In April, the waters are beginning to melt, the sun is shining and nature is already starting to green up a little - these clear signs of spring and the coming summer make many people think about going to a summer cottage. An important part of cottage life in addition to relaxing and barbecuing, there is sauna heating and sauna bathing. However, if your sauna has been cold all winter, there are a few steps you should take before the first heating session to ensure that it is heated safely. 

Preparations: 

• Check the condition of the sauna heater and flue visually for any cracks or other defects that may have appeared during the winter. A damaged heater must be replaced with a new one. 
• Ota kivet pois ja tarkista kiukaan kunto sisältä ja vaihda samalla kiuaskivet uusiin. Kiuaskivet on hyvä vaihtaa kerran vuodessa, joten vuosittainen mökkikauden avaus on oivallinen ajankohta vaihtaa kivet. Vinkit kiuaskivien vaihtoon löydät here.
• Empty the ash boxto enable clean and efficient combustion. 
• Check, whether soot and ash have accumulated in the flues of the stove. Soot and ash accumulated in the flues of the stove must be periodically removed from the stove. located in the side channelsthrough the flush hatches of thea. 
• Check that there are no objects in the sauna or within the safety distances of the stove that do not belong there and that could cause a fire hazard if heated. 
• When checking the condition of the heater, it is also a good idea to wipe the sauna surfaces of dust and dirt to make the sauna a pleasant place to be. 

Heating the stove and taking a sauna: 

• Fill the heater’s water tank with water. The water tank must have been emptied before freezing temperatures, and the heater must not be heated with an empty water tank. 
• A cold flue may not draw efficiently after the winter season, so start heating the sauna gradually. 
• Use only dry, natural firewood as fuel. Newspaper or birch bark can be used as kindling. The kindling should be placed on top of the firewood, as top‑down ignition produces the least emissions. polttopuina vain kuivia, luonnollisia puuklapeja. Sytykkeenä voi käyttää sanomalehteä tai tuohta. Sytykkeet kannattaa asettaa polttopuiden päälle, sillä päältä tapahtuva sytyttäminen aiheuttaa vähiten päästöjä. 
• Stack the firewood loosely in the firebox so that combustion air can circulate between the logs. Place larger logs at the bottom and smaller ones on top. Fill the firebox to about two‑thirds of its capacity, following the heater manufacturer’s instructions. 
• Keep the ash door open by 10–15 mm during ignition and burning so that the firebox receives sufficient combustion air through the ash door.
• We recommend using lukewarm, household water for steam. The use of seawater or chlorinated water is prohibited, as these will cause the heater to corrode quickly. Seawater and chlorinated water kUse is prohibited, for their use rust on the stove quickly.
• The flue damper may only be closed once there are no remaining embers glowing in the firebox.

If, during the inspection of the heater, you notice cracks or signs of burn‑through, the heater should be replaced with a new one. Mondex’s range of wood‑burning sauna heaters includes two domestically produced models bearing the Key Flag (Avainlippu) symbol wood-burning heaters, Klapi and Motti.

Safe and good times at the cottage!