Almost Heaven KIP Heater Installation & Owner's Manual

Important Safety Instructions

DANGER: Indicates a hazardous situation that, if not avoided, will result in death or serious injury.

WARNING: Indicates a hazardous situation that, if not avoided, could result in death or serious injury.

CAUTION: Indicates a hazardous situation that, if not avoided, could result in minor or moderate injury.

NOTICE: Indicates information considered important, but not hazard-related.

• READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE INSTALLATION AND USE TO AVOID INJURY OR DAMAGE TO HEATER
• FOLLOW SAFETY INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENT TO AVOID SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH
• REFER TO YOUR LOCAL BUILDING CODES FOR ANY SPECIFIC INSTALLATION REQUIREMENTS
• ALL ELECTRICAL WORK NEEDS TO BE COMPLETED BY A LICENSED ELECTRICIAN. FAILURE TO DO SO COULD CAUSE INJURY OR DAMAGE TO THE HEATER.
• MANUFACTURER'S MANUAL TAKES PRECEDENCE OVER ANY DIRECTIONS LISTED IN THIS DOCUMENT
• KEEP THESE INSTRUCTIONS FOR FUTURE REFERENCE

WARNING

• This appliance is not intended for use by persons (including children) with reduced physical, sensory or mental capabilities, or lack of experience and knowledge, unless they have been given supervision or instruction concerning use of the appliance by a person responsible for their safety.
• Consult your doctor about any health-related limitations related to sauna use. Ignoring advice from your medical provider could cause serious injury or death.
• Do not let people with pre-existing health conditions bathe in the sauna on their own. Using the sauna could cause these users to lose consciousness.
• Parents should consult your pediatrician before allowing children to use the sauna. Ignoring advice from your medical provider could cause serious injury or death.
• Do not smoke, use alcohol, or exercise in the sauna. These tasks could cause users to lose consciousness.
• Do not exceed 30 min. in the sauna at one time, as excessive exposure may be harmful to health. The sauna should not be used as an endurance test.
• Do not place any combustible material over the sauna heater (towels, bathing suits, wooden bucket or ladle)! This will cause the sauna to catch fire.
• Hyperthermia occurs when the internal temperature of the body reaches a level several degrees above the normal body temperature of 98.6 °F. The symptoms of hyperthermia include an increase in the internal temperature of the body, dizziness, lethargy, drowsiness, and fainting.
• Do not sleep in a sauna in which the heater is operating. Sleeping in a heated sauna may lead to injury or death.
• Do not alter the heater in any way, unless explicitly instructed in this manual. Altering the heater could cause electrocution or fire risk.
• Only use stones approved for sauna heater use. Inadequate stones may crack or explode leading to serious injury.

CAUTION

• Keep all occupants away from the heater and when it is hot. The stones and outer surface of the heater may burn your skin.
• Do not throw excessive amounts of water on the stones. The evaporating water is boiling hot and could cause burns.
• Do not throw water directly onto the elements. This could cause burns and damage to the heater.
• Be very careful when moving in the sauna, as the benches and floors may be slippery. This could cause the user to slip and fall.

Heater Instructions

Your Almost Heaven Sauna is paired with a genuine Finnish heater manufactured by Harvia, the world leader in sauna heaters. This guide should be used in conjunction with the manufacturer's heater manual found inside the heater box. Almost Heaven Saunas staff is available to assist with any questions you or your electrician may have. Please call 888-355-3050 for technical assistance. An instruction video is also available at: ▶️ youtube.com/user/almostheavensauna.

Performance Expectation

Your sauna kit is equipped with an appropriately sized heater to achieve optimal sauna temperatures. Properly installed, the KIP heater should consistently heat your sauna to at least 170°F at head height when sitting on the bench, typically within 45-60 minutes. This timeframe may be longer depending on ambient outdoor temperature.

Note: Saunas at elevations greater than 5,000' above sea level may perform less efficiently. If you are above this threshold and not achieving expected temperatures, contact Almost Heaven Saunas technical support.

Heater Warranty

The Harvia heater includes a 1-year warranty on heating elements and a 5-year warranty on other components.

Electrical Information for Electrician

4.5kW and 6.0kW KIP Heaters

• 30-amp double pole breaker
• 240 volts
• 1 Phase
• 10/2 wire. For distances greater than 90 feet from the power source, use 8/2 wire to accommodate voltage drop.
• Use copper wire with 90°C insulation.

8.0kW KIP Heaters

• 40-amp double pole breaker
• 240 volts
• 1 Phase
• 8/2 wire
• Use copper wire with 90°C insulation.

Positioning Your Heater

CAUTION: Improper installation of the heater mounting bracket could cause the heater to fall, leading to burns and other injuries.

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

Image 1: A Harvia KIP heater unit with accessories.

Remove the hardware bag containing safety placards. Select the two longer lag screws (1.5"). Secure these into the sauna wall so that ¼" of the screw protrudes from the wall.

Image 2: Hardware bag with safety placards and screws.

Image 3: Hand holding a drill inserting a lag screw into a wooden wall.

Image 4: Close-up of a lag screw protruding from a wooden wall.

Mounting for Barrel Saunas:

Mount the 1 ½” lag screws approximately 22-1/2" from the lowest point of the barrel and spaced 15 ¼" apart, centered above the vent holes. Note: The heater will conceal a portion of the LED light, which is normal.

Image 5: Diagram showing mounting screw placement for barrel saunas: 22-1/2 inches from the lowest point, 15-1/4 inches apart.

Mounting for Indoor Saunas:

Mount the screws 22-1/2" off the floor and spaced 15 ¼" apart. It is acceptable for the heater to cover the holes, as ventilation will still occur.

Image 6: Diagram showing mounting screw placement for indoor saunas: 22-1/2 inches from the floor, 15-1/4 inches apart.

Hang the heater on the mounting screws, ensuring it is level and its base sits 7-12" off the sauna floor.

Mark the wall on the sauna directly behind one of the rubber gaskets on the lower back of the heater where the power will enter. Remove the heater from the wall and take off the rubber gasket to expose the cutout. The choice of gasket does not matter.

Image 7: Heater mounted on screws on a sauna wall.

Image 8: Close-up of the back of the heater showing a rubber gasket and a cutout for power entry.

NOTE: While this location is common, power can enter at any location. Do not use the pre-drilled vent holes for conduit entry.

Removing the Stone Guard and Bottom Cover

Remove the two screws holding the stone guard. Pry the guard back and lift to remove. Detach the ziptie holding the metal sensor housing from the elements and set it aside.

Image 9: Hands removing screws from the stone guard.

Image 10: Stone guard being pried open.

Image 11: Stone guard removed, showing heating elements and internal components.

Flip the heater onto its back and remove the bottom cover. Locate the 4" temperature sensor, uncoil its filament, and guide it out the small notch at the base of the heater. Set the sensor aside for later installation.

Image 12: Heater on its back with the bottom cover removed, showing internal wiring.

Image 13: Close-up of the temperature sensor wiring.

Image 14: Internal view of the heater showing wiring and the temperature sensor.

Connecting to Power

DANGER: Turn off power at the breaker before installation. Do not turn power on until installation is complete. Failure to do so could lead to electrocution or death.

NOTICE: Do not use a ground fault interrupter (GFI) per UL listing and approval, as it will cause damage to the heater.

Bore a hole at the marked location, ensuring it is wide enough for the wire. Feed the wire through this hole and then through the cutout at the base of the heater. With the breaker off, connect your heater to power according to the diagram: connect two hot lines to L1 and L2, and the ground line to the ground screw.

Image 15: Hand drilling a hole in a wooden wall for the power cable.

Image 16: Power cable being fed through the wall cutout and into the heater base.

Image 17: Close-up of internal wiring terminals labeled L1, L2, and GND.

Image 18: The Harvia KIP heater mounted on the wall, connected to power.

Replace the bottom cover once wiring is complete, rehang the heater on the screws, and turn the breaker on.

NOTE: Power should not enter the heater through the cutout on the bottom cover; this cutout is for access to the high-limit reset button.

Image 19: A warning symbol over a cutout on the bottom of the heater, indicating it's for the reset button, not power entry.

Internal Wiring Diagram for 240 V 1 PHASE HEATER (KIP-30-B1 / KIP-45-B1 / KIP-60-B1 / KIP-80-B1):

The diagram shows connections between THERMOSTAT, CONTACTOR, HEATING ELEMENTS, TIMER, LIMIT CONTROL, LINE 1, LINE 2, and GROUND.

Operating the Heater

The heater is operated using two dials: the thermostat and the timer.

• Thermostat (left): Controls the sauna temperature. Set to your preference.
• Timer (right): Turns the heater on/off and allows for a delay start.

When the heater has power, a loud "clunk" should be heard at both the 0 and the large 1 on the timer dial. The time between these "clunks" represents one hour of heat time.

To start the heater immediately, turn the dial past the two clunks to number 1 or 2. Turn the timer back until one loud "clunk" is heard, then stop. This initiates the one-hour heat cycle.

The heater will automatically shut off after one hour. You may need to restart it during your sauna session.

The smaller numbers (1-8) on the timer indicate hours for a delay start. For example, setting the timer to 5 means the heater will begin heating in five hours.

With the sauna door open, turn on the heater for five minutes to burn off the non-toxic protective coating on the heating elements. Light smoke during this process is normal.

Image: Control panel with THERMOSTAT and TIMER dials. Shows "One hour of heat time" and "clunk" indicators.

Placing the Stones

WARNING: Do not operate the heater without properly installed rocks beyond the initial burn-off period. This creates a fire risk and can damage the heater.

CAUTION: Before placing or adjusting stones, ensure the heater has cooled to room temperature. Failure to do so may cause burns.

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

Place the smaller stones between and around the three heating elements, ensuring the elements remain in their original vertical position and do not touch each other. The stones should touch the elements but not bend them. Use the larger stones for placement on top of the heating elements, covering them completely. Replace the stone guard.

NOTE: Packing stones too tightly restricts airflow and affects heater efficiency. Position stones loosely around and above the heating elements. It is common to have 5-10 stones left over.

Image 21: Sauna stones loosely packed around heating elements in the heater.

Image 22: Sauna stones filling the top of the heater, covering the elements.

Temperature Sensor Placement

Mount the sensor housing (metal component zip-tied to elements) approximately 14" to the side of the heater and 14" below the highest point of the sauna. If placed too high or too close to the heater, it may sense a higher temperature than actual, triggering a premature shutoff.

Image 23: Diagram showing recommended temperature sensor placement: 14 inches to the side of the heater and 14 inches below the highest sauna point.

Place the sensor pin in the housing with the bulb upright and close the housing wings over the sensor pin. Conceal the sensor housing and pin with the sensor cover and provided screw.

Image 24: The temperature sensor housing with the bulb upright.

Image 25: Hand closing the wings of the sensor housing over the sensor pin.

Image 26: The concealed sensor housing and pin with the sensor cover.

Conceal the sensor wire using the grooved trim pieces. You may need to cut trim pieces to fit the distance between the heater and the sensor pin. Mount them with the screws provided in the hardware bag.

Image 27: Grooved trim pieces used to conceal the sensor wire.

Using Your Sauna Heater

Your sauna heater is designed to consistently achieve temperatures of 175°-185°F, reaching a usable temperature in 45-60 minutes.

You can pour water onto the stones to generate steam. Use only a small amount of water; a ladleful is usually sufficient. Excessive water may drip from the heater base and should be wiped up after the session.

If you wish to extend your sauna session beyond the automatic one-hour shutoff, simply restart the heater.

Consult your sauna manual for typical sauna routines.

Troubleshooting

DANGER: Turn off power to the heater at the breaker before performing any maintenance. Failure to do so could lead to electrocution or death.

CAUTION: Before placing or adjusting stones, ensure the heater has cooled to room temperature. Failure to do so may cause burns.

If the sauna heater does not operate after initial installation:

• Check that the breaker is on.
• Verify with your electrician that 240 volts are reaching the heater.
• Double-check that the timer is being operated correctly (refer to "Operating the Heater").

If the sauna heater operates but the sauna room does not reach temperature:

• Verify the timer has not timed out; if it has, restart it.
• Check the temperature sensor's position (refer to Image 23). If it is too high or too close to the heater, it may trigger a premature shutoff.
• Assess stone placement around the heating elements. If packed too tightly, it restricts airflow and reduces efficiency. Reposition stones as needed.

If the heater no longer makes the "clunking" noise when turning the timer, turn off the breaker and use a small screwdriver to press the reset button located in the cutout on the bottom plate.

Image 33: A small screwdriver pressing a red reset button located in a cutout on the bottom plate of the heater.

If troubleshooting steps do not resolve the issue, contact Almost Heaven Saunas at 888-355-3050 for diagnosis.