Almost Heaven Saunas KIP Heater Installation & Owner's Manual

Introduction

In addition to reading this manual thoroughly before proceeding with assembly, you may find our instruction video helpful.

You can find it at: youtube.com/user/almostheavensauna

Heater Instructions

Your Almost Heaven Sauna is paired with a genuine Finnish heater manufactured by Harvia Oy, the world leader in sauna heaters. Refer to this guide for installation and operation instructions. Please note, a licensed electrician should perform all electrical work, and Almost Heaven Saunas staff is available to assist with any questions you or your electrician may have. Please call us at 888-355-3050 for technical assistance.

Information for your electrician:

4.5kW and 6.0kW KIP Heaters

• 30-amp double pole breaker
• 240 volts
• 1 Phase
• 10/2 wire. For 6.0kW heaters, an 8/2 wire is recommended for distances greater than 30' from power source
• Do not use GFCI with this heater
• Use copper wire with 90C insulation

8.0kW KIP Heaters

• 40-amp double pole breaker
• 240 volts
• 1 Phase
• 8/2 wire
• Do not use GFCI with this heater
• Use copper wire with 90C insulation

Positioning Your Heater

Unpack your heater, setting aside the trim pieces and bag with placards and screws (1).

Image 1 Description: A diagram showing the KIP heater model with labels for trim pieces and a bag containing placards and screws.

Remove the hardware bag from the baggie with the safety placards (2), selecting the two longer lag screws (1.5 inches). You will secure these into the sauna wall so that ¼" of the screw protrudes from the wall (3, 4).

Image 2 Description: A close-up of a hardware bag containing safety placards and two longer lag screws (1.5 inches).

Image 3 Description: A hand holding a power drill, preparing to install a screw into a wooden sauna wall.

Image 4 Description: A view of a wooden sauna wall with two lag screws partially inserted, protruding about ¼ inch, ready for heater mounting.

Image 5 Description: For barrel saunas, a section of the sauna wall showing pre-drilled holes for mounting the heater.

Image 6 Description: For indoor saunas, a diagram illustrating the mounting points: screws positioned 22 inches from the floor and 15.25 inches apart, approximately centered above ventilation holes.

Hang the heater on the mounting screws to ensure it is level and that its base sits 5-7 inches off the floor of the sauna.

If these criteria are met, make a mark on the wall of the sauna directly behind one of the rubber gaskets on the lower back of the heater (7); this will be where the power enters the sauna. Take the heater off the wall and remove the rubber gasket, exposing the cutout. It does not matter which gasket is removed (8).

NOTE: While this location is the most common, the power can enter the sauna at any location. It is not recommended you use the pre-drilled vent holes as an entrance for the conduit.

Image 7 Description: A view of the back of the heater being hung on the mounting screws, showing it is level and its base is 5-7 inches from the floor.

Image 8 Description: A close-up of the back of the heater showing a rubber gasket on the lower back, indicating where the power conduit will enter the sauna wall after the gasket is removed.

Removing the Stone Guard and Bottom Cover

Remove the two screws holding the stone guard in place. Pry the guard back and lift up to remove it. Clip the ziptie holding the metal sensor housing from the elements and set it aside for later installation (9 – 11).

Image 9 Description: Hands removing the stone guard from the top of the heater.

Image 10 Description: The stone guard removed, showing the heating elements and a metal sensor housing held by a ziptie.

Image 11 Description: The metal sensor housing detached from the heating elements, ready for later installation.

Connecting to Power

All wiring should be done by a licensed electrician.

Bore a hole at the mark you made in step 2, being sure it is wide enough to accommodate the wire (15). Feed the wire through this hole and then through the cutout at the base of the heater (16). Being sure the breaker is off, connect your heater to power according to the diagram below. The only connections that should be made are two hot lines to L1 and L2, and the ground line to the ground screw (17). Replace the bottom cover once wiring is complete, and rehang the heater on the screws (18). Turn the breaker on.

Image 12 Description: The heater flipped onto its back, with the bottom cover removed, revealing internal components.

Image 13 Description: A close-up of the heater's interior, highlighting the temperature sensor and its wiring.

Image 14 Description: A view of the temperature sensor's wire being uncoiled and routed out of a small notch at the base of the heater.

Image 15 Description: A drill creating a hole in the sauna wall at the marked location for the power wire.

Image 16 Description: The power wire being fed through the hole in the wall and then through a cutout at the base of the heater.

Image 17 Description: A detailed view of the heater's terminal block, showing connections for two hot lines (L1, L2) and the ground (GND). A wiring diagram is also shown.

Image 18 Description: The heater rehung on the wall after wiring is complete.

Image 19 Description: A close-up of the bottom cover of the heater, indicating a cutout used for accessing the high-limit reset button, not for power entry.

Operating the Heater

This heater is operated using two dials – the thermostat and the timer.

The thermostat (left) controls the temperature of the sauna. Set it according to your personal preference.

The timer (right) turns the heater on and off, and has the ability to delay the start.

If the heater has power, you should hear a loud “clunk” at both the 0 and the large 1. In between these “clunks” is one hour of heat time.

To immediately turn the heater on, we recommend turning the dial past the two clunks to number 1 or 2. Turn the timer back until one loud "clunk” is heard, immediately stopping the turn. This will begin the one hour of heat time.

The heater will automatically shut off after one hour. You may have to restart your heater while you are in the sauna.

The smaller numbers 1-8 refer to the number of hours for the delay start. For example, if you turn the timer to 5, your heater will begin heating in five hours.

With your sauna door open, turn on your heater for five minutes to allow the non-toxic protective coating on the heating elements to "burn off”. It is normal to see some light smoke as this coating burns off.

Control Panel Description: The heater's control panel features two dials: the left dial is the HEAT CONTROL / THERMOSTAT (marked MIN to MAX), and the right dial is the TIMER (marked OFF, 1h, 2h, 3h, 4h, 5h, 6h, 7h, 8h, PRE-SET... DELAY START, and 40). The timer has markings for ON TIME and ADVANCE SETTING.

Placing the Stones

While the heater is cooling, rinse your sauna stones to prepare them for placement.

Place the smaller stones in between and around the three heating elements. The stones should touch the elements, but not bend them. Reserve the larger stones for placement on top of the heating elements, covering them completely. Replace the stone guard (21, 22).

NOTE: Packing stones in too tightly will restrict airflow and affect the efficiency of your heater. Loosely position the stones around and above the heating elements. It is common to have 5-10 stones left over.

Image 21 Description: Sauna stones being loosely placed around and between the heating elements inside the heater.

Image 22 Description: A view of the heater with stones fully placed, covering the heating elements.

Temperature Sensor Placement

Mount the sensor housing (the metal component zip tied to the elements in step 1) vertically, at least 18 inches to the side of the heater and 18 inches below the highest point of the sauna. If it is too high on the wall or too close to the heater, it will sense that the sauna is hotter than it actually is, triggering a premature shut off (23).

Image 23 Description: A diagram showing the correct placement for the temperature sensor: at least 18 inches to the side of the heater and 18 inches below the highest point of the sauna.

Place the sensor pin in the housing with the bulb upright and close the wings of the housing over the sensor pin (24, 25).

Image 24 Description: The temperature sensor pin being placed into its housing with the bulb upright.

Image 25 Description: The wings of the sensor housing being closed over the sensor pin.

Conceal the sensor housing and pin with the sensor cover and provided screw (26).

Image 26 Description: The sensor housing and pin concealed by a sensor cover.

Conceal the sensor wire with the grooved trim pieces from step 1 (27). You will likely have to cut several trim pieces to fit the distance between your heater and the sensor pin. Mount them with the screws provided in the hardware baggie you removed in step 1.

Image 27 Description: The sensor wire being concealed using grooved trim pieces attached to the sauna wall.

Installing the Heater Guard

Your KIP heater comes with a cedar heater guard. Use the provided hardware to assemble the fence components together (28-31), and secure it to the wall so that it evenly surrounds the heater (32). It should be positioned no higher than the exposed sauna stones.

Image 28-31 Description: Components of the cedar heater guard being assembled.

Image 32 Description: The assembled cedar heater guard installed around the heater, positioned not higher than the exposed sauna stones.

Using Your Sauna Heater

Your sauna has been paired with an appropriately sized heater to consistently achieve temperatures of 180°-195°F. You should expect your sauna to be at a useable temperature in 45-60 minutes.

You have the option to pour water onto the stones to generate steam. Please note, little water is required to achieve this. For most sauna users, a ladle full of water is sufficient. If too much water is poured onto the stones, it will drip out the base of the heater and should be wiped up with a towel after the sauna session.

If you'd like to continue the sauna session after the automatic one hour shutoff, simply restart the heater.

Consult your sauna manual for the typical sauna routine, and enjoy!

Troubleshooting

If the sauna heater does not operate after the initial installation:

• Check the breaker to be sure it is on
• Verify with your electrician that 240 volts is reaching the heater
• Double check that the timer is being operated correctly (refer to instructions in step 5)

If the sauna heater operates but the sauna room does not come to temperature:

• Verify the timer has not timed out. If it has, restart it.
• Assess how the stones are placed around the heating elements. If they are packed too tightly, it will restrict airflow and affect the efficiency of your heater. Reposition the stones if needed.
• Check the position of the temperature sensor (refer to step 7a). If it is too high in the sauna or too close to the heater, it will trigger a premature shutoff in your heater.
• Press the high limit reset button below the heater – it may need resetting.

If none of the above recommendations get your heater working, please call Almost Heaven Saunas at 888-355-3050 to diagnose further.