Do-it-yourself wood-burning stove in the bath. Brick bath stoves projects. Foundation for the oven

Ergonomic metal stoves are an excellent alternative to bulky brick heaters that are suitable for heating a private bath.

The devices are characterized by rapid heating, high thermal conductivity, ease of installation, minimal maintenance and durability. And if desired, a simple metal furnace that would fully meet all the needs of the owner can be constructed independently from improvised means.

Basic requirements for metal furnaces

Modern designs of metal sauna stoves are subject to high technical and operational requirements, which include the following:

1. Wide functionality. Possibility to choose different temperature regimes for quick heating of air and maintenance of an optimal microclimate in the premises.
2. High efficiency. Efficient use of fuel material with the possibility of long-term heat accumulation. At the same time, an increase in the volume of the furnace ensures complete combustion of the fuel and an increase in efficiency.
3. Ergonomics. Iron heaters must remain compact in order to occupy a small area of ​​​​the room. In small-sized steam rooms, it is more rational to install a vertical type of construction with a firebox placed in a technical room.
4. Fire safety. Heating equipment must be safe for visitors and the premises. To avoid burns and injuries, the body of the device is closed with a metal convection casing, and the surfaces near the furnace are sheathed with heat-resistant material.
5. Equipment . More advanced models of devices can be equipped with water heaters that provide hot water in the bath.
6. Aesthetics. Metal heaters can have various designs with forged and glass decorative elements.

Advantages and disadvantages of metal structures

It is possible to single out the main positive characteristics that a metal stove for a bath is endowed with:

• Rapid heating of the body - the main procedures can be started within 2-3 hours after the start of heating the furnace.
• Ergonomic housing - compact dimensions allow you to install the oven even in small rooms.
• Lack of foundation - the equipment does not require the construction of a solid foundation, it is enough to confine itself to a lightweight foundation.
• Maintaining a constant combustion process - the design allows you to maintain an optimal temperature regime throughout the entire time of the wellness procedures.
• Formation of soft and clean steam and accumulation of heat indoors.
• Affordable cost of materials for self-production of the structure.
• Long service life of the finished device, which can range from 6 to 26 years.
• Reliable operation, if the basic requirements of fire safety were observed during the assembly and installation of the structure.

Along with the positive aspects, a metal sauna stove has significant disadvantages:

• Rapid cooling of the metal after the completion of the combustion process.
• Not suitable for heating large areas.
• It is required to ensure fire protection of the structure and adjacent surfaces.

Choosing a finished metal furnace

In order to choose the right ready-made furnace for a metal bath, it is recommended to take into account a number of important parameters, such as:

• Operating temperature range.
• space heating rate.
• The general dimensions of the equipment and the volume of the combustion chamber.
• Material for the manufacture of the body.
• Type of layout of structural elements.
• The type of fuel used.
• Features of operation and maintenance.

The modern market is represented by metal heating furnaces for baths of the following sizes:

• Mini-devices for space heating from 10 to 12 square meters. m.
• Standard stoves for rooms ranging from 12 to 25 square meters. m.
• Overall units for heating air in rooms with an area of ​​25 sq. m.

Many models of stoves are equipped with a water heater installed on the back of the structure.

As a decorative finish for the metal case, heat-resistant and durable materials are used - ceramic tiles, bricks, tiles and stone.

Having studied all the operational parameters of sauna stoves, you can easily choose the right model of the device, taking into account the design features of the structure, the technical requirements for heating equipment and the financial capabilities of the owner.

Types of metal bath stoves

In accordance with the design features, the following types are distinguished metal furnaces:

• closed type. The units are compact in size and light in weight, designed for small-sized family baths. To increase the heat output, the metal body of the stove is lined with heat-resistant bricks from the inside and outside. Iron staples are used to fix the brick. The middle part of the structure is equipped with a grate for stones.
• Open type. The devices are represented by overall structures equipped with an open heater and a water heating tank. They are able to provide rapid heating of the premises in a short period of time. To increase the thermal capacity, such stoves are equipped with a protective galvanized plate for the heater.
• Combined type. Such stoves are equipped with a firebox with sliding mechanisms, a heater, a blower and branch pipes (diameter from 11 to 14 cm). For the manufacture of structures, sheet steel up to 5 mm thick is used.

Fuel material types

Universal heating equipment for a bath can work on various types of fuel material. There are the following categories of furnaces:

• Wood. The most practical and reliable devices. They are easy to operate and maintenance, work on an affordable type of fuel - firewood, pellets, sawdust. Furnaces contribute to the rapid heating of the premises, but at the same time they require a large amount of fuel at each load and the arrangement of chimneys to remove combustion products.
• . More reliable and durable heating units equipped with a thermostat and built-in protection that works in case of emergency. Heating furnaces are quite economical, they can operate on natural gas and liquefied gas mixture.
• . Another type of bath stoves, which is an iron case, inside of which there is a heating element and a built-in thermal protection system. Additionally, they can be equipped with a touch panel for selecting the temperature mode and a remote control. They require a constant power supply, therefore, for uninterrupted operation, it is recommended to additionally install an autonomous generator.
• Combined. Such units can operate on alternative fuels - fuel oil, diesel fuel, distilled composition. They are safe, reliable and economical. Many models of devices are equipped with a special switch to select the desired type of fuel.

Do-it-yourself iron sauna stove assembly technology

In a small-sized bath, you can use a home-made version of an iron heater, the dimensions of which would fully correspond to the heated area. As an example, the technology of assembling a stove-heater with a diameter of 70 cm and a height of 150 cm is considered. Such a heating device is characterized by ease of manufacture, ease of operation, and it requires a small amount of fuel material to quickly warm up the bath.

Furnace materials

For self-assembly of the furnace, ferrous metal is suitable, the thickness of which is 0.5 cm. The service life of such material is from 6 to 10 years. To make a firebox and, you can use a centimeter sheet of iron.

For work it is necessary to prepare the following materials:

• Sheet metal 1 cm thick.
• A metal pipe with a wall thickness of 1 cm, a length of 160 cm.
• A pipe for a chimney with a wall thickness of 0.5 cm, a diameter of 10 cm.
• Metal rod 1 cm thick.
• Grate for grate.
• Door hinges.
• Door latches.
• Water faucet with shut-off valve.

Tools

To work with a metal structure, you will need the appropriate set of tools:

• Hot welding equipment.
• Hacksaw for metal.
• Bulgarian.
• Roulette.

You will also need personal protective equipment during welding:

• Mask.
• Uniform and shoes.
• Gloves made of dielectric material.
• Glasses.

Step-by-step instructions for assembling a sauna stove

To independently make a compact metal stove for a private bath, you must follow the following sequence of actions:

1. The pipe is cut into two parts - 70 and 90 cm.
2. The blower chamber should be located at the bottom of the pipe for easy cleaning of ash. A hole of 22 × 6 cm in size is made in the pipe. A metal piece can be used to make a door for the blower chamber. Above, another hole is made for laying fuel.
3. From the outside of the pipe, door hinges and strips for the latch are welded, and the hecks themselves are mounted on the doors. Next, doors are installed for the blower chamber and the loading compartment.
4. A circle with a diameter of 70 cm is cut out of metal and a corresponding hole in the center for the grate. The billet is welded inside the furnace structure above the blowing chamber.
5. On the reverse side pipes, a hole is prepared for watering the heater and a protective door is mounted.
6. A lattice for laying stones is made from reinforcement. The dimensions of the grate should be determined taking into account the size of the stones that will be used for the stove.
7. Another round blank with a diameter of 70 cm is cut out of the metal, a hole is made in it for the chimney pipe so that it is shifted to the rear wall of the furnace. Next, the chimney and the circle under it are welded on top of the structure.
8. A water tank is made from a smaller piece of pipe, which is welded to the stove. A hole is made in the container for fixing the crane by welding.
9. Another round blank of metal is being prepared and cut into two parts - a larger one and a smaller one. A hole is made in the larger element for the chimney pipe. After that, it is put on top of the chimney and welded around the hole.
10. The smaller semi-circular element is used as a lid for the water tank. Fixing to the pipe with door hinges.

Important! The size of a homemade metal stove for a bath depends on the total volume of the steam room. Such a unit can provide space heating up to 25 cubic meters. m.

Features of the installation of the furnace according to the rules of fire safety

In order for the iron sauna stove to work properly for many years, it is necessary to follow the basic installation rules:

1. Heating equipment is installed on a pre-prepared site with a diameter of 70 cm, a height of 18 cm. Additionally, a 30-cm foundation base made of heat-resistant bricks is equipped. The distance from the furnace body to the wall should be 100 cm. It is recommended to insulate the walls with heat-reflecting foil to prevent surfaces from catching fire.
2. The minimum distance from the upper part of the device body to the ceiling surface is 120 cm, and from the furnace door to the opposite wall - 135 cm.
3. The chimney is also insulated. For this purpose, the installation of an internal and external protective casing with a layer of heat-insulating material is provided.
4. When removing the chimney through the roof, a protective box made of galvanized steel filled with basalt insulation is installed at the junction with the ceiling.
5. The doors to the furnace compartment should be directed towards the front door, and the heaters - to the near corner.
6. The shelves in the steam room are fixed along the wall opposite the one where the heating equipment is installed. The best option is a multi-tiered design.
7. Lamps in the steam room are mounted above the front door or around the perimeter of the room, with the exception of the wall behind the stove. To avoid a possible short circuit, it is not recommended to install lighting equipment on the ceiling.
8. If a metal sauna stove is used in a wooden building, it will be necessary to line the body with heat-resistant bricks. The optimal height of the structure is 125 cm, and the length is 85 cm.
9. A test run of the equipment is carried out before the start of operation of the steam room to identify possible design defects or errors in its installation.

Since ancient times, a bath has been considered simply a necessary attribute for preserving beauty, youth and health. And in the villages and at the dacha, it still has great everyday significance. When there is no hot water in the house, it can always be warmed up in the bathhouse. And besides, if there is not enough space, then guests can always be accommodated for a couple of nights in a bathhouse. And how to do it without an oven? But no way!

Masters tried to make stoves for the bath with their own hands. And even the model bought in the store is brought to mind on their own. This is done to ensure that it fully complies with all the requirements of the place where it will be installed. So it’s worth figuring out how to make a sauna stove yourself. Just do not forget that home-made stoves very often cause a fire, so we still recommend using certified products, for example, on the page https://www.teplodar.ru/catalog/pechi-sauna-banya/ sauna stoves are presented from Teplodar company.

Varieties of wood stoves

The types of stoves for a bath are determined by the material from which they are made. Most often, structures are made of brick, but can also be made of rubble stone. For the heater best to use granite, the rest of the materials crumble with a temperature difference. And this is very undesirable, given that it is customary to take a steam bath and pour water and herbal infusions on the stove. Less commonly, metal is used for furnaces.

brick construction

The main advantages of this design:

• ease of manufacture;
• fire safety;
• lack of a protective screen, with proper masonry.

This model allows you to use absolutely any materials for heating. You can heat it with wood and coal without fear. Do you want you can connect it to the system gas heating and she will do her job perfectly. There are a lot of photo options for such models today in design catalogs.

A brick oven can have absolutely any design. Lots of drawing options. It can only be used to heat stones, or it can perform all the functions of a Finnish sauna stove. And if you want, make a Turkish hammam at home. To do this, it will be enough to put a hog in the chimney. And in combination with the Russian steam, you will get a bathhouse from the sultans' harem.

• quality factor;
• the availability of the material;
• ease of laying out.

iron structure

This variety is usually divided into two: cast-iron furnaces and steel welded ones. And each of them has its own characteristics and nuances during installation. So, you can only buy a cast-iron stove. But for her, you can do a lot of details yourself. For example, it is not always possible to purchase separately and lean against the stove. The water will heat up pretty quickly, so that's a huge plus.

It is worth noting that mostly iron sauna stoves, photos of which can be seen in most construction catalogs, are heated with wood and coal, less often with peat briquettes.

If you plan to heat the bath only with wood, then no additional devices are required in the furnace of an iron furnace, but in order to heat it with coal, you will have to overlay it with refractory bricks.

By the way, if you want to extend the life of such a furnace, then in any case you need to overlay it with bricks. It will protect the oven from moisture and temperature changes.

Welded iron stoves for baths you can do it yourself, especially if you own the skill of a welder. But, otherwise, it is better to trust a professional.

To work, you will need a welding machine, a metal sheet with a thickness of at least 5 mm. After the oven is ready, weld a separate tank for it. But remember, both when building a furnace and when welding a tank, everything seams must be secure and not have broaches- not welded areas. Otherwise, you risk own security.

On the barrel for water, it is imperative to make a tap to drain the water. The lower it is located, the less water will remain in the tank, the less it will be subject to corrosion.

It is worth remembering that a metal stove can have hot walls, which is fraught with severe burns when touched. And therefore it is imperative to make a protective screen of brick, which will help protect people from touching the hot walls of the furnace.

For an iron stove and a chimney, an iron one is required. It can be made from pipes or welded, but in any of these cases, when the furnace is melted, it will smoke badly and flare up. The best option would be to create a chimney from sandwich pipes.

Drawings and photos of the sauna stove

Before proceeding with the assembly of the furnace, you need to take care of fire safety. Here it is worth considering that the distance between the furnace and the walls should not be less than 25 cm.

Today, stoves with a remote firebox are becoming more and more popular. The latter is located in the waiting room. This arrangement has quite a few advantages:

• the stove can be heated without opening the door to the steam room, which helps to keep the heat in it;
• in front of the firebox a metal sheet must be laid down so that the coal that falls out does not lead to a fire. And in the steam room, it will heat up pretty quickly, which is not very pleasant when moving around it. And in the dressing room no one will walk on the sheet and it will not interfere.

It is only worth remembering that only light stoves can be installed without a foundation. If it is large enough and heavy enough, then you will definitely need to lay out the foundation. At the same time, it should be laid below the freezing level of the earth.

In general, the steps for installing a stove in a bath are as follows:

• determine the type of bath;
• make a drawing;
• purchase all the necessary materials;
• determine where the structure will stand in the bath;
• find an artist.

However, if you plan to do all the work yourself, the last item can be excluded.

Types of stoves for a bath

How to make an oven correctly?

Before starting to build a brick oven, need to stock up on some accessories: doors - blower and furnace, ash pan, valve.

The water tank can be installed separately, which will significantly reduce the size of the stove itself. It must be installed so that water flows freely into the shower pipes and the bath itself. In order to get more steam in the bath, a pipe can be inserted into the structure, which will help, by supplying steam, to warm the lower layers of air in the room.

The design of such an oven is quite simple.

At the bottom of the furnace is a firebox, under which there is a blower hole. A little higher is an extension for the heater and an exit for smoke. The stove is closed with a door. Next is the chimney. A water tank is installed on the side of the whole structure.

You can make your own changes and additions to the entire design. But only if you are a master of your craft. Otherwise, you risk starting a fire when heating the furnace.

Let's start laying

Photos of stoves in the bath show that bricks can be used to make a structure of any configuration and size. But still there are standard masonry rules:

1. First, lay the foundation, on which the laying out of the first row of bricks will begin. Let it dry and get to work.
2. Lay an asbestos-cement sheet on the foundation. And on it you can begin to lay the first row of the heater. In this case, the bricks are fastened together not with cement mortar, but with a composition based on clay and sand. It is more convenient to buy it in the store, because it is quite difficult to find the right clay.
3. Laying is carried out according to the drawing. Each row must be checked for evenness with a level. The seams between the bricks must be filled carefully. Each brick must be tapped with a mallet - a rubber mallet.
4. If you need small pieces of brick, then it should be sawn with a grinder. This way you avoid a lot of waste.
5. Only refractory bricks are used for the heater.
6. Next, proceed to laying out the chimney. For this you you need a quality brick but no longer fire resistant. After installing the pipe at the top of the chimney, it is imperative to make a deflector and protection from snow and rain.
7. Leave the entire structure to dry naturally for two weeks and you can heat the bath for the first time.

As you can see, there are many difficulties in this work. But with a strong desire, you can do any work with your own hands. Although, in order for your bath to please you every day and become a real healer for your family and guests, you should contact the master stove-maker. After all, the stove is the main thing in the bath. And the better it is done, the more benefits it will bring.

© When using site materials (quotes, images), the source must be indicated.

About 25 years ago, doctors finally confirmed: the main secret of the Russian and Finnish baths was revealed, and the discovery turned out to be amazing. One of the consequences of the revival of interest in steam business at a new level is a do-it-yourself sauna stove. Firstly, the demand for bath stoves is still not fully satisfied, so factory-made products are quite expensive. Secondly, both the Russian bath and the sauna are complex hygienic and health-improving complexes, the heart of the bath is the stove, the whole bath is being built around the stove, and it is not possible to foresee all possible combinations of local conditions under conditions of serial production. Therefore, often, even if there are free funds, real connoisseurs first “figure out” a bathhouse in place, and then pick it up or even design a suitable stove themselves. This is where this article is meant to help.

The secret of the steam room

And what is the very main secret of bath health? It turned out that short-term, up to 40 minutes, warming up the whole body to about 40 degrees:

• Destroys cells with damaged DNA, i.e. capable of degenerating into cancer.
• Accumulated slags are broken down into forms that are easily excreted from the body.
• Suppresses a certain gene, the function of which was then not entirely clear. Now it is quite clear - this is the aging gene.

By the way, methods of treating cancer are based on the fact that cells with disorders are not as tenacious as healthy ones. From poisons (with chemotherapy) or radiation (with radiation), they die faster than healthy ones. In fact, the beneficial effects of a bath with a steam room are much wider, and its mechanism is more complicated. But for further understanding, this information is enough.

A little bit in passing

Russian banya is inextricably linked with Russian culture. In particular, many well-known Russian painters and sculptors paid tribute to the banya not only in the steam room, but also on canvas and in round sculpture. In the days of the moral code of the builder of communism, works of fine art of such content, of course, were not exhibited to the public, but lay in the storerooms of museums and galleries. The following selection of illustrations aims to fill this gap to some extent.

Sauna with a stove or stove in a bath?

Neither one nor the other. The parameters of the furnace and bath must be linked to each other. Therefore, let us first briefly consider what a bath is. In detail about the device of the bath, the conversation, of course, needs a separate and detailed one. We will only understand what is essential for the design sauna stove.

Russian or Finnish?

There are more than enough disputes about how the Russian bath differs from the sauna. But everyone agrees on the main difference: the temperature and humidity regime. In the Russian bath - 50-70 degrees with a relative humidity of 20-65%; in the sauna - 70-100 degrees at 5-15% humidity. If we turn to physics, then a cubic meter of air in a Russian bath contains 50-80 g of water vapor, and in a sauna - 15-40 g / cu. m. The fact that the steam in the sauna is dry is well known. And from the point of view of medicine with biochemistry, there is also no fundamental difference: both there and there the skin is steamed and becomes permeable from the inside, which helps to remove toxins with sweat, bypassing the usual excretory pathways and not burdening the body. In the sauna, it is not forbidden to “give it with a whisk”, and in the Russian bath you can take a steam bath in a dry way. But the device of the bath itself and the sauna stove are somewhat different in design. Firstly, the Russian bath (see fig.), condo or modern, is a log house; in extreme cases - a box made of timber, lined with a townhouse from the inside. Bulges and depressions inside are necessary to better capture the infrared radiation of the furnace and draw in excess water vapor from the air.

The fact is that the absolute, in grams per cubic meter, humidity in a Russian bath is close to critical for a given temperature range. This accelerates the steaming of the skin and warming up the body throughout its volume, but also increases the risk of unpleasant and harmful heavy steam. The Finnish bath can be both log, and timber, and even frame. But it is necessary to bathe in it in a cap - it protects the hair follicles with sebaceous glands from drying out, which can lead to premature baldness or, conversely, to the appearance of thick and coarse hair-awns, especially on the eyebrows, and excessive hair growth in the nostrils and ears . In relation to the furnace, all of the above means the following: the sauna stove must first warm up the walls of the bath, and only then the air in it. Otherwise, even in the sauna, heavy steam may appear, which at such temperatures is very harmful.

How does someone soar

About 20 years ago, the then good friend of the author, a seasoned Ukrainian owner named Vasily and nicknamed Khakhluy among his own villagers, built himself a Russian bathhouse. The author, who had previously helped him in the construction of the Abyssinian well, was invited to take a steam bath. Melted, settled down. Vasya scooped up some dark brown liquid and pumped it up on the stove. Shibanulo, and - the author felt that he was flying to the moon. At first, he attributed this to a habit - before that he had not bathed for about 5 years. But from the second portion, it “led” the same way. Being already mentally prepared for the next volley, he determined by sensations: euphoria of clearly unnatural origin. - Vasya, what are you pouring on the stove? - That infusion of cannabis. - Vaska, what are you, poof at all? Not only is it a drug, but from such a dose the motor can become! - That yak is dope there ... and the heart of the maine kripke ... clean your eyes kindly ... But let's get back to the baths and sauna stoves.

Bath device

A bath can be either a cramped closet without a foundation, or a solid building, comparable in area to a city apartment. We will return to the second, because. only a brick oven is suitable for it, slowly giving off heat; with a small volume of the steam room, up to 30-35 cubic meters. m - cast iron. In a small one-room bathhouse, you can also put a stove welded from a steel sheet.

Both baths can be light - made of linden or birch, or heavy - made of oak. It is undesirable to build a bath from coniferous wood, as well as from maple, walnut, ash. This wood, when heated for years, especially in an atmosphere with a high content of water vapor, releases volatile substances that are not always useful. The sauna is not so critical to the material of the walls, it can be built even from seasoned pine. The “heaviness” of an oak bath is explained not by the severity of the wood, but by the presence of tannins in it. A heavy bath is not for women and children. And it serves for 5-8 years, then the tannins disappear. But for a strong man, who is able to run a kilometer without being out of breath and without feeling a beating heart, a heavy bath will only give strength and vigor.

Note: according to one version of the famous fairy tale, Alyosha Popovich went out to the Serpent Tugarin several times, but he was able to defeat him only after taking a good steam bath in a heavy bath.

What does this mean for the oven? First, the value of thermal power. If for a light bath enough 0.5 kW / cu. m of room volume for linden and 0.7 kW / cu. m for birch, then for an oak bath you need at least 1.2 kW / cu. m.

Note: the indicated values ​​\u200b\u200bare valid for a ceiling height of 2.2-2.4 m. A ceiling above 2.5 m in a bath is generally undesirable.

Secondly, the weight of the stones for the heater. What stones are needed there, we'll talk below, and by weight you need 2.7 kg / cu. m, for birch 3.6-4 kg / cu. m, and for oak 6 kg / cu. m.

Security

burns

In an atmosphere with a temperature of 50 degrees, almost any touch to a metal heated to or above it gives a second-degree burn, with a blister. Easily conductive heat metal quickly gives it to the steamed, intensively cooled by sweat glands skin. Nowadays, the problem of thermal safety of bath stoves has been solved: there is an inexpensive, poorly conductive, durable and resistant material on sale - basalt cardboard. A fire-fighting blind area is made from it, they cover the screens of furnaces such as potbelly stoves, etc. From basalt cardboard on wooden racks, you can also make a fencing of the furnace, it is strong enough for this.

frenzy

In hot, humid air, carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides are likely to form. Therefore, it is possible to “pump” into the furnace with a flow-through heater (see below) only after the end of the furnace and the removal of ash. In any case, it is advisable to lead the furnace door with a blower through the wall into the dressing room, insulating it from the partition in terms of heat with the same basalt cardboard if the furnace is metal.

Fuel

Only good for a bath. It is the physical chemistry of wood burning, the subtleties of which cannot be considered here, that makes it possible to organize the heating of the room from the walls to the center. Coal quickly gives off the first heat - volatile components - and then the remaining carbon (pure carbon) smolders for a long time, which is good for heating, but in the bath it will give heavy steam. A full-fledged replacement for firewood "from the forest, of course" will be fuel pellets from sawdust or straw. They can be recognized by their size: these are poles or logs with a diameter of 30-70 mm. Pellets are also produced specifically for baths, but they are disproportionately expensive. In any case, a bag of pellets costs a little, and a test fire will show what this variety is good for. In terms of physical chemistry, gas with automatic control of the flame by external temperature sensors is also good for baths, but this design is not for do-it-yourselfers. Industrial gas stoves for baths are very expensive and not always reliable: there are no gas fittings that provide 100% safety at an outside temperature of 60 degrees and above. The same applies to bath electric furnaces; Let's mention, the heating element is not even fuel, but still a heater.

Kamenka

Any wood-burning sauna stove is a stove-heater. This means that it has a heated container for stones. The stones work like a heat accumulator: they absorb the first heat, and then give it away with radiation; due to the weak permeability of the stone mass, the convection from the heater is not very strong. As a result, the furnace heats 2/3 or more of the heating time with infrared rays, which ensures that the walls, floor and ceiling are heated before the air and the furnace body itself. In relation to the times of heat transfer by radiation and convection, the opposite is true.

stones

Firstly, in order to comply with the above conditions, it is necessary that the ratio of heat capacity to thermal conductivity of stones be higher than that of brick, not to mention metal. This is provided by dense volcanic rocks: basalt, diabase, gabbro, soapstone. They can be recognized by their severity, dark color, and smooth or very fine-grained fracture.

Brecciated rocks: granite, diorite, syenite, labrador, etc. not suitable for thermal performance. Metamorphic rocks are completely unsuitable: limestone, dolomite, marble, shale. In addition to complete non-compliance with the requirements of heat engineering, when heated, they can also emit harmful organic matter, because. often contain bituminous components.

Note: beautiful veins in marble - this is precisely the bituminous inclusions in it.

Secondly, the stones for the heater should be with a more or less smooth surface and a rounded shape. At the same time, the ratio of their surface to volume is the smallest (the smallest is for the ball), which ensures the desired mode of heat accumulation / heat transfer. In the old days, they began to build a bathhouse only after they had accumulated enough stock of rounded pebbles for the heater.

Stone laying

Equally important is the way the stones are laid. For a flow heater (see below), the largest ones, a fist or two in size, are laid on the bottom, then gradually reduced in size so that the top layer consists of pebbles the size of a thumb knuckle. For a deaf heater, they are laid vice versa: a trifle that provides largest area thermal contact, down, and up - large.

Flowing and blind heaters

A home-made sauna stove can be with a deaf or flowing heater. The deaf heater is separated from the furnace and/or flue gases by a solid partition and is open at the top. It can be pumped into it during the heating process, the stones never need to be sorted out, they remain clean. But, due to the small area of ​​​​thermal contact with the firebox, the deaf heater heats up more slowly. This is especially true with an increase in the size of the furnace, when the area of ​​contact of the pelvis with stones increases more slowly than the volume of stones. Therefore, a deaf heater can only be made in a metal furnace with a power of up to 25 kW, which will provide light steam in a one-room bath with a volume of up to 30-45 cubic meters. m. It is generally impossible to arrange a deaf heater in a brick oven, it will not warm up through a brick.

Note: the ceiling in a bath with a stove with a deaf heater should not be higher than 2.2 m. Otherwise, heavy steam is not excluded.

In a flow heater, the stones are placed in a casing on a grate above the firebox, and the flue gases pass through the stone mass before going into the chimney. A stove with a deaf heater is more difficult, because. a hermetically sealed loading and cleaning hatch is required in the casing of the heater. It is possible to heat such a stove only with firewood that does not give carbon deposits, for example, aspen, or pellets. It is possible to give steam only after complete, up to gray fluffy ash, heating. Stones periodically need to be removed, washed and cleaned. But on the other hand, the stone backfill warms up over the entire surface area of ​​the stones that make it up, and very quickly. This removes any restrictions on the size of the furnace and its power. You can independently make a stove with a flowing heater with a power of up to 50-60 kW, for a bath of three compartments of 50-80 cubic meters. m.

Furnace material

Bath stoves are made of cast iron or welded sheet metal. provides ideal warm-up mode and, when performed correctly, eliminates heavy steam in a bath of any size. But for its construction, full mastery of the art of the stove-maker is required., careful selection for quality and preparation of materials, because She works in difficult conditions. Only possible with flow heater, i.e. It is possible to give steam only after complete combustion of the fuel. The minimum heating time until the bath is ready is 3-4 hours. After long (more than 3-5 days) breaks in using the bath, it is necessary to dry and heat the furnace with accelerating furnaces, otherwise there is a high probability of microcracks appearing in the body of the furnace, especially dangerous in the bath as a source of waste. According to doctors, more than 70% of cases of burning people occur in the bath. As a result, the brick sauna stove is also very voracious. heats up quickly; a bath with it is ready to receive visitors within an hour and a half after kindling. Critical to the design; in case of unsuccessful execution of light steam, do not wait. Cools down also quickly; in order to properly take a steam bath with the whole family, the stove needs to be heated. This is not such a drawback, because. the metal does not crack, but without a fireclay brick lining, a welded furnace can only heat a one-room bathhouse up to 20-25 cubic meters. m volume. A furnace cast from cast iron, according to heat engineering, approaches a brick, because the thermal conductivity of cast iron is low, and the heat capacity is high. In terms of cost and ease of use - to welded. Most industrial sauna stoves are cast iron.

Choosing an oven

Which stove is best for a bath? Which one will you have to buy, and which one can you make yourself? It depends on the volume of the bath and the nature of its use. For a large bath for three or four compartments, which is described below, only a brick oven or a large cast iron iron of industrial manufacture, with a stone filling of 150-250 kg, is suitable. Such baths, as a rule, are collective for commercial purposes and are constantly heated. We will further consider the design of the furnace for it, but just as an example of complexity, although industrial conditions for its construction are not required.

Note: a brick stove with a flowing heater is suitable for both a Russian bath and a sauna. In the latter case, they simply heat it more strongly and do not splash anything into the heater.

For a private bath, heated once or twice a week, but designed for a family with in-laws and also a multi-room, but smaller area, a factory-made cast-iron stove would be the best option. There are many models on sale, of different capacities and price categories; we will touch on them. All of them allow underflooding when washing, and many are equipped with a hot water circuit. And, finally, for a summer cottage or a small individual bath, for a family of 3-4 people, with one or two compartments, one of the home-made steel stoves described below is quite suitable. Which of them is more suitable for which bath is indicated in the description.

Everything big, real

Bath

Let's decide first what kind of bath we can build. If the hut is up to about 3x4 m or an extension to the house of the same size, this section can be skipped, except, perhaps, for information about the arrangement of beds and bath equipment. Although this is already known to everyone. Here we will describe the bath, arranged, as they say, according to the full scheme. Her plan is shown in Fig. on right. Designations:

1. Capital (bearing) wall;
2. Light wooden partition;
3. dressing room;
4. washing department;
5. steam room;
6. Lying, it may not be, but in return - bridges to the reservoir;
7. Sauna stove with a deaf heater;
8. Furnace firebox;
9. Kamenka;
10. Chimney;
11. The foundation of the furnace (flooring is conventionally not shown);
12. Sand bedding;
13. Double entrance door;
14. Ordinary single door;
15. Fiber window, approximately 400 mm wide and 250 mm high. It is necessary that, if necessary, quickly release excess heat without chilling the compartment;
16. Ordinary swing window;
17. Water heating register (water heater);
18. Hot water storage tank suspended from the ceiling;
19. Steam room equipment: a tub of hot water, a ladle, brooms. Gangs, benches, soap, washcloths - in the washing room (4);
20. Polaty;
21. Tub with cold water.

We will give the necessary explanations. About what the walls of the bath should be, it has already been said. By paragraph 7 - it is understood that a cast iron stove for a Russian bath is installed. The disadvantages of a deaf heater in it do not affect how the heater works and the cast iron of the stove itself. And give at any time to the heater, which will immediately warm up again, where it is more convenient. To item 9. The stove on the foundation should be located so that the projection of its center of gravity (and not the center of the chimney, as is often incorrectly written) falls on the geometric center of the foundation. Otherwise, the furnace may warp due to the heating of the soil under other conditions of its stability. To item 10. The device of the chimney is shown in the figure, which shows the sectional view of the bath. Fire safety for a bath is vital, and factory stoves, as a rule, are not equipped with chimney elements and materials, with the exception of its lower knee with a gate. This must be taken into account when drawing up an estimate for the bath.

To pp. 11 and 12. The design of the furnace foundation is shown in fig. below. Its foundation must be necessarily separate and not in any way in contact with the foundation of the building. Sand filling is also mandatory; without it, the stability of the furnace cannot be achieved. Fire-resistant blind area (dark blue in the figure) - from basalt cardboard.

Note 6: for a cast-iron furnace with a power of up to 20 kW, a simplified foundation is possible from ready-made reinforced concrete monoliths laid directly on the ground.

To pp. 17 and 18. There are many designs of homemade stoves with a built-in hot water tank. They all have a common vice: the water in the tank boils before the heater warms up. Keeping the tank empty and running hot water into it is then dangerous: from the instant release of a large amount of steam, the stove can simply explode. It is also impossible to make a safety valve in the tank or open its plug: the uncontrolled flow of water vapor into the room will give heavy steam. Therefore, the only acceptable solution is a U- or W-shaped hot water register in the firebox in combination with a storage tank, see fig.:

However, if the bath is not used every day, then the heated water will cool in vain. Here again, the only acceptable solution is a bathhouse in the form of an extension to the house, and along with the bathhouses, the branch pipes of the register of a kitchen or heating stove are brought into the tank. Then the tank will be a common hot water storage tank for the entire household.

Note: factory furnaces with a correctly calculated hot water circuit, of course, this does not apply.

To pp. 19 and 20. The inventory for the steam room is wooden, see fig. Otherwise, burns cannot be avoided. Beds need two or three tiers, see next. rice. on the right. So each of the steamers can settle down according to their taste and health. It is not only a question of taste - you can put a stove of less power in the same bath and take a steam bath for several people. Very noticeable in terms of fuel costs.

And a brick oven

And if you want to make a bath completely in the old fashioned way? Or, let's say, several owners agreed to distribute expenses, bath days, hire a stove-maker, and jointly build a bath in general according to all the rules? Well, in order to know what you need to get in the end, and to control the quality of work - in fig. on the right is a brick stove for a bath. We will give the order below, but for now let's talk about materials and accessories:

• All parts in contact with flames or flue gases - only fireclay bricks; in fig. (below) highlighted in yellow.
• The seams between fireclay and ordinary brick, between any brick and metal - from 6 to 10 mm.
• Halves and three-four bricks are ready-made, with smooth edges. Chopped or sawn by a grinder, they will go anywhere except for a sauna stove.
• All doors and the grate are cast iron, others will not last long in the bath.
• The grate of the heater is made of channels; best of all - pieces of used rail, i.e. forged in the cold wheels of a train or tram.
• Masonry - medium fat with sand 1:1.
• Sand - calcined, washed and sifted through a sieve with a mesh of 0.15-0.25 mm, ravine or mountain, with ribbed granules. River sand with rounded granules is not suitable for a sauna stove, it gives microcracks.
• Facing - from the front, smooth and with rounded corners, brick. This will give optimal heat transfer in both convection and radiation modes.

The fat content of the solution is checked “on a stick”. Planed, wooden. Let's say a mop handle. They put it into the solution, mixed to the density of sour cream, take it out and look. A continuous layer of 1.5-2 mm should remain. If it runs off, leaving gaps, the clay is too thin. If bumps or lumps are visible, it is too oily. Now ready-made dry clay of any fat content is sold in construction stores. If they dug the clay themselves (this must be done from a depth of at least 1-1.5 m), and it is too greasy, then crushed brick can be added. Not sand! Brick is made from clay. But it is not the best way, and not because oily natural clay is a valuable raw material and it is not so easy to get it. It is much better, although more troublesome, to grease the skinny ravine clay. Then there will definitely not be any foreign particles in it that cause the same microcracks. Grease the clay by grinding:

• Dry clay broken into small lumps is poured into a barrel for 1/4-1/3.
• Fill to the top with water.
• The mixer is “pounded” until a homogeneous slurry is obtained.
• As soon as the top of the batch begins to lighten (this means that a precipitate has begun to fall), the upper third of the solution is drained.
• When all the clay settles and is visible through the water, the rest of the water is drained, and the silt coating is removed from the “cap”.
• Mix the masonry mortar and check for fat content as described.

As a rule, one extortion is enough. In the old days, stove-makers for wealthy customers laid sauna stoves precisely on labored clay. And now in industry, clay is fattened in a similar way.

Ordering and drying

The order of the furnace for the bath is shown in fig. on right. The principle of masonry -, i.e. dressing of seams is necessary only between rows, and in rows the seams can be untied. The first row is laid out on a dry sheet of metal laid on a foundation and covered with a sheet of basalt cardboard 4-6 mm thick. Seams between fireclay bricks - 3 mm. Undercutting the corners, where necessary, is done with a grinder with a stone circle No. 220-240. On the 22nd row, the filling of the heater is conditionally shown; here it ends. Backfilling is done after drying the furnace and accelerating furnaces. The oven is dried for at least 2 weeks at a temperature of 20-30 degrees, i.e. you need to build a furnace in the warm season. After drying, you need at least 4-5 accelerating furnaces with high-quality fuel (aspen wood or pellets), with an interval of 12 hours. Bookmark fuel for the first acceleration give 4-5 kg, and gradually increase to the maximum. With a break in the furnace for more than a week, one accelerating furnace is needed for a third of the load, and after a month of inactivity - 2-3 with an increase in load from a quarter to full.

Video: brick sauna oven

We take care of the metal

Now let's try to choose a prototype for a welded homemade stove. Drawings of some well-proven designs are shown in fig.

Bath potbelly stove

This one differs from the well-known one by the presence of a tray for stones and the bottom of the firebox paved with dry, without mortar, fireclay bricks. On the arches on the sides of the heater (from 8-12 mm steel bar) they put a bucket or boiling water with water when kindling. It is not so much the stones that heat it, but the convection currents between the screen and the furnace body. This contributes to the creation of an optimal mode for warming up the bath, and a 20-liter decoction heats up in 30-40 minutes, covered with a lid, up to 50 degrees. It is quite enough for two and there will be more for a child. A screen for a sauna potbelly stove is even more necessary than for a heating one: the stone tray disrupts the circulation of hot gases in the furnace, and the stones take a lot of heat for themselves. It is undesirable to apply thermal insulation to the screen when the volume of the bath is close to the limit; it must effectively emit IR to the outside. Therefore, in this case, a fence must be made for the stove. A sauna stove is suitable for a very small bathhouse, up to 20 cubic meters. m volume. It does not need a foundation, it can simply stand on a layer of basalt cardboard. The height of the direct chimney is 4-5 m, the damper is not needed. The draft is regulated according to the season and the weather by a sliding damper made of a galvanized strip that covers part of the holes in the firebox door, but at least 2 should not overlap. Sauna potbelly stove can be drowned during washing. You can give no more than 0.25 liters at a time with an interval of at least 20 minutes, otherwise the heater will get cold and heavy steam will come out. Kvass in a small bath is more than enough.

Note: do not give bottled store-bought kvass. Instead of bread, the spirit is such that you can even endure the saints. Soon, probably, children will also be made from powdered concentrates.

Without brick

This is an all-welded stove made of 4-6 mm sheet for a small sauna, also up to 20-25 cubic meters. m. The design is simple and clear from the figure, it heats the steam room quickly, which is good. But there is nowhere to attach a water heater, which is bad. On the hatch of the heater, a maximum of a bucket will heat up to 40 degrees in an hour. It is not necessary to screen this stove, but it is desirable to isolate it. Most of the heat goes into the stones anyway, the screen simply has nothing to reflect. Therefore, in such a simple stove, it was necessary and blew: there is no vortex in the furnace, and the efficiency, which is already low for sauna stoves, will come out completely unimportant. The grate is made of fittings welded along.

in a case

A brick oven in a metal case made of 3-4 mm steel is already suitable for a sauna, and for a Russian bath of 30-40 cubic meters, which it will heat up in 2 hours. Therefore, a U-shaped hot water register can be built into the smoke circulation, during which time it will give out into the accumulator of 40 liters of 50-degree water. Enough for three or four. The masonry is made of fireclay, the stove is without foundation. The screen is not needed for the reasons described above, but the fence is necessary - the temperature of the case is more than 100 degrees. Before washing and steaming, the oven must be completely heated; keeps warm for about an hour.

From the barrel

This stove is similar in properties to the all-welded sauna stove. It is just as difficult to put a water heater in it. But it is very simple in execution and therefore suitable for giving with a sauna-shed up to 15 cubic meters. You can heat it during washing / steaming, but you can’t press it in any way: for the sake of simplicity of design, a cleaning / loading hatch is not provided in the heater. Therefore, with frequent use, this stove will be short-lived. This stove is made like this: a concrete slab is placed directly on the ground, or a mini-pit is poured with concrete. Then a cube is laid out from an ordinary red brick; at the top, fittings are embedded in the masonry, forming a grate of the heater. A metal barrel without bottoms is piled on this pedestal and lined from the inside with fireclay on clay. You can simply coat the inside with a layer of very thick (plasticine consistency) fatty clay solution of 50-60 mm. Fireclay bricks will also go a little, they are put upright with a spoon. Finally, the top of the barrel is welded with a sheet of 2-4 mm steel with the first chimney elbow welded into it - a cut of a 100 mm pipe - and the sauna is ready.

Fast

This stove is also of a country type, or for a hunting lodge. It is already made entirely from a barrel and can be installed directly on the ground. The grate of the heater is made of welded fittings. The inner lining is the same as the previous one. The oven heats up the bathhouse-closet of cubes by 10-12 in 15-20 minutes. and cools down just as quickly. Therefore, it is designed, without underflooding, for washing alone with a little steaming, or hastily together. But with such a speed of bathing procedures, there is no danger that the water in the boiler will boil, and here it is arranged according to the principle of titanium, covering the chimney. The capacity of the boiler is 15-20 liters, which is enough for one or two.

Video: a simple homemade metal stove for a bath

About brick cases

You can find advice to cover metal furnaces with bricks on the outside, this supposedly improves their properties. In fact, the outer lining does not improve anything, but only worsens. The metal of the furnace, not being able to give off heat, heats up to orange and quickly burns out even with a thickness of 8-10 mm. And the heat transfer to the heater, even if it is deaf, even if it is flowing, almost does not improve. The outer lining only does not release IR, and such a furnace most often produces heavy steam.

Pipe stove

Here in the figure - a stove for a bath of large diameter.

Pieces of 525-mm pipes rarely lie in the trash, but if there is one, this is a godsend:

• No foundation needed, just insulation from the floor and walls.
• Heats a bath up to 35 cubic meters.
• A deep, double-heated deaf heater allows you to pressurize the firebox at any time.
• The mouth of the firebox extended forward with a blower easily goes into the dressing room.
• The round shape in the section gives the optimal combination of radiation with convection, which is why such a stove heats the bath almost twice as much as the “bourgeois” one at almost the same heat output.
• The heater tray in the smoke circulation is covered by a U-shaped hot water register without the slightest loss of the qualities of the stove.

Note: The water heater must not be placed flat. It is necessary to tilt slightly across so that the hot water supply pipe is higher than that of the return flow.

About hot water boilers

Not every sauna stove can be so easily integrated with a hot water circuit. And to heat water for a bath in the kitchen and carry buckets is nonsense. And it is not always possible, because a bathhouse can stand on the outskirts. But you can attach an annular hot water boiler to any sauna stove by putting it on the chimney pipe. The degree and time of heating can be adjusted by moving the boiler up and down.

From waste materials, in order not to master and order complex welding and tinsmith work, a reliable and durable boiler is well obtained from two worthless rims of automobile wheels and a piece of pipe of a suitable diameter, see fig. Excess holes are welded without special care with any suitable pieces of metal. The boiler is attached to the chimney by the protruding ends of the axial pipe with clamps.

Purchased

If you have sufficient funds, buying a stove for a bath is not a problem. Models, as already mentioned, are offered a lot. The world's leading producers are Finland and Russia. The Finns make Helo, Kastor, Harvia, Narvi, Iki, Upo, Tulikivi, etc. They call Kastor a "stove Mercedes", and, I must say, the Finns do not take money "for an asterisk". Of the Russian ones, Termofor, Teplodar, Ermak, Inzhkomtsentr VVD, Vulkan, Sukhovey are known on the market, but firstly, Troika can be especially noted. These are solid, expensive stoves for wealthy customers or commercial bathing establishments. In Finland itself, in saunas you can often find Troikas, which, with equal quality, reliability and durability, are much cheaper than Mercedes from the stove. "Troek" produces a wide range of models, see Fig., of different capacities and configurations. The disadvantage, and that conditional one, is only one: a large, in comparison with analogues from other manufacturers, weight. The installation of Troika, designed for the company, requires a strong, reliable foundation and a whole team of workers.

Bath stoves “Troika”

This is explained by the fact that the company, without further ado, achieves ideal bath heat engineering in an “oak” way: by increasing the thickness of the material and the weight of the stones. In Troikas, the load required according to specifications can exceed 250 kg, and the entire furnace pulls more than a ton. Cast iron ATBs have long been popular among a wide range of consumers, see fig. below, well-proven for small private baths and affordable. Of the models available for sale, only ATB2 had a serious defect: boiling water in the boiler before the heater warmed up. But craftsmen quickly found a way out: they turned the firebox lid upside down, opposite to the standard installation. At the same time, the path of flue gases in the heat exchanger was reduced, and at the cost of some decrease in efficiency, which is not significant for an infrequently heated bath, the water was heated just in time.

But the stove had to “turn the horns” before its installation, because. the chimney hole went back from the firebox, and then why not break the ceiling, attic and roof? Therefore, they soon came up with another method: they put something under the legs of the tank (it just stands on the body of the furnace) to lift it from the firebox. This method of adjusting the water temperature in the boiler is applicable to almost all ATB models.

Camping bath

Camping baths were invented by tourists. But not those who buy tours to Thailand, but those who go anywhere at any time of the year and in any weather. In the Sayans, during the spring thaw, on a day trip to the bathhouse, oh, how you want ... your whole body aches, and squelches from dirt and behind the scruff of the neck ... It will be on the ointment if there is a hollow next to a flat place for a tent with rather steep walls for a fire. Then - aluminum tubes from the tent frame or easel backpacks; in winter - from ski poles. They connect the pipe segments with socks washed in the snow, they dry out so quickly, tied with laces from vibrams. It remains to build a fire, bring the end of the pipe with an upward slope into the tent, and put its other end into the flame, but so that the mouth is away from the fire and fresh air enters it, see fig.

Such a bath saved not only from dirt and fatigue. The author knows a case when, thanks to her, the group survived in a critical situation. On a winter night, a tree fell on the tent. After that, only one could move, but there was no question of going for help. Then he built a hut from spruce branches, dragged his comrades there, then built a stove from a fire with a pipe, and stoked it until the deadline passed and the rescuers came. In the hospital, everyone then lain from a month to six months, two received a disability - but everyone survived. And without a shelter with heating at minus 15-20, they would freeze in an hour or two.

And after baths?

There was once an acquaintance of the author - a Finn. And in Finland then there was a dry law, and the valiant representative of Scandinavia regularly came to Leningrad for the weekend to get drunk there to death, in a lying position, to the green serpent. Once he caught himself at the beginning of a drinking bout, decided to quit and asked him to give him a bath. Russian, with a broom, from which the birch spirit penetrates to the marrow of bones. Having steamed properly, I concluded: “You know, your bath is still different” - “Why?” - “After your tea I want. Strong. With jam "-" And after yours? - "Vodka. Lot. woman. Rarely". However, this difference is explained, most likely, not by the actual difference between the Russian and Finnish baths, but by the individual characteristics of Eino and a series of his previous sprees.

The origins of the Russian bathing tradition are in ancient times. This fact determines a number of characteristic features. For a Russian person, the real heat of a heated stove and a steamed birch broom are important.

In this concept, modern showers, whirlpools, steam generators, bathtubs and electric heaters do not stand up to scrutiny. A Russian person appreciates the bathhouse for the opportunity to communicate, perform a purification ceremony, and discuss the news with friends. Today, not a single building of a country house is complete without the construction of a bathhouse.

Peculiarities

High business intensity tires a person. To replenish the forces it is necessary to return to nature, its sources. The tightness of bathrooms, synthetic showers do not contribute to peace and relaxation. There is only one place where not only dirt is washed away, but also fatigue - this is a country bathhouse.

The main attribute of the domestic bath is a do-it-yourself stove of an individual design. This is usually an economical device that generates abundant heat.

Metal heaters meet these requirements and significantly outperform electric and gas heat generators.

The advantages of homemade metal furnaces are as follows:

• do-it-yourself, while it is enough to have basic electric welding skills;
• are much cheaper than brick counterparts;
• do not require special knowledge when performing masonry;
• when lining with bricks, it is not inferior to brick counterparts in terms of heat transfer;
• small size, which is critical for small rooms;

• ease of use, operation does not require skills;
• can be fired with any type of solid fuel;
• speed of preparation - usually within an hour.

The disadvantages of metal furnaces include the following:

• limited number of modifications;
• inevitable deformation under the influence of temperature;
• low heat capacity, which is compensated by brick lining;
• dry air;
• in the absence of a heater, there is a possibility of thermal shock;
• effective only in small spaces.

Iron stoves appeared at the end of the 19th century. The prototype of such devices is the so-called potbelly stove, equipped with a steel tank, a door and a chimney. This unusual term appeared quite a long time ago and there are two assumptions about its origin.

The first option is that this name was formed due to the natural "voracity" of the design and low efficiency. Folk fantasy combined these qualities with the concept of "bourgeois", which "eats" a lot of firewood and gives little heat. Only true nationality can explain the perfect polarity of the second interpretation. It is known that this stove became popular during the bourgeois revolution, because it was undemanding to fuel and worked quite efficiently.

It is worth considering in more detail its design features. Today there are a lot of similar stoves, but they are connected by practicality. This is the first thing that comes to mind when getting acquainted with the process of their work, regardless of whether we have a retro version or a modern high-tech copy created using nanotechnology and composites.

Despite the fact that a potbelly stove is the simplest heating device, its design clearly complies with the principles of heat transfer.

Today, a metal stove for a bath is in great demand due to its exceptional properties and benefits. Modern technologies allow to achieve optimal heat transfer and long burning.

It is necessary to consider in detail the device of this heating device. The design ensures the implementation of two functions - this is the heating of the heater and space.

A conventional iron bath stove includes several functional blocks, such as:

• furnace- this is a zone for burning an energy carrier;
• heat exchange device provides heat exchange with the heater and heats the space;
• heater- these are specially selected stones that are a source of heat in the steam room;
• chimney removes volatile combustion products from the room;
• water heating tank usually made of stainless steel.

Types of structures

The general scheme of a metal furnace is divided into different types. Homemade designs have significant differences depending on local conditions.

They are due to the following factors:

• type of fuel used. A wood-burning firebox is usually used;
• construction type. They differ in the location of the firebox, for example, the firebox from the dressing room;
• heating method.

There are many varieties of heating equipment for a sheet metal bath, which may differ in operating parameters. The determining factor is the type of structures, the set of functional properties of the device depends on it, and the method of installing a metal furnace in a bath.

There are three basic varieties, such as:

• closed;
• open;
• combined.

Closed

To increase the heat capacity and optimize heat transfer, the metal base is lined with bricks. For the most part, such ovens are “homemade”. The basis of the structure is sheet metal with a thickness of 1.5–2 mm. According to the standard layout, the firebox is located in the dressing room, and the heater is placed in the steam room. The front surfaces are hidden with a brick layer.

To ensure the fastening of dissimilar materials, steel staples are welded to the base. Their length is made a few millimeters smaller than the dimensions of the brick.

The closed heater is located above the firebox, protection from above is provided by a sheet of steel. The side door on the side of the steam room serves to supply water and create steam.

A closed stove has the following advantages:

• insignificant cost;
• unlimited possibilities of adaptation to the local features of the premises.

The disadvantages include the following:

• specificity of installation work, due to the heterogeneity of materials;
• self-made solutions do not provide the required technological level, which reduces the service life.

open

Fans of fast steam prefer an open metal stove for a sauna. The open design implies a special relationship. To create optimal heating of the surfaces of stones, it is necessary to ensure contact maximum area the outer surface of the furnace with a heater. To increase the efficiency, the masters resort to various tricks. For example, changing the configuration of the heater, which increases its area in the combustion zone. This solution speeds up the heating of the stones.

Design efficiency can be increased by using a valve that controls the heat supply to the heater area. This principle is widely used by some oven manufacturers who create intricate steam passage systems. "Light" steam is formed when passing through the stone layer of the outer heater. Feels like its quality is not inferior to the steam formed in the old stone stoves.

The advantages of an open metal sauna stove are as follows:

• ease of use;
• low fuel consumption;
• great efficiency.

Such a modification of a metal stove for a bath is an optimal alternative to traditional stone counterparts. The indisputable advantage of the design is its adaptability for small spaces. Of the shortcomings, only high cost can be distinguished.

An effective mode of operation is provided exclusively by factory models. "Homemade" do not have the necessary thermal conductivity characteristics, which reduces their effectiveness.

Combined

Such designs are distinguished by the presence of an additional space heating system. This allows even in the absence autonomous heating achieve a comfortable temperature.

The main source of heat is the firebox. An additional heat circuit is placed above the firebox. With this design, the surface of the furnace is heated by transferring heat through the air gap. Typically, these stoves have an open heater design.

A well-thought-out internal system of heating pipes located along the perimeter of the room heats the steam room and the entire bath in a short time. A pipeline is connected to the furnace branch pipe. The thermal energy of fuel combustion heats the air of the internal circuit and causes it to circulate. The air supply to the internal circuit is regulated by a louvre grille.

Combined ovens have such advantages as:

• one-time heating of the steam room and the room;
• Simplified temperature control.

The disadvantages of metal stoves for a bath include the following:

• complex design;
• high price;
• limited number of modifications.

How to make with your own hands?

Before implementing a simple project, it is necessary to take into account local conditions in order for the installation to be successful and the wood-burning stove to be efficient. The comfort of the conditions of the Russian bath depends on the successful ratio of the size of the steam room, the location of the stove and how the heater is designed.

What is the best metal to make?

The iron furnace has a number of features, on which its efficiency and service life depend. The temperature in the fuel combustion chamber exceeds +450ºС. Such heating leads to deformation of the material. The metal plate is subject to burnout under the influence of fire. If stainless steel sheets more than 10 mm thick are used for the construction, this can be avoided, but the warm-up time of the room and fuel consumption increase significantly. Such a furnace would be economically disadvantageous.

To make a solid oven without the danger of deformation and burning, as well as with good thermal conductivity, you need to have real skill. In the factory, the structures are made according to proven technologies from heat-resistant materials.

Installation of a home-made stove should be carried out according to carefully verified drawings, taking into account all the nuances.

• 08x17T It is a high-alloy stainless steel that does not corrode even at high temperatures. AISI 430 is steel grade 08x17T. It does not change the structure up to +850ºС, has a low carbon content, and simplifies possible repairs.
• Steel is used for self-production of the combustion chamber 10 GOST 1050-88. Convection parts are made from 08PS and 08YU GOST 19904-90. Sheet structural steel is optimal for the body. The combustion chamber door must be suitable for maximum thermal loads. An excellent choice is a cast-iron door.

Schemes and drawings

The main functional blocks are as follows:

• combustion chamber (fuel chamber);
• platform with stones (heater);
• water tank (water tank).

In order for the stove to be effective, it is necessary to have a clear idea of ​​​​the functional purpose of these parts. Further, a calculation is made, which takes into account the size of the room and other local features. A firebox is a place where wood is burned. It needs a door to load fuel and air flow for intensive combustion. Such a device is called a blower. Removal of combustion products (ash) should occur without removing firewood, this is achieved by means of an ash pan - a special grate.

From the fuel chamber, thermal energy rises to the platform with stones. To enhance heat transfer, they are placed on a grate.. It plays the role of connecting the firebox and the bunker with stones. The bunker can be closed and open. The change of stones and the supply of water on their surface is provided by a special door. Above is a tank for heating water. Often a chimney is run through it to increase efficiency.. Usually, water is poured from above, and drained through a tap at the bottom.

Assembly and installation

To perform the work, you will need the following basic tool:

• standard welding machine;
• scissors for cutting metal;
• measuring tools.

Every person with basic metalworking skills and the ability to read simple blueprints can make a sauna stove with their own hands. Despite the material costs and the time spent, the savings will exceed expectations. It is necessary to consider in detail the manufacture of a metal furnace with a bath tank with dimensions of 700 mm (diameter) and 1600 mm (height).

In order to weld the frame, you will need the following materials:

• steel sheet (thickness depends on the steel grade) with dimensions of 2.2x1 m;
• metal pipe - 1600 mm high, walls - from 7–10 mm;
• pipe (chimney) of arbitrary diameter, walls - 5 mm;
• metal rod - 10 mm;
• grate made of steel, cast iron;
• 8 loops and 3 heck;
• tap.

The algorithm of work includes several main stages:

• It is necessary to cut the pipe into two parts 0.7 and 0.9 meters.
• In the lower part of the blower pipe, a rectangular hole 20x5 centimeters should be made. The blower is located under the firebox, usually at a height of 7-10 centimeters from the foundation and above the container under the ash hole. Above the blower, you need to make a hole for loading fuel. The cut metal can be used to make doors.
• Ears and hinges should be welded to the pipe for the doors, latches on the doors, put the doors of the blower and the combustion chamber.
• It is necessary to cut a metal circle 0.7 m. Place a grate in the middle. If you could not pick up a grate in the store, you should build a grate from a metal rod. The resulting structure is welded to the pipe above the blower.
• It is necessary to make access for watering stones and put a door on it.

• From a steel bar, a grate for a platform for stones should be made.
• It is necessary to cut a circle with a diameter of 0.7 m from a sheet of metal. Make a hole for the chimney. It is usually located in the part that will be located at the far wall of the furnace. The chimney pipe needs to be welded. Above the platform for stones (or a closed bunker), the structure made should be welded.
• Next, it is necessary to weld a length of 0.7 m to the long part of the large pipe. Mount a tap at the bottom of the water tank.
• A circle cut out of a steel sheet (0.7 m) must be cut into two different parts. In the larger one, cut a hole for the chimney, put this part on the smoke exhaust pipe and weld it. The smaller part is attached to the hinges and forms a hatch for filling water.

How to make a stove for a bath from a pipe, see the following video.

As you can see, it is not so difficult to make and install a metal furnace with your own hands. Depending on your own priorities and the design of the bath room, some nuances, such as a heat exchanger, screen, air supply, may differ significantly. Everyone can build their own bath with a metal stove.

Finishing

In most cases, stove finishing is done to create an attractive look. However, do not neglect the special properties of decorating materials. They can play the role of a screen and increase the heat capacity of furnaces. Often the cladding is done with bricks.

When creating a bath, the question of heating it always arises. When choosing from ready-made options, it is better to give preference to one that will not only be of high quality, but also economical. In the absence of funds for the construction of a stone source of heating, you can make a stove for a bath with your own hands.

Requirements for metallic heat sources

At self-manufacturing stoves, it is important to keep the necessary tools at hand, a set of drawings for the construction of home-made bath stoves and have the experience of a welder. When working with steel sheets, keep in mind that at a temperature of +150 degrees, a change in the properties of iron occurs, at +250, its endurance under constant loads disappears, and at +550, the steel becomes dark brown, which indicates a change in linear properties.

It is especially necessary to work carefully when heating the metal to +900 degrees! At this temperature, undesirable deformation of the future furnace is possible.

Accounting for these nuances will provide:

• prolonged accumulation of thermal masses;
• warming up the bath and raising the temperature regime in it in a short time;
• high level of safety for washing people.

In addition, these ovens do not require much space due to their small size.

Pros and cons of metal stoves

The bath should maintain a temperature regime of +50 degrees. For this purpose, it is recommended to install home-made metal bath stoves. Their use has the following advantages:

• small-sized structures, which is important for small rooms;
• you can’t suffocate, since such an iron “home-made” removes combustion products through the chimney;

• due to the high heat transfer coefficient, the steam room is quickly warmed up. On average, about 1.5 hours;
• expiration date, directly dependent on the quality of work performed and materials;
• lack of smoke when kindling a bath with raw wood;
• low cost.

Such homemade metal furnaces have some disadvantages:

• small dimensions of the structure exclude the use in spacious bath rooms;
• fast cooling down period. In order for the oven to heat, heat must be constantly maintained;
• high probability of ignition of objects located near the walls of the structure.

Varieties of metal furnaces

There are 3 options:

1. Open - with a small water tank and an open-type heater. To enhance the heat capacity coefficient of such a sauna stove, you will need to cover the stones with a galvanized lid.
2. Closed. To increase the heat capacity outside and inside, they lay out refractory bricks using metal staples, and place a special grate.
3. Combined. With this option, a complete set is formed: 2 valves, a firebox, a grate, 2 nozzles (10 cm and 14 cm in diameter), a blower, and 4 holes for a pipe and a bypass elbow are provided. For this, sheets of steel with a thickness of about 0.5 cm are used.

Also, the sauna stove can be of cold and hot type. The first is suitable for heated rooms. It is impossible to get burned on its walls, since they warm up only up to +50 degrees. The second option does not allow you to control the temperature in the bath and is used for occasional use of the steam room.

Types of stoves depending on the type of fuel:

• electrical - a housing with a heating element and special elements for heat insulation;
• wood-burning. You need a lot of wood as fuel, a long warm-up time and constant monitoring;
• gas. They are convenient and reliable due to the presence of a safety device that reacts when the gas level decreases or when it is completely turned off.

Features of heating sources for baths and saunas

In a traditional Russian bath, it has long been customary to serve a lot of steam, and less heat. For this purpose, a closed heater located above the firebox is used. On the inside, it is lined with heat-resistant bricks while maintaining a small air gap. It is required to heat stones for such a bath up to +500 degrees.

The Finnish sauna assumes a low level of humidity - 5-15% and a temperature regime of up to +85 degrees. The heater is used open, with slightly heated stones. To supply steam, it is enough to pour it with water.

The main components of metal furnaces

Their presence is provided in all bath structures.

Firebox

This is a two-chamber device. The upper part (furnace) is necessary for burning fuel, and the lower part (ash pan) is for accumulating and collecting ash. These two compartments are separated by a lattice, and each of them has a door. Often the lower compartment is left open for air flow, using it as a blower. Also in the firebox door (dimensions 20x25 cm) you can make holes with a damper to regulate the air supply.

Kamenka

Above the firebox door, located opposite the entrance, rods with a size of 1 cm or more are fixed. The door of the heater itself should “look” at the steam room. Further, stones without mica content are placed in it. Granite is not recommended. The more cobblestones, the more extensive the hot surface.
Firebox

In the upper part of the do-it-yourself metal bath stove, it is better to mount a hatch in order to create access to the bottom of the compartment and provide maintenance of the heater. Above it is a cover for the chimney. Final stage- installation of a water tank.

Chimney

This is a pipe for removing the resulting smoke and heating the water supplied to the stones. The chimney must be insulated, as it is easy to burn yourself due to its high temperature.

Its dimensions must correspond to the dimensions of the iron furnace. The thickness of the passages should be equal to half the brick.

It is better to purchase a chimney already assembled with an outer pipe, an inner chimney, a deflector.

Tank

It is mounted above the firebox. A tap is built into its lower part for the gradual supply of liquid to hot stones. From the side of the chimney, the tank is covered with a steel semicircle with a hole for the chimney pipeline. A lid with a handle is mounted on the part of the container that will be filled with water. As well as a chimney, it is better to buy a ready-made tank.

Additional elements

These include doors and grates. To save time, they are purchased ready-made.

Making metal furnaces with your own hands

There are many drawings and options, but the set of constituent elements is approximately the same.

Instruments

To get started, you will need to prepare:

Furnace grate

Important nuances

First you need to determine the place for the future design. If necessary, a foundation and two rows of bricks are laid out. A pit is made under it with a depth of 70 cm. Its bottom is sprinkled with sand and broken bricks on top. Next, the frame and formwork are mounted, after which the surface is poured with concrete.

Important to remember:

• the gap between the furnace and the wall is at least 1 m;
• foil must be attached to the wall near the structure;
• it is better to make a chimney from a sandwich pipe with a heat-insulating layer;
• at the junction of the roof and the chimney, it is required to form a passage assembly;
• it is better to enclose the structure with brick to prevent burns.

Stove-heater

This simple variety has several ways to create.

Option 1

Using an iron barrel without a bottom and top. The resulting container is half filled with bricks laid on edge and a grate laid on top. Stones are placed in the remaining 2/3 of the space, a chimney is installed. At the end, such a home-made stove in the bath is covered with a lid made of steel sheets.

Option 2

Bricks are not used for the construction of the stove. Sequence of work:

1. Prepare diagrams and necessary tools.
2. In a long pipe, cut a hole for the blower with dimensions of 5x20 cm. Fix the mount for the grate above it inside the pipe.
3. For the firebox, form a hole 25x20 cm. Above it, mount fasteners for rods, the size of which is about 1 cm.
4. On the other side of the furnace, create a hole into which liquid will be supplied. Place stones in the stone.
5. Make a hole for the chimney. Install a valve at the bottom of the pipe.
6. Form a lid on the heating tank with a slot for the chimney, a loop and a handle.

Option 3

This oven has 2 heaters. It is made by analogy with the previous ones. The difference is that 4 plates are used to connect two heaters.

Other possible varieties

In addition to stoves, heaters are relevant:
Potbelly stove

• a conventional horizontal oven. A propane tank and trimmed metal-roll residues are used. Openings are cut out for the doors and the chimney, a grate of grates is fixed on the corners, and the lid is installed in its original place. Legs and sashes are mounted;
• vertical boiler for a bath. It consists of a firebox, a water tank and a closed-type heater. It will be necessary to pre-form blanks for the bottom of the lid and partitions, to carry out the process of welding round grates. The constituent elements are made according to the scheme described above.

Many drawings of sauna stoves made of metal provide for horizontal and vertical design options with the furnace exiting into a separate room, with a closed and open heater. A homemade potbelly stove is also common. This is an ordinary metal box with a door and a pipe. It requires a lot of fuel with a low heat transfer rate.

Final finishing

Regardless of the type and size of the sauna stove, the structure must be treated with heat-resistant enamel. To do this, the surface is degreased, and then the organic composition is applied in several layers.
Application of heat-resistant enamel

Finished furnaces cannot be put into operation immediately. First of all, forcibly or naturally dry the bath room.

By adhering to these tips and having experience in welding, you will get an oven that will delight for many years. Choose the option that best fits into the bath room and does not "eat" the additional area.