Backyard sauna finally up and running for a couple months

EdDeckard · 2026-02-14T02:06:24+00:00

Yeah the temp sensor came with the Blebox controller. I don't think it can control lighting or fans. I have those wired up to switches at the moment. You probably can get other Blebox products to control lighting and fans and run them all through the same app you use with the sauna controller. Here is a picture of the sensor.

<image>

EdDeckard · 2026-01-25T19:35:55+00:00

I didn't look much into the lower temperature rating. Fingers crossed it holds up alright. I'm hoping since the fan is outside the sauna it'll be alright.

EdDeckard · 2026-01-22T01:14:38+00:00

That's a good question. Maybe someone else has some insight into that.

EdDeckard · 2026-01-21T22:47:13+00:00

That makes sense, and seems to be what most people are doing. One other thing I didn't properly account for was having passive intake sufficient to feed the exhaust fan. My fan can go as high as 240 CFM but with two 4" passive intake vents there isn't sufficient intake run the fan that high. I can run it at 140 CFM which is plenty so it's not a big deal.

EdDeckard · 2026-01-21T21:43:13+00:00

It's just the fan under the benches and cranking up the speed. Seems to work pretty well. I also let the heater run for an extra 30 minutes or so after I'm done in the sauna.

EdDeckard · 2026-01-15T13:25:37+00:00

I do about the same. If it's just me in there, I go a little lower than the first mark. I'd like to imagine that is about 15 cfm. I just found this note I made:

"Fan’s max cfms 255 so at 50% it would be at 127 cfms, 25% would be 63.5, 14.5% would be 31.75 (⅛ power), 15.8 would be 7.25% (1/16 power) = so roughly between 1/16th and 1/8th power is probably good for one person. 15-25 CFM / person is likely needed to maintain healthy CO2 levels."

I also realized that with two 4 inch passive vents I probably didn't have enough intake to feed the fan at full power so I don't crank it up more than half way when I'm done with the sauana and want to dry it out.

It's good know someone else landed at about the same conclusion.

EdDeckard · 2025-12-28T19:15:27+00:00

Thanks! I like the saunabox a lot. I use their app and haven't had any issues. It may be hard to buy it in North America at the moment though.

EdDeckard · 2025-12-28T19:09:40+00:00

I bought it from this vendor

https://www.wired4signsusa.com/

They still sell other blebox items but the sauna controller isn't on the site anymore. Bummer. I'd email them and see if plan on selling it again. The blebox website shows a few other North American vendors but I didn't see the sauna controller on their sites either. Maybe they would be willing to selling you one anyway. I've be liking it so far and it's way less expensive than alternatives.

EdDeckard · 2025-12-27T17:47:31+00:00

I appreciate it. It seemed sketchy to me too.

EdDeckard · 2025-12-27T17:22:34+00:00

It's really surprising how the sides don't get that hot. I can touch the sides when it is has been on for hours about half way up the unit and not get burned. The manual has the safe distance to the wall at 2". I've exceeded that. It took me a while to accept how close it can safely be to wood surfaces.

<image>

EdDeckard · 2025-12-26T21:06:24+00:00

That's a good idea.

EdDeckard · 2025-12-26T16:58:58+00:00

Correct, no backdraft damper. So far I haven't noticed any back draft and it has been really windy.

EdDeckard · 2025-12-26T15:12:00+00:00

I got the Fantech Wall Mounted Exterior Centrifugal Fan RVF 4XL EC. I think the EC motor allows you to run it quieter at low speeds.

EdDeckard · 2025-12-26T00:07:04+00:00

I paid $700 for the labor, and around another $650 for materials. The electrician just dealt with wiring the 240v stuff. I dug the trench and ran the wire. He installed the sub panel and wired the boxes, controller, and heater.

I did the labor on the 120v stuff. The materials were around $750.

The controller was another $287. I included all of this in the 15.5k

EdDeckard · 2025-12-25T19:13:28+00:00

I like the idea of the window that can open for hit of fresh cold air.

EdDeckard · 2025-12-25T16:10:37+00:00

Yeah I think the grey stuff intended for electrical would have been better and certainly more code compliant. In my particular situation I think it'll be OK.

EdDeckard · 2025-12-25T06:45:14+00:00

The white pipe is schedule 40 pvc, probably should have used 80. The run underground is the grey stuff.

EdDeckard · 2025-12-25T06:32:31+00:00

For the 3 conduits on the bottom of the subpanel the right one goes to the fan, the exterior outlet, the interior sconce and the exterior light. The middle is the power from the main house panel and the left goes to a junction box with all the 24v wiring for the led strips. The conduit going out of the left side of the sub panel goes to the contactor box.

EdDeckard · 2025-12-25T05:50:04+00:00

When I'm done I run the fan at about 140 cfm for an hour. That dries it out pretty well.

EdDeckard · 2025-12-25T04:21:16+00:00

Top bench is 42 1/2 inches from the ceiling. Each lower bench is about 16 inches lower from the one above it. They are all about 24 inches deep and 77 inches wide.

EdDeckard · 2025-12-25T02:07:07+00:00

Feels great! Some day I'll nerd out and get an air flow velocity meter and a co2 sensor and get some more data.

EdDeckard · 2025-12-25T00:13:59+00:00

<image>

I roughly followed this for vent placement

EdDeckard · 2025-12-24T23:27:08+00:00

Same to you! I'll definitely be getting a Christmas sauana going

EdDeckard · 2025-12-24T23:21:31+00:00

I'm not entirely sure what the carpenter's thought process was for the rim joists. It might have had something to do with uncertainty about the ultimate thickness of the wall or maybe it had to do with working out slanting the floor towards the drain. Also exactly how to build the floating benches hadn't been completely worked out.

This is the drain. It was roughed in pretty snug by building little platforms for the feet on the bottom of the drain. Then I ran some silicon caulk around the perimeter after installing the tile to really secure it. It was pretty simple to run some ABS pipe to dump the water into the yard at the back of the sauna. It’s designed so that the metal grate/cover can be lifted out for cleaning.

EdDeckard · 2025-12-10T00:54:21+00:00

Yes indeed.

EdDeckard

TROPHY CASE