Important News On Sauna Recall

Sauna By Airwall is recalling infrared sauna rooms, which was made in China and sold by authorized dealers. The fault of the infrared sauna rooms were due to the infrared heater and fuse, which could fail and lead to fire hazard to the sauna user.

Although home sauna and far infrared sauna are generally safe, consumers are always advised to ensure that the electrical component of the sauna are in good working condition.

The followings are the latest news released from ConsumersAffair.com on the recall:

Sauna By Airwall is recalling about 225 Infra-Red Sauna Rooms. The heating unit and fuse can fail, leading to overheating of the saunas. This defect can result in a serious fire hazard to consumers.

Sauna By Airwall has received four reports of fires resulting in property damage. There have been no reports of personal injury.

The recalled infra-red sauna rooms are made of wood and include the following model numbers: IC I, IC II, IC III, IC IV, and IC V. The model number is indicated on the serial plate located on the back of the machine, in the lower right hand corner.

The saunas, made in China, were sold by authorized Sauna By Airwall dealers nationwide from November 2006 through April 2008 for between $600 and $4,000.

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled product and disconnect from power source, and contact the firm for a refund. All known users have been contacted.

Types of Far Infrared Sauna

There are many types of far infrared sauna. This article at Free Sauna Information today shall discuss the various types of far infrared sauna available. For those who are not familiar with sauna, saunna, far infrared sauna, benefits of sauna, or would like to find out more about heater for far infrared sauna, may just click the relevant links.

A far infrared sauna is different from a traditional steam sauna from the way it helps a user to sweat. For quite a long time, the benefits of sweating induced by using a sauna has been well documented and researched, and many related articles had been published. A traditional steam sauna warms the air within the sauna room, which in turn encouraged sweating as the human body adjust to the rising temperature. On the other hand, a far infrared sauna made use of its far infrared ray to directly warm the human body.

Because far infrared ray penetrate a good depth into the human body, there are also claims that this is also additional benefit compared to the traditional steam sauna. As far infrared sauna uses infrared ray to warm the human body directly, its efficiency depends a lot on choosing a good far infrared heater and the location where the heaters are placed are also important.

Generally, there are three types of far infrared sauna:
- A foldable far infrared sauna which is highly portable
- A far infrared sauna dome or dome sauna, which is less portable
- A far infrared sauna room similar to a traditional steam sauna but utilise far infrared ray

Free Sauna Information also found another type of far infrared sauna -- a half dome sauna, which is a variation of the full dome sauna type.

Foldable Sauna or Highly Portable Sauna

A foldable sauna is a far infrared sauna which can folds open and closed, as the name suggests. This type of saunna is by far the most portable and easy to store. A foldable sauna is a fabric encased box that you can easily zip yourself into.

A foldable far infrared sauna looks like a small tent, and can be set up in minutes. The foldable far infrared sauna takes about fifteen minutes to reach its optimal temperature. Basically, a user just sit on a chair, zip the fabric with his head pop out at the top, and there you have it. Because a foldable sauna is extremely portable sauna, you can bring it along with you when you travel. The operating cost of a foldable far infrared sauna is very low.

The cabinet of the foldable far infrared sauna consists of an outer cover and an inner supporting frame. One side of the cover has an opening from which infrared heat source is guided into the sauna cabinet. The outer cover of the foldable far infrared sauna has a front opening where a user enters and zipped to close.

Different suppliers have different types of supporting system for the outer frame of the foldable far infrared sauna, but typical foldable far infrared sauna consists of some backing plates and hollow sections to form its frame. By removing these plates, the hollow sections may be folded.

Sauna Dome or Dome Sauna

A dome sauna consists of a semi-circle dome shape metal assembly where a user may lie horizontally within it. As the whole interior of the dome sauna is a heating element, there is basically no dead spots. Therefore, the far infrared rays from a dome sauna directly bathe the whole side of the body.

As the size of the far infrared sauna dome is quite small, the distance between the walls are close. This is translated into full exposure and therefore the far infrared ray absorption by the body is deep. Therefore, it is generally believed that the far infrared ray exposure and penetration of a dome sauna is generally better.

Free Sauna Information also revealed that lying down is the most effective and comfortable way to take a saunna. Lying down relieves the nervous system the cardiovascular is relaxed. The regulation of internal body responses towards self-healing is therefore enhanced. A far infrared sauna dome allows your head to be kept outside for more comfort. A far infrared sauna dome may also be used with body wraps such as clay, mud, etc for a therapeutic effect.

A far infrared sauna dome’s energy output may be tuned to correspond closely to the human body’s own radiant energy wavelength to maximise the body’s absorption of the far infrared ray. With a far infrared sauna dome, less than 20% of the infrared energy heats the air, leaving over 80% of the far infrared energy available to heat the body.

The followings are the typical specification of a far infrared sauna dome:
• Standing dimensions: 1.5 feet x 2.5 ft x 3 ft nestled
• Length: 72 inches
• Width: 25 inches
• Inside height: 18 inches
• Weight: 48 pounds
• Uses very little electricity - voltage 110/60 Hz
• Super conductive heating - 750 watts [about 15 cents per hour]
• Variable temperature: Temperature range- 100 f to 160 f
• Timer - separate for upper and lower, choice of set time with automatic shut off or continuous time
• Control box analog: separate controls for upper and lower dome
• Dome frame: mahagony wood, outer layer of naugahyde
• Advanced black carbon emitting panels originally created by NASA
• Body mat: full body water proof mat
• Wheel rollers on upper dome to facilitate ease of entry and exit
• A new concept in the field of sauna therapy
• More effective exposure to far infrared rays
• Total far-infrared coverage
• Dome shape focuses the energy
• Reflects FIR energy with frequencies that are body-friendly
• Lying down is the most beneficial way to sauna
• Lower temperatures than conventional saunas
• The benefit of space-saving size and low weight
• Attractive and functional storage
• Very comfortable
• Easy to set up, maintain, store
• Premium quality for less money
• A substantial price advantage over other models
• Safe and Effective
• Requires no special training to perform

Half Sauna Dome

A variation of the full sauna dome, is the half sauna dome. This variation of the far infrared sauna dome is also known as a portable far infrared sweatless sauna. Basically, its technology is similar to a full sauna dome. An additional advantage of a half sauna dome is that it is versatile and can be used in various body posture and position. It is also small and highly portable, and some even comes with a carrying bag!

However, there are some cautions about using a far infrared sauna dome, whether it is a full dome or a half dome. It is advised that a sauna dome should not be used if you have:
• A serious heart condition (unable to walk).
• If using an old or heavy duty pacemaker, or implanted heart beat regulators.
• If you have seriously high blood pressure.
• If you hare severe sunburn.
• Not advised for children under 2 years without medical consultation.
• Use discretion regarding open sores - far infrared will heal and close them.
A far infrared sauna dome is known to have many physical effects and health benefits, such as:

- Decreased muscle spasms, pain and soreness.
- Reduced swelling and inflammation, by improving lymphatic flow.
- Removal of heavy toxins - metal poisoning and chemicals - due to activated metabolic activity.
- Improved oxygenation exchange and accelerated metabolism.
- Tissue regeneration.
- Relief from breathing and lung challenges.

How to Use a Far Infrared Sauna Dome

A far infrared sauna dome is best used for 15 to 60 minutes per session, 2-3 times daily if desired. First timer should use it for shorter duration and increase its frequency as the body gets more accustomed. Drink plenty of water. Some slight reddening of the skin may sometimes occur. The body where the dome is radiating on is the only area that is receiving far infrared ray. So, the dome may be moved up or down to the body part they wished to target.
Eyes should be kept shut when dome is used to radiate the face and the eyes. A cloth is best placed over the eyes to enable relaxation.
A far infrared sauna dome should not be stored in a wet area as it contains electronic component which may be damaged or may cause short circuit.

Far Infrared Sauna Room

The last of the types of far infrared sauna available is in the form of a tradional steam sauna room. The only difference is that it utilize far infrared technology to warm the human body.

A far infrared sauna room type is by far the most aesthetic especially if it is made of cedar wood and with fine craftsmanship. However, it is also the least portable of all the sauna types. Choosing a good far infrared heater is important and be sure to have sufficient numbers of heater and locate them at position where the entire body can be exposed to the far infrared ray.

A typical far infrared sauna room will include windows for light and ventilation and recessed halogen accent lights for mood and for reading. There is also keypad controls for temperature and timer. Some far infrared sauna room also comes with an audio player for total relaxation.

However, a far infrared sauna room may not necessary be the most expensive, and there are a lot of sauna kits available. Assembling a far infrared sauna room is not very difficult with user instructions and free sauna information available from the internet.

To conclude, choosing the right types of far infrared sauna will depend a lot on your budget, your taste and how you intend to use a sauna. In our next article at Free Sauna Information, we shall be publishing on how to build your own home sauna.