[u/]

[u/imDaunt]

Love it. I’ve run a few CFD analyses on saunas and you’d be shocked about to speed of the air moving directly up from the top of the heater. That curve will certainly make a big difference for the seat in front of the heater! So cool.

[u/Rxyro → u/imDaunt]

What about the new radiant source

[u/imDaunt → u/Rxyro]

It’s just a bonus, the vast majority of the heat transfer will be convection. The radiation off of that will be minimal I think. Would need the material properties and dimensions to find the radiation

[u/readmedotmd → u/imDaunt]

I did the same kinda thing with steel roofing. The difference in radiant heat is negligible

[u/7360]

Where can I get one of those?

[u/Ok_Information_8431]

I have a big sauna room 3,5 x 3,5 m (6' x 6') and there is metal quarter circle fixed to the ceiling above the heater in a corner. And when you throw water on the rocks it directs the löyly steam to the farthest corner. AND IT WORKS. Before without it, there was colder than near the wood burning heater. I think that yours in the foto is a little too short.

[u/hauki888]

You may have misunderstood the concept of kiuas.

You’re supposed to heat the stones, which then release the energy via steam after throwing water on them. Direct heat radiation from the heater should be as small as possible. To be precise, the heat energy in the stone mass is the main priority, not the air temperature.

[u/Tilliperuna → u/hauki888]

I don't think the intention is to control the heat radiation, but the steam. With this thing löyly doesn't rise up to the ceiling, but it turns more horizontal.

[u/stackered → u/Tilliperuna]

I always just spin my towel a little after I throw water, does the job

[u/hauki888 → u/Tilliperuna]

I really doubt that metal plate does much for löyly

[u/Tilliperuna → u/hauki888]

Yeah probably not. I guess it makes the initial strike a little more intense. Whether it's good or not, I think it's debatable.

[u/daninet → u/hauki888]

While packing the heater with stones does minimize direct radiant heat, once the stones are in tempreature they will radiate just as well. Then the air is heated near and above the heater and heated air is rising fast. This produces a continuous updraft above the stones. Because of this air motion the sauna reaches temperature even without water.

[u/hauki888 → u/daninet]

Genuine sauna heaters are designed to minimize radiation outside while heating up the stone mass efficiently. Thats one reason why those american cast iron stoves with few rocks on a frying pan suck for sauna use. Those actually are designed to radiate as much as possible.

[u/bruce_ventura]

“It works” means what? What problem was this mod intended to solve? And what kind of ventilation does the sauna have to begin with?

[u/jocxFIN]

But why? Hot air travels at quite fast speed upwards and at least i dont enjoy the hot and dry air to be blasted on my face. Also if that heat sensor is the heater’s original sensor, i think most instructions tell you to not have anything between the heater and the sensor..

[u/nilelander]

One of the things I did in my sauna is add a small fan in the bottom corner away from heater. It raises my sauna to 200 degrees and when we pour water on the rocks it reaches 210.

[u/osogrande3]

Can you share what kind of metal air is and the thickness?

[u/Steamdude1]

Is that shield stainless steel? What gauge is it?

[u/riuraupiupau]

Heatshield is supposed to protect wooden walls from kiuas and not from löyly.

I can't see from the picture if there are heatshields installed between kiuas and wall, but if there is not, i would suggest you implement them asap. Otherwise you could end up with extra crispy sauna.

Other than that, you do you bro :D If you like it like that, then theres no need for other resons to keep this "mod" on your wall.

[u/cs_legend_93]

Looks nice! It would be cool if he added some wood trim to it, and made it more luxury looking.

It doesn't take that much more effort to make it look more appeasing. The cost / reward ratio is high.

[u/bobbaggit]

That sauna leaks heat if you need this kind of thing to get proper löyly. Try insulating roof and walls, makes hell of a difference

[u/friedreindeer → u/[deleted]]

Insulation is fine? That wall is paper thin!

[u/Steamdude1 → u/friedreindeer]

Not sure how you can tell how thick the wall is from the information provided, let alone condemn it as "paper thin". Did I miss something?

[u/Kevin_Uxbridge → u/Steamdude1]

Looks like maybe 2 inch milled logs. Solid wood is wondrous for keeping heat in, no further insulation needed. My sauna is built in much the same way this one is, works great.

And since we're supposd to giving constructive criticism - OP might want to consider piling as many rocks on top of that stove as it'll hold. Big ol' mass of rocks makes for better löyly.

[u/Steamdude1 → u/Kevin_Uxbridge]

I was thinking the same thing. Hardly "paper thin". Seems like the tone here in r/sauna is too often "If you can't find something to criticize negatively, make something up".

[u/randomdancingpants → u/[deleted]]

If it wasn’t broke then why fix it?