At Home Saunas Since 1974, we are committed to providing expert sauna advice, as well as a product that we can put our name and reputation behind. Currently, we have decided to remove the HUUM heaters from our offerings. There have been delays at the manufacturer, and it is a product that is difficult to keep in stock in North America. We are unable to honour our lead times due to these delays.
While the HUUM lineup has an award-winning design, and many unique features, there are some concerns about these products. One concern is the life span of the rocks. The unique rounding process makes a product that looks sharp, but does not last as long as traditional sauna rocks. This means you will need to replace HUUM rocks every year, or 300 hours of use, compared with 5 years for traditional rocks. The rounding process is required as the sauna rocks in a HUUM heater come in direct contact with the elements. This is discouraged in other styles of sauna heaters, as the rocks can scratch or wear down the protective coating on the elements. A common cause of element failure is improper loading of the rocks, and this is an issue that is not covered by HUUM’s warranty.
The HUUM heater does not come with a CSA/UL sticker, although it is certified in compliance. There are some differences, however, from heaters made in North America for our domestic market. The heaters can reach a higher temperature of 110°c (230°f). The UKU control is Wi-Fi capable, a feature that is in high demand in the domestic market. However, CSA and UL regulations mean that local manufacturers are not yet permitted to manufacture Wi-Fi controls. Regulators want the sauna bather present at the sauna room in case something goes wrong, but Wi-Fi controls will allow you to bypass this requirement. The controls can also be set for more than 60-minutes, in contrast to requirements for North American manufacturers. This is almost necessary, as these heaters have a 60-90 minute pre-heat time. One final difference is the absence of a high limit reset switch to turn off the heater in case of fire. While high limit switches can be a nuisance to some customers, it is still a safety requirement that HUUM heaters do not possess.
While the interest in HUUM heaters has exploded over the past few years, we will part ways with this line of heaters, in favour of our Made-in-Canada alternatives. After all, we have been dealers for both Homecraft and Saunacore for over 30 years. They have delivered a quality product, and do not compromise in order to sell a popular product. Our partners also boast a robust and responsive technical support team, meaning it is simple to get answers within a day. Warranty service and replacement parts are all handled domestically, and their customer service is second to none. We know some manufacturers are working diligently on implementing upgrades, such as the Wi-Fi control, but they are still a year or more away from receiving approval for sale in the Canadian and American markets.
We will be keeping an eye on these future developments. We will bring in new controls and heater parts to keep on top of the exciting changes happening in the sauna industry. Stay tuned to Home Saunas Since 1974 for the latest developments in Sauna technology!
