But how do you choose the right wood-burning stove for your sauna? Is a wood-burning stove with a water tank necessary? When selecting a wood-burning stove, important questions include whether you want a water tank or not, and what kind of space you have in your sauna for the stove. Be sure to consider at least the points mentioned in this article!
When is a sauna stove with a water tank necessary?
A wood-burning stove with a water tank is often needed when there is no hot water supply in the sauna. The water for washing heats up naturally in the tank. A stove with a water tank also brings an authentic, old-time feel to the sauna, as you can wash by drawing hot water from the tank into a basin and mixing it with cold water. If you want a stove with a water tank, take a look at your sauna and consider which side of the stove would be best for the water tank to be placed, i.e., which side has more room to operate the faucet. For safety reasons, the stove should not be positioned in a way that makes the faucet difficult to access. Instead, the water container should easily fit under the faucet, and once filled, be lifted out safely.
Remember that the water tank must always contain water before the stove is heated!
Stove size and safety distances
A stove that is too small won’t be able to heat the sauna properly, while one that is too large might make the steam too hot and uncomfortable. That’s why it’s important to ensure the stove is appropriately sized. Wood-burning stoves also have a nominal power rating, and they usually indicate what sauna size they are designed for. To find the best size stove for your sauna, first calculate the volume of your sauna.
The volume of the sauna is calculated by multiplying the length, width, and height of the sauna. Uninsulated walls, such as glass or brick surfaces, must also be taken into account, as they release more heat and increase the calculated volume of the sauna. You can get help calculating your sauna’s volume from our sauna heater selector. The Mondex wood-burning stove Klapi is suitable for saunas with a volume of 8-16 m³, and Motti for saunas with a volume of 12-22 m³. If you opt for a wood-burning stove with a water tank, Motti could be the right choice.
Another important consideration when selecting a wood-burning stove is the physical size of the stove and the required safety distances. Measure the space in your sauna where the stove will be installed, and compare it to the dimensions and safety distance requirements of the stove you want. A wood-burning stove with a water tank requires more space than one without a tank.
Consider the chimney connection
A third thing to check when choosing a wood-burning stove is the location of the chimney connection. Mondex wood-burning stoves have the chimney connection both on the top and at the back of the stove, providing flexibility in how you position the stove in the sauna.
Accessories such as stone baskets, which can be installed on top of the stove and around the chimney, as well as protective bases to place under the stove, are available for wood-burning stoves. A stone basket allows you to utilize the heat from the chimney and increase the number of sauna stones on the stove. A protective base slightly raises the stove off the floor, while also protecting the sauna floor.
Choose a Finnish-made wood-burning stove
If you decide on a stove with a water tank, check out Mondex Motti. Motti is a classic wood-burning stove for even larger saunas, but with small safety distances. Motti is available either with or without a water tank, and you can choose which side of the stove you want the water tank to be on.
If your sauna has running water and you don’t need a water tank, you can choose between the Motti without a water tank and the round shaped Klapi stove. Klapi is a beautifully round shaped wood-burning stove with small safety distances. Its size is optimal, and its safety distances are minimal, making it suitable even for smaller spaces. Both stoves are available in two colors: black and stainless steel.
Like all our other stoves, Klapi and Motti are proudly Finnish products, made at our own factory in Ylivieska, Northern Ostrobothnia, Finland. If you’re interested in genuinely Finnish-made Mondex stoves, you can find your nearest retailer on our retailer page.