What is a sauna heating element?
A heating element is an electrical heating component in the form of a metal tube with an electrically conductive insulator. Right in the middle of the electrical insulator, there is a non-chromed conducting wire with a specific resistance to deliver the required power to the surface. Depending on the design, there are two-sided (when the output is present on both sides) and one-sided heating elements, with the connection output only on one side.
How are heating elements used in saunas?
Each sauna heating element is designed to regulate and maintain a constant temperature of a liquid or gas through convection, conductivity, and radiation. Nowadays, sauna heating elements are used in all electric sauna stoves. All sauna stove manufacturers, including Harvia, Helo, Sawo, Tylo, etc., produce their heating elements as part of the stoves and also as replacement heating elements. In electric sauna stoves, the convection principle is mainly used: cold air is drawn in from below, and hot air is discharged from the top. There are exceptions, of course: in accumulation stoves and regular sauna stoves, where the heating elements are tightly surrounded by stones on all sides, conductivity is used, such as in TYLÖ sauna stoves, where the radiation of the open electrical heating elements is used for rapid heating.
What types of heating elements exist, and how do they differ from each other?
There are many types of electrical heating elements, and it's impossible to cover the entire classification. We will discuss what we consider the most important. In electric sauna stoves, two-sided heating elements with two contact pins on both sides are used. Sauna heating elements for sauna stoves are divided into straight and slanted ones. In straight heating elements, the outputs are parallel to the turns of the coil, and in slanted ones, they are arranged perpendicular to the turns. Heating elements from different manufacturers differ in power, length, configuration, attachment, and connections. This should always be considered when selecting replacement heating elements!
How can you test the functionality of a heating element?
To test it, you can use a testing device. You need to test the heating element for a break in the line, for example, by turning the tester to resistance mode and measuring the different ends of the heating element with its contacts. If there is no signal on the tester's display, it means the heating element is defective.
How should you properly place the stones on the sauna heating elements?
The stones in your electric sauna stove must be placed in such a way that they completely cover the electric heating elements. The stones serve as protection against water entry. However, the stones should not be placed too tightly, to allow air circulation and facilitate the convection process. Proper stone placement instructions can be found in the manual for every sauna stove.
Is it allowed to pour water on the sauna heating elements? What type of water can be used?
Water should not be poured onto the heating elements! Almost all electric sauna stoves allow you to pour water onto the stones, but only warm water should be used, never cold water. Using cold water can damage the sauna heating element, and this may void the warranty for electric heating elements from Finnish manufacturers.
What is the minimum lifespan of a heating element for sauna stoves?
In average households, sauna heating elements typically last at least five years. In commercial saunas with constant sauna stove operation, the lifespan is approximately two to three years.
How can you maximize the lifespan?
It's important to use the electric sauna stove correctly, place the stones correctly, avoid water coming into contact with the heating elements, and ensure the terminals are properly connected when installing the sauna stove.
Which sauna heating elements are better: Harvia, Helo, Sawo, Tylo, or Kastor?
There is no fundamental difference between the electrical heating elements of these sauna stoves. The quality of all heating elements is at the same level. The principles and construction of the heating elements are identical, so the lifespan of the heating elements in each of these electric sauna stoves is the same.
My heating element is broken. Can I replace it myself? How do I do it?
To replace the sauna heating element, you don't need any special skills. You only need a screwdriver and pliers. All sauna stones are removed from the stove, the cover under which all controls are located is opened, the anchoring of the heating element is unscrewed, the heating element is removed, and a new one is installed in its place. If you are unsure about replacing the electric heating element yourself, consult an electrician.
How can you find the right heating element for a sauna stove?
To select an electric heating element, you need to know either the marking of the sauna stove (name and power) or the marking of the heating element (article number, name, power). Sometimes incomplete data is sufficient. It is also possible to determine which electric heating element you need by comparing the broken heating element with the available heating elements in terms of length, connection, number of windings, and so on.
Which heating elements are the easiest to find?
Most equipment from the Harvia company is delivered to Germany. Therefore, owners of commercial saunas prefer Harvia electrical heating elements because parts from this brand are much easier to obtain than for sauna stoves from other manufacturers. Currently, the most popular heating elements for Harvia Club sauna stoves are ZSP-250 (slanted) and ZSL-314 (straight). Heating elements from Helo, Sawo, Tylo, and others are also available, but they are not as popular as Harvia models.
