with water leaking into the sauna before that used to annoy me. Now it stays completely dry and the wood also is protected from damage and weathering.
The best Sauna ever, and the quickest delivery, 100% recommend !!!!
Works exactly as advertised. Easy install and perfect coverage. Highly recommend.
Very good customer service. My sauna came as expected.