Fixing Electric Sauna

[Stiganator]

My one and only treat when I return to my hometown is the sauna my parents have in the basement. When I arrived home this weekend it was out of commission, so of course I took it apart. Turns out a cutoff switch was removed and a terminal splicer was put in its place, but the terminal splicer must have had too much resistance because it was totally corroded and breaking the circuit. This runs on 240V and I'm just curious if I can get a new wire and use solder to hold it together permanently or will it just melt. Solder has really low resistance right?

How should I fix this to get my sauna up and running?

 

[Analog]

Originally posted by: Stiganator
My one and only treat when I return to my hometown is the sauna my parents have in the basement. When I arrived home this weekend it was out of commission, so of course I took it apart. Turns out a cutoff switch was removed and a terminal splicer was put in its place, but the terminal splicer must have had too much resistance because it was totally corroded and breaking the circuit. This runs on 240V and I'm just curious if I can get a new wire and use solder to hold it together permanently or will it just melt. Solder has really low resistance right?

How should I fix this to get my sauna up and running?

What kind of cutoff switch? Does it have something to do with safety? Sounds like someone rigged this thing to work using unsafe practices. Put it back together with the correct components.

 

[altonb1]

Originally posted by: Analog

What kind of cutoff switch? Does it have something to do with safety? Sounds like someone rigged this thing to work using unsafe practices. Put it back together with the correct components.

Probably the best advice...

Something about rigging up electrical items attached to something holding large quantities of water is a BAD thing.

 

[Stiganator]

It was a timer cutoff so it wouldn't run for more than 3 hours. The problem is the heat from the elements kept breaking the switch, so they just bypassed it since they always turn the sauna off when they're done using it.

Would the solder work I should I find some alternative to splicing it, just a twist cap splicer maybe?

 

[Stiganator]

Nothing to worry about in terms of fire or electricity, Its a box about 1 foot of the ground mounted to a concrete wall. You just throw cups of water on it for steam, it doesn't hold water.

 

[altonb1]

Originally posted by: Stiganator
Nothing to worry about in terms of fire or electricity, Its a box about 1 foot of the ground mounted to a concrete wall. You just throw cups of water on it for steam, it doesn't hold water.

Oh...an actual sauna in the true definition and not a hot tub. That's a bit different, then.

 

[Stiganator]

I did not know that people sometimes call hot tubs saunas. Where do they do that?

 

[altonb1]

I have heard hot tubs called saunas many times. Maybe a regional thing in the mid-atlantic? I asked my wife if she had ever heard of a hot tub called a sauna and she did, too.

 

[NoShangriLa]

I'm not familiar with sauna/hot tub, but I?m sure the principle is similar to heatpumps/boilers/HWTs.

If the ?cut off switch? isn?t an emergency device it could be a high temperature limiter that prevents the system from over heating.

Thermostat set the operation temperature, and HTL shut off power if the temperature reaches beyond maximum safety temperature set by the manufacture.

It isn?t wise to bypass the HTL, and I would look into installing a new/functional HTL (it could be that the old HTL was failing). Some HTL have to be reset manually if it is trip & some HTL auto reset after a short shut off period of time (normal default is around 5 minutes).

 

[Stiganator]

Yeah, that's not the problem. Thing is the company that makes the thing isn't in business anymore and they had custom switches, we've tried a few others and they have all melted after a short time. As such, we just make sure to shut it off when we're done using it, since we're bypassing it.

I'm not concerned with it overheating because there are three different controls still in place,

1. The breaker is 10 amps, so it won't be drawing anymore than that.
2. There is a timer that lets it run for 1 hr max unless you reset it.
3. There is a temp control that prevents it from exceeding 200F in the sauna room.


I just need to know the best way to splice the wires so the thing will work, it looks like 3/8" solid copper wiring from the wall and there are some screw terminals on the elements I want to connect to.

 

[Rubycon]

:camera: 's?

 

[NoShangriLa]

Originally posted by: Stiganator
Yeah, that's not the problem. Thing is the company that makes the thing isn't in business anymore and they had custom switches, we've tried a few others and they have all melted after a short time. As such, we just make sure to shut it off when we're done using it, since we're bypassing it.

I just need to know the best way to splice the wires so the thing will work, it looks like 3/8" solid copper wiring.

I'm sure that your local electronic/control store could order them if they don't have one in stock, or post the switch pic here & ATOTers may be able to source it for you.

I'm not condoning what you are doing, however if you must, try putting the cable inside a box to prevent fire if it over heat, then twist-on, lug, or crimp (and a dab of solder greatly increase the connectivity). Personally I would go for lug for cable that size.

 

[olds]

Wire nuts?

 

[altonb1]

Originally posted by: oldsmoboat
Wire nuts?

:Q

 

[BigJ]

Originally posted by: Stiganator
It was a timer cutoff so it wouldn't run for more than 3 hours. The problem is the heat from the elements kept breaking the switch, so they just bypassed it since they always turn the sauna off when they're done using it.

Would the solder work I should I find some alternative to splicing it, just a twist cap splicer maybe?

I know I'm late to the game, but if it was a cutoff after 3 hours, it absolutely is a safety device.

After 3 hours, you have what's called a continuous load. When this occurs, you may have to size the wire to a heavier gauge to have it be properly rated for the application. With a continuous load, the wire is only rated to 80% of its normal capacity.

Originally posted by: Stiganator
Yeah, that's not the problem. Thing is the company that makes the thing isn't in business anymore and they had custom switches, we've tried a few others and they have all melted after a short time. As such, we just make sure to shut it off when we're done using it, since we're bypassing it.

I'm not concerned with it overheating because there are three different controls still in place,

1. The breaker is 10 amps, so it won't be drawing anymore than that.
2. There is a timer that lets it run for 1 hr max unless you reset it.
3. There is a temp control that prevents it from exceeding 200F in the sauna room.


I just need to know the best way to splice the wires so the thing will work, it looks like 3/8" solid copper wiring from the wall and there are some screw terminals on the elements I want to connect to.

The only thing that's a safety control is the timer that lets it run for an hour, which isn't a true safety control because it can easily be bypassed.

The circuit breaker will not trip on the continuous load. The temp control does nothing in terms of protecting the wire.

10A isn't even 14ga wire. Try to properly size the wire by either getting a reading off of the jacket or reading any instruction manual you might have or specs on the device.

If you just want to get it to work, see what they have in the electrical department at a supplier or hardware store. If you want it to be properly installed and operating, call an electrican.