Table of Contents
- HUUM Electric Sauna Heater Warming Up Too Slowly: Why It’s a Concern
- Product Embed | Huum DROP Series Electric Sauna Heater - 9kW
- Common Reasons for Slow Heating
- Step-by-Step Sauna Heater Troubleshooting and Fixes
- Maintenance and Prevention Tips
- When to Contact Customer Support
- Additional Resources
- FAQs
- FAQs
- Final Take
Is your HUUM electric heater warming up too slowly and it’s interfering with your sauna experience? Slow-heating saunas can be frustrating, especially when you don’t know what’s wrong. Huum sauna heaters are designed for efficient heating, so yours should be heating up within the hour.
A slow-warming heater is typically solvable with just a few adjustments. In this post, we’ll share why they’re not heating up quickly and how you can fix slow sauna heaters. Read on and find out how a few tweaks and precautionary maintenance techniques can help you avoid it in the future!
HUUM Electric Sauna Heater Warming Up Too Slowly: Why It’s a Concern
Imagine looking forward to a relaxing sauna session and finding out that it’s taking forever for the heater to increase the temperature. It might ruin your mood and cause concern for future use.
HUUM electric heaters are some of the market's most efficient, innovative, and durable heaters. So, a slow-heating HUUM heater is an underlying issue that simple troubleshooting can easily solve.
When you have a slow sauna heater, you should immediately check it. Leaving it working at its current capacity might lead to unpleasant and uneven heat or high energy bills, overheating, and a shortened heater lifetime.
If you’re unsure of how to start, follow our guidelines to find out why and how to check your heater properly!
Huum DROP Series Electric Sauna Heater - 9kW
$1,618.00
$2,022.50
The DROP electric sauna heater from HUUM is inspired by the purest element in nature – a drop of water. Its handsome and artistic rounded design compliments and softens the angular interior of a classic sauna, creating a more elegant… read more
Common Reasons for Slow Heating
Proper HUUM Sauna Stones
There are several causes for slow heating in HUUM sauna heaters. From sauna stones to insufficient insulation. Find out if any of these issues are relatable to you! Here’s a summary table that can help you understand better.
Causes of Slow Heating | Symptoms |
Sauna stones | Popping, broken, overly packed sauna stones |
Undersized heater | The heater capacity specification is less than the calculated room volume |
Insufficient room insulation | Temperature fluctuations, cold drafts |
Electrical issues | Heating elements not turning red, voltage, loose or damaged wiring |
Controller issues | Uncalibrated controller, wrong temperature, and time setting |
Blocked airflow | Debris or fallen worn parts |
Undersized Heaters for Sauna Room
The first reason might be that your sauna heater’s capacity is too small for your sauna room. Remember to calculate the volume of your sauna room properly and choose a sauna heater that fits the requirements.
Don’t forget to add uninsulated surfaces to the volume and discuss it with a professional.
Issues with Sauna Stones
Another possible cause is issues with your sauna stones. Here are some sauna-related causes:
Using the wrong type of sauna stones that can’t transfer heat
Using dirty, old, or broken sauna stones that can block the airflow
Improper stone placement by packing it too tightly or using the wrong size of stones
Packing your sauna with stones too tightly could lead to overheating and damaged elements. Improper and broken sauna stones can lead to safety issues, such as popping sauna stones.
Insufficient Sauna Room Insulation
It’s also possible that your sauna room isn’t properly insulated. That means you’ll experience heat loss through poorly insulated walls, doors, and ceilings. Meanwhile, your sauna heater is working tirelessly to compensate for the heat loss. Try to monitor if there are lots of temperature fluctuations or cold drafts from anywhere in the room. If there is, then insulation might be your issue.
Electrical Issues
Bad heater performance could also be caused by electrical issues. Some examples of electrical issues are a mismatch between your heater’s voltage and the power source, loose or damaged wiring, or worn or damaged heating elements.
When you have electrical issues, you might also notice that the heating element is not turning red when turned on. This can be risky, as electrical issues can lead to shocks or fires.
Controller Issues
Your source of the issue could be the controller. Check your controller to see whether or not you set it at the correct temperature and time. It could also be caused by an uncalibrated controller, so there’s an inconsistency between the temperature shown and the set.
Blocked Airflow
Blocked airflow can lead to uneven temperature and longer heating time. Aside from sauna stones, there may be other objects that obstruct the airflow within your sauna heater.
This could be debris or worn parts that need to be cleared. Blocked airflow can lead to overloading heating elements and shortening your heater's lifetime.
Step-by-Step Sauna Heater Troubleshooting and Fixes
Ensuring Proper Insulation is Key to Avoiding Slow Heaters
Unsure of which causes your sauna heater to be slow? Here’s a step-by-step guideline to take you through the troubleshooting process.
Checking Sauna Heater Specification
The first thing you want to do right away is to check your heater specification. Did you get the right heater for your sauna room? The general formula is that you need 1 kW for every 45 CF of space. If your heater is under capacity, you need to change it.
That’s why we recommend consulting a professional or customer service representative before choosing a heater.
At this step, you should also check the voltage specification of your sauna and match it with your power source. If they don’t match, you might need to use a converter or call an electrician to adjust it.
This table illustrates how to calculate the adjusted volume (accounting for uninsulated surfaces) and then match it to a recommended sauna heater capacity range (in kilowatts). Feel free to adjust the values based on your specific manufacturer guidelines or professional recommendations.
Step | Example Calculation | Explanation |
1. Measure Sauna Dimensions | Length: 6 feet Width: 5 feet Height: 7 feet | Accurately measure the length, width, and height of the sauna room. |
2. Calculate Room Volume | 6×5×7=210 cu. ft. | Multiply length × width × height to get the total volume in cubic feet. |
3. Account for Uninsulated Surfaces | Uninsulated glass door: 4 sq. ft. Recommended adjustment: +1.5 cu. ft. per sq. ft. | Identify areas with poor insulation (e.g., large windows, glass doors, concrete walls). For each square foot of uninsulated surface, add 1.5 cubic feet to your total volume. |
4. Adjust Volume | 210 cu. ft.+(4×1.5)=216 cu. ft. | Add the extra “virtual volume” from Step 3 to get the adjusted volume your heater must handle. |
5. Match to Heater kW | 5 kW to 6 kW range recommended | Guidelines often suggest 1 kW can support roughly 40–45 cu. ft. of adjusted sauna volume. Hence, 216 cu. ft. falls around 5–6 kW. |
6. Double-Check with Manufacturer | Verify exact specs with sauna heater manufacturers | Always consult professional guidelines or manufacturer recommendations to confirm the ideal heater capacity for your specific setup. |
How to Use This Table
Measure carefully: Record the height, width, and length of your sauna.
Multiply for volume: Multiply these dimensions to get the total cubic feet.
Identify uninsulated areas: Calculate how many square feet of your sauna room are not insulated (e.g., glass doors, exposed concrete, etc.).
Add an adjustment: Multiply each uninsulated square foot by a factor—commonly 1.5 cu. ft.—and add this to your total volume.
Select a heater capacity: Use your adjusted volume to find the appropriate range of kW for a heater. Generally, 1 kW covers about 40–45 cu. ft.
Consult with professionals: If you are unsure, always consult a sauna specialist or check the manufacturer’s sizing guidelines to be sure you have the right heater for optimal performance and safety.
Checking Controller
This might be too obvious, but try to check whether or not your controller is set at the right temperature and time. If it’s not, you may want to adjust it to the desired parameters. Additionally, remember to ensure proper calibration during the first installation.
Enhancing Sauna Insulation
Inspect your insulation by walking around your sauna room and finding out if you feel any cold air drafts. Touch the surfaces as well and see which ones have poor insulation.
If you happen to find drafts and colder areas, then you upgrade your insulation. You might need to use thicker walls, sealants, double-pane glass, or improved door seals.
Inspecting Electrical Connections
The next one is to check your electrical connections. See if any of your electrical components are damaged or compromised, such as loose or damaged wiring, corroded parts, and error codes in the controller.
Another way to see if the electricity and heating elements are working properly is to take out some of the stones and turn on the heater. If the heating element doesn’t turn red, you might be dealing with electricity issues or damaged heating elements.
Change or fix any damaged components and replace the heating element if needed. Remember to hire a professional electrician to avoid safety issues.
Ensure Proper Airflow
Ensure proper airflow inside the sauna heater by checking whether or not there’s any debris or dirt. Take out all the sauna stones, then clean the stones and heater before placing them back. You can also use an additional air tunnel if your sauna heater doesn’t come with one to improve airflow.
Repositioning, Adjusting, and Replacing Sauna Stones
In regards to sauna stones, check if you’re using the proper ones. HUUM heaters need sauna-compatible stones that are high-density, vary in size, and have high thermal capacity. For example, choose HUUM’s small and extra-small olivine diabase sauna stones that can withstand and efficiently transfer heat.
Then, check if there are any damaged stones to remove and replace them. Clean and restack the stones properly for better airflow by placing bigger sana stones at the bottom and the sides, then smaller stones gradually in between. For more details, check out our stone placement guidelines or HUUM’s placement tutorial.
Huum HIVE Mini Series Sauna Heater - 6kW/9kW/10.5kW
$1,934.00
$2,417.50
The HIVE Mini electric sauna heater from HUUM is a slimmer version of the HIVE heater and is designed for smaller sauna rooms from 176 to 706 cubic feet. The HIVE Mini features an exceptional 330-pound stone capacity for superior… read more
Maintenance and Prevention Tips
Avoid slow heating by properly maintaining your sauna heater. Here are some steps you need to follow:
Do routine cleaning and inspection. Do light cleaning weekly, but thoroughly clean the stones and heater every year to check for faulty and damaged parts or stones. By doing this, you can maintain optimal sauna heater efficiency and prevent potential issues before they arise.
Schedule professional servicing to do annual checks of electrical and heater parts.
Regularly update and replace sauna stones. Typically, sauna stones can be used for one to two years.
Monitor any performance changes and troubleshoot using our guidelines to prevent potential issues.
When to Contact Customer Support
As prepared as you are, sometimes you might still need professional help. Here are some cases that require you to contact customer support or a professional:
If the issue persists even after adjustments.
Scenarios where warranty claims may be affected, such as opening internal parts of the heater.
If any of the issues are related to electrical parts, which means you need professional installation.
Contact HUUM’s support for advanced troubleshooting and don’t forget to provide supporting documents, such as your proof of purchase and documentation of the issues, for a faster response.
Additional Resources
Lastly, we’d like to recommend you consult HUUM’s official manual for your product or their support website for further troubleshooting. You can also contact reliable sauna forums or even the Sauna Heater Supply team of experts by clicking our chat icon to discuss issues about your sauna heaters.
FAQs
FAQs
How Long Does It Take for a HUUM Heater to Heat Up?
Typically, a HUUM heater is very efficient and can heat your sauna room within 30 to 45 minutes. If your heater takes longer than an hour to heat up, you might have an issue.
How Can I Ensure My Heater Is Connected to the Correct Voltage?
Check the sauna heater’s specification and your power source voltage. Generally, a residential sauna is 240 volt and can match most power sources in homes. To be sure, always hire a professional during HUUM heater installation.
What Are the Signs of Electrical Issues in a HUUM Sauna Heater?
Some symptoms of electrical issues in a HUUM sauna heater are fluctuating temperature, heating element not turning red, damaged or loose wiring, or sudden loss of electricity.
What Are the Best Practices for Long-Term Sauna Heater Care?
The best practices for long-term sauna heater care includes regular cleaning and monitoring, annual deep cleaning and restacking of stones, replacing damaged stones, and scheduling a professional check-up annually.
Final Take
We’ve given you a step-by-step guideline to fix slow sauna heaters. You can troubleshoot by checking the sauna heater specification, checking your controller parameters, enhancing your sauna insulation, inspecting electrical connections and parts, ensuring proper airflow, and repositioning, adjusting, and replacing sauna stones.
Don’t forget to do preventative efforts and regular maintenance to avoid slow heaters in the future. Consult a professional and check out HUUM customer support for persisting issues.
Want to get a proper HUUM sauna heater for your room? Check out our HUUM electric heater collection and let our experts help you decide the best choice.
