We sat down with Kyle Wilson with Homecraft Sauna Manufacturing. They have just launched their new sauna heater. Since there are many people, who don’t know of the lengthly and costly process of getting a new sauna product certified in the US and Canada, we felt that there is a need to open this process a bit.
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Bringing a new sauna heater to the North American market marks an important milestone for us at Homecraft Saunas. After a year of development and testing, we’re excited to announce that we will be bringing a new, locally manufactured heater to the market called our Revive heater. Although we have been in business for over 35 years here in British Columbia Canada, we, like the majority of other sauna manufacturers in North America have been slow to develop and bring new heaters to the market that are locally made. After going through the process of developing and manufacturing a new heater, I hope to shed some light on why that has been the case while also challenging some perspectives on sauna heaters made by North American manufacturers.
Like I mentioned above, it is common knowledge that the North American market has been slow and stagnant on manufacturing new sauna heaters and this has left a big hole in the market for high functioning, modern heaters that are made locally. We often get asked why this is the case, and after going through the process of getting our new heater certified, I firmly believe that it is not an issue with ability, desire, or quality but the massive undertaking of getting through the safety certification process which hinders and burdens smaller manufacturers.
Most consumers are unaware of the extremely high standards that are put on North American manufacturers and the products they produce compared to items made elsewhere. The overzealous, burdensome and costly process to get a new sauna heater certified in Canada and the United States makes it extremely difficult for sauna companies to bring products to market and is the #1 reason why smaller companies have ceased to introduce new products. When we purchased Homecraft, it was our goal to try and change this and develop a modern, high end, great functioning sauna heater that would excite customers of a product made and manufactured in Canada.
We started the process of creating our Revive heater by hiring a thermo-engineer who helped us create the technical design and drawings for our new heater. We wanted to create a modern and sleek high tower design that allowed for great airflow from the elements, into the tower of the rocks. After we built our first prototype, things quickly moved into the testing stage where we were able to make some tweaks and test the heater’s performance level. The powerful blasts of Löyly that our Revive heater’s design allowed for, gave us the confidence that this was the product we wanted to bring to the market. After a few more months of testing, we moved to bring our new heater through the official certification process.
Without a doubt, this was the most time consuming and costly part of the process as we moved forward to get proper UL & CSA certifications to be able to sell a safe and legal heater in both Canada and the United States. Simple failures during this stage meant we had to re-do the tests until we passed, and that can quickly become costly during an already expensive process. Needless to say, after many rigorous and in depth tests that challenged both the safety and functionality of our heater, we were relieved and excited to receive our notice of approval.
As frustrating and difficult as the certification process was, and as much as it can be a deterrent for a manufacturer, a fully certified heater is what gives our dealers and customers the confidence in the quality and safety of our products which is an added layer of protection on consumers which we have found sometimes is a grey area for uncertified heaters entering the market. Because North American manufacturers have been slow to bring newer modern sauna heaters into the market there is sometimes the perception that the lack of diverse options means inferior products over heaters made locally in the US or Canada. However, it is our hope that we will be at the forefront of changing that perception by adding new heaters into our sauna line.
Our Revive heater represents our desire to bring a modern, well built, safe, and high functioning heater to the North American market. After a year of development and testing, we are proud to begin manufacturing this new heater that will give our clients the confidence that comes with purchasing a product locally made and UL & CSA certified. Active and regular sauna use is something that we have tried to promote at Homecraft for over 35+ years and we’re excited for you all to experience great Löyly with our new Revive heater.
The Revive Sauna Heater:
Available in 6kw, 7.5kw & 9kw models
Size: 14’’ x 14’’ x 36’’
190-210 pounds of rock capacity
100% stainless steel construction and components
Built in protective air-flow chamber
Built & Manufactured in Canada
Certified with CSA & UL
