Question:
I have the most beautiful outdoor location for a sauna here in Olympia
washington, but it is a rental home, so all involved would like to make
it on the thrift.
I am building a 5x8x8 wooden sauna that needs a propane heater, as wood
would be difficult to get down this crazy trail which leads to the
sauna.
Could I take a friends small potbelly woodstove and insert a propane
burner into it? My thought was to clog the wood stoves intake and route
an exterior air intake pipe.... or do I even need to do that?
Answer:
30,000 btu sounds like aa lot. i've put in a few electric sauna
heaters and something like you have would probably take 6 kw or so. but
better too many btu's than too few.
i don't have any advice on the propane design. i guess you'll have to
experiment. i don't think co is a big concern--i'd fire the sauna with
a window open until the rocks are good and hot, and then turn off the
burner while i was actually using the sauna. i do wonder if you can
get a propane tank, stove, building materials down there, why not just
go with wood heat? a good armfull per sauna session would about do it.
i guess you must have your reasons.
i built one in my basement this winter and used cedar undercourse
shakes for everything but the walls behind the benches and the ceiling.
worked great and looks good and much cheaper than panelling.
