It’s a good point but there might be a pretty big difference in force because the ladled pint of water is not contained on any axis. A pint of water in a cup, with up as the only exit, subjected to the full current of a 3 phase 480v circuit is probably going to generate a good size jet of steam straight up.
Yeah, that's true that water thrown to a stove isn't much contained anything but that bathing room. Some of water will of course flow between stones bit deeper, but there is plenty of room to expand when it boils to steam.
Some firm hissing, minor clanking noise from stones is normal and even bit sharper noise when a stone cracks is what water use on stove causes when stones get old and are used lot. Stove should be cleaned periodically when it's cold depending on how much it's been used and there is need to replace stones or even all of them if it's been long time and there is some sand accumulation stove bottom grill or plate, whatever it has to hold stones falling trough. Family houses cleaning perhaps 1/yr and public saunas open 6 am to 8 pm 300 plus days a year, they will do stove maintenance every or every other month.
And yes, getting good amount of steam of course is what's been whole goal in this kind of sauna use and what we prefer. Some other places where they have begun to call it sauna too, they may not even allow to use water nothing but as drinking water and usually they don't warm up that 'sauna' as hot as we tend to do or if they do it's more like Turkish bath type then.
