Deeply Rooted In The Finnish Sauna Tradition
In Finland, going to the sauna is part of a tradition. However, the experiences offered by the sauna and spa are raising interest around the world. Proven positive effects on health, increasing interest in well-being and the growth of the middle-class guarantee that more and more of the world’s over 15 million saunas will be built outside their country of origin.
Challenge: The best sauna heater ever
Saunas in Finland are found at lakeshore cottages, private apartments, and corporate headquarters alike. Finns go to saunas not just to bathe but also to relax and relieve stress, to maintain health and well-being, or to mull over important decisions.
Indeed, company founder Tapani Harvia, following an accident in 1947 where he plummeted into an icy lake in a plane and miraculously climbed out without a scratch, headed for a sauna to warm up and digest what had just happened. While in that sauna, he came up with the idea of starting to make sauna heaters that would do justice to all the great purposes that people go to a sauna for.
From heaters to fully blown sauna and spa solutions – adapted to local cultures
Fast forward to today, and Harvia has become the world’s leading sauna and spa company. Established in 1950 by Tapani Harvia, the Finnish company has evolved from a technologically advanced sauna heater manufacturer into an acclaimed sauna and spa brand whose products and solutions are available in over 80 countries.
Sauna heals with heat – and people are increasingly aware of it
With the global wellness trend gaining traction, the health benefits and relaxing experiences offered by the healing heat of saunas are prompting increasing interest. The proven positive health effects from saunas, people’s increasing attention to personal well-being, and the expansion of the global middle class all contribute to the popularity of the sauna outside its country of origin.
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1950S
Production of sauna stoves begins
The founder of Harvia, Tapani Harvia, made the first woodburning Harvia stove for his own use in 1950. The first Harvia stoves intended for sale were manufactured in the mid-1950s. In the late 1950s Harvia began making continuously heated stoves. During that decade, on average Harvia manufactured some 100 stoves annually.
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1960S
Steady growth
Harvia’s production volumes increased steadily in the 1960s. By the end of the decade, the company was manufacturing some 1,000 stoves per year.
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1970S
Harvia in Muurame
In the early 1970s, Harvia moved to the Finnish town of Muurame and constructed a new factory there. Throughout the decade the company grew at a pace of around 30% annually. The oil crisis of the 1970s had a positive effect on the Finnish woodburning stove manufacturing business: woodburning stoves grew popular as they used domestic fuel, in line with energy-saving recommendations.
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1980S
Electric sauna heaters introduced
Harvia became the world’s leading manufacturer of woodburning stoves during the 1980s. As a result of strong urbanization and changing lifestyles in Finland, the demand for electric sauna heaters increased. At the end of the decade, Harvia initiated the manufacturing of electric sauna heaters alongside that of woodburning stoves.
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1990S
Harvia goes abroad
In the 1990s, Harvia started exporting its products to Central Europe. Soon Harvia’s exports expanded to Russia, Eastern European countries, the United States, and the Far East. In 1992, Tapani Harvia was awarded the title of Entrepreneur of the Year in Central Finland.
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Early 21st Century
The world’s leading sauna heater manufacturer
In 50 years, Harvia had developed from a small workshop into a company with 180 employees. Harvia became the world’s leading manufacturer of sauna heaters and, building on its accumulated expertise in sauna bathing, started to expand its range to cover complete sauna and spa solutions. The company exports globally. In 2000, Harvia received another recognition for its work, the National Entrepreneur Prize of the Federation of Finnish Enterprises.
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Today And Into The Future
Global expert in building sauna and spa experiences
Harvia is passionate about offering its customers innovations that create relaxing experiences and natural well-being. Harvia continues the ambitious product development of its sauna heaters, saunas, spas, and other products related to sauna bathing. The global trend of people being increasingly conscious of their health continues to build momentum for Harvia’s sauna and spa solutions.
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Steady And Profitable Growth
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Harvia has steadily increased its revenue both organically and through acquisitions. Harvia’s revenue in 2020 was EUR 109.1 million and adjusted operating profit EUR 24.4 million, 22.4% of revenue.
Harvia employs over 500 professionals in Europe, North America, and Asia. Nearly 50% of the company’s employees work in Muurame, Central Finland, where the company has its headquarters and its largest production facilities.
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Saunas For All Cultures And Local Traditions
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Harvia’s product and service range covers all three sauna types:
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Traditional sauna
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Steam sauna
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Infrared sauna
Over the years following its founding in 1950, Harvia has built up a comprehensive product and service range around all three sauna types. Harvia’s products and solutions – adapted to different sauna cultures – are available in over 80 countries globally through an established network of local partners and dealers.
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Revenue
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Harvia has steadily increased its revenue organically as as supported by acquisitions.
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Recycling instructions
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How to recycle an old sauna heater and other sauna materials
Where should I take my old sauna heater? How about the sauna stones or benches? When replacing a sauna heater and renovating a sauna, it is important that you recycle the products and materials according to the instructions for your area. These tips will make the process easier.
Sustainable choices are not only good for the environment, they are also good for people. That is why all Harvia products are designed to last for a long time, and they are made of recyclable materials. Harvia's products also comply with all the restrictions concerning the use of hazardous substances within the EU (e.g. RoHS).
Every sauna owner plays an important role in mitigating their ecological footprint. When the time comes to replace an old sauna heater with a new one or renovate a sauna from top to bottom, the old products must be recycled according to the instructions for your area. Most sauna materials cannot be disposed of among normal household waste.
Harvia’s products include metal, plastic, electronics, wood and glass, among other things. By sorting the different materials according to the rules and recommendations for your area, you can ensure that no valuable materials are wasted. This allows most of the materials to be reused.
See below for more detailed instructions on how you can recycle the different parts and materials of a sauna in a smart way.
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Recycling wood burning heaters
More than 90% of the materials used in a wood burning heater are metal, which is excellently suited for reuse and recycling. An old wood burning heater is a large piece of scrap metal, which you can return to the scrap metal collection facility in your area.
You need to remove the sauna stones before taking the wood burning stove to a scrap metal collection facility, but other than that there is no need to dismantle the stove or sort the materials. For example, if your old stove has a glass door, you can leave it in place. You can get more detailed recycling instructions from your local recycling operator.
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Recycling electric sauna heaters, control units and electronics
Electric heaters and other electronics are electronic waste. There is usually no need to dismantle a device before recycling, but you should remove the sauna stones before taking the heater to a recycling facility.
More than 90% of the materials used in Harvia's electric sauna heaters are metal. The different materials can be easily recovered through crushing. Metal can be utilised many times. Consult your local recycling operator for recycling instructions and to find the WEEE collection point nearest to you.
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Recycling old sauna stones
You should replace your sauna stones regularly. If they are over two years old or have cracks, it is time to replace them.
Normal sauna stones are made of stone that you can utilize in your own yard, for example. An amount of stones no more than five kilos in weight can also often be disposed of in your property’s normal waste bin. If this is not possible, you can get more detailed instructions from your local recycling operator and take all the stones to the recycling facility at once according to the instructions.
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Recycling benches, insulation and other sauna materials
A sauna renovation also produces construction waste, such as wood and insulation. They are usually sorted and recycled as is at their own waste collection facilities. Please find out the practices followed in your area in advance in order to facilitate the sorting process and allow the materials to be recovered efficiently.
If any usable materials, such as whole doors or furnishings, are left over after your sauna renovation, you should offer them to recycling centres or through social media groups. Through these channels, these materials can gain a whole new life at another renovator’s site.
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Harvia uses sustainably sourced wood in sauna production
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Harvia requires from all wood material suppliers of the company a valid chain of custody certificate.
Harvia has a valid PEFC COC certificate number (Harvia Finland TT-PEFC-COC183 & Velha TT-PEFC-COC184) as evidence from the commitment of the company to sustainable wood material procurement.
PEFC Chain of Custody system of the company is audited annually by third party internationally accredited certification body, during the audit the wood material procurement procedures are audited against the requirements of PEFC Chain of Custody standard requirements.
Domo Wellness Romania SRL has a valid FSC 100% certificate number (FSC-STD-40-004 V3-0) as evidence from the commitment of the company to sustainable wood material procurement.
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Environmental aspects have been an important focus area at Harvia for a number of years. They are considered in all processes, from design to production, logistics, use and recycling. We have an environmental policy, which is based on the ISO 14001 standard, and all Harvia's operations are managed and developed in accordance with this policy. The environmental policy ensures that Harvia actively investigates and reduces the ecological impact of its processes, products and services.
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Safe steam, thanks to the safety railing
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Ever more attention is being paid to sauna design. Sauna owners want to make their saunas personal and pleasant, blending in with the atmosphere of their homes. But, sometimes, design takes a course of its own and sauna safety is overlooked in the process – even though design and safety are not mutually exclusive. At their best, they support each other.
When talking about sauna safety, one element is particularly important: the heater’s safety railing. This is a wooden railing, to be installed around the heater, with the purpose of simply preventing the sauna bather from touching the heater.
Wood types that don’t tend to heat up too much when the sauna is on are good material for the safety railing. Such wood types include the ever so popular alder, aspen, as well as heat-treated aspen. The latter is a particularly suitable railing material.
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Avoid accidents
The safety railing improves the sauna’s appearance, while also promoting safety, which is why Harvia recommend installing it to every single sauna. Anybody can happen to lose their balance while standing up from the bench after bathing in steam. In some cases, building supervisors even demand safety railings around sauna heaters, in order for new projects to pass their final inspection.
Safety is especially relevant to families with children and, generally, it is among the highest priorities with regards to the sauna. Small children enjoy sauna heat as much and as often as adults do, but they seldom have the patience to stay seated for a longer time. Every now and then, curiosity trumps reason, and such incidents may surprise parents, too. Therefore it is wise to equip the sauna with a safety railing, so as to avoid accidents caused by children’s slightly unsteady steps.
The safety railing is an equally important part of sauna to more senior bathers. It gives the sauna-goer a sense of safety, significantly improving the sauna experience, because one no longer needs to move as carefully.
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The safety railing finishes the design
A well prepared and installed safety railing is a safe and beautiful, eye-catching element. Its straightforward and sleek design suits well to the current sauna design trends. Furthermore, the safety railing gives the sauna attitude and ties in with the heater in the way it was meant to.
You get even more ambience and splendour if you choose lighting for your safety railing, or if you equip your railing with a LED light strip integrated to your benches. The bright light illuminating the heater brings a whole new dimension to your sauna experience – you will see the steam rising from the stones in an entirely new way. It feels as if the steam comes alive!
Steam safely!
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Harvia promotes cleaner burning of wood
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Harvia designs and manufactures its products responsibly, with respect for nature and people. As a traditional manufacturer of saunas and sauna heaters, Harvia has borne the responsibility for its operations and products since 1950. Harvia carry out continuous development and research work to ensure that Harvia's products are safe and healthy to use and increase the well-being of their users.
The quality, safety and reliability of the products is of the utmost importance to Harvia. All the sauna heaters Harvia manufacture meet the statutory requirements and standards of the target markets. Harvia also participates actively in international standardisation. Harvia are involved in influencing the development of product safety, energy efficiency, the improvement of the efficiency of wood-burning heaters and the reduction of fine particulate emissions, among other things. Harvia is an industry forerunner in reducing particulate emissions, having launched the low-emission Harvia Green Flame stoves already in 2009.
One topic that always remains current with regard to development is the discourse on emissions generated by wood-burning heaters. Harvia’s wood-burning heaters already meet the requirements and standards set for them. Harvia are an active expert participant in the efforts to determine and define comparable measurement methods for particulate emissions from stoves. Harvia work in close cooperation with parties such as the Ministry of the Environment, the construction product industry and several international testing facilities. Harvia guide and instruct their customers in using stoves and other products correctly and safely, and we develop new solutions that increase the products’ safety and promote sustainable development.
Tips for better burning of wood
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The clean burning of wood can be influenced by lighting a fire in the wood-burning heater correctly.
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Aim for colourless, low-emission smoke by emptying out the old ashes before lighting a fire in the stove.
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Only use dry wood; do not use wet or fresh wood.
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Avoid burning trash in the fire chamber and light a fire quickly, using the driest pieces of wood as kindling.
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Firewood should be burned in several smaller batches, starting with small pieces of wood.
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Wait until the flames start to die down to add the second batch of firewood, and also remember to adjust the airflow under the grate. The flue must also be swept regularly.
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Legend 240 GreenFlame black
Fire roars cleanly behind the large glass door of the Harvia Legend 240 GreenFlame wood burning heater, and you can just enjoy the magical and relaxing ambiance. The low-emission, durable and easy-to-use sauna heater is suited to medium-sized saunas. Its hefty stone quantity guarantees a traditional, soft sauna bath.
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