How and what is better to heat the bath: useful information

Steaming without first kindling is a pointless idea. We do not consider options when gas or electric models are used, everything is extremely simple here. It is quite a different matter when a wood-burning structure is used. To melt it properly, you need to know some tricks. It is not enough just to set fire to the wood, if you do everything in a simple way, you should not be surprised that the room cannot achieve the desired temperature level. Today we will look at how and with what kind of wood it is better to heat the stove in the bath.

Sauna stove device

Metal structures are very popular, because they are quite compact, they very quickly heat the air in the room and consume less fuel during operation.

The design itself includes three main components:

Compartment for the firebox. Here the combustion process takes place directly.
Stove - it is filled with cobblestones, which heat up from the metal walls. There is also a hole for water supply.
Liquid heating tank.

There are many different variations of stoves on the market, but most of them are arranged in a similar way. If you are just choosing the ideal option, pay attention to the products. We have prepared reliable, high quality products for you at an affordable price. We are also engaged in the implementation of various bath accessories.

Brick lining of the stove in the bath

To increase the heat transfer time from a metal stove, you can brick such a stove. It is not necessary to completely brick up the metal stove, turning it into a kind of firebox. It will be enough to overlay it with bricks on two or three sides, leaving holes for free convection of air currents.

Also, as mentioned above, you can use a brick shield in conjunction with a cast iron or steel sauna stove, through which flue gases will pass before entering the chimney.

A softer and more stable heat comes from a brick oven in a bath. With the help of a brick shield and brick walls, it is possible to obtain heat comparable in quality from a steel stove.

If you add a concrete sole at least 15-20 centimeters thick to the base of the stove, then you will get an additional battery, which will first be saturated with heat from the steel stove, and then will give it to the space of the steam room.

The better to heat the bath: types of fuel

The most suitable option is ordinary firewood. Here are some of their advantages:

able to generate enough heat;
allow you to achieve long-term and uniform combustion, which contributes to high-quality heating of the room to the required temperature;
are not explosive;
are quite cheap.

All kinds of wood processing products can also be used. As an example, pellets are pre-compressed granular sawdust.
It is impossible to use coal, everything is connected with the peculiarities of combustion of this type of fuel. It gives off all the heat quickly enough, after which it begins to smolder slowly. For an ordinary house, this option is ideal, but in the case of a steam room, it is not at all suitable.

It should be noted that it is wood that is ideal for the stove. Obviously, the question immediately arises here, and what kind of firewood for a bath is the best. Let's consider this nuance in more detail.

Important component # 3 - correct combustion algorithm

We construct a "seed" from 4 small, approximately identical logs, chips, shavings and paper

On the grate, parallel to each other, lay out two logs at a distance of 10-15 cm.Between them is a crumpled sheet of paper, which we cover with chips or shavings. Completing the "seed" are two more logs laid out obliquely on top.

We set fire to the "seed"

With a match or a kitchen lighter, set fire to a piece of paper in the "seed". You cannot use flammable liquids to accelerate the ignition: gasoline, diesel fuel, kerosene, xylene, acetone, etc. If the wood is damp and does not ignite, you can use a dry alcohol tablet. We are waiting for the characteristic noise of the flame to appear in the furnace, close the firebox door and cover the blower (not completely).

Putting firewood in the oven

The "seed", of course, will not be enough to light up the furnace. Therefore, to continue burning from time to time you will have to put firewood. The first time this is done 10-15 minutes after igniting the "seed". We open the door of the firebox, level out with a poker all that remains of the "seed" and put firewood about 2/3 of the volume of the furnace.

In the future, a new portion of firewood is laid when the old one burns out - about once every 1-1.5 hours.

Finishing the heating of the bath

In winter, the bath is heated for at least 5-6 hours, in summer it is faster - on average 3-4 hours. When the bath is heated to the required temperature, the furnace can be finished. We wait until the last batch of firewood burns out, open the firebox door and check if there are bluish flames above the coals - signs of carbon monoxide. If everything is in order, blew, close the smoke damper and firebox completely.

After all that has been done, we open the doors of the steam room and the window so that the bath is ventilated. It takes 15 minutes for the bath to be filled with fresh air. After that, we close everything except the vents. The bath should be infused for about two hours. Do not be afraid, during this time it will not have time to stand, but the heat will become soft, even, the steam will be light. Then we close the window and proceed to the bath procedures.

What types of wood are used most often

It should be understood that different types of wood material are characterized by their density and heat dissipation readings. These indicators directly affect how much fuel is needed in order to achieve the required temperature level. We will consider the trees that grow in Russia. The hornbeam generates the most heat, the poplar least of all. As a result, very little of the first type will be needed, and an impressive amount of the second.

Obviously, hornbeam does not grow everywhere, so sometimes you will have to replace it with what can be found in your area. In this case, one must take into account the fact that far from the first tree that comes across is suitable. Alder and birch are more common than others. They burn excellently, and what is important, they emit aromatic essential oils when heated. Pine trees are also ubiquitous, but the problem is that when they burn, tar is released, which will clog the chimney.

The choice of wood is important, but you still need to figure out how to properly heat the bath with wood. We will also dwell on this topic in detail below.

Best viewed as fuel, the following options are:

Hornbeam is ideal. It burns for a very long time and produces very little smoke.
Acacia - characterized by the fact that it allows you to maintain a constant level of heat in the firebox.
Linden - it is not very dense in structure, therefore it burns quickly without leaving behind hot coals.
Oak is a great option, it fills the room with a pleasant aroma while burning, and gives off enough heat. The cost of such firewood is high, however, they can be stored for a very long time and do not change their qualities.
Birch - quickly and evenly flares up, releases substances into the air that allow you to clean the steam room from harmful microorganisms. It is better to use those logs that were harvested recently.Keep track of the amount of firewood thrown into the stove; with abundant smoke, tar begins to stand out, which clogs the chimney.
Pine or spruce. They should be used as a last resort, when there is no other material corny. The resin contaminates the walls of the smoke exhaust pipe fairly quickly. Understanding what kind of wood you cannot heat the bath with, this option is the first on the list.

After you have decided on a specific type of fuel, it remains only to learn how to properly harvest it. Of course, this option is more relevant for those who prefer not to buy ready-made logs.

What kind of wood is better to heat the bathhouse: the choice of wood species

In order for a beginner to navigate the variety of types of logs, you need to find out the main characteristics of a tree: how it behaves during combustion and what kind of evaporation it emits.

There are several basic types of logs that are available to the attendant.

Aspen

The advantage of this wood is light, fragrant steam and ease of cleaning the chimney after the procedure is completed. But the room does not warm up very much and soon cools down.

Spruce

The juicy oily log cabins of such logs abundantly emit resin when burning, because of this, the steam room becomes filled with a thick aromatic heat. Light steam lovers have prejudices about using softwood to light the stove. Therefore, beginners are often interested in whether it is possible to heat a bathhouse with the same pine tree. By the way, this is a real heavy artillery among the types of fuel, because such wood burns for a long time and evenly, leaving a large amount of smoldering coals. They help keep the room warm for a very long time.

Photo from the site https://extremal.mirtesen.ru

Alder

Experienced people believe that this is ideal in many ways. They do not smoke the chimney, it is easy to breathe with fumes from them, it flares up quickly enough, but it keeps the heat for a long time.

Birch tree

Burning logs from a young trunk produces a lot of heat. The best option for large steam rooms. But the tree emits a lot of resins, therefore, professionals rarely use birch firewood for a bath as the main material for kindling, but they are happy to add a few logs to the stove later.

Oak

This noble breed is suitable for a long "day of purity". As oak brooms are good for bath procedures, so are logs. They burn for a long time, evenly heating the steam room and maintaining a healing heat for a long time. Oak has a wound healing and antiseptic effect, is good in the fight against colds.

Maple

Can a sauna be heated with maple? Not only is it possible, but this choice will be almost the best. Maple is a hardwood tree with a high calorific value. A steam room heated on maple logs will keep warm for a long time.

Photo from the site https://prosaratov.com

Pine

Can the sauna be heated with pine wood? Again, if you are not afraid of tar fumes, then you can take a chance. But be careful, because these logs do not smolder slowly, but crackle and "throw" sparks.

Firewood harvesting rules

After choosing the optimal breed, you need to find the right time to collect it. As practice shows, it is preferable to do this in the period from February to March. The fact is that it is at this time of the year that the fibers are still frozen; accordingly, it will be quite easy to split the trunk. To determine the very moment, you can hit the wood with the back of the ax: when a sonorous sound is heard, everything is perfect, but if a dull rumble responds, the material began to rot from the inside.

Another important point to pay attention to is the number of branches. The more of them, the more difficult it will be to dry the wood.Obviously, you will not find a tree without knots in the forest at all, but you need to try to find such options where there are the fewest of them.

If you have a good chainsaw in stock, it is easier to purchase whole logs and cut them yourself later. This approach will save money.

If you buy firewood, you should pay attention to the following features:

The moisture content of the purchased material. It should be at a level not higher than 20%, then the wood will ignite quickly and flare up evenly.
Uniformity. Make sure that the supplied quantity contains only the breed of your choice without other impurities.

If the preparation of the material was carried out independently in the winter, it is better to dry it for about six months. After complete drying, it can be used in business. We will talk about how to light a bath correctly further.

What kind of firewood is better for a bath: choosing the best way to heat the stove in a bath

In order for the bath to become not only a place for ordinary washing, but also a kind of home "medical institution" where strength and health are gained, from time immemorial firewood was chosen for its heating, which has a fragrant tart aroma of forest and various resins.

What kind of firewood is better for a bath

What kind of firewood is better for a bathhouse to choose so that they create just such an atmosphere in the premises, our ancestors knew well. Moreover, when storing fuel, they never forgot various folk signs and tried to clearly follow their wisdom.

Signs and traditions associated with wood for a bath

Harvesting firewood for a bath has certain folk traditions.

Only men prepared firewood for the winter. The months of March-April were considered lumbering time, but only before the massive snow melt, although the best period can still be called the winter months, when sap flow has not yet begun in the trees. They also cut firewood in the summer, but such blanks required a longer drying time.
Traditionally, the time for harvesting firewood ended on October 22 - this is the day of the keeper of the woodcutters St. Jacob.
Firewood was collected early in the morning. It was believed that life would be richer and warmer for the one who cut down a tree earlier than others.
In some villages, they collectively went out to prepare firewood for the stove and for the bath, filling the woodmen of all houses in turn, including those where there were no men.
It was impossible to procure fuel on major holidays and on Sundays, as well as after the sun went down.
In the old days, it was considered a bad omen to stack firewood on the threshold of a bathhouse or at home, as this can lead to various diseases and even death.
Firewood for the bathhouse was harvested only for the growing moon, because it was noticed that the logs cut down for the full moon quickly deteriorate and do not bring health.
For firewood, especially for a bath, it was forbidden to cut aspen and mountain ash, cherry, elderberry and wild rose, as well as trees that were hit by lightning or felled during a hurricane. It was believed that this is an unkind sign for the residents of the house where such fuel is used, so everyone tried to prepare firewood on their own so as not to bring misfortune to the house.
The woodsheds were considered a place where evil spirits were found, therefore, they never went to them, as well as to the bathhouse, at night.
For newlyweds, the stove was heated with cedar and pine wood, as this wood gives a favorable aroma and vigor, and also adds health.
A fire in a sauna stove is able to predict the weather for the near future. For example, if firewood smokes, hisses and does not light up well, it means that warming will soon come. Firewood, burning with a crack, speaks of the approaching frost.

The best firewood for a sauna stove

Today, alas, few people observe old traditions and rules, but one thing remains unchanged - firewood should give a good and long heat. Therefore, they try to choose wood with a high density, but in order for it to quickly flare up, lighter varieties are added to it.

Firewood for a bath should have increased heat transfer

In addition to the type of wood, it is necessary to pay attention to its quality, since old rotten wood is unlikely to give a fragrant spirit and a hotly heated steam room. Fumes from such wood can even be harmful to health. Therefore, only fresh, well-dried firewood that has been in the woodshed for no more than two years is chosen for the bath.

However, it must be remembered that all the aromas of the forest can be felt only if the stove is heated "in black" or the stove is heated with an open fire. Such stoves of periodic heating are typical for a real Russian bath and have a therapeutic effect to the maximum extent. About the device of such sauna stoves can be read in a special article on our portal.

However, sauna stoves are often designed in such a way that the stones do not come into contact with the heat from the burning wood, and the natural aromas of the wood do not get into the steam room. Therefore, in these cases, herbal decoctions, tree branches with leaves or spruce branches prepared in advance are used for healing. From firewood in such a bath, only good heat is required to quickly heat the steam room.

To keep the heat in the stove longer, it is recommended to open the firebox door less often, which means that you need to immediately put as much firewood in it as possible.

For a sauna, in which the steam room is heated from another room, and only the heater heated by a closed fire comes out into the washing room, you can use different types of wood with a high density of the fiber structure.

Such firewood, when burned, turns into coals, which, smoldering, give off heat for a long time. Such woods include hardwoods such as ash and oak, birch and alder, and light woods are used as an additive for quick kindling of the stove.

To make the right choice, you need to consider the characteristics of different types of wood.

Softwood for firewood

For a sauna stove, you can use conifers, but you need to remember that they contain an increased concentration of resins, which, not completely burning, create layers of soot in the chimney.

Coniferous wood cannot be attributed to the optimal choice for a bath

If the stove is heated with an open fire, then the conifers, not letting smoke into the room, enrich it with the aroma of pine needles. Coniferous wood fumes are able to cleanse the respiratory system from accumulated mucus, help in their cure, normalize the nervous system and improve the general condition of a person.

Due to the large amount of oils and resins, coniferous firewood burns out rather quickly, therefore, if you use only them for heating a bath, you will have to store this firewood in large quantities. This mainly applies to pine and spruce firewood.

Other conifers, such as larch and cedar, are denser and less resinous. They burn much longer, but they ignite poorly, so they need to be fired up with dry light wood, for example, aspen or linden.

Deciduous wood for heating a bath

Such firewood is most often used for heating sauna stoves, since some of them are just perfect for this process.

Birch firewood

Dry birch firewood is a traditional sauna fuel. In addition, everyone knows that birch brooms are used for the steam room. Using them in combination contributes to the creation of a favorable atmosphere in the steam room - it is the birch that gives it a light healing steam. In addition, birch firewood has a disinfecting property, therefore it is recommended to use it for heating the stove with an open fire.

Birch firewood is always popular

Birch logs retain their useful properties for bath use for two years, after which it is also possible to heat them, but the firewood will no longer give the proper effect for healing.

Often, birch firewood is kindled with its own bark, which contains birch tar in its composition, which contributes to the intensity of combustion. Birch torches are also used to ignite dense heavy rocks. It is not for nothing that birch has become the most popular wood for a bath - having all the above properties, it also gives excellent heat transfer, surpassing many other firewood in this indicator.

Oak firewood

Oak firewood is perhaps the best of all the existing baths for heating. Although they have a high cost, they still remain quite economical. You need much less oak logs than any other wood to heat a sauna with high quality, as they burn for a long time due to their very dense fiber structure. When burning, this fuel gives a high heat transfer, which is even higher than that of birch.

Oak firewood is good for everyone, but not always available

When choosing oak firewood, you should pay attention to the age of the tree - too thick logs with a large number of annual rings indicate the old age of the wood, which will not give the desired effect in a bath. Young trees are not suitable for this either, so you need to choose logs of medium thickness, which will give the highest heat transfer.

The healing steam with a tart aroma emanating from a burning oak tree creates a healing and invigorating atmosphere, which is especially beneficial for the child's body.

Linden firewood

This type of firewood is also great for a sauna. It takes a long time to light up a linden tree, but if the flame has gone, then this wood burns evenly and intensely, which helps to quickly and efficiently heat the sauna stove.

Linden wood has a good healing effect

The linden blossom and its bark are used to treat colds and coughs, and decoctions are made from these parts of the tree with the addition of honey to create a healing steam bath. By using firewood, color and bark in combination, you can truly create a healthy steam room atmosphere. In addition to colds and lung diseases, lime vapor works well on lesions or skin lesions that do not heal for a long time.

However, linden cannot be harvested in large quantities, since it is recommended to store it for no more than two years - then the wood simply loses its healing effect.

Alder firewood

Alder firewood will not only heat up the hot sauna stove, but also decorate the courtyard or dressing room with its appearance. They are recognizable precisely by their cut color, which ranges from bright red to rich ocher and even blue. In total, there are 20 to 25 varieties of alder, each with its own shade.

Alder wood gives out a completely unusual cut color

The advantage of this wood is that it dries quickly and does not require special conditions for drying. For firewood, alder trees are usually taken, which grow far from water bodies and on hills - it is these trunks that do not have an excess of moisture and are perfect for a firebox.

Alder is stored for a limited period of time, no more than three years after the harvesting of wood. Only during this period do alder logs have that completely unique aroma that fills the steam room when the heater is heated. It was this type of wood that was previously used for a black bath, since it almost does not smoke when burning, but gives a great heat transfer.

Alder has one more remarkable quality. When burning, it, together with the smoke, gives off special vapors that cleanse the pipe from soot deposits.

Fragrant alder sawdust is always used, which is poured into the brazier when preparing barbecue, and is also used for smoking products.

Aspen firewood

This wood, in its properties, would seem to be close to alder, and its smoke can also carry out loosening and cleaning work in chimneys. Pure smoke from aspen has always contributed to its use for the heating of a "black" bath.However, when burning, this wood has a very low heat transfer, therefore it is rarely used for stoking even home stoves, and even more so for heating a sauna heater.

It is unprofitable to use aspen firewood for a bath - heat transfer is low

Therefore, it is mainly used only for preventive cleaning of chimney pipes and in the form of splinters for lighting firewood from heavy dense wood.

Firewood from fruit trees

The wood of some fruit species is similar in its properties to oak, but, unfortunately, it is not available in large quantities on sale. Therefore, it is mainly used for cooking on an open fire and smoking meat and fish products.

The firewood of fruit trees is best left for cooking.

If possible, this wood is stored for future use when cutting orchards that occupy large areas. However, it must be said that old trees, in which the decomposition process has already started, often loses its aroma and gives little heat.

Poplar and willow firewood

It is not recommended to buy firewood of these species for heating a bath, as it takes too much to reach the desired temperature in the room. They burn out quickly, have low heat transfer. The cost of poplar and willow firewood is quite low, but you should not be tempted by a low price. It will still not be possible to save money, because only a very large amount of such firewood can replace a much smaller volume of oak or alder wood. In addition, no pronounced medicinal qualities are found either.

It is possible to use poplar or willow wood for a bath only when there is no other choice.

So, such firewood can be bought only in cases where there is no alternative to them.

Prices for different types of firewood

Firewood

How to properly store firewood?

It is not enough to purchase high-quality firewood - you must definitely know how to properly preserve them in a state suitable for bath use for as long as possible. Any wood must be properly prepared before storing it, as well as the place for it.

Video: what kind of firewood can be considered "correct"

The place for bath fuel should be located in the immediate vicinity of the bath, or better - even under the same roof with it. It is recommended to do this so that the firewood is at hand during the fire.

Convenient if the woodshed is located directly next to the bathhouse

If the tree has recently been cut down for firewood, which means it is still damp, you need to give it time to dry out. The wood brought in in early spring should lie in a space free for air circulation all summer long, and only closer to autumn it can be sawed and chopped into logs.
In order for dried firewood to remain in this state all the time, you need to take the following steps:

- for storage, you need to build a woodshed that would be ventilated from all sides and have a reliable wide roof;

- this building is installed in a place where water does not collect and moisture vapor does not accumulate, that is, if possible, on a hill;

- if the woodshed is not built, the poles can be folded in neat rows, but in such a way that they are well ventilated, and covered with slate or other waterproof material on top.

When laying logs, it is necessary to ensure free passage of air between them.

It should be borne in mind that winter firewood dries much faster than spring or summer firewood. For the latter, it is necessary to allow time for drying, at least eight months. In addition, it is necessary to take into account the weather conditions under which the wood will dry.

After the firewood has been dried, sawn and chopped, it should lie in the open air for a while in bulk. Then they must be folded correctly.

If the firewood is stacked on the street, it is imperative to lay trellises under it, which are long pipes, tree trunks of small diameter or bricks. They are needed so that the wood does not lie on the ground and does not absorb moisture from it.
On the sides of the future woodpile, vertical trellises from pipes are installed, which will support the laying of firewood from the sides.
If the woodpile consists of two or more vertical rows, then each subsequent row is installed with a slight slope to the previous one.
Sometimes the woods are not laid in straight rows, but in various interesting shapes, which become a decoration of the territory of the site. For example, these include such forms as "haystack" or "house", "pyramid" or "mushroom".

Video: an original way of folding a woodpile in the form of a "stack"

So that you can quickly and easily heat the stove in the bath, while getting a healing and disinfecting aromatic steam from it, you need to be very careful about the choice of firewood, prepare them well and store them correctly. And for this you need to understand at least a little about the specific characteristics of various types of wood.

How to store the kindling material

It is a bad idea to simply leave wood on the grass in a heap, as it will become damp and moldy. It is quite convenient to stack the logs next to the wall of the house in such a way that the roof canopy protects them from any weather conditions. The problem is that not everyone wants to clutter up the facade, especially when there is a lot of material.

The easiest and most effective way is to build a small shed or a so-called firebox. As an example, it is created as follows. Bricks are selected and placed in two rows at a distance of 600 mm from each other, a boardwalk is laid above and below. Actually, such a stand is used for storage. Additionally, the structure can be reinforced with transverse wooden posts or made of a kind of walls. In order to ensure good ventilation, it is preferable to lay the floor not solid, but to leave small gaps between the boards.

The correct kindling of your sauna is a guarantee of the benefits of wellness procedures

To start the firebox of a bath, you need to clean it up well. We do not want to say that everyone leaves a mess after themselves.

In the bath, as in the auxiliary and non-residential premises, a lot of things are left for storage, therefore, putting things in order means removing from the premises all that is unnecessary and not related to bath procedures.

Check the floors of the room for wood chips left over from the wood after the last visit to the steam room. The chips themselves do not get in the way, but they can cause injury.

Make sure there is no soap residue on the floor. Water, when it gets on the soapy place, turns it into a skating rink.

Heating the stove is a whole art, and for many of us, a ritual. Let's take a closer look at how to properly heat the bath.

Clean the stove, ash chamber and grate before placing firewood in the firebox. This is necessary to provide air access to the combustion fuel. It is worth noting that burning worsens the moisture content of the wood, in order to avoid this, they must be dried.

It is necessary to lay firewood with gaps and so that there is at least 20 cm to the top of the firebox. You cannot heat with painted wood, bitumen, tar paper and plastic. Do not overheat the stove: cracks may appear in the casing. When there is no bluish-blue flame in the firebox above the formed coals, and this is a sign of the combustion of CO2 (carbon monoxide) or, as it is also called, carbon monoxide, the procedure can be considered complete. After a few minutes, close all flaps and doors tightly.

We offer you to familiarize yourself with: Bath with gazebo and barbecue

One of the main tips on how to heat a sauna in order not to get poisoned by carbon monoxide: do not light the stove late at night.If it works for you on coal (anthracite), install the valve in such a way that it closes loosely and there is a gap of at least 1-1.5 cm.

First, the stove is fired with small firewood. Then coal is poured onto them, 5-6 cm thick. After the coal is completely ignited, its layer is brought to 15 cm. But no more, otherwise the fuel costs will be uneconomical.

After the firebox is complete, scoop up the remaining coals onto the grate. There they will be well blown out by the air flow coming from the blower.

When the grate is missing, the coal is scooped up to the stove outlet. If gas formation in the firebox is abundant, then a flame outburst may occur.

As a rule, this happens when they try to ignite the stove with a flammable liquid (kerosene, gasoline, etc.). A critical concentration of gas can provoke an explosion that can not only destroy the stove, but also cause a fire.

Advice from the master!

Another recommendation on how to properly heat the bath, which is worth remembering. It is undesirable to load the firebox with new portions of fuel, especially fine-grained fuel, covering the entire hot under the heaters. It will only "languish", while releasing a large number of volatile substances and not flaring up, as it should, due to the absence of a flame, as well as a decrease in temperature.

The concentration of gases will jump sharply, and at the first manifestation of fire, an explosion may occur. Because of this, the fuel of fine fractions must be loaded into the stove in small portions, thereby allowing it to flare up gradually.

How to properly heat a sauna with a metal stove with wood

A little practice is enough to master the art of professionally lighting a steam room stove. All that is required of you is to strictly follow the instructions provided.

The process begins with preparation. It is necessary to put things in order, remove any items that will not be involved in the process of receiving procedures. Next comes the stage called fire. Each stove has its own characteristics, therefore, the principle of the approach will differ.

If you violate the rules of kindling, quite serious consequences can arise: from the formation of too heavy steam and ending with heatstroke or, even worse, fire.

Checking and preparing the main elements

First of all, we pay attention to the stones. They should be rinsed to remove soot. Then we turn to the boiler for water. If you have it, then it should never be empty. Even in those cases when at the time of being in the steam room it will not be used by anyone. An empty boiler may not withstand high heat and burst. Questions about whether it is possible to heat a bath without water after this information should not arise.

In the process of taking procedures, regularly check the fluid level, if it becomes critically low, raise it. This will not only take care of the safety of the entire structure, but also ensure your safety while you are inside the steam room.

Next, we check the traction. We close the doors that go into the room and release the firebox, blower and smoke exhaust valves. To understand if oxygen is going to the furnace, you just need to light a match and bring it closer to the channel of the structure for ignition. Just watch the flame move, it will react instantly when there is normal thrust.

How to heat a wood-fired sauna

Prepare small chips, which can be obtained by splitting non-thin small pieces of one log. Place them in the firebox on pre-lined newsprint or small wood chips to be set on fire. Then we close the door and wait a few minutes. Remember not to use any flammable liquids. Already after a short period of time, you will hear the characteristic sound of a flame.

Loading firewood

After the fire has appeared, you need to open the firebox and lay it down with wood.It is important not to do it too tightly. Carefully, leaving small gaps, lay out the logs at a short distance from the door.

It usually takes about 3 hours to light up the bathhouse - in warm weather and about 6 hours with the beginning of the first cold snaps. It should be understood that these indicators are changeable, it all depends on the volume of the water tank, the number of stones, what kind of stove you are using. Warming is one of the main factors in the preparation of a steam room! Employee at VÖHRINGER

It is worth discarding any alternative fuels, garbage or other waste. Most of them release hazardous substances at the moment of ignition. Accordingly, no one wants to breathe this.

Preparing the stove for the firebox

Before heating the bath, it is necessary to carry out measures to prepare the stove. Preparatory measures include:

thorough cleaning of the grate and ash chamber. The grate and blower must be carefully cleaned from the remaining coals and ash;
treatment of stones with clean water;
checking the cleanliness and serviceability of the chimney.

Caution: The chimney of the stove must be fully passable to avoid the build-up of life-threatening carbon monoxide.

You can check the draft in the chimney with a candle flame. To begin with, you need to open the smoke damper in the chimney, as well as the blower and firebox doors. After that, you should bring a lighted match to the firebox. Observe the direction of the flame. So, if the flame is drawn into the chimney, then the permeability of the smoke is ensured.

If the flame does not move, there is a danger of the chimney clogging, which leads to a decrease in draft. In this case, the owner of the stove must ensure a preliminary cleaning of the chimney.

Summing up

Within the framework of this article, we talked in detail about how to light a bathhouse and what kind of firewood is better to heat it, considered all the features of this process. Now you just have to prepare a sufficient amount of material and properly prepare the heating device for operation. If you have any additional questions, you can always ask the specialists at the time of purchasing the oven. You will be explained in detail about all the intricacies of the device of a particular model and will show you how to make the product last as long as possible. Modern metal structures are made with high quality, it is enough only to comply with basic rules such as timely cleaning of the furnace from ash, regular inspection of the chimney and adherence to operating techniques.

Please note that this article is for informational purposes only and under no circumstances is a public offer determined by the provisions of Article 437 (2) of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation.

Choosing firewood

The firewood and the stove are the pillars on which a good sauna stands. And, if an unusable stove can only be broken in order to rebuild it, then the unusable firewood can always be replaced. What kind of firewood should be avoided.

“Yes, we don’t need this kind of hockey!” Exclaimed the legendary sports commentator Nikolai Ozerov, when Canadian professionals furiously began to beat Soviet amateurs. Any self-respecting stoker has the right to utter the exact same phrase when he sees such firewood, before kindling a bath:

Railway sleepers. When dismantling and repairing railway tracks, a lot of gratuitous firewood often appears, which compatriots, greedy for gratis, are happy to drag them to their native land. Sleepers, poles and other elements of the production landscape are treated with protective compounds that prevent them from rotting. Burning them in a furnace leads to the sublimation of such substances and products of their combustion into the inner atmosphere of the steam room, which is very fraught. Even deaths were recorded;
Boards with traces of paintwork. The reason is the same;
Wood with traces of destruction by fungi, the so-called rotten wood. In this case, it will not work to swallow chemical muck, however, there will be little benefit from heating with such raw materials. Wood that has been destroyed by fungi and parasites loses much in calorie content and it is better to use good firewood than to heat the stove with dust, albeit free.

Due to a number of features, the following types of wood are not quite suitable:

Spruce is a low-calorie fuel. With an equal volume of burnt raw materials, less heat is emitted. Due to the high resin content, a large amount of soot is emitted during combustion;
Pine - Gives a high, light, but low temperature flame. They burn out quickly, retain heat poorly. The tendency to fire coals, which requires increased attention, in order to avoid ignition in the furnace chamber. To a lesser extent, but also clogs chimneys with soot and resinous deposits;
Poplar and aspen are light firewood, giving a long flame that burns through chimneys well, but low in calories and poorly retaining heat. With constant use for the heating of the furnace, the wood of conifers must necessarily be used to clean the chimneys in a natural way, by the force of the flame.

We suggest that you familiarize yourself with How to steam in a sauna correctly, the benefits and harms of procedures, the frequency of visits

What we need

This includes firewood of the highest quality category. It is with such people that it is most pleasant to decide how to properly flood the bath:

Alder - "royal" firewood. Produces a dense, clean, stable flame. Fully high-calorie wood, quite acceptable in terms of labor costs for manual preparation of firewood;
Oak and ash are very valuable woods, which give a characteristic and peculiar spicy aroma when burned. High-calorie firewood that perfectly retains heat. They burn out long enough and evenly. Oak pricks well along the grain giving standard size dies. They are expensive due to the value of wood. It is possible to use woodworking waste;
Birch is probably the best option for solving the problem of how to heat a bath. They provide high-calorie and high-quality fuel raw materials. When using wood waste, birch bark should be used with caution, due to the increased release of volatile resins deposited on the walls of the chimneys. With a relative cheapness and availability, a real classic of the genre in the stoking business;
Fruit firewood - like any other hardwood, it produces high-quality firewood, which, among other things, is distinguished by its subtle spicy aroma when burned. Expensive enough. In addition, some tree species are distinguished by high strength and knottyness, which makes harvesting firewood in significant volumes quite a fun process in all respects.

Putting firewood in the oven

The heating of a bath involves such an inevitable stage as throwing up firewood, but here, too, not everything is so simple.

Depending on the dryness of the fuel and on its amount, the process of firing up and warming up the stove takes from 5 to 15 minutes.

After this time, we open the door of the combustion chamber, level the coals on the grate with a poker and add a portion of the material for the furnace, but of the required length and thickness.

The logs should be thrown as close as possible to the combustion door and away from the chimney. After this portion of fuel has burned out, the procedure is repeated.

The heating of a bath, depending on the structure of the building, takes about 2-5 hours.

In order for the bath to gain temperature faster, do not water the stones. The resulting steam will not give the desired effect when heating a bath. Light sprinkling of stones can be used already when taking bath procedures.

At this time, you need to monitor the water level in the boiler and, as necessary, toss firewood into the firebox. In addition, you need to have time to steam the brooms. This must be done right in the steam room, when the air temperature has exceeded 60C⁰.

How to light the oven

To light the stove you will need: four thin, even woods, birch bark, crumpled newspaper, wood chips, matches. First, you need to build a mini-fire in the furnace of the sauna stove, it should not be located deeply, above the first cracks of the blower.

To do this, put two logs in parallel on the grate, the distance between them should be no more than the palm of your hand. Between the logs we lay crumpled paper or birch bark, sprinkle on top with a small pile of chips.

On top of the resulting structure, place the remaining two logs obliquely. The gap between them should not be too small, remember, fire loves air! This kind of well made of logs will be the beginning of the fiery dance.

Now take the matches and set fire to the paper, wait until it starts to fire, do not immediately close the firebox door, you just need to cover it a little. In the bath pipe, due to pressure drops, it often turns out something like an airlock, so the necessary draft from the pipe is not enough for the fire and the slightly open door supplies it with the necessary air.

After a few minutes, the sauna pipe breaks through with fire and the thrust increases, you can close the door more and listen carefully to the characteristic humming, crackling sounds of the flame. If they calmed down after a while, it means that the process of kindling the furnace ended unsuccessfully and you need to start all over again ...