Gas Heaters vs. All The Rest

The first known Finnish saunas are thought to be used as early at the 5th century. These saunas were heated with rocks placed in a wood fire. The smoke from the fire engulfed the room to warm the air in the sauna then bathers would let the smoke out and sit in the sauna to enjoy the heat. Although the sought-after sauna experience for bathers has not changed since the 5th century, technology has greatly changed the method in which saunas are built and heated.

Woodstoves, electric, infrared and gas heaters are the four primary ways to heat today’s sauna. With a woodstove heater, bathers are required to continually add wood or another fuel source to keep the desired temperature. Fire risks are greatest with woodstoves as is pollution from the burning of natural resources. On the opposite side of the spectrum are the infrared sauna heaters which heat the bather inside the room giving bathers an overall lower temperature and an altered sauna experience. In fact, infrared cabins are not considered “sauna bath” and they are not endorsed by the Finnish Sauna Society or International Sauna Society.

Electric heaters give much of the same benefits as a gas heater does. They eliminate pollution and easily maintain a constant temperature. Gas heaters however do not have an element as the electric heaters do that are costly to replace if they ever go out. Electric heaters can also cost up to 50% more to operate and do not have as long of life time value as gas heaters.

The Ultra-Sauna Gas heater, formerly known as Vico, goes a step further in the design to add more benefits. Manufactured by Scandia Manufacturing, this heater is made entirely of stainless steel to eliminate concerns of corrosion and rust. The combustion chamber of the Ultra-Sauna is made of heavy gauge 321 stainless steel which is the same material used in jet afterburners. The Ultra Sauna Gas Heater is a completely sealed combustion heater with no gas or flue connections made inside the actual sauna therefore the threat of oxygen depletion or flue products leaking into the sauna are eliminated. This type of heater is also ideal for rooms with little ventilation. For more information on this heater, please visit our website at www.scandiamfg.com or call us at 1-877-467-2862.

Why LEED credits matter to you

The US Department of Energy estimates that business buildings consume 74% of the electricity produced each year. That’s a shocking figure but where is really matters to building owners and operators is the money spent to use that amount of energy. And it is the common goal for both the United States government and building owners to reduce that statistic as much as possible.

In 1993, David Gottfried and Rick Fedrizzi founded the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) which is a non-profit trade organization that promotes awareness of energy efficient building design and operations. The USGBC is best known for their development of the Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) standards. The LEED standards started out as one standard in 1994 to grew to a comprehensive system of six interrelated standards covering all areas of development, constructions and remodeling processes.

The LEED standard is catching on for both government agencies and private sector building owners. Many municipal power companies are offering building operators incentives for qualifying for LEED points. One power company in California even has goes so far as to offer cash rebates. That’s a great motivator for building owners to move to more energy efficient development and remodeling.

Am-Finn Sauna and Steam has also embraced the movement to follow LEED standards. In 2006 Am-Finn introduced the industry’s first Advanced Hybrid Steam Room. This new steam room is 50% more energy efficient than standard tile steam rooms and includes a self cleaning system that reduces maintenance costs. The Advanced Hybrid Steam Room provides LEED credits for water efficiency, energy performance, low-emitting materials and indoor chemical and pollutant source control.

In 2008, Am-Finn continued its strong commitment of developing r energy efficient products and introduced to market the industry’s first Eco-Sauna. The Eco-Sauna reduces the use of new-growth wood by 70% while still being an authentic cedar sauna. The LEED credits provided by the Eco-Sauna are for recycled content, rapidly renewable materials and low-emitting materials.

So if you are an architect designing a new building or a current gym owner looking to remodel an existing building with more energy efficient materials, you need to check out Am-Finn’s products that give you beauty and energy efficiency in all of its products. You can find more information on the Advanced Hybrid Steam Room and the Eco-Sauna on our website: www.am-finn.com or call us at 1-800-237-2862.