FAQ

HUUM heaters’ minimalist and rounded design make them some of the most elegant sauna heaters available. They provide mild and long-lasting steam similar to traditional saunas, thanks to an exceptionally high stone capacity. Little metal is used in the heaters, so the heat comes mainly from the stones and not from heated metal. This means there are more negative ions in the air, which are beneficial for health. Using the heater and the UKU Wi-Fi allows you to heat your sauna comfortably from your mobile phone.

Tulikivi’s sauna heaters offer an innovative solution with their distinctive, modern design that makes them an integral part of your sauna oasis. The surface temperature of a Tulikivi sauna heater remains low enough that it does not need to be enclosed. This feature is especially good for homes with children as they can touch the cladding of the heater without getting burnt. Tulikivi heaters require a shorter safety distance than other heaters on the market, enabling installation in the smallest spaces.

We have a wide range of heaters, suitable for both small and big sauna rooms with volumes ranging from 3 – 35 m³. Read more about how to choose a sauna heater that fits your space here.

The size of the heater should be chosen based on the sauna room size and insulation. Choosing the right size is important. If the heater is too small, it will heat the sauna too slowly, it won’t provide enough steam, and it might burn out quicker. It is better to opt for a slightly too powerful heater with a thermostat. You need 1 kW of power to heat 1 m³ of the sauna room as a rule of thumb. The second important thing to consider is how the sauna room is insulated. If there are any uninsulated brick, tile, glass or log walls in the sauna room. An additional 1.5 m³ for each m² of such wall should be added to the sauna room size calculation. You can use our sauna calculator to find out the volume of your sauna room. If in doubt, please contact our friendly team, and we will help you find the perfect heater for your sauna!

If the heater is the right size, the heating speed is about 10 °C per approximately every 8 minutes, reaching 80 °C in one hour.

We recommend using natural sauna stones. We have rounded, split, and decorative stones in our selection. Decorative stones only go on top of the rounded or split stones. The choice between rounded or split options is based on looks and steam. Rounded stones allow water to fall deeper into the stove and evaporate slightly slower, resulting in softer steam. Split-faced stones have a larger surface area and vaporise water more quickly, producing a slightly stronger blast of steam. The difference between these is, however, very slight. The amount of variation in steam depends more on how the water is poured onto the rocks.

We supply heaters from two producers: Huum and Tulikivi. All HUUM products are made in Estonia, and Tulikvi produces its heaters in Finland.

We supply heaters from two producers: Huum and Tulikivi. All HUUM products are made in Estonia, and Tulikvi produces its heaters in Finland.

Please visit our guarantee page for specific information.

Only a certified electrician should install the cables and connect the heater to the power supply.

If your existing sauna heater has a controller with a temperature control function, just replace the heater. Install the new heater according to the product installation manual and a certified electrician’s help. Do you have a mechanical sauna heater without a controller (the switch is on the heater)? In that case, you will need a controller with a temperature control function, and you will need to set up some cables. Follow the instructions from the product installation manuals and do it with the help of a certified electrician. You might need to open up some walls and install new cables.

Pouring water onto the hot stones in the heater is how you regulate the humidity in the sauna. Wait until the stones are hot enough to make the water evaporate. To prevent the stones from breaking, you should use clean, hot tap water. Avoid using very hard water or water that is high in iron. We recommend throwing approximately a ladle of water at a time. If you need more steam, wait a few minutes and throw more water on the stones. Doing so allows the stones to regain the heat between the pourings, providing you with the best steam. If you notice water running out from the bottom of the heater, it means you have poured too much water or that the stones are not hot enough.

It depends on how often you use the sauna. If you use your sauna 3 times a week, you might need to replace the stones about once a year. If you use the sauna less, you probably should replace the stones every couple of years. Check the stones’ condition once a year or after 300 hours of heating to understand if the stones need changing. Read more about it in the stones chapter.

Pay attention to your heater’s condition, especially if it has not been used for a while.
● Check the condition of the stones once a year or after about 300 hours of use.
● Clean the stones when necessary and replace them when they have started crumbling. Read more about it in the stones chapter.
● When cleaning or working on your heater, make sure the power supply is disconnected and that the heater isn’t hot.

Heating elements only need to be changed if they break.

You can verify if heating elements are broken by removing some stones and checking if the heating elements turn red during heating. If a heating element doesn’t turn red, it is broken. When this happens, immediately turn the heater off and replace the heating element. Using the heater with a broken element risk breaking the functional elements too. Only an authorised electrical engineer can change the heating elements.

You can buy spare parts for your heater in our shop or from one of our resellers. On the Find a store page, you can find stores, online stores and sauna building companies that sell spare parts for your heater.

Empty the ash drawer before using your sauna stove.
● Start out with something small and easy to burn, like a newspaper or some small pieces of dry wood. Add more wood as you go.
● HIVE Wood can only be heated with wood logs. For Hive Wood 13, logs with a length of 30 cm are the best, and for Hive Wood 17, you should use logs with a length of 40 cm.
● When starting the fire, the flame needs more airflow. We recommend keeping the ash drawer open by about 10 mm. When the wood is burning, and you hear the wood crackling, close the ash drawer a bit more so that it remains open by about 2-3 mm. If the airflow is excessive, the wood will generate more heat and burn out quicker. Always keep the furnace door closed during heating and open it only to add firewood.
● Take a look every now and then to see if more wood needs to be added.
● When the sauna feels hot enough, it is ready for use.
● Continue adding wood for as long as you wish to keep the sauna hot.
● Avoid overheating the sauna stove. You are overheating your stove if the furnace case starts glowing red. Overheating causes the metal to deform. The guarantee does not cover this defect.
● In the case of overheating, the ash drawer and the furnace door must be closed entirely to stop the fire. If possible, cut off airflow to the room.

Choose the right stones for your stove. We always recommend buying sauna stones from the same manufacturer as the heater. Find Huum stones in our shop.
● Empty the sauna stove’s ash drawer before each heating since it is used to adjust the draught.
● Clean the heating surfaces of the sauna stove regularly, at least once every 20 uses.
● Check the condition of the stones about once a year or after 300 hours of heating. When necessary, replace the stones (read more in the stones chapter).
● At least once a year, it is necessary to clean the chimney and the flues. We recommend checking the chimney and flues at the same time as checking the stones!
● If the sauna has not been used for a long time, have a specialist check the furnace, grate and ash drawer condition before heating the sauna stove. If necessary, arrange for the condition of the chimney and the flue to be checked as well. Also, if necessary, allow the specialist to undertake further cleaning.

Between heatings, when the sauna is not hot, and there is still a lot of humidity, unwanted bacteria may start thriving in the sauna. It is easy to avoid bacteria. Follow these simple tips to keep your sauna clean and bacteria-free.
● Always take a quick shower before starting your sauna session.
● Before taking a seat on the sauna bench, put something under you, like a towel or a special sitting mat that can easily be cleaned afterwards.
● Clean the sauna room, the sauna bench and the shower room (don’t forget the drains) regularly with a disinfecting detergent.
● After using the sauna, open windows and doors to let the room dry.

Are the heating elements working properly? To find that out, remove some stones and check if the heating elements turn red while heating. If a heating element does not turn red, it is broken and needs to be replaced before further use. Is there a problem with the wiring? Before checking that, disconnect the heater from the power supply. According to the manual, make sure that all the cables of the heater and the control console are connected to the main module. If you did not manage to solve the problem, contact us and send us a photo of the main module’s wiring.

In most cases, this happens when the remote control cables are not connected correctly.
● First, you should make sure that all the cables are connected to the main module according to the scheme in the installation manual. This should preferably be done by a certified electrician.
● Also, check if any cables attached to the remote control have come loose. If the remote control still doesn’t work after checking all the cables, please contact us at hello@saunaculture.com.au

If your UKU Wi-Fi controller does not connect to the network:
● Make sure you are using a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi network instead of 5GHz.
● Make sure your different Wi-Fi networks don’t have the same name and that the chosen network name is no longer than 20 characters. If your Wi-Fi controller still does not connect to the network, take a picture of the error log displayed after pressing “Connect” and e-mail it to us at hello@saunaculture.com.au

Are you using another SIM card?
● Check if the mobile data has run out.
● Find out if your service provider has changed the APN settings. If the APN settings have changed, update the settings also in the settings menu of the controller.
● Take the SIM card out and try if it works on your phone.
● If none of this helped, contact us at hello@saunaculture.com.au

Are the heating elements working properly?
To find that out, remove some stones and check if the heating elements turn red while heating. If a heating element does not turn red, it is broken and needs to be replaced before further use.

Is there a problem with the wiring?
Before checking that, disconnect the heater from the power supply. According to the manual, make sure that all the cables of the heater and the control console are connected to the main module. If you did not manage to solve the problem, contact us and send us a photo of the main module’s wiring.

Are the heating elements working properly?
To find that out, remove some stones and check if the heating elements turn red
while heating. If a heating element does not turn red, it is broken and needs to be
replaced before further use.

1. Check if the heater or control console cables have come loose.
2. Ask an electrician to check if all three phases are connected and actually reach the heater. If the previous steps did not provide a solution, the problem might be in the main module. In that case, contact us and send us photos of the wiring of the heater and the main module.

Does your heater have sufficient output for the size of your sauna room?
Check the product page or user manual.

Did you consider the uninsulated glass surfaces when calculating sauna room volume?

Are the heating elements working properly?
To find that out, remove some stones and check if the heating elements turn red while heating. If a heating element does not turn red, it is broken and needs to be replaced before further use.

Is there too much ventilation in the sauna room?