To maintain the optimal temperature in the steam room, you need not only to choose the right fuel, but also take into account all the nuances of the firebox of a metal or brick stove. Step-by-step instructions for heating with wood and coal can be found in the material. Content:
- Fuel selection
- Preparation
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Firewood heating
- Brick oven
- Metal oven
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Charcoal fire
- Stone oven
- Metal stove
The stove maintains the level of temperature and moisture not only in the steam room, but also in the auxiliary rooms. To create the most useful microclimate in the steam room, you need to know how to heat the stove in the steam room and what material to use for this process.
The choice of fuel for the sauna stove
It is forbidden to use chemical solutions (acetone, kerosene), synthetic materials (plastic, roofing material), garbage, old things, rotten wood for the furnace.
The most popular are:
- Oak firewood … A young tree gives off when burned with charcoal. An old oak tree will fill the steam room with heavy air. It is best to harvest middle aged oak wood.
- Birch firewood … The most common for heating in a bath. They flare up quickly, and give off heat for a long time and evenly. However, it is worth keeping a close eye on the air in the oven. With smoky combustion, birch tar settles on the pipe and increases the fire hazard. Birch firewood should be used within two years. After this period, they lose their beneficial aroma.
- Linden firewood … This material provides long lasting steam. However, it is quite difficult to ignite. It is considered very beneficial for the respiratory system. After the expiration of a two-year shelf life, they lose their properties, like birch.
- Alder firewood … Such wood gives off a persistent heat and practically does not smoke. It is easy to prepare as it dries very quickly. At the same time, alder retains its specific smell for more than three years.
- Aspen firewood … Difficult to ignite, but ideal for tossing, providing good heat. It is believed that by melting the stove with such wood, it is possible to clean the chimney.
- Coniferous firewood … They burn very hot, but quickly due to their high resin content. In addition, when burning, the tree sparks too much due to the bursting of the resin sinuses. Therefore, when opening the oven door, it is imperative to protect your eyes.
- Coal … It is considered a more profitable fuel. To maintain the temperature, you need less of it, and the heat lasts for a long time. However, when coal is fired, the humidity of the air increases significantly and the beneficial aroma of burning firewood is absent.
Please note that the use of dyed or chemically impregnated wood is prohibited. When burning, it gives off toxic fumes.
Preparation for kindling the stove in the bath
Initially, you need to prepare firewood. Even if you plan to heat the sauna with coal, wood (chips) will be required for kindling. During the preparation of the fuel, it is advisable to leave the windows and doors in the steam room open so that the room is well ventilated.
The grate of the furnace and the ash chamber must be cleaned of ash, and the valve on the pipe must be opened. Remember to wash the stones thoroughly and prepare cold water.
It is also important to check the draft of the chimney. To do this, when the latch is open, you need to light a match and bring it to the open door of the firebox. The flame should burn upwards.
The specifics of the firebox of the sauna stove with firewood
A brick and a metal stove are heated in almost the same way, but each of them has its own characteristics. They must be taken into account for a good firebox and an increase in the service life of the stove.
Technology of heating a brick stove in a sauna with wood
Before stoking a brick oven in a Russian bath, you need to make a "seed" of paper and small logs. You can set it on fire simply with matches or a tablet of dry alcohol. When firing up, the valve and the door of the blower must be open.
We carry out the furnace, adhering to the following algorithm:
- We spread two logs parallel to each other on the grate. The distance between them should be about 10 cm.
- Put crumpled sheets of paper between them. Sprinkle them with wood shavings if desired.
- Place two more logs on top and set them on fire.
- We close the firebox door, and leave the blower slightly ajar.
- After 15 minutes, add firewood. It is better not to throw them in a chaotic manner, but try to put them as evenly as possible, closer to the doors, leveling the coals with a poker before that. There should be about 25 cm from the top of the logs to the top of the fuel chamber.
- We throw in the next batch of firewood in about an hour. On average, a steam room is heated for about 3-6 hours. All this time, you need to constantly monitor the temperature in the steam room. At the mark of 60 degrees, you can start steaming the brooms.
- At the end of heating, we close the door of the firebox and the blower, and, on the contrary, open the valve completely. This should be done when the temperature of the steam room is above 60 degrees, the stones are hot, and the last portion of firewood thrown in has burned to red coals.
- We open wide the windows and doors to the steam room, quickly rinse the walls and stones with boiling water. A properly constructed bathhouse will not have time to cool down during this period.
- We close the doors and windows, but leave the steam room window open.
- Let the bath brew, warm up and dry for one and a half to two hours.
Please note that all wooden items (basins, buckets) must be filled with water in front of the heating chamber in the steam room. Otherwise, they will quickly dry out.
Features of the firebox of a metal stove with wood
Before heating a metal stove in a bath, it should be borne in mind that even the most durable steel can be deformed under the influence of high temperatures. Therefore, in the process, it is necessary to constantly monitor the level of heating.
In order not to damage the stove and heat the steam room well, we proceed as follows:
- We burn a few chips or a few crumpled sheets of paper in the firebox. This is necessary to warm up the chimney, in order to exclude the appearance of smoke during ignition.
- We put firewood in rows or in a cage in the firebox. It is advisable to keep a distance of about 1 cm between them.
- For even combustion, leave 2 cm of free space on top.
- We put crumpled paper and wood chips under the bottom row.
- We open all the doors of the furnace and set fire to the paper.
- We close the door of the firebox and open the air duct after the firewood has completely burnt out. The valve should be left half open.
- After the firewood burns out, stir it up with a poker and put a new portion in the center of the firebox closer to the door.
- At a temperature of 50-60 degrees, we stop lining the firewood and gradually close the valve to reduce heat loss. The steam room at this time will be warmed up to the maximum temperature (infused).
Please note that it is better to put firewood in a metal stove more often, but in smaller portions. In this case, you will be able to fully control the temperature regime and prevent overheating of the metal.
Methods for firing a stove in a coal bath
Coal is considered a cheaper material compared to some types of wood (eg oak). In doing so, it gives a good heat. The disadvantages of this fuel can be attributed, perhaps, to the absence of a useful emitted aroma and a relatively large smoke. The furnace heats up with coal much faster, therefore, the temperature must be constantly monitored.
Instructions for burning a stone stove in a coal bath
Coal can be used as fuel only if the stove has sufficient wall thickness and is equipped with a spark extinguishing grid.
In the process of burning, we adhere to the following instructions:
- We put some chips and crumpled paper in the oven.
- Put a few logs on top in the form of a hut and set them on fire.
- Leave the blower door and the latch open.
- After 10-15 minutes, when the firewood is well heated, we fill in the coal with a layer of about 6 cm.
- We cover the blower and the latch.
- After the coal has completely burned out, we level it with a poker and fill in a new portion with a layer of 15 cm.
- In the summer, we heat the stove for about 2, 5-3, 5 hours. In winter - twice as long. Throughout the entire process, we observe the temperature in the steam room. At 60 degrees, you can start steaming the brooms.
- Finishing heating the stove, close the pan and open the latch.
- We ventilate and wash the steam room with boiling water, sprinkle the stones with water.
If coal is constantly used for the firebox, then a hole with a diameter of 1-1.5 cm must be made in the smoke damper for efficient removal of gases.
The rules of the furnace from the metal of the furnace with coal
Often, coal is not used for heating a metal furnace. It generates too much heat, which leads to damage to the metal surface. However, if you adhere to the instructions, then this type of steam room heating turns out to be the most economical, since it requires low fuel consumption.
We carry out the firebox in this order:
- Place the crumpled paper and wood chips in the fuel compartment.
- On top we put firewood in a row with a distance of about 1 centimeter from each other.
- We open the latch and the blower door.
- We set fire to firewood and close the firebox.
- After full fire, stir the wood with a poker and add a 5-6 cm layer of coal.
- When the coal is completely burnt out and turns red, it needs to be stirred up with a poker and another 6-centimeter layer added. The amount of coal for filling must be determined by the temperature in the steam room.
- If there is a need to raise the temperature, then gradually increase the backfill.
At the end of heating, it is necessary to open the valve completely and close the blower compartment. You need to wait until the coals are completely burned out. During this time, the steam room is being prepared for the procedures.
How to heat a stove in a bath - watch the video:
In order for the temperature in the bath to always meet the requirements, you need to know how to properly heat the stove in the bath with wood and coal, and also take into account the material of the stove itself. Only in this case the pastime in the bath will be not only pleasant and useful, but also safe.
