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Sauna Ventilation System
How to Install a Sauna Ventilation System
An efficient sauna ventilation system is an important
component of a properly working home sauna. Whether you operate your sauna
as a wet steam room or you use dry, infrared heat, you should ventilate the
area with a system that allows several complete air changes every hour.
All wet and dry home saunas require some sort of
ventilation to bring fresh air into the sauna. A simple but efficient system
is to leave an open space at the bottom of the entrance door. Since hot air
rises and cold air stays near the floor, you won’t feel the draft as you sit
on one of the benches. A crack of anywhere from ¼” to several inches will
provide sufficient ventilation to recycle the air for a comfortable sauna
session.
A better system to ventilate wet and dry saunas is to provide an opening in
the wall just behind the sauna room heater.
This intake vent should be located several inches above the floor to provide
the fresh air supply. The outlet should be located on the opposite wall
close to the ceiling. This opening will remove the used air from the home
sauna, thus ensuring several complete air changes and efficient ventilation.
Proper ventilation is also an important safety consideration. The extreme
heat found in both wet and dry home saunas can result in hot floors, walls,
ceiling and benches without an air exchange system. Builders say to avoid
mechanical air exchange methods as the forced air tends to dry out the wall
panels and turns them into a potential fire hazard.
Another important aspect of a properly installed ventilation system is to
discharge the spent air into the same room from which it was taken. In other
words, do not discharge the used air to the outside. This obviously only
applies to indoor wet and dry saunas. If you decide to build your home sauna
from a precut sauna kit, the
manufacturer will provide instructions on
how to build the sauna and the
ventilating system.
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