Steam room ventilation is the most important component of the design of a modern bath. Ventilation serves to remove excess steam, exhaust air and correct heat distribution in the room. You can provide ventilation in the steam room with your own hands, investing quite a bit of money and materials. But first, let's figure it out: does the steam room need ventilation?
Why ventilation in the steam room
Competently constructed ventilation in the steam room solves two problems:
- comfort for soaring;
- safety.
Lack of air exchange or illiterate ventilation in the steam room can lead to such sad consequences as:
- rapid decay and deterioration of the structure. Even in a properly constructed bath, wood lasts no longer than 2 decades. If there is no ventilation, this period will decrease significantly;
- the unpleasant smell of rot and mustiness will deter you from visiting the steam room;
- the accumulation of gases and microbes is harmful to health. During the burning of wood and when people are in the bath, gases are emitted. And in a humid and warm atmosphere, mold and fungi develop. If there is no air exchange, all harmful impurities are concentrated, making bath procedures dangerous for the human body.
One of the most important functions of ventilation in a steam room is to optimize heating. Air saturated with water vapor is a weak conductor of heat.
That is why a sauna without ventilation takes longer to heat. To enhance air movement, the inlet is located behind the firebox, just above the floor. The air entering the room is first warmed up without lowering the overall temperature in the steam room.
So, ventilation in a Russian steam room is needed, and how to do it correctly - read on and watch the video.
Rules for ventilation in the steam room
There are many ventilation schemes in the steam room. The choice of a suitable one depends on the architectural features of the bath. But some laws cannot be broken in any way.
- The air inflow is organized in the lower part of the room, preferably near the firebox;
- The outflow of exhaust air during the construction of ventilation in the steam room with your own hands is best placed on the opposite side, as close as possible to the ceiling. Some owners make an exhaust hole directly in the ceiling, which has its pros and cons.
Do not place the inflow and outflow at the same height!
Otherwise, most of the air in the bath will not participate in the movement. The legs will freeze and the head will overheat.
The diameter of the ventilation holes depends on the volume of the bath:
1 cubic meter of air requires 24 sq. centimeter of pipe diameter.
Before you arrange ventilation in the steam room, you need to think over the valve system. They are needed to regulate the air flow and allow you to quickly cool or warm the bath. It is advisable to install ventilation pipes during the construction phase of the building.
Signs of poor ventilation:
- condensation on the walls;
- mold in the corners;
- heavy odor;
- drafts;
- cold in the middle and upper layers of the air;
- the bath does not pick up the temperature well and quickly cools down;
- fresh supply air is removed, and carbon dioxide remains in the room (feeling of stuffiness).
Even in a very hot melted steam room, it should be easy to breathe.
Which ventilation of the steam room is better: natural or forced?
Thinking about how to make ventilation in the steam room, you need to solve the main question: the air exchange will be natural or mechanical. Both methods have advantages and disadvantages. Equipping ventilation in the steam room with your own hands, it is easier to resort to mechanical traction.
There is no need to carefully verify the location and diameter of the ventilation ducts, mastering the skills of a stove-maker. You just need to insert the fans and they will do all the work themselves.
- With a natural ventilation scheme for the steam room, air movement is ensured by the difference in temperature and pressure outside and in the bath. Warm air rushes to the ceiling, is drawn out into the street, creating some air depression. The lack of pressure is compensated by the supply of fresh air. Natural ventilation is especially good in steam rooms made of wood, a breathable material. At the same time, the movement of air flows is also supported due to the presence of gaps between the logs. If the area of the bathhouse is small, natural air exchange will be quite enough;
- With a forced ventilation scheme, the inflow or outflow of air in the steam room is organized by a fan. Sometimes fans are installed for both the supply and the outlet. In such cases, ventilation grilles can be installed anywhere. If there is only one fan, the air flow is done only near the floor behind the firebox. A large bath, built of stone or brick, cannot be properly ventilated in a natural way. Auxiliary methods of improving draft are used, for example, an exhaust fan or a supply valve.
The advantage of the natural ventilation scheme for the steam room is its low cost. However, it is not always possible to install exhaust pipes in the right places and you have to resort to mechanical traction.
Before making ventilation in the steam room, you need to purchase a fan. Not every model can cope with high humidity and temperature. An ordinary household fan can only be used to ventilate the room at the end of the bath procedures.
In addition to fans, deflectors also belong to traction amplifiers. They are placed at the outer end of the ventilation duct.
If a gas water heater is installed in the steam room for heating, a special ventilation duct is equipped for it.
Steam rooms and saunas are often equipped with supply and exhaust systems that independently regulate the temperature, humidity and air exchange in the room.
Steam room ventilation schemes
Steam room ventilation errors can be costly. How to correctly position the ventilation holes is clearly shown by the diagrams:
BUT - photo of ventilation of a steam room with natural draft. The inflow is organized behind the firebox, the outflow is opposite from the upper part of the room. In order for the system to work in windy weather, the chimney is made vertical, its edge is higher than the roof ridge. It is important to choose the correct diameter of the air ducts, then the air exchange will proceed on its own. It is regulated by dampers.
B - this photo shows the ventilation in the steam room with your own hands with an uncharacteristic distribution of air ducts. The scheme is used when only one wall can be allocated for ventilation. The air enters the steam room from below, enters the hot stove, warms up and rushes to the ceiling, gradually moving towards the exhaust hole. The hood is compulsory.
IN - not only the steam room is ventilated, but also the underground, preventing the boards from rotting. The supply air is immediately warmed up by the stove, goes down through the cracks in the floor, then rises up and is drawn out into the street.
D - in this photo, the chimney is used to ventilate the steam room and is an exhaust hood. The inlet opposite the stove near the floor. Such ventilation is more often arranged in public steam rooms, since the stove works here all the time.
The stove plays a very important role in organizing the ventilation of the steam room. The ventilation scheme largely depends on its location.More efficient air exchange is possible when the heater is installed directly inside the steam room, and not in the adjacent room.
About airing the Russian bath
It is impossible to install a mechanical hood in a classic Russian bath. She will blow all the steam out into the street in a matter of minutes. Therefore, after the end of the bath procedures, the room is simply thoroughly ventilated. To do this, most often open a door and a window, which is usually located on the wall opposite to the door. If there is a forced draft, it can be used, but also with the door open. It is imperative to remove all wet leaves from brooms, because moisture and microbes are retained in them. And the benches and wooden floors are dried with towels. In the wet planks of the floor, microbes reproduce remarkably and harmful substances released with sweat accumulate.
After thoroughly drying and ventilating the room, you can start heating the steam room, where ventilation is required.
During heating in the steam room, the exhaust pipes are closed and the inflow is opened.
As soon as the temperature in the steam room reaches the desired one, the valve of the lower exhaust pipe opens, leaving the inflow as it was. Thus, we make the air move in a circle. A cushion of hot air remains in the upper part of the room, ensuring even mixing.
As a rule, you can make ventilation in the steam room with your own hands with the involvement of minimal funds. To do this, you just need to understand the principles of the movement of air currents.
In order to avoid mistakes in organizing the ventilation of the steam room, watch the video:
