With no reopening in site for the White Building sauna, students will have to find other venues for their steamy evening activities.

Due to problems complying with electrical and fire regulations, the sauna is not expected to reopen soon, Phil Keller, the White Building facility coordinator, said.

"It may be down for the rest of the semester," he said. "Depending on what the cost [of renovations] is going to be, it may not even happen at all."

The sauna was closed about three weeks ago after someone reported sparks coming from the heating unit, Keller said.

Office of Physical Plant (OPP) spokesman Paul Ruskin said OPP investigated the problem and discovered that one of the heating elements in the sauna heater had cracked.

Keller said the problem was caused by age, not student abuse.

Ruskin said OPP has already repaired the heater. He said OPP decided to replace all the heating elements because they all usually fail around the same time. However, the sauna's opening has been delayed because OPP discovered that the sauna's circuit breaker might not comply with current electrical codes, Ruskin said.

"We're currently investigating that the current circuit breaker is the current, up-to-date circuit breaker," he said.

Keller said the sauna's electrical setup and heater were installed when renovations were made five years ago, and this was the first time it has broken.

Keller said a ground fault interrupter (GFI) might need to be added to the circuit.

Will Kawulich, a local electrician at Heritage Electric Co., said that GFI-protected circuits are important because they ensure that small currents that could shock people do not leak from a circuit.

"It's a little more sensitive than a regular breaker," he said.

Kawulich said GFI requirements first came out in 1975 and have been expanded to more and more appliances since then. He said the electrical code is updated every three years, and he thought that hot tubs and saunas were added in the late 1970s or early 1980s.

Keller said labor and industry inspectors had inspected the sauna last week and confirmed the need for a GFI, but the manufacturer of the heater said a GFI might cause the sauna to shut down.

Keller said OPP is checking to see if the borough granted an allowance for the sauna to operate without a GFI.

Also, Keller said Steve Triebold, program manager for fire prevention and protection, had decided a sprinkler system would also have to be installed for the sauna to comply with current fire regulations. Keller said the new system will have to be designed, and it might be expensive.

Keller said that if the sprinkler system is not installed, the sauna would have to be removed.

Francisco Soto, a pool staff employee, said many students were frustrated by the sauna closure.

"We got a lot of complaints about it," he said.

Ruskin said OPP was working as quickly as possible to repair the sauna.

"We know that it's a very popular recreational activity," he said.