Some homeowners prefer having a gas heater for their sauna as they are often less expensive to run than electric heaters, but much easier and less work than a traditional wood burner. Gas is considered a far more efficient fuel for heat, but it is important to check your local commodity prices to determine if it will actually be cheaper. A gas heater works by having a constant flow of gas being released into a metal combustion chamber, where it heats a pile of stones that are placed directly above the chamber. Like a wood burning heater, gas heaters require fresh air intake vents and well as chimneys to exhaust the fumes. Modern gas heaters have a safety device which automatically turns the gas flow off if the pilot light goes out.

Since a gas sauna heater can be set to produce a certain temperature and maintain it, it is much easier to handle than a traditional wood burning one. A 5 x 7 foot sauna will require approximately a 16,000 BTU heater.