Sauna

[podz]

1. russian sauna is not a real sauna. come on, they wear hats because they are scared of getting their heads hot.

2. i heat my sauna to 90-95 celcius and still throw water on the stove. makes a nice, hot steam and is always guaranteed to run swmbo out of the room.

3. my nose has healed from the hot cheese liquid squirting deal. whole life of going to sauna and first time that ever happened.

4. remember that it only takes 1 finn to scare the **** out of 4 russians.

 

[lschiavo]

Had one in the house when I was up in Houghton for school. Never actually used it because electricity was expensive to a broke college kid.

MTU? Me too quite a few years back. I never had a sauna though.

All this talk of saunas has me thinking, summer is the perfect time to start building a sauna to prepare for -40 again next winter!!

I have been planning to build one in the backyard for years. Maybe this summer... I like the outbuilding plan. That is the way my grandpa did it.

Yep, sauna is a finnish word and it only means finnish-style sauna.

There are plenty of people who have built saunas outside of Finland. Probably most of them in yooper land are real saunas. The so-called "saunas" that are found in US golf courses, hotels, gyms, or other such are not real saunas. They are some adaptation of the concept.

Not one person in Finland would ever be caught be dead wearing any sort of clothes, swimming suits, or even a towel inside of a sauna. That is like a very serious blasphemy.

Cool thread. Can't believe I missed it til now. There are some nice saunas around here. Most are too fancy. My grandpa's was very plain with a cold shower. I miss it.

4. remember that it only takes 1 finn to scare the **** out of 4 russians.

Ha. I've heard that before.

 

[podz]

Ha. I've heard that before.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter_War

The most embarassing endeavor for the Soviet Union, ever. Pretty embarassing for the "allied forces" as well. Probably, if the russians were able to go to sauna without a stupid little head protector then they also wouldn't run so easily when their tiny little neighbour says "boo" ;-)

At least Putin doesn't wear that stupid hat when he goes to sauna.

 

[schmoe]

MTU? Me too quite a few years back. I never had a sauna though.

Yup I was there from 2005 to 2009.

 

[itsnotrequired]

That's another reason why I hate electric sauna heaters. One sauna evening will end up costing you between 10 and 15 euros / bucks / etc in electricity. Running an 11kW heating element at full power for 3-4 hours is not cheap (a sauna will take about 1.5 - 2 hours to heat up, then if you've got people taking turns it can easily be in use for 2-3 hours).

electricity in finland must be expensive! after taxes and fees and all that jazz, i pay about $0.11/kwh for electricity. my 8.3 kw tylo unit costs less than $1 an hour to operate...but that is only when it is initially heating. my heater has three elements and starts turning them off as the temperature rises. once up to temp, there is typically only one element on or about 2.77 kw. now it is only costing about $0.30 an hour to operate. a typical sauna session for me is three rounds (15 min each, with a 15 min cool-down between rounds) and the unit is well-enough insulated that i shut the heater off entirely during the third round. so with 45 minutes of heating (three elements on) and another hour of the heater being on (one element), i'm looking at a little over $1 for each session. sometimes it runs more when it is cold out (it is an outdoor sauna) or i'll take an extra round or two but all told, my sauna only adds about $15 a month to my electric bill. and that's with me using it about three times a week.

 

[Kharnynb]

podz get only the very best hand-polished electrons ;D

The rest of us in finland pay a lot less, I pay about 7 cents per kwh.

(then again, i have a wood sauna, so i don't pay electricity for that, except the lights )

 

[Homercidal]

podz get only the very best hand-polished electrons ;D

The rest of us in finland pay a lot less, I pay about 7 cents per kwh.

(then again, i have a wood sauna, so i don't pay electricity for that, except the lights )

Oil lamps would make make better lighting for sauna romance...

 

[Kharnynb]

I don't really think i would want to store any amounts of oil in a hot sauna.....

 

[itsnotrequired]

podz get only the very best hand-polished electrons ;D

The rest of us in finland pay a lot less, I pay about 7 cents per kwh.

(then again, i have a wood sauna, so i don't pay electricity for that, except the lights )

i debated going wood-fired when i built my sauna but opted for electric, mainly for convenience. i live in a somewhat urban environment (single-family homes, half acre lots) so it isn't like i have a big forest next to me for getting wood. i would need to buy wood and then split it, store it, etc. not much space for that and with as frequently as i use it, i would be burning through wood pretty quickly. plus it is easy for the wife to flip a switch if she wants to use it.

the other big reason was clearances. per the various woodstove manufacturer's recommended clearances to combustibles, clearance in front of the fire box, etc., my hot room would either be really cramped or i would need to go to a larger structure. electric heater had much shorter clearances.

 

[Homercidal]

I don't really think i would want to store any amounts of oil in a hot sauna.....

No problem. You keep PEOPLE in there! I doubt the oil will be affected by the heat.

 

[podz]

electricity in finland must be expensive! after taxes and fees and all that jazz, i pay about $0.11/kwh for electricity. my 8.3 kw tylo unit costs less than $1 an hour to operate...but that is only when it is initially heating. my heater has three elements and starts turning them off as the temperature rises. once up to temp, there is typically only one element on or about 2.77 kw. now it is only costing about $0.30 an hour to operate. a typical sauna session for me is three rounds (15 min each, with a 15 min cool-down between rounds) and the unit is well-enough insulated that i shut the heater off entirely during the third round. so with 45 minutes of heating (three elements on) and another hour of the heater being on (one element), i'm looking at a little over $1 for each session. sometimes it runs more when it is cold out (it is an outdoor sauna) or i'll take an extra round or two but all told, my sauna only adds about $15 a month to my electric bill. and that's with me using it about three times a week.

How small is your sauna? That small of a heater would take about 4-5 hours to heat my sauna to 90-95 celcius (194-203 f). That's the temperature range of sauna in Finland. Swedish people are a lot softer, they like the 60-70 celcius sauna

But yes, in general, electric is expensive. The kw hour might not be that expensive, but after transfer fees, connection fees, and 24% tax on the final total then it becomes pretty expensive.

I've lived in 4 places that had electric heaters in the sauna and 2 places that had wood burning stoves in the sauna. Wood burning stove beats the electric heater hands-down in terms of comfort and overall experience. In finnish I say "sähkökiuasta lähtee vihaiset löylyt" (from the electric heater, you get angry steams). Throwing water on the wood burning stove produces a much softer steam that doesn't, for example, scorch the top of my bald head ;-)

 

[podz]

Oil lamps would make make better lighting for sauna romance...

I actually have to small oil "candles" that are mounted to the wall. They are pretty cool, made of aluminum tube and with a screw cap that the wick goes through. I think they are a Swedish invention or something.

 

[lschiavo]

I actually have to small oil "candles" that are mounted to the wall. They are pretty cool, made of aluminum tube and with a screw cap that the wick goes through. I think they are a Swedish invention or something.

Yes you do but do they work well for romance? Is the question

Look at me talking. Still saunaless. My stress level is so high, I really need one. I'll take donations

 

[itsnotrequired]

How small is your sauna? That small of a heater would take about 4-5 hours to heat my sauna to 90-95 celcius (194-203 f). That's the temperature range of sauna in Finland. Swedish people are a lot softer, they like the 60-70 celcius sauna

But yes, in general, electric is expensive. The kw hour might not be that expensive, but after transfer fees, connection fees, and 24% tax on the final total then it becomes pretty expensive.

I've lived in 4 places that had electric heaters in the sauna and 2 places that had wood burning stoves in the sauna. Wood burning stove beats the electric heater hands-down in terms of comfort and overall experience. In finnish I say "sähkökiuasta lähtee vihaiset löylyt" (from the electric heater, you get angry steams). Throwing water on the wood burning stove produces a much softer steam that doesn't, for example, scorch the top of my bald head ;-)

my hot room is about 7x7x7 ft, right around 10 cubic meters. if it would take your sauna 4 or 5 hours to heat up with an 8.3 kw heater, it must either be massive or have some questionable insulation (i assume it is outdoor). even at -20 degree c, i can get my unit up to about 90 degree c in an hour. i built it with 6" walls that have r-19 insulation. floor is r-10 and ceiling is something like r-45. actual r-value is a bit higher with the foil vapor barrier. in summer, i typically have it set around 80-82 degree c but usually crank it up a bit in the winter, 85 to 90 degree c. due to the air intake below the heater, it heats up just as fast (if not faster) in the winter compared to the summer, despite it often being 20 degree c warmer in the summer compared to the winter.

agreed that wood is more authentic and has a better 'feel' but it just wasn't in the cards for me.

 

[Homercidal]

Yes you do but do they work well for romance? Is the question

Look at me talking. Still saunaless. My stress level is so high, I really need one. I'll take donations

You should start a gofundme. Say that people can help save your life.

 

[Pappers_]

Getting to the be the time of year where I should consider visiting the sauna again. Men sitting around in towels, throwing cold water about and sweating - ahhhh.

 

[Homercidal]

Getting to the be the time of year where I should consider visiting the sauna again. Men sitting around in towels, throwing cold water about and sweating - ahhhh.

OoohhhKaaaaayyyy...





Seriously, I do love a good sauna. Did I ever tell you guys about that time back when I was a teenager and I almost got laid in a sauna at a local pool? Man was I naive back then!

 

[DrunkleJon]

OoohhhKaaaaayyyy...





Seriously, I do love a good sauna. Did I ever tell you guys about that time back when I was a teenager and I almost got laid in a sauna at a local pool? Man was I naive back then!

As they say almost only counts in horse shoes and hand grenades. If I actually got laid for every time I almost got laid, I would get laid a lot more.

 

[JB_Brewing2]

1. russian sauna is not a real sauna. come on, they wear hats because they are scared of getting their heads hot.

Lived in Russia for a while and never saw anyone wear a hat into the banya. All but the one electric banya I visited had stones on top of the wood fired stove and we used birch branches with leaves to stimulate circulation. Water was periodically tossed on the rocks to create steam and there usually was at least three different levels of benches. This way one could regulate the stratified heat experience by moving up or down on the benches. Never drank beer in the banya for safety reasons but always drank beer after exiting. Never wore clothing either inside the banya.

I spent some time in Helsinki too and loved it. The Finns and the Russians are great people with a mixed history.

Not trying to offend any of our Finnish colleagues as humor permeates both sides of the border in Karelia.

Russian anecdote:
"A smart Finn, a dumb Finn, Santa Claus, and an environmentally responsible Russian spotted a one hundred dollar bill laying on the sidewalk.

Which one got to keep it?

The dumb Finn. The other three are fictional."


Finnish joke:
A large group of Russian soldiers in the border area in 1939 are moving down a road when they hear a voice call from behind a small hill: "One Finnish soldier is better than ten Russian". The Russian commander quickly orders 10 of his best men over the hill where upon a gun-battle breaks out and continues for a few minutes, then silence. The voice once again calls out: "One Finn is better than one hundred Russian." Furious, the Russian commander sends his next best 100 troops over the hill and instantly a huge gun fight commences. After 10 minutes of battle, again Silence. The calm Finnish voice calls out again: "One Finn is better than one thousand Russians from: The enraged Russian commander musters 1000 fighters and sends them to the other side of the hill. Rifle fire, machine guns, grenades, rockets and cannon fire ring out as a terrible battle is fought... Then silence. Eventually one badly wounded Russian fighter crawls back over the hill and with his dying words tells his commander, "Don't send any more men...it's a trap. There's two of them."

 

[guidz]

I go to sauna every week. Built it inside my house and its best room there.
Nothing is better for recharging for work week.

Hi to all neghbours from finland. You know, what is the true sauna

 

[podz]

Getting to the be the time of year where I should consider visiting the sauna again. Men sitting around in towels, throwing cold water about and sweating - ahhhh.

Throwing cold water onto hot stones is seriously risky.

 

[podz]

my hot room is about 7x7x7 ft, right around 10 cubic meters. if it would take your sauna 4 or 5 hours to heat up with an 8.3 kw heater, it must either be massive or have some questionable insulation (i assume it is outdoor).

It is indoors, and the size is approximately 34m3. So, about 3 and a half times the size of yours.

Also, in Finland we do not hermetically seal our saunas - there is a opening at the bottom of the door about as tall as your hand to allow oxygen to flow in and out.

Plus, I live in a 60 year old house ;-)

 

[Pappers_]

Throwing cold water onto hot stones is seriously risky.

No one throws cold water on hot stones - we throw cold water on our hot selves. And sometimes we jump into the cold pool.

 

[itsnotrequired]

It is indoors, and the size is approximately 34m3. So, about 3 and a half times the size of yours.

Also, in Finland we do not hermetically seal our saunas - there is a opening at the bottom of the door about as tall as your hand to allow oxygen to flow in and out.

Plus, I live in a 60 year old house ;-)

wow, that's huge! sounds like something you would see in a hotel or health club. how many people can it comfortably seat?

my unit is also vented, sorry if i gave the impression it was super-tight. it is very well insulated but does have fresh air venting. there is about a 120 cm2 opening right below the heater, that draws in fresh air from the adjacent changing room. i then have a damper on the corner opposite the heater, with a chase below the top bench that leads to the changing room, for return air.

 

[podz]

wow, that's huge! sounds like something you would see in a hotel or health club. how many people can it comfortably seat?

A few months ago, we had 8 people in there. No problem.

 

[Kharnynb]

ours fits 4 if everyone wants to be on the top bench, otherwise maybe 6

 

[EtchyLives]

This brings me back to where I grew up. A lot of my friends and neighbors were Finns who had real Saunas. After I left the area I realized that normal American saunas are nowhere near as good as the ones I grew up in. Also, people in the rest of the country look at me funny when I pronounce the word "sauna" correctly.

Also, I don't know if it's a traditionally Finnish thing to do, but when we were kids we would heat up in the sauna and then run outside and roll around in the snow to cool off. -20°F and the snow felt like a cool spring rain.

Some day I'll build my own Sauna. I'll probably grab plans from the company (Finnleo) who built the saunas in the area where I grew up.

 

[itsnotrequired]

This brings me back to where I grew up. A lot of my friends and neighbors were Finns who had real Saunas. After I left the area I realized that normal American saunas are nowhere near as good as the ones I grew up in. Also, people in the rest of the country look at me funny when I pronounce the word "sauna" correctly.

Also, I don't know if it's a traditionally Finnish thing to do, but when we were kids we would heat up in the sauna and then run outside and roll around in the snow to cool off. -20°F and the snow felt like a cool spring rain.

Some day I'll build my own Sauna. I'll probably grab plans from the company (Finnleo) who built the saunas in the area where I grew up.

whereabouts did you grow up?

jumping in the snow is the best. a total rush to go from a 200 degree f hot room to a snowbank in 0 degree f weather. the initial shock is intense but the best is when you hop out of the snow and it is stuck to your sweaty body. then your internal heat melts it off a few seconds later, washing away all the sweat and oils and worries. another few minutes standing in the cold with a delicious brew and it is back into the heat!

 

[EtchyLives]

Cokato, Minnesota. About an hour west of Minneapolis.

 

[itsnotrequired]

Cokato, Minnesota. About an hour west of Minneapolis.

cool. there's a pretty boss wood sauna stove manufacturer in tower, kuuma stoves.