My personal rating of the best sauna stoves of 2013

For many centuries in a row, bathhouses were built in almost every farmstead, stoves were invented and perfected. Taking into account the experience of all previous generations of steam lovers, Samara has put the best models of stoves into production. There are not many reviews yet, but all that exist are positive. The only drawback that was noted is that the stove does not look the most attractive. But if you are going to cover the stove with brick, then in principle, what difference does it make what it looks like?

Products

Gas stoves for saunas Heat

These units are produced for heating rooms of different sizes, can be made with different wall thicknesses of the combustion chamber, differ in weight, type of GGU (gas burner device) and cost. Appearance and drawing of the stove in the photo.

Sauna stove "Heat" running on gas

MalyutkaGaz is the smallest representative of this series of sauna stoves. It is designed for heating steam rooms from 4 to 12 m3 and is equipped with an automatic SABK-9 gas generator with a power of 15 kW. Its weight is small - 52 kg, dimensions WxDxH 400x725x575 mm, firebox wall thickness 5 mm. An open heater that can hold 100 kg of stones.

Design of the gas sauna stove “Zhara”

The StandardGas and SuperGas models are designed for heating steam rooms from 10 to 24 m3 and are equipped with a more powerful 30 kW SABK-10 gas turbine unit. The mass of the units is 92 and 124 kg, respectively. Their technical characteristics are presented in the table.

Attention ! The combustion process of all Zhara gas heating units is carried out only from the adjacent room (from the dressing room or washing room).

Gas stoves are additionally equipped with a chimney and water tanks with a volume of 50, 73 and 90 liters. It is very important to choose the right volume of the water tank, since its small capacity will not provide all visitors with hot water, and a tank that is too large will take a long time to heat up. There are reviews from customers who have encountered this problem.

Advice! When choosing a water tank, proceed not only from the required volume of water, but also from the power of the heating unit. It is important to understand whether it is capable of heating this volume simultaneously with the room? According to all standards, no more than 10% of the furnace power should be spent on heating water. In addition, it is more convenient to heat water in small portions: first you need a small amount to steam a broom, later to wash yourself before entering the steam room, then some more to rinse after entering the steam room. Based on the maximum consumption at a time, you need to choose the volume of the tank, and not calculate the total amount of water that may be needed for the entire bath procedure.

Technical characteristics of gas sauna stoves “Zhara”

What to drown with

A heat sauna stove requires the correct choice of fuel, since this determines how long it will work, what the heat transfer and efficiency will be. It is recommended to burn with dry logs up to 100 mm thick and 50 to 100 mm long.

Before placing firewood in the firebox, you need to light the chamber. The following types of materials are suitable for this:

• Shavings
• crumpled paper
• Split logs
• Birch bark

The kindling material should fill the chamber only halfway so that the water in the tank boils gradually. Before lighting a fire, you need to check that there is water in the water tank, filling the container two-thirds full.

For kindling, do not use flammable mixtures such as acetone, gasoline, or solvent.

Wood stoves

Sauna units operating on solid fuel differ in the following indicators:

• the depth of the firebox chamber is from 400 to 750 mm, based on its size, the length of the firewood is determined;
• firebox thickness - models with a reinforced arch are designated “U”, with a thinner “E”;
• type of organization of the combustion process - stoves heated from the dressing room or from the street are equipped with a combustion chamber with a depth of 200, 250 or 350 mm.

  
  “Zhara” stoves do not have the most attractive appearance, but are very reliable and economical

We present to your attention an overview of the technical characteristics of stoves heated from a dressing room or steam room.

The smallest of this series are “Zhara-Extra” and “Zhara-Malyutka”, they are designed for a steam room volume of 4–16 m3, and have a weight of 35–64 kg. The thickness of the firebox wall is 5–9 mm, depending on the model. “Malyutkau” can be equipped with an external firebox. The stoves have an open heater that can hold from 35 to 96 kg of stones, and are the cheapest of all offered by the company.

“Zhara-Standard” were developed for steam rooms with a volume of 14 to 32 m3, have a firebox wall thickness of 6.5–8 mm and a weight of 80–112 kg. They are also available in standard configurations and with an external firebox.

The Zhara-Super stove is the largest of the wood-burning stoves from this manufacturer. It is designed for heating steam rooms from 20 to 40 m3. It can accommodate 148 kg, the firebox wall thickness is 10 mm.

Material

The furnace firebox is made of structural steel grades Steel 10 and Steel 20. The thermal conductivity of these steels is two and a half times higher than the thermal conductivity of stainless steels used in the manufacture of furnaces by other manufacturers.

The most thermally loaded parts of the firebox have a combined metal thickness of up to 14 mm . Inside the reinforced firebox there are specialized replaceable plates and a cast iron grate. These elements can be changed as needed, which will extend the service life of coal-fired stoves up to 10 years!

Fire door and grate made of cast iron.

How to choose

You should choose a wood-burning stove based on the preferred option for organizing the combustion process:

• if you will heat it from a steam room, then it is better to give preference to a model with an enlarged heater without an external combustion tunnel;
• in the case of laying firewood from an adjacent room - stoves with a protrusion-tunnel, determining its size by the type of bricklaying - 125, 200 and 250 mm (for laying ½ brick, “in a block” or “in a brick”).

  
  Diagram of the “Heat” stove with an external firebox

• To heat a bathhouse from the street, you need to choose units with a combustion chamber.

  
  Diagram of the “Heat” stove with an extended combustion chamber for loading fuel from the street

Table 3: Technical characteristics of Zhara stoves equipped with a combustion chamber for heating from the street or dressing room

When choosing, it is also important to take into account that the thicker the wall of the combustion chamber, the longer the service life of the stove and the longer the factory warranty period. For example, for bath stoves with a combustion chamber wall thickness of 4–6 mm, the factory warranty period is 1 year, 8 mm — 3 years, 10–12 mm — 5 years.

Additional equipment

Wood-burning sauna stoves Zhara are additionally equipped with water tanks with a volume of 20 to 100 liters with various installation options:

• on a pipe (samovar type) - the tank is installed on the smoke duct or on the stove, which makes it easy to remove;
• mounted on the back or side wall of the oven. In the first option, the tank is more tightly adjacent to the furnace body, heating the water faster;

  
  “Zhara” stoves are equipped at the customer’s request with different types of water tanks

• remote with a heat exchanger - the tank is installed at a distance from the unit.

What types of water tanks are there, what are their advantages and disadvantages, read the article “Sauna stoves with a water tank. Which ones are better?!”

In addition, a chimney, a heat exchanger, protective screens, a closed heater, a glass door made of heat-resistant glass, a protective coating made of heat-resistant paint and various accessories for the bath are additionally purchased. The grate (cast iron in some models) is supplied free of charge.

History of the company's development

The main activity of the Zhara company is the production of metal sauna stoves. The company is located in the city of Tolyatti and is a dynamically developing production facility.

The modern facilities of the enterprise allow us to produce competitive equipment for saunas and baths. The use of advanced technologies and the latest welding equipment guarantees the production of only high-quality products.

The company is ready for a constructive dialogue with the consumer and therefore one of its areas of activity is the manufacture of products for individual orders. All sauna stoves under the Zhara brand are required to undergo testing to ensure trouble-free operation over a long period of time.

The company employs highly qualified specialists who have considerable experience in designing furnaces, which allows them to constantly improve the samples they produce.

Installation Features

There are some specifics for installing Heat stoves (gas and wood):

Installation diagram of Zhara stoves

1. If the floor where the stove is installed is made of flammable materials, then protection should be installed with a metal sheet over a 10-mm layer of asbestos cardboard so that the edges of the metal protrude 250 mm around the perimeter. The distance from the floor to the bottom of the stove should be 100 mm; it is recommended to use a foundation laid in a quarter of a brick.
2. To protect the hot metal body from the intense heat, a protective screen made of brick or other fire-resistant material is installed around the stove. The brick screen is made in ½ or ¼ brick at a distance of 40–50 mm from the furnace body; in its lower part, air passages are arranged in increments of 250 mm. To lay a protective convection screen made of brick, it is better to use oven bricks, and prepare the mortar from sand and red clay.
3. The partition between adjacent rooms into which the heating unit is installed, in the immediate vicinity of the stove on the left, right and top must be made of fireproof materials of at least 500 mm. Read more in the article “How to install a metal stove for a bath.”
4. The chimney must be at least five meters high. Plan a straight option for its placement with a minimum number of knees.

Warning! The manufacturer categorically does not recommend making the connections between the stove and the chimney and the water tank non-separable. This is necessary to prevent fires and ease dismantling.

Features and operating experience (from owner reviews)

According to the information posted on the official website of the manufacturer, the advantages of Zhara stoves are:

• Long service life of units up to 20 years. This is achieved due to the cylindrical shape of the combustion chamber and the reinforced arch of the firebox. According to reviews from the owners, the Zhara stove has been used without any complaints for many years. Opinions often positively note the quality of welds, which affects the durability of the structure.
• The heat transfer of the stove is 2 times greater compared to analogues of other stainless steel sauna stoves. This was achieved through the use of durable carbon steel ST 20, which has the best thermal conductivity, in the manufacture of the firebox.
• The spiral chimney eliminates the direct flow of hot gases; their movement is directed along the heater like a snake. Thus, the heating of the stones is enhanced and fuel savings are ensured. According to the manufacturer, the steam room can be heated to 100 °C in an hour or even less, provided that the room is properly insulated. Experience in operating Heat stoves shows that the steam room actually heats up quickly: in the summer in 30 minutes, and in the winter in 2-3 hours.
• The dismountable design of the damper assembly allows for convenient cleaning of the chimney.
• Various ways to attach a water tank - remote, on the back wall, on a pipe. The tanks are easy to install and detach, which allows you to take into account the characteristics of specific rooms. According to owner reviews, the design of the tank allows you to add water without disconnecting it from the stove. It is also noted that the water in the tank remains warm the next day.
• The combination of a simple and original design and high heat transfer provides the best combination of price and quality, which is invariably noted by the owners.

  
  Air flow pattern

Along with the above advantages, the operating experience of Zhara stoves shows some shortcomings, namely:

• Fragile coloring. Additionally, when ordering a protective coating for the stove and pipe assembly, some customers were faced with the fact that the paint simply peeled off.
• Not the best appearance is also indicated in reviews, but some stove owners lined it with brick and the problem disappeared.
• There is no online payment service on the manufacturer’s website; you can purchase goods only by paying a bank account.

Of course, Zhara sauna stoves may not have an elegant appearance, but as operating experience and reviews show, the products of this brand are of excellent quality. There are some disadvantages, but they are not critical and are easily covered by the low price.

Product cost

Purchasing equipment always involves some costs. But today, the search for sauna stoves with the optimal combination of price and quality is no longer relevant, since devices under the Zhara brand have appeared.

Their average price is about 10,000 rubles, although there are more expensive as well as cheaper models. So anyone can choose the option that suits them.