First Time Sauna Heatup
Firing Up & Curing Your New Sauna
Once your sauna installation is complete, a few important steps remain before enjoying your first session. Properly starting and curing your sauna helps clean the space, prepare the heater, and allow the wood interior to naturally adjust to heat. This process ensures your sauna operates safely and provides the best experience from day one.
1. Clean the Sauna Interior
Before turning on the heater, thoroughly clean the sauna to remove any dust or debris from construction.
Remove all packaging and leftover building materials.
Vacuum the floor, benches, and wall surfaces.
Wipe all wood surfaces with a damp cloth and warm water.
Rinse sauna stones with clean water before placing them in the heater.
This step helps ensure the sauna is fresh and ready for its first heat cycle.
2. Proper Sauna Stone Placement
Correct placement of sauna stones is important for airflow and heater performance.
Think of your sauna heater like a chimney- cool air enters from the bottom, heats as it rises through the stones, and exits through the top.
When placing stones:
Avoid packing stones too tightly.
Place the first layer loosely.
Bridge the second layer across the first to allow airflow between stones.
Good airflow allows the heater to operate efficiently and prevents overheating.
If stones are packed too densely, heat can become trapped inside the heater and trigger the high-limit safety switch.
If this occurs:
Allow the heater to cool completely.
Reset the high-limit switch according to the heater manufacturer's instructions.
3. Remove Protective Film
Before operating the heater, ensure any protective plastic film has been removed from stainless steel surfaces on the heater casing.
4. First Heater Operation
After electrical installation is completed by a qualified professional and all connections are secure:
Turn the heater on for approximately 20 minutes.
During this first operation, you may notice a small amount of smoke or odor as protective coatings on the heating elements burn off. This is normal and will disappear quickly.
5. Curing the Sauna
To properly cure the sauna wood and complete the break-in process:
Heat the sauna to its full operating temperature.
Let the heater run for about one hour with the door closed.
During this time, the wood will gradually adjust to the heat. Occasionally a sauna stone may crack along a natural fault line during the first heating cycle—this is normal.
6. Final Steam Test
After the sauna has been heated for about 45 minutes, slowly pour about 1 litre (one quart) of water onto the hot stones.
This creates the traditional sauna steam known as löyly, and helps complete the curing process.
Tips:
Pour water slowly onto the stones.
The water should instantly turn to steam.
If water reaches the floor, it means it is being poured too quickly.
Enjoy Your First Sauna
Once the curing process is complete, your sauna is ready to use. Regular heating will continue to condition the wood and improve the sauna experience over time.
Wellendi supplies high-quality sauna heaters, stones, and accessories designed to help you get the most out of every sauna session.
