A Brette Haus cabin or Æqua sauna leaves the factory with its wiring and plumbing already inside. On site, a local electrician and plumber connect it to power, water and drainage.

We recommend a three-phase supply: 25 A for Tiny D and Rustic, 16 A for the Æqua Core and Cella saunas. A single-phase version is possible on request. Water equipment is matched to the pressure on your site, and drainage runs through a standard 110 mm pipe. All inlets are brought outside the building, so a local electrician and plumber can connect them in minutes. Where there is no grid or sewer, we design an off-grid set-up for the site.

Drainage: a flexible 110 mm pipe, ready for a quick connection.
Water: an inlet pipe with spare length and a heating cable, so it does not freeze in winter.
Power: an external conduit for the supply cable.

Bring your connection points to within 1 m of the building's inlets before delivery.

Three-phase is our standard: the circuit breakers are spread evenly over the three phases. For a single-phase supply we change the switchboard circuit before delivery; tell us when you order. Our service guidelines specify a copper supply cable of at least 4 × 6 mm² for three-phase and 16 mm² conductors for single-phase; your electrician sizes the cable for its length and local rules.

Earthing. The earth connection is made by the electrician, with a copper conductor of at least 10 mm². Never earth the building to a metal foundation or ground screws: the metal will corrode fast. Neutral and earth must not be combined. Proper earthing is a condition of our warranty.

Heating. Tiny D and Rustic are heated with underfloor heating, installed at the factory. In the Æqua saunas, the electric heater is the main load: 9 kW in Core, 11 kW in Cella, 15 kW in Forum and 26 kW in Atrium. Heater power depends on the room volume, the ventilation type and the climate, so it can change for a specific project.

We select the plumbing equipment for the water pressure on your site and the rules of the region. If the water comes from a well, have it tested: if the results are far from standard values, add a filter or treatment system. The heating cable on the inlet pipe uses 20–30 W. Run it along the whole length of the pipe from the building to below the frost line, preferably to a depth of 1.5 m.

Drainage leaves the building through a 110 mm pipe; another diameter is possible on request. Insulate the section of pipe between the building and the ground with 5–7 cm of flexible insulation. In hard frost, a slow leak, such as a dripping toilet cistern, can freeze in the cold part of the pipe.

Where there is no public sewer, we recommend one of these:
• a septic tank;
• an Orbital water recycling system, which treats and reuses water and works almost autonomously;
• a drain for shower water, combined with an incinerating toilet such as Cinderella.

Every off-grid project is different. Usually we combine three things: a toilet that does not need a sewer (incinerating, freezing or vacuum-packing), a shower that drains to a septic tank or soakaway, and a battery with solar panels. The Æqua Rota RV sauna works fully off-grid, with solar power and a wood-fired heater. Send us your site conditions and we will propose a set-up. We like unusual sites.

Water must not freeze in the system. Frost damage to pipes and fittings is not covered by the warranty.

In use: keep at least 10 °C inside; in severe cold, keep the bathroom and kitchen, where the pipes run, above 20 °C. Leave the heating cable on.
Weekend use, at least twice a month: you do not need to drain the system. Keep the rooms at 5 °C or more, the bathroom and boiler room at 10 °C or more, and the heating cable on.
Left for more than 15 days with a risk of frost inside: close the water inlet; drain the whole system, including the manifold, taps, boiler, toilet and expansion tank; leave all taps open except the inlet; pour antifreeze into the toilet; switch off unused circuits but keep power on for the heating cable, septic tank and fridge; leave the windows in micro-ventilation mode.

1. Three-phase supply at 25 A (Tiny D, Rustic) or 16 A (Æqua Core, Cella), or single-phase agreed with us before production.
2. Supply cable sized for its length; a separate earth with a copper conductor of at least 10 mm².
3. Water supply with known pressure; heating cable to below the frost line.
4. Drain for a 110 mm pipe: sewer, septic tank or an agreed alternative.
5. All connection points within 1 m of the building's inlets, and power on site during installation.

Read what happens on installation day in From Factory to Unfolded. See Tiny D, Rustic and Æqua.