Infrared Pro — Noise or Crackling During Heat-Up

If your sauna makes cracking, popping, or ticking sounds as it warms up, you can relax — it's normal. Here's what's going on.

Cracking and ticking: the wood moving

Wood expands a little as it heats and contracts as it cools. Every heat cycle, the wood panels, frame, and bench shift in small ways as the temperature climbs, and when pieces move against each other or against hardware you hear a crack or tick. It's the same sound you get from hardwood floors, a wood-framed house on a cold night, or furniture near a heat vent — the material doing exactly what it should. You'll notice it most during the first heat-up of the day, and it settles down once the cabin reaches a steady temperature.

Soft popping from the walls: the heater safety switches

You may also hear an occasional soft pop or click from inside the walls. That's the infrared heating panels' built-in thermal cutoff switches. As a panel reaches temperature, the switch briefly opens the circuit to prevent overheating, then resets once it cools slightly — repeating quietly through your session. The little pop is just that switch doing its job.

When it isn't normal: if a sound is loud or sharp, or comes with a burning smell, smoke, or anything else out of the ordinary, that's different. Unplug the sauna and contact us before using it again — email info@calore.ca or call anytime.