Almost Heaven Saunas Bridgeport Installation instructions

Bridgeport Sauna
Installation &
Owner’s Manual
Revised February 2017

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CHECK YOUR BOXES
Be sure to immediately check your boxes against your shipping list and bill of lading to make sure all boxes are there.
Examine for any damage and notify Almost Heaven Saunas if there needs to be a repair or replacement of damaged or
missing materials.
ELECTRICAL REQUIREMENTS
All electrical wiring must be performed by A QUALIFIED LICENSED ELECTRICIAN. Because of the heat involved in the
sauna, it is required that you use copper wire with 90ºC insulation. Do not use aluminum wire to make the connection.
Consult with an electrician so you can determine the requirements for your particular situation. All wiring must conform
to all national, state and local codes and regulations and according to the instructions provided with the heater.
LOCATING THE SAUNA
Your Bridgeport Indoor Sauna was specifically designed to utilize your existing floor. As such, assembly is made very
simple since the entire sauna sits on pre-fabricated rails and risers rather than on an integral floor platform. Your sauna
can be assembled on any surface that is firm and flat, including concrete, ceramic, vinyl, laminate, or tile. (Installation on
a carpeted surface is not recommended.)
ASSEMBLY
You should use two people for the assembly of the Bridgeport Sauna. The wall and roof sections are large and need two
people to lift and hold in place during assembly.
BASIC TOOLS
You should have the following tools:
 Cordless drill for driving screws
 1/8” drill bit
 Stepladder or stool
 Rubber Mallet
 Claw hammer
 Screwdrivers (Phillips and Flathead)
 Framing Square
 Utility knife
 Level
Read this entire manual through to the end before proceeding with the assembly.
Bridgeport Sauna Packing List
 4 Floor Risers
 4 Wall Support Rails
 Wall Secon A
 Wall Secon B
 Wall Secon C
 Wall Secon D
 Wall Secon E
 Wall Secon F
 Window Secon G
 Door Secon H
 Window Secon I
 Wall Secon J
 4 Roof Support Rails
 3 Roof Secons
 4 pieces of roof trim
 Lower Long Bench
 Lower Side Bench
 2 Lower bench support
boards
 Upper Long Bench
 Back rest with pre-
mounted LED light
 LED power supply
 Short back rest
 Hardware packet
 Bucket with liner
 Ladle
 Thermometer/hygrometer
 Door knob kit
 Heater fence kit
 Harvia 8.0kw heater
 Box of sauna stones
 Assembly manual packet

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1. Connect the 4 FLOOR RISERS
Your existing floor will serve as the floor for your
sauna. The pre-fabricated rails and risers will be
placed on your existing floor and provide the
structural support for the sauna room. The 4 floor
risers are pre-drilled and are assembled with 2”
screws. Use a square to be sure the assembled
frame is square.
NOTE: Be sure your surface is flat before you
begin assembly.
Assemble floor riser
2. Position the WALL SUPPORT RAILS
Place the 4 wall support rails with the groove fac-
ing up on top of the assembled floor riser.
Using 2” screws, draw the corners tight by angle
screwing the corners together.
NOTE: One side of each rail is pre-drilled. After
lining up the rails and prior to screwing them to-
gether, it is suggested that you pre-drill through
the factory-drilled pilot hole into the second rail
using a 1/8” drill bit. Drill about 1” into the sec-
ond rail. This will prevent the possibility of strip-
ping or breaking the screw.
Position wall support rails
3. Fasten WALL SUPPORT RAILS
Using 2” screws, attach the support rails to the
floor riser; be sure the groove is facing up. Use 4
screws for each rail.
The combined riser and rails is now called the
wall support section.
Fasten wall support rails to floor riser
Angle-screw corners to draw tight

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Position Wall Section B
5. Attach Wall Section B to Wall Section A
Using 2” screws, connect Wall Section A to Wall
Section B using the pre-drilled holes.
NOTE: Be sure the wall edges and top edges
align evenly.
ILLUSTRATION 1
The 10 wall sections, A– J, will be
positioned in the grooves of the
completed wall support section as
shown.
4. Position WALL SECTION A & B
Position Wall Sections A & B in the groove of the
rail on the left rear corner of the sauna according
to the guide on ILLUSTRATION 1.
NOTE: Wall A should go all the way back in the
groove; Wall Section A will overlap and screw
into Wall Section B.
Position Wall Sections A & B
A
BC
E
F
IG
J
H
Completed Wall
Support
D
6. Position WALL SECTION C
Position Wall Section C on rear center of the sau-
na according to the guide on ILLUSTRATION 1.
NOTE: Wall Section C will attach to Wall Sec-
tion B by way of the tongue and groove profile but
will not be fastened with screws.
Position Wall Section C

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7. Position WALL SECTION D
Position Wall Section D on the right rear of the sau-
na according to the guide on ILLUSTRATION 1.
NOTE: Wall Section D will attach to Wall Section
C by way of the tongue and groove profile but will
not be fastened with screws.
8. Position WALL SECTION E
Position Wall Section E on the right side of the sauna according to the guide on
ILLUSTRATION 1. Using 2” screws, connect Wall Section E to Wall Section D
using the pre-drilled holes.
NOTE: Be sure the wall edges and top edges align evenly.
9. Position WALL SECTION F
Position Wall Section F on the right front of the sauna according to the guide on
ILLUSTRATION 1.
NOTE: Wall Section F will attach to Wall Section E by way of the tongue and
groove profile but will not be fastened with screws.
10. Position WINDOW SECTION G
Position Window Section G on the right front of the sauna according to the guide
on ILLUSTRATION 1. Using 2” screws and pre-drilled holes, fasten Wall Sec-
tion F to Window Section G.
NOTE: Be sure the wall edges and top edges align evenly.

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13. Attach Wall Section J to Wall Section A
Position Wall Section J on the left side of the sauna according to the
guide on ILLUSTRATION 1. Using 2” screws and pre-drilled holes,
fasten Wall Section J to Window Section I.
NOTE: Wall Section J will attach to Wall Section A by way of the
tongue and groove profile but will not be fastened with screws.
11. Position DOOR SECTION H
Position Door Section H on the center front of the sauna according to
the guide on ILLUSTRATION 1.
12. Position WINDOW SECTION I
Position Window Section I on the left front of the sauna according to
the guide on ILLUSTRATION 1.
NOTE: Be sure the wall edges and top edges align evenly.
14. Build ROOF SUPPORT
Assemble 4 roof support rails by angle-screwing with 2”
screws through the pre-drilled holes.
NOTE: Be sure that the rails are square and level and that
the screw head does not protrude into the groove.

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15. Attach ROOF SUPPORT over walls
Position the completed Roof Support over the wall
sections. Once in place on all 4 sides, use 2”
screws to attach Roof Support to wall sections.
Use 4 evenly spaced screws per rail.
NOTE: Tap the Roof Support firmly in place
with a rubber mallet so wall sections are fully in-
serted into the groove before screwing into place.
Attach Roof Support over walls
16. Position ROOF SECTIONS
Place three Roof Sections on top of the Roof Sup-
port, nesting the tongue of one section into the
groove of the other. Measure around perimeter
before fastening to be sure distance from edge is
equal.
NOTE: Finished side of Roof Sections are to face
the interior of the sauna with battens facing up.
Position Roof Sections
17. Fasten ROOF SECTIONS
Using 2” screws, fasten Roof Sections to Roof
Support using pre-drilled holes.
NOTE: Be sure to keep even distance from edge
of Roof Section edges and Roof Support edges
around perimeter of sauna as measured in step 17.
Fasten Roof Sections to Roof Support

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Attach Roof Trim pieces
18. Attach ROOF TRIM
Find the package of 4 Roof Trim pieces and attach
to the raw edge of the Roof Sections with finish
nails.
NOTE: The trim pieces are not pre-drilled. You
may install using finish nails.
19. Position LOWER LONG BENCH
Position the Lower Long Bench in place on top of
the lower Bench Supports.
NOTE: Do not screw the Lower Long Bench in
place at this time. Also, picture shows Lower Side
Bench which will be installed in step 21. Position
Lower Long Bench BEFORE installing Lower
Side Bench.
Position Lower Long Bench
Attach to Lower Long Bench
20. Attach LOWER SIDE BENCH
Locate 2 bench support boards. With Lower Side
Bench support boards in place to support the
bench, use 2” screws to attach the Lower Side
Bench to the Lower Long Bench, and then to the
wall and window panels using the pre-drilled
holes in the bench. Attach support boards to wall
panel to provide the bench with additional support.
Refer to picture on next page.
NOTE: You will need to reach under the Lower
Side Bench to make this attachment. This picture
does not show the Lower Long Bench you posi-
tioned in step 19. That is so you can more clearly
see the installation of the Lower Side Bench from
an unobstructed view.
Attach Lower Side Bench

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21. Attach LOWER LONG
BENCH to bench supports.
Using 2” screws, attach Lower
Long Bench to bench supports on
both walls using pre-drilled holes
on wall sections.
22. Attach UPPER LONG BENCH
Using 2” screws, attach the Upper Long Bench to the supports on
wall sections A & E.
Attach Upper Long Bench
23. Attach VENT COVER
Screw the Vent Cover over the vents on Wall Section B us-
ing the pre-drilled hole.
NOTE: Tighten only enough so vent cover will turn freely
over vents.
Once you have attached the
Lower Side Bench to the
Lower Long Bench and the
support boards to the wall
panels, it will all look like this.
Front support board
(Rear support board is hidden)

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24. Measure Height
for LONG BACK
REST
Measure the desired
position at which you
will later install the
Long Back Rest above
the Upper Bench.
(Suggested: 8-12”
above the bench and
centered on the wall.)
26. Attach LONG BACK
REST
Use 2” screws and pre-
drilled holes to attach the
Long Back Rest to Wall
Sections B and D.
25. Drill Hole for LIGHT
CORD
The LED lighting comes in-
stalled on the back of the Back
Rest. Find the cord coming
from the light switch and drill
a small hole in Wall Section D
to insert the Light Cord
through so it comes through to
the outside of the sauna.
27. Mount POWER SUPPLY
Use provided screws to position
Power Supply where it is most con-
venient for you on the outside of
Wall Section D.
Optional: Secure excess wire with
zip tie or some other fastener as de-
sired.
28. Connect to POWER SUPPLY
Plug the Cord into the Power Supply. Plug the Power Supply into
any wall outlet, and flip the switch mounted on the back of the
bench to operate the LED light.
Cord from LED light
Power
Supply

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29. HEATER INSTALLATION
Mount the heater as shown in the manufacturer's instructions. The heater should be mounted on
Wall Section F, over the vents and 7” from the floor of the sauna. All the necessary hardware is
supplied with the heater.
Drill a hole below and behind the heater to run the wire and/or conduit according to local electri-
cal codes. The heater will be hard-wired according to the specific wiring requirements for your
heater.
Do not attempt to wire the heater yourself. Contact a licensed electrician in accordance with
your local electrical codes. Heater brand may vary depending on where the sauna was pur-
chased. Install sauna stones in accordance with heater manufacturer instructions.
Typical wiring requirements for distances of up to 30 feet from the breaker box are as follows:
4.5kw-6.0kw heaters require 10-2 w/ground, copper wire only, and 30amp non-GFCI breaker.
8.0kw heater requires 8-2 w/ground, copper wire only, and 40amp non-GFCI breaker.
30. Your fence kit will arrive
banded with stretch wrap. It
consists of four pieces, shown
here.
31. Prop up the first pre-assembled portion and attach the two long horizontal pieces.
Make sure the countersunk holes on the wall mounting bracket face inward.
32. Attach the final piece—the
remaining pre-assembled portion.
33. Position the fence around the heater and use the pre-drilled holes to attach it to the
wall.

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34. Attach DOOR KNOB
Take the two sections of the door knob and insert
the thread through the hole in the door. Tighten so
that handles are snug to glass.
NOTE: Hand tighten only and be sure rubber gas-
ket is between knob and glass.
Attach Door Knob to Door

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OPERATION
After the sauna has been installed, sweep down the inside to remove any sawdust and wood shavings, and then
vacuum completely. Using a damp cloth and warm water, wipe down the entire sauna including the benches to
remove any remaining dirt, dust and debris. Rinse off the sauna stones and install them in or on the heater in
accordance with the heater manufacturer’s instructions. Improper placement of heater stones can result in low-
er than desired heat temperatures. The first time you turn the heater on, set it to the maximum setting and
operate it for about 30 minutes with the door propped open. Then close the door and allow your sauna to come
up to the desired temperature.
Since you most likely will use your sauna as both a "wet sauna" and a "dry sauna", you should install the sauna
stones that have been included with the heater, following the manufacturer’s instructions. These stones are
necessary if water will be sprinkled on the heater to create the "wet sauna", and they will produce more
consistent heating in the dry mode (without the use of water). It is common for a stone to occasionally crack
during initial heating. If excess amounts of water are used during sauna, prop door open to let the humidity es-
cape. Not much water is necessary to achieve a “wet sauna”.
The amount of ventilation in the sauna can be adjusted by means of the vent located toward the top of the sau-
na. It is important to have adequate fresh air flowing through the sauna, and this flow can be adjusted with the
movable vent cover.
TRADITIONAL STEPS IN TAKING A SAUNA BATH
STEP #1 - Set your heater so that the sauna room achieves the desired temperature, usually between 150º F and
170º F. As a novice, you should begin at the lower end of this range and work your way up to the higher
temperatures over several sauna baths.
STEP #2 - Remove all clothing (except maybe your swimsuit), eyeglasses, contact lenses, jewelry, etc. Take a
quick shower with warm water and soap, or a quick dip in your hot tub.
STEP #3 - Enter the sauna initially for about 5 to 15 minutes. Bring a towel into the sauna onto which you can
sit or lay. Leave the sauna room once you have begun to perspire freely.
STEP #4 - Now you may take a cold plunge in your swimming pool, shower or snow bank. After that, relax and
cool down for another 10 to 20 minutes.
STEP #5 - Re-enter the sauna. On this return visit you may wish to sprinkle small amounts of water onto the
stones creating bursts of steam. If the water spills through the heater and onto the floor, you are using too much,
although this will not hurt the heater or the sauna.
STEP #6 - After your final visit to the sauna, relax for at least 20 minutes. Shower with soap and warm water.
Finish your shower with cooler water to close the pores of your skin. Dress only after you have cooled down
completely.
NOTE: Whatever your sauna regimen, it is important that you keep yourself hydrated by drinking plenty
of water!