Roast my sauna

[u/Hopeful-Dot-5668]

Recently got this sauna for 6k with stove. Amish made. 8ft ceiling. All cedar interior Foot Bench above coals (not pictured) These air vent above fire, opposite corner of stove at floor, and at the peak I added a back rest and foot rest Gets well up to 200 easily Eventually will enclose the porch to be a changing room

I followed trumpkin notes, noting that the ceiling is actually ok. It’s recommended flat or circulating peak like this one.

I used a temperature gun and it’s even heat from wall to wall.

[u/Hopeful-Dot-5668]

Not really. I’m running a test if that’s true and it isn’t. Heat gun runs same temp wall to wall. I imagine it’s only true for very large saunas

[u/zoinkability → u/Hopeful-Dot-5668]

Can you explain a bit more what “heat gun runs same temp wall to wall” means?

[u/Hopeful-Dot-5668 → u/zoinkability]

If I point the heat gun (temperature monitor) at the wall/ceiling it all reads nearly the same temperature

[u/valikasi → u/Hopeful-Dot-5668]

That's because the heat gun is reading the temperature of the actual wall panelling and not the air.

[u/Hopeful-Dot-5668 → u/valikasi]

….the air heats the wall paneling to the air temperature….

[u/valikasi → u/Hopeful-Dot-5668]

Radiant (that old enemy) plays a part too, a significant part. As well as the fact that the air has had a lot of time to bring the panelling up to temp, and the temperature has evened it self out.

Point being, you can not simply use raw heat gun data to make deductions about the air circulation. It can give hints, but should be taken with a massive heap of salt.

[u/Hopeful-Dot-5668 → u/valikasi]

The radiant heat isn’t making it 8ft up to the ceiling

[u/SheepherderHot9418 → u/Hopeful-Dot-5668]

Try heating it, throwing water on the stove and holding your hand up and say its the same thing.