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It’s an absolute must for every sauna owner to have quality sauna rocks in his sauna. Under the intense pressure and high temperature, even the strongest sauna rocks are likely to crumble and crack. The fluctuating temperature mixed with the high humidity levels can cause sauna rocks to disintegrate. The sauna rocks that start to disintegrate will not be able to hold the necessary heat as they used to.
Also, less steam will be produced in this case and the sauna heater may eventually become clogged. So, you will have to learn how to choose really good rocks for your sauna in order to enhance your sauna experience without having to worry that the rocks you are using may disintegrate too soon.
For instance, there are many sauna owners who are keen on avoiding sauna rocks that can explode when used. Also, the sauna rocks that have offensive odors or give off poisonous odors are avoided as well. No sauna owner is likely to prefer sauna rocks that come with sulphur or asbestos minerals. The sauna rocks that come with suplhur minerals are not likely to pose any health risks but they are prone to wearing down very quickly.
The sauna rocks that contain asbestos minerals are more dangerous as they come with legitimate risks because asbestos has recently been linked to causing cancer. In order to avoid potentially explosive rocks, you should perform the following test: heat some rocks for a couple of hours or even more and drop them right into a pal of cool water. Then, you will have to look for possible cracks.
Also, as soon as the rocks are cool, you should test their resistance by hitting them one against another or with a hammer. Once you notice that the rocks crack or tend to make a really soft grinding sound as soon as you start rubbing them one against another, you will have to discard them because they are not the quality sauna rocks you are looking for. But if the rocks survive to all your testing, you may rest assured because you already have safe sauna rocks.
Also, you should pay attention in order to see whether the sauna rocks you are planning to use are completely dry because such rocks are likely to be easier to handle when in a sauna. Keep in mind that a wet rock is more likely to disrupt other sauna rocks or even explode as it heats up and the steam that will come out of such rock will end up being really disruptive and preemptive to your sauna.
The size of the sauna rocks is also important and you should go for sauna rocks that are about as large as your fist. Plus, you will have to make sure that the sauna rocks you choose can be packed along with each other and this should be done with ease – really good sauna rocks are going to make sure that all the water from the bottom will not build up and steam will be created in a regular manner.
Photo - Flickr, http://www.flickr.com/photos/pinkmoose/2273215718/
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