The dream of any homeowner or summer clerk is his own bathhouse. Here you can relax and take a steam bath, as well as improve your body after hard workdays. However, this is only possible if normal conditions are observed in the steam room. There should be no drafts in the steam room, there should be a certain level of humidity and a rather high temperature.
Lack of humidity in the room, excess of carbon dioxide can cause irreparable harm to health. Do i need ventilation in the steam room? To ensure the required circulation of fresh and hot air, you just can not do without it.
Does the steam room need ventilation?
Let's imagine the picture: in the steam room there are several people with brooms. They soar with great pleasure, actively breathe, thereby releasing carbon dioxide, which, in turn, mixes with hot steam and air. Gradually it becomes harder to breathe, there is no fresh air flow. To swallow it, you need to exit the steam room. Is there enough strength for this? What needs to be done to ensure comfortable conditions in the steam room?
Steam room ventilation options
Properly executed ventilation creates comfortable conditions in the steam room. This is due to the effective movement of the air flow, which comes from the furnace and from the outside, and also goes out through special openings. In most cases, ventilation in the steam room is based on the principle of natural withdrawal from the room of exhausted vapor-saturated air and fresh air. This is very important in buildings made of wood, because excess moisture leads to rapid damage to the walls of the structure.
A steam room with a small area does not require special expensive equipment. If the walls of the steam room are laid out of bricks, and 10-12 people can be freely accommodated in the room, the installation of a supply valve or exhaust fan will be required. By means of forced ventilation it is possible to automatically regulate temperature, humidity and air circulation. Steam room ventilation is necessary for the following reasons:
- The appearance of an unpleasant odor in the room.
- Mold and fungi on wooden constructions.
- Appearance of condensation on the surface of walls and ceilings.
- Mechanical ventilation - the inflow and outflow of air is carried out using fans. Such a system allows you to create a comfortable air exchange in any room. But in the steam room it will be associated with high financial costs.
- Combined ventilation - the outflow of exhaust air is carried out using an exhaust fan, the flow of fresh air through the inlet naturally.
Mechanical or natural ventilation - which is better?
Mechanical ventilation of a
steam room can be used, however, its use is associated with some inconveniences:
- To increase or decrease the air exchange rate, it will be necessary to close the exhaust valve to create additional load on the fan.
- The air exhaust can be carried out with such intensity that in order to maintain the required temperature of the steam, it will be necessary to additionally heat the sauna stove.
Therefore, we dwell in more detail on natural ventilation. How to make ventilation in the steam room without spending a lot of money?
Steam room ventilation device
The easiest option is a supply and exhaust hole in the foundation or walls. In this case, the location and size of these holes play an important role. Sometimes, for more active air exchange, ventilation equipment can be installed.
There is no single ventilation scheme for the steam room, since they are different not only in terms of design features, but also in the materials from which they are built. In this case, there are some rules, adhering to which, you can choose the most optimal ventilation for a particular case.
The size of the ventilation hole must be calculated based on the volume of the steam room: so for 1 m3 of ventilated area, the size of the hole should be 24 cm2.
The main task in the bath is the ventilation in the steam room, which is necessary to maintain a sufficient level of temperature and high humidity, but do not make the ventilation holes too small, as the result will not be the required level of air exchange. The size of the exhaust openings must correspond to the size of the supply air, otherwise the air exchange will be disturbed. In some situations, for the quick drying of the bath and the quick exhaust of exhaust air, two exhaust openings are allowed.
Supply and exhaust openings
In most cases, the oven is located in the steam room. The supply opening must be located near the stove at a distance from the floor of not more than 30 cm. This is the most popular, but not the best option for organizing ventilation for a steam room. In this case, it is much more effective when the supply air holes are located under the floor in the foundation. To avoid penetration of rodents, it is desirable to equip these openings with metal gratings.
Such ventilation in the steam room will solve two problems at the same time: it will deliver fresh air to the bathhouse, and it will also effectively dry the walls and floors after completing the procedures. In this case , it is advisable to lay the floor boards with a small gap in order to ensure the free passage of air flow.
Ventilation vents
To ensure the required air conditioning during the heating of the steam room, the ventilation ducts are equipped with special plugs (covers) that can be closed (opened) from the steam room, thereby regulating air exchange, temperature and humidity.
Effective moisture removal
To make ventilation in the steam room do-it-yourself effective, it is forbidden to do the following:
- Install ventilation outlets that are smaller than the design in size.
- Place the exhaust and supply openings opposite each other - after all, the incoming air stream is discharged almost immediately, without having time to give oxygen, resulting in a draft, which is contraindicated for the steam room.
Steam room ventilation scheme
Consider the most popular options for ventilation systems in the steam room:
- This option is a natural ventilation system. Outlets are located on opposite walls. The air inlet is located below the heater, and the air outlet is opposite the air inlet on the wall at the top. However, this scheme is not the most efficient: the air flow passes near the furnace, heats up, rises and instantly exits through the exhaust outlet. Thus, there is insufficient movement of air masses, poor oxygen saturation, as well as inefficient drying of walls and floors.
- The following method of ventilation is much more effective: the inlet opening is located below the stove, the exhaust outlet is opposite the inlet hole, below on the wall. In this case, it is recommended to equip the exhaust opening with a fan. The cold air stream is heated from the stove, after which it rises up, where it cools down and gradually drops down. Due to the air flow generated by the fan, the cooled steam is discharged to the outside.
- On the opposite wall from the stove are ventilation vents. The supply opening is located opposite the stove at a distance of 30 cm from the floor, the exhaust with a fan - on the opposite wall, at a distance of 30 cm from the floor. As a result, cold air is sent to the steam room, hits the stove, after which it heats up and rises, goes down, gradually cools down, goes out through the exhaust hole.
- Overheated exhaust air is discharged through the blown furnace. This option requires one vent located close to the oven. This circuit only works when the furnace is being heated.
Ventilation in the steam room, scheme - which one to choose?
The above schemes are most often used in steam rooms, however, there are many combinations and variations. Based on the above options for ventilation systems, you can develop your own scheme for a specific version of the steam room.