Jotul 602 in a sauna advice

[Winstondog]

Hi...I am planning on using a Jotul 602 I have in a shed for a steam sauna. I am curious to what people have used on top of their 602 to hold the rocks. Would a large stockpot work? Would I need to put a piece of soapstone or steel plate between the stockpot and stove? Let me know your experiences you have had.
Thanks

 

[fbelec]

don't know i'm not a designer but a large pot sound like the right thing because if you hit the top of the stove when it is screaming hot with water you'll probably crack the top

 

[My_3_Girls]

Cast iron dutch oven found at a yard sale. Fill with rocks, leave in place all the time. It will rust, but that just adds to the rustic charm.

 

[begreen]

Get out the birch branches!

 

[Jordan]

Rocks in the dutch oven is smart!

I prefer the banya style. Hot water on the stove with cold bucket of water beside. Mix to liking and its bath time.

 

[Todd]

Cast iron dutch oven found at a yard sale. Fill with rocks, leave in place all the time. It will rust, but that just adds to the rustic charm.

How large is your sauna and how hot can you get it with that 602? I'm thinking of doing the same.

 

[begreen]

What would regulate the heat? The 602 can really put out and will not cool down until the fuel load is coaling.

 

[Todd]

What would regulate the heat? The 602 can really put out and will not cool down until the fuel load is coaling.

I have a window in there to regulate the heat. It's actually a 8x14' bath house/sauna. I have a Nippa sauna stove in there now but the thing is a wood hog and sends most heat up the flue even with a pipe damper. We also take our showers and do laundry in there so it would be nice to have something more efficient and clean burning just to warm the place up for a few hours without going through a ton of wood. The smaller foot print of the 602 would give a little more room as well.

 

[begreen]

It'll work for that. How do you keep the water from freezing when the stove is not running? Is there supplemental heat?

 

[My_3_Girls]

I'm here! Off the top of my head, it's a 7ish' x 7ish' box, prob 8' to the peak, roughly, single room. I wanted to make it so I could put it on a trailer if I ever wanted to move it. T&G pine, inside and out, 2x4 walls, insulated with rock wool, faced with reg grocery store aluminum foil. Stove works fine, I've had it up to 140F, but mostly hover between 120-130. Takes about 20 mins to warm up to 90 from 30. I usually start it, then go back in the house, change clothes, load up some refreshments, then head back out to it. A few small splits is all it takes. The insulation helps a ton, but the sauna door is leaky enough to get good fresh air. I have a single awning window in it if it gets too hot, and leave it open when I'm done for the night, and by then, I'm usually coasting on coals anyway.

 

[My_3_Girls]

Not the best pics, but the best ones I've got. Forgot to mention, it's handy that this knockoff stove has the outlet on the top - my pipe just sits on/in it. And before you say it, I know, I know...I should have the box connection thru the roof, the support brackets....I can hear you from here....it's a glorified shed, only burned while present - not a living space. I have the ext roof flashing, the proper cap, even sealed with intumescent caulking, and the surrounding ceiling hasn't gotten warm yet - I left a wide gap around the insulated pipe and filled loosely with rockwool.

 

[Todd]

It'll work for that. How do you keep the water from freezing when the stove is not running? Is there supplemental heat?

My well is piped in and turns on by a light switch. When done with water it drains back down into the well, had a small weeping hole drilled into the pipe about 15' down so it drains and the pump foot valve doesnt hold the water up in the bath house. I can also drain my on demand water heater. Also have a propane heater to take the chill off as needed but when I run the sauna stove for a couple hours it will stay above freezing for 1 or 2 days depending on the weather.

 

[Todd]

Not the best pics, but the best ones I've got. Forgot to mention, it's handy that this knockoff stove has the outlet on the top - my pipe just sits on/in it. And before you say it, I know, I know...I should have the box connection thru the roof, the support brackets....I can hear you from here....it's a glorified shed, only burned while present - not a living space. I have the ext roof flashing, the proper cap, even sealed with intumescent caulking, and the surrounding ceiling hasn't gotten warm yet - I left a wide gap around the insulated pipe and filled loosely with rockwool.

Looks nice, like the saw on the wall, I have a couple on the outside of mine. I like my sauna in the 120-140 range, if it gets hotter than that I spend more time outside than in lol. I still need to build a wall to seperate the sauna from the shower area then the sauna will get to temo a little faster.

 

[SpaceBus]

My well is piped in and turns on by a light switch. When done with water it drains back down into the well, had a small weeping hole drilled into the pipe about 15' down so it drains and the pump foot valve doesnt hold the water up in the bath house. I can also drain my on demand water heater. Also have a propane heater to take the chill off as needed but when I run the sauna stove for a couple hours it will stay above freezing for 1 or 2 days depending on the weather.

Awesome setup. Are you living in this place full time now?

 

[Todd]

Awesome setup. Are you living in this place full time now?

Yup

 

[My_3_Girls]

Awesome set-up!

 

[Todd]

Works pretty slick, more efficient and only go through about a 1/3 of the wood compared to old Nippa. Of course it does take a little longer to take the sauna to come up to temp but that's fine.