Russian banya from Russia

Stoves

Stoves

The stove for Russian banya has no analogues in the world. Just the construction of the stove differs Russian banya from all the other baths of the world. Only Russian banya stove enables to prepare transparent dry steam with relative humidity of the air about 70%.

You cannot buy Russian banya stove in the shop. It can be constructed only on site because it is built of bricks and weighs 3,5-4,5 tons.

The figure illustrates a simplified construction of the stove. Stones for evaporation of water are installed inside the stainless steel box. The box has a door for throwing water in. Under the box there is a heater. The box is lined with brick from all sides. Between the box and bricks there is an air gap for passing of smoke gases heating the box from all sides. There are channels for smoke gases also inside the box for fast and more uniform heating of stones. Thus smoke gases don't pass through stones. Besides that the box has a special channel for heating of dry air.

Firewood, gas or electricity could be used as an energy carrier. When using electricity, heating elements are situated inside the box. The complete of the electric stove includes a control block which protects heating elements from overheating and gives a signal that a stove is ready for use when the stones are heated enough. There is also a timer which defines waiting time till switching on, time of the stove heating (4-6 hours) and time of the heated stove operation.

All types of stoves retain constant temperature of stones about 800°C (electric stoves about 600°C), so after adding of water stones don't get cold.

The stove functions in the following way:

First after switching on the stones are heated, and simultaneously regulated heating of dry air takes place in the steam room up to 40-60*C. Then after stones and the steam room have been heated one can start to prepare steam. They open the door for adding water and throw hot water onto stones by small portions about 100 grams each one. Simultaneously they disperse the air in the steam room with the aid of special fans or sheets. When desirable conditions are achieved, they cease to disperse the air with fans but continue to throw water onto the stones in order to accumulate the reserve of hot steam under the ceiling. Then the door for adding water is closed. The stove needs only several minutes to regenerate hot temperature.

At the beginning of this period the people are sitting and heating themselves, then they start to steam with veniks. Now it's nice to take cool shower or plunge into the pool with cold water. After the rest again they prepare the steam etc.