Installation and safety

Everything on this page is taken from the manufacturer's user manual for the Procraft SAB-HN sauna heaters (models SAB-45HN, SAB-60HN, SAB-80HN and SAB-90HN). Page numbers refer to that manual. Where the manual does not state something, this page says so rather than guessing. Download the user manual (PDF, English and French).

Before anything else: a licensed electrician

The manual requires the electrical installation to be done by an electrical installer (page 10). A Procraft heater runs on its own dedicated 240 V circuit, and a means of disconnection must be built into the fixed wiring (page 2). The junction box inside the sauna room must be sealed, splash-proof, fitted with a 7 mm moisture condensing vent, and mounted no higher than 500 mm from the floor (page 10, Chart 2). No receptacle may be installed inside the heated room (page 8). All wiring to the heater and its accessories must be routed away from direct radiation from the heater (page 8). Disconnect the power supply before connecting or repairing anything (page 14). The wiring terminals are marked ground, L1 and L2 (page 7).

Electrical and room figures by model

Figures are transcribed from Table 1 (page 9), Table 2 and Chart 1C (page 11) of the manufacturer's user manual. The room volume column is headed "m2" in the manual but the heading reads "Sauna Room Volume", so it is shown here as cubic metres. The wire sizes are printed exactly as the manufacturer gives them; 9 AWG and 7 AWG are not standard North American conductor sizes, so your electrician selects the next standard size that satisfies the breaker rating and your local code. Nothing in the table is converted or inferred. Match your heater to a column by the model number on its rating plate.

Clearances and mounting height

• Minimum sauna room height is 1900 mm (Chart 1C, page 10).
• The bottom of the heater sits 180 mm above the floor (Chart 1C). The heater is 410 mm wide as drawn; height and depth are not stated in the manual.
• Side wall, bench and ceiling clearances are per model, in the table above (Table 1).
• If the space above the heater is less than 1100 mm, a heat insulation board must be fitted to the ceiling. The minimum clearance with the board fitted is 850 mm. Board size 500 × 700 mm (minimum required 600 × 600 mm), 1 mm thick (page 10).
• Do not install the heater on the floor or in a wall recess (page 10).
• Do not use asbestos-cement tile or asbestos board as the wall sheet behind the heater; it makes the wall dangerously hot (page 10).
• Mounting: choose the location, fix the installation plate to the wall with screws, then hang the heater on the plate. Use a wire grommet for the supply cable (page 7). Chart 1A shows two 6 × 40 and two 6 × 16 screws. Tighten the mounting screw leaving 3 mm between the screw head and the wall (page 10).
• The overheating safety equipment can come loose in shipment. Check it before first use (page 10).

Guardrail and guard

• US and CSA caution: a non-metallic guardrail shall be installed not closer than 50 mm from the sauna heater (page 3, Chart 3).
• The protective net on top of the heater is fixed with screws (page 3). Do not operate unless the guard is in place (page 6).

Warning labels

• The warning markings supplied with the heater must be mounted at eye level, using the screws or nails provided (page 4).
• The "reduce the risk of overheating" label goes on the door of the sauna room, on a wall adjacent to the door, or on the heater itself (page 5).
• The "reduce the risk of electrocution and burns / reduce the risk of fire" label goes on the interior wall above the heater (page 6).

Rocks

• Do not operate without rocks. Use only igneous rocks (page 3). Use only the original sauna stone or the stone type supplied in the heater; ordinary stone can emit harmful substances, break easily and holds heat poorly (page 12).
• Wash the stones to clear dust before loading. Stone diameter is about 5 to 10 cm; do not use stones of unspecified size (page 12).
• Large stones at the bottom, smaller on top, not packed tight, so air can move through them. The stones should plainly cover the element. Stones packed too tight shorten the working life of the heating element (page 12).
• Rearrange the stones at least once a year, twice a year in frequent use, at most every 500 hours (page 12).
• The manual does not state a rock quantity per model. Do not use chlorinated water on the heater (page 15).

Water, fire and use

• Do not install shower heads or water spray devices above the heater. The heater must not be subjected to water spray (pages 3 and 8).
• Do not place combustible material on the heater at any time (pages 3 and 6). Never put a cover on the heater, do not put wood on it, do not hang clothes on it to dry, do not bake food in it (pages 14 and 15).
• Keep away from the heater when it is hot; the outer surface can burn (page 14).
• One heater per room: the sauna heater must be used alone (page 2). The heater must not be used for any purpose other than heating the sauna (page 9).
• The door of the sauna room must not have a locking or latching system that could trap someone inside (page 8).
• Children under 8 must not use the appliance; children 8 and over only under supervision (page 2).

Controls and the reset limiter

• The timer is the main power switch and cuts power automatically when the set time is exceeded (page 12). The manual does not state the timer's length.
• The thermostat sets the temperature by turning the knob (page 11). The manual does not state its range; it gives 60 to 90 °C as the temperature most bathers prefer (page 15).
• Overheating protection stops the heater automatically if ventilation is poor or the stones are packed too tight (pages 11 and 12). A manual reset button sits on the underside next to the timer and thermostat (Chart 2, page 11).
• If the manually resettable temperature-limiting control trips frequently, contact a qualified serviceman (pages 3 and 8).
• Inspect the sauna room before restarting the timer (page 2). The manual asks the owner to keep a maintenance program and check at the end of each day that the heater is turned off (page 4).
• With a correctly sized room the heater reaches the set temperature in 30 to 180 minutes and holds it (page 11); about one hour is typical when the output matches the room (page 15). The heater and stones may smell on first use; ventilate the room (page 15).

Room construction, insulation and ventilation

• Walls, ceiling and floor: 19.1 mm (3/4 in) non-delaminating unpainted plywood on 0.4 m (16 in) centres, 50.8 × 102 mm (2 × 4) studs, 50.8 × 50.8 mm floor joists and 25.4 × 76.2 mm (1 × 3) furring over the studs. Foil-faced 7.62 mm (3 in) glass fibre insulation, minimum R11, foil face inward (page 7).
• Recommended minimum thermal insulation is 50 mm in the walls and 100 mm in the ceiling, with an aluminium foil laminate vapour barrier, at least a 20 mm air slot between the vapour barrier and the inside panel, and a slot between the wall panel and the ceiling so moisture does not collect behind the panel (page 15).
• Each square metre of uninsulated surface adds about 1.2 cubic metres to the room volume you size the heater for (page 15). Spruce is the manufacturer's recommended wall and ceiling wood (page 14).
• Ventilation: an inlet vent on the wall below the heater, or at least 50 cm above the heater where there is mechanical ventilation, or in the ceiling above the heater (Chart 5, page 13). Inlet vent 5 to 10 cm in diameter; the outlet twice the size of the inlet, placed diagonally opposite and under the platform as far from the inlet as possible (pages 13 and 14). If the washroom only has an exhaust vent, leave at least a 5 cm gap under the sauna door (page 13).

Servicing

• The manual states that the heating elements are not replaceable (page 4).
• When the bottom cover is open, protect the thermostat's capillary tube from kinking, pressure or impact (page 8).
• If the supply cord is damaged it must be replaced by the manufacturer, its service agent or a similarly qualified person (page 2).
• If the heater does not work, with the power disconnected, the manual's checklist is: front frame, side frame, heating element, terminal block, heating element holder with o-rings, cable holder, name plate, supply wire set (page 15).

What the manual does not state

A kW rating per model number, the current draw, the heater's height, depth and weight, the rock quantity, the timer length, the thermostat range, the box contents and any warranty terms. Where those appear elsewhere on this site they are Procraft's own terms of sale, not manufacturer figures. If you need one of them confirmed, ask us and we will check the rating plate on the heater you are buying.

Download the user manual (PDF). Questions from an electrician or inspector are welcome through the contact page.