Kimbo's meditation hut / mini sauna

[Fluidic Kimbo]

A friend of mine has a garage around the back of his house, so every Friday evening we work together on my hut.

I think we've done 5 Friday's so far.

Frame = Treated 2x4 lumber. Height = 160cm. Length x Width = 105 x 130cm.

Inner wall = 19mm thick tongue and groove wood

5cm of acoustic insulation + 15cm of thermal insulation

Outer Cladding= Rigid durable PVC

Roof = Fiber cement sheet

A castor wheel at each corner on the base

[almostgone]

Ok. What's powering this thing? I see what looks like top post clamps for an automotive battery?

[Fluidic Kimbo]

Ok. What's powering this thing? I see what looks like top post clamps for an automotive battery?

12V marine battery. There is a 10-inch tall cavity in the floor which will house a 12V battery and a 300W heater.

Considering putting a solar panel or wind turbine on the roof to trickle-charge the battery.

[lovbyts]

I know a better design.

[almostgone]

I know a better design.

LOL, I was looking at the panels to be cut and thought to myself.....hmm, looks like a coffin/ bed for skull orchard. Then I saw the title in small script @ the lower corner.

[almostgone]

12V marine battery. There is a 10-inch tall cavity in the floor which will house a 12V battery and a 300W heater.

Considering putting a solar panel or wind turbine on the roof to trickle-charge the battery.

I think the solar panel would be a good option if y'all get enough sunny days. Wind turbines seems to woefully inefficient in the long run.

[Fluidic Kimbo]

I think the solar panel would be a good option if y'all get enough sunny days. Wind turbines seems to woefully inefficient in the long run.

Sometimes we get a belter of a Summer in Ireland, but for the most part we're a cloudy rainy country.

Here's the ironic thing about the solar panel:
The season when we have the most sunshine = Summer
The season when we need to generate heat = Winter

I've been in contact with a solar panel supplier in the UK, and he has a 200W solar panel that will fit on the roof of my hut. I presume though, when he says "200 watts", that he means leaving it out at noon in the Sahara desert. I'd say there's very little power from it on a typical Irish Winter day.

But even if I could get an average of 10 - 20 watts from it, that might be enough to keep the battery topped up.

Actually I want to explore my options here for stepping 12V DC up to 120V AC. There are very few 12V heaters on the market, and their reviews are poor. Of course I have to calculate and consider the power lost from the conversion.

I got a 40 amp fuse for the battery just in case I accidentally short it.

[Fluidic Kimbo]

There are very few 12V DC electric heaters on the market, and the reviews are poor.



If I were working with 230V AC instead, I would have a lot more choice. There are some very good 230V AC heaters.

So I'm thinking of using a device such as the following to get 230V AC from a marine battery:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07Y89NBPQ/?th=1

I wonder how efficient this device would be though, I wonder would I lose a few watts in it?

[almostgone]

There are very few 12V DC electric heaters on the market, and the reviews are poor.



If I were working with 230V AC instead, I would have a lot more choice. There are some very good 230V AC heaters.

So I'm thinking of using a device such as the following to get 230V AC from a marine battery:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07Y89NBPQ/?th=1

I wonder how efficient this device would be though, I wonder would I lose a few watts in it?

Pretty sure there would be a decent loss. Usually when they say the output is a modified sine wave, it's really a modified square wave. If you look at the waveform, it has an additional step up (square wave) on top of the longer (timewise) square wave.

I honestly don't know how effective that would be.

[Fluidic Kimbo]

Pretty sure there would be a decent loss. Usually when they say the output is a modified sine wave, it's really a modified square wave. If you look at the waveform, it has an additional step up (square wave) on top of the longer (timewise) square wave.

I honestly don't know how effective that would be.

Any wasted power would be in the form of heat . . . which is what I want

[almostgone]

Any wasted power would be in the form of heat . . . which is what I want

True if the heat is in the hut. If it's all in the inverter it may not contribute much. Plus not all of the inefficiency will be manifest as heat.
Not saying dont try it, but try to consider all your options.one thing in your favor is the volume of the area you're heating up. It's compact which should help.

Please keep posting up as you progress. A sauna is about the only thing I miss from a commercial gym. I'd love to have one, but I'm not paying the prices the companies sell them for.

[Cchlckd]

Look into lithium automotive battery if you plan on running a heater.

[Fluidic Kimbo]

I have the hut out my back garden now:

[Fluidic Kimbo]

Now with a power point at the front, as well as latches and handles. Door frame is almost entirely soundproofed -- just a little more work to do on it.