Floor Drain: Do You Need One for Your Indoor Sauna?

Floor Drain: Do You Need One for Your Indoor Sauna?

A floor drain is a plumbing fixture set into the floor that allows water to drain away through a pipe connected to your home's drain system. In indoor saunas, a floor drain is often recommended but not always required. Whether you need one depends on how you use your sauna and how it's installed.

When You Need a Floor Drain

• Traditional/steam saunas: If you're pouring water on hot rocks (loyly), water is going to end up on the floor. A drain keeps it from pooling and causing damage
• Commercial or heavy-use saunas: The more people using the sauna, the more moisture accumulates on surfaces and the floor
• Saunas built on concrete slabs: Concrete is the easiest surface to install a drain in, and adding one at build time is cheap insurance
• Cleaning convenience: A drain lets you hose down the sauna interior during deep cleaning

When You Can Skip It

Infrared saunas generate dry heat with no steam, so there's minimal water on the floor. If you're installing a dry infrared sauna indoors and you're not going to be dumping water on anything, a floor drain is overkill. A towel on the floor catches any sweat, and occasional wiping keeps things clean.

Installation Basics

If you're building a sauna room from scratch, installing a floor drain is relatively straightforward:

1. The floor needs a slight slope toward the drain location (1/4 inch per foot is standard)
2. The drain connects to a 2-inch P-trap and ties into your home's existing drain/waste/vent system
3. Use a drain grate rated for the temperatures your sauna reaches - standard plastic shower drains can warp
4. The P-trap must stay filled with water to block sewer gases. If the sauna isn't used frequently, pour water down the drain periodically to keep the trap sealed

Retrofitting a Drain

Adding a drain to an existing room is more involved since it means cutting through the floor and tying into drain piping. If you're putting an indoor sauna in a bathroom that already has a floor drain, you're set. Otherwise, talk to a plumber about feasibility and cost before committing.

Related Terms

• Barrel Plug Drain
• Sauna Drainage Considerations
• Sauna Cleaning Guide
• Sauna Humidity Levels

Indoor Saunas for Every Setup

Browse our indoor saunas to find the right fit for your home. Product pages include installation requirements so you can plan for drainage before your sauna arrives.