I just got a sauna. I wanna get in there...
February 2, 2025 5:50 PM   Subscribe

...but we are a little confused as to the electrical aspects.

The manual seems to suggest as long as nothing else is plugged into the same socket, all should be fine, but we got it in our heads it needs to be on some kind of isolated circuit. So we are waiting for the electrician to pop by before we get in there, but it is so fucking cold and I love a sauna and if we can just plug it in and roast I'd love to.

So, do you have an infrared sauna, does it need anything more on the electric front than a plug, any other tips or tricks for ittty bitty home sauna life?
posted by vrakatar to Home & Garden (12 answers total) 5 users marked this as a favorite
 
What makes you think it needs a dedicated circuit? Mine does not, I doubt yours does, unless it says so somewhere.
posted by so fucking future at 6:36 PM on February 2


What is the make and model of your sauna?
posted by sevensnowflakes at 6:39 PM on February 2 [1 favorite]


Mrs Vrakatar here. Here's the link to the sauna:
https://www.wayfair.com/outdoor/pdp/royal-saunas-hongyuan-hongyuan-2-person-indoor-bluetooth-compatible-infrared-sauna-in-okoume-hemlock-rshy1024.html

Here are the sentences in the manual that make us think perhaps we don't need a dedicated circuit for this thing:
• Do not plug any other appliances into the outlet with your infrared sauna
• We do not recommend using an extension for your sauna. Please plug the sauna directly into the wall receptacle
posted by feistycakes at 6:57 PM on February 2 [1 favorite]


Best answer: Your sauna specs say it's 1730watts, 15amps, 120volts.

Unless your house has wiring problems, it's fine to plug it in to any circuit, turn it on, and roast away. The worst thing that will happen is that it'll trip a breaker.

If you have 15amp circuits, you won't be able to run much of anything else on the same circuit without it tripping. If you have 20amp, you have about 5amp of extra room on there-- so, enough to share a circuit with some lights and small electronics, but not for any other heaters or larger appliances.
posted by hovey at 7:22 PM on February 2 [2 favorites]


Response by poster: If you have 15amp circuits, you won't be able to run much of anything else on the same circuit without it tripping.

I think this is what we are trying to avoid, and since we don't know, we are being careful. Probably gonna go for it.
posted by vrakatar at 7:36 PM on February 2


Assuming your house is professionally wired, the worst case scenario is that your breaker trips because you fire up your and you also have an aquarium heater on the same circuit or something. Unplug or turn off other devices, reset breaker, back to sauna. Go for it!
posted by Pantengliopoli at 8:18 PM on February 2


Response by poster: We went for it, no problems and deep heat, omg so good, thank you hivemind i might get right back in there.
posted by vrakatar at 8:52 PM on February 2 [4 favorites]


I’m not a professional electrician, but I have rewired several houses and know the core of the electrical code. I also have spent a lot of time on electrical forums. I have a few different concerns.

First off is that your sauna has a regular plug and is pulling more than 1500 watts. You will notice that every single UL (underwriters laboratories) listed space heater pulls 1500 watts or less, because any single load on a circuit should only pull 80 percent of the capacity of the circuit. Your sauna, which at 1730 watts pulls 14.4 amps, and as such should have a 20 amp plug. This makes me concerned that it is not in fact UL listed, and may have a variety of additional issues that you do not know about. If your non-UL listed sauna sets your house on fire, your insurance company may not cover you.

1730 watts is 14.4 amps, which is far too high for a sustained load on a 15 amp circuit. The rule of sustained loads is that they should not pull more than 80 percent of the capacity of the circuit. It may not pop the breaker, but you are effectively testing the integrity of every single electrical connection between the blue and the circuit breaker. Is there a screw that wasn’t tightened to spec somewhere? Is there a loose wire on a daisy chained backstabbed outlet somewhere else in the house on the same circuit? Is there some old wiring that is not rated for the same level of heat as the old one, or a junction box with far too many wires in it? All of these things could lead to overheating of the circuit and potentially an electrical fire.

All this to say- PLEASE have an electrician out to install a dedicated 20 amp circuit for your sauna, and make sure that it has a 20 amp rated outlet and both ground fault (GFCI) and arc fault (AFCI) protection.
posted by rockindata at 4:06 AM on February 3 [10 favorites]


Coming back to second rockindata's well-informed answer here: this is *right* on the edge for a 15amp circuit and so worth having your electrician come check things out.
posted by hovey at 5:43 AM on February 3


Note that saunas are considered to be space heating and generally space heating is considered non continuous because it cycles off and on. The 80% thing applies to continuous loads and this sauna isn't practically and most likely not legally a continuous load as defined by the NEC.

Also be aware that UL is no longer the only listing agency accepted in the US. This sauna claims to be SGS listed and that is an alternative listing laboratorie (in Canada) and the USA (link to OSHA, don't delay).
posted by Mitheral at 10:59 AM on February 3 [1 favorite]


Want to give rockindata's post a thumbs up and also encourage you to get an electrician out to double-check everything. The outlet you plugged the sauna into may be on a 15-amp breaker. Maybe nothing happened this time. But I'd want to know for sure that the wiring is of proper gauge and some previous DIYer didn't skimp out on thinner, cheaper wiring that is undersized for the load you're putting on it. The peace of mind from knowing that everything is up to spec is well worth the cost of getting a sparky out to visit.
posted by xedrik at 1:16 PM on February 3 [1 favorite]


Response by poster: Electrical work done this morning, if you need me I'll be in the sauna!
posted by vrakatar at 3:02 PM on February 3 [1 favorite]


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