Proper organization of air exchange in the bathhouse is a serious task that requires a professional approach. It is not enough to build a bathhouse, finish the interior, install heating equipment and furniture. It is important to ensure effective ventilation of the bath rooms, to create a favorable microclimate that allows you to enjoy water procedures and contributes to a long service life of the finish, as well as the entire building.
Ventilation in the bath - the key to comfort
Rest in the bath will be a pleasure if the room is easy and comfortable to breathe.
In the steam room, the air temperature is very high, so if there is no ventilation in it, you can suffocate or get heat stroke
If there is a violation of the correct air exchange or in the absence of ventilation in the steam room, it will be difficult to breathe and it will be impossible to stay for a long time.
To create a comfortable microclimate allows the ventilation system, which ensures the supply of oxygen-saturated air and the removal of "exhausted" air masses.
The traditional layout of the bath complex provides for a dressing room, a washing department, as well as a relaxation room, and it is important to ensure effective air circulation everywhere.
Favorable microclimate in the relaxation room will allow you to relax after visiting the steam room
An increased concentration of moisture does not give pleasure both in the process of water procedures and during rest. The human body is sensitive to lack of oxygen and high humidity.
The conclusion is unambiguous: in the bath you need to make good ventilation, so that it is pleasant and comfortable not only to bathe in it, but also to relax.
Violation of air circulation or lack of ventilation causes:
Types and principles of ventilation arrangement
For any type of bath (Russian, Finnish sauna, Turkish hammam) ventilation is provided, which can be carried out in different ways.
Natural air exchange
The principle of formation of convection air flows is based on the difference in temperature and air pressure from the street side and inside the bathhouse.
Temperature difference contributes to the movement of air currents
Maximum air exchange efficiency is achieved due to the correct location of the supply and exhaust ventilation lines.
For ventilation of the premises of the Russian bath and sauna, the traditional arrangement of air channels is used. The supply air duct is placed at a distance of 0.2–0.3 meters from the floor, and the exhaust duct is located at the same distance from the ceiling. Adjustment dampers should be provided in the room to optimize air flow and ensure a comfortable temperature regime.
The damper allows you to control the flow of air into the room
Natural ventilation should provide air exchange, maintaining the temperature of the room and not creating discomfort during the rest. The advantages of natural air exchange are simplicity and low costs associated with the absence of the need to purchase expensive equipment.
Combined variant
The method of organizing the movement of air masses in a room using a fan that provides circulation is called combined. At the same time, there is no regularity in the location of the ventilation ducts.
The ventilation scheme is determined individually and provides for the installation of an outlet and a channel equipped with a fan, which is mounted on the supply line or exhaust duct and creates the necessary pressure drop.
Ensuring air exchange in the bath rooms by a combined method is convenient and economically justified.
forced circulation
Forced air exchange system is also called mechanical. The system is equipped with automation elements that control the temperature regime, adjust the humidity and the intensity of the circulation of air masses.
Forced air exchange provides the maximum level of comfort.
The increased costs associated with the purchase and installation of equipment, as well as the complexity of maintenance, limit the use of a mechanical air exchange system in small bath rooms.
For rooms with an increased area, forced circulation is used if natural or combined air exchange is not effective.
If the bath rooms are large, forced ventilation must be arranged in them.
The following types of mechanical ventilation are used:
- Exhaust, equipped with a filter element and a fan. This type of ventilation provides effective removal of unpleasant odors and polluted air masses from rooms with swimming pools, washing departments and recreation areas. The use of an exhaust system requires the supply of fresh air, which is necessary to compensate for the vacuum created by the fan.
- Supply, providing the flow of air rich in oxygen. Due to the increased pressure, air masses saturated with vapors leave the room through the ventilation ducts, as well as through the gaps in the doors and windows. Combining the supply line with a heating device allows you to supply fresh heated air. The design of the supply air exchange is more complex.
- Supply and exhaust, combining the principle of operation of supply and exhaust ventilation. The use of this principle of ventilation in the sauna room requires preliminary calculations. The intensity of circulation is determined based on the fact that the volume of incoming air must correspond to the volume of displaced. In order to prevent the penetration of air from the bathroom into the recreation area, the ratio is deliberately violated. This allows you to create a reduced pressure in the toilet room and direct additional flows into it.
Principles of organizing air exchange
When planning a ventilation device, be guided by the following recommendations:
It is important to correctly calculate the area of \u200b\u200bventilation lines. The cross section of the vent and air duct is determined by the size of the steam room, for each cubic meter of volume of which it is necessary to provide 24 cm 2 of the ventilation duct area.
For a comfortable stay in a heated steam room, provide the possibility of more than five air exchanges (the air in the steam room should be updated 5 times per hour). The layout of the supply duct and exhaust duct, as well as their number, should facilitate easy circulation of masses in the steam room.
Efficient air exchange will increase the service life of wooden floors. To ensure it is necessary:
The correct ventilation device will allow you to fully enjoy the steam room and get great pleasure from the bath rest.
Video: ventilation in the bath
How to make ventilation in the bath with your own hands
The organization of air circulation in each room has individual characteristics.
Waiting room ventilation
The vestibule or dressing room is used as a dressing room. The department is located away from areas with high humidity and temperature.
In a ventilated changing room, it will always be dry and comfortable
The use of the front door contributes to the flow of fresh air and reliable ventilation of the locker room.
The location of a ventilation grill with a valve in the upper part of the wall will ensure natural air exchange and control the volume of incoming air masses.
During the construction of the building, it is necessary to provide a ventilation hole. If there is no air channel, then it must be done independently:
Air exchange in the sink
The washing compartment, in which the shower is installed, is ventilated due to the natural circulation of air flows moving from rooms with high humidity to ventilation vents or small windows.
The easiest way to ventilate the washing room is with the help of a window.
To increase ventilation efficiency and reduce humidity, it is advisable to equip the shower room with an exhaust fan.
Install the fan according to the following algorithm:
To ventilate the washing room, use fans with an operating voltage of 220 volts and a low power of 20–100 watts.
When purchasing a fan, pay attention to the ability of the device to operate at elevated temperatures and humidity, as well as the degree of protection, which should not be lower than IP44.
Organization of air circulation in the steam room
To ventilate the steam room, make 2-3 channels designed for air exchange. One line will provide fresh air, and the rest will allow the exhaust air masses to leave the room without hindrance.
The increased size of the exhaust duct allows you to quickly ventilate the steam room
Arrange the channels according to one of the proposed ventilation schemes.
The intensity of air exchange depends on the location and size ratio of the supply and exhaust ducts
Making holes at the construction stage will preserve the integrity of the finishing materials and facilitate work.
The area of the incoming line must correspond to the size of the outlet channel. However, a more efficient convection flow can be achieved by slightly increasing the diameter of the exhaust line.
A prerequisite is the installation of adjustable valves that allow you to change the intensity of air exchange.
In a wooden bath, it is better to make a valve from the same wood that was used for interior decoration.
The implementation of measures for the arrangement of channels is not difficult:
Video: ventilation in the steam room
Creating a microclimate in the rest room
Comfortable temperature conditions and optimal air circulation in the relaxation room are achieved through natural air exchange.
An air duct at the top of the wall provides sufficient fresh air
It is important to provide an air duct equipped with an adjustable damper or ventilation valve. This will, if necessary, increase the intensity of the movement of air masses.
To organize access to fresh air, instead of a ventilation duct, you can use a window
Drilling a hole and installing the valve is not difficult.
Video: making a vent valve
Variants and layouts of ventilation ducts
In the bath, you can use different options for the location of ventilation communications, providing for natural air circulation and the use of a fan.
Various options for the ventilation device differ in the location of the channels, but provide high air exchange efficiency
One of the proposed schemes of natural air exchange, which provides for the following options for placing ventilation lines, will ensure comfortable adoption of bathing procedures:
To achieve a favorable temperature regime and comfortable humidity, air exchange schemes provide for the installation of a fan:
Remember that the performance of the fan installation is determined by multiplying the volume of the steam room by the air exchange coefficient.
For example, to determine the required air exchange in a steam room with an area of 10 m 2, having a height of 2 meters, it is necessary to multiply the volume by the air exchange coefficient equal to 5 (we already said above that in the steam room the air should be completely updated 5 times per hour). The resulting fan performance value is 10 x 2x 5 = 100 m 3 / h.
Heated air ventilation
Ensuring air exchange with simultaneous heating of the incoming air is carried out in the bath in various ways. They involve the use of a fan or natural air exchange. For example, by placing certain air channels in the immediate vicinity of a hot furnace, it is possible to simultaneously supply oxygen-saturated air and increase its temperature due to the heated surface of the heating unit.
In order to create a favorable temperature regime, comfortable humidity and smooth heating of the incoming air masses, it is necessary to use plugs or slide valves located on the air lines. To carry out ventilation, while heating the air at the same time, is a rather difficult task.
Each heating unit has its own individual "character". Only as a result of experiments, it is possible to choose the optimal mode of air exchange and ensure a comfortable temperature in the bathhouse.
To increase the temperature of the incoming air masses, you can use an electric heater that heats the air entering the room. This is another option for air ventilation with simultaneous heating.
The air entering through the ventilation ducts can be preheated with a heater
The power of the electric heater is selected experimentally.
The electrical equipment used in the bathhouse must withstand high temperatures and humidity, be reliably grounded and have a protection class of at least IP44.
Combining air ventilation with heating allows you to create comfortable conditions for vacationers, as well as reduce the costs associated with heating the premises with the help of heating equipment.
Acquaintance with the principles of organizing proper air circulation in the steam room, as well as other rooms of the sauna and bath, will allow you to independently organize the process of effective air exchange. It is important to correctly calculate the dimensions of the air lines and optimally place the inlets of the channels in the premises. Remember that the design of the heating device and the chimney additionally affects the degree of air circulation. By following the recommendations, you can avoid mistakes and enjoy wellness treatments in a bath with a comfortable microclimate.
Share with friends!Qualitatively equipped ventilation in the bath solves two major problems:
- providing people with the necessary amount of fresh air during procedures;
- a quick decrease in humidity and drying of the bath after they are completed.
At the same time, the required temperature is maintained, comfortable conditions are provided, the risk of musty smell, fungus, mold is eliminated, and fuel consumption is reduced. If proper ventilation is not organized in the bath, then its wooden structures become unusable in just a couple of seasons.
Reliable ventilation of the bath protects from the effects of carbon monoxide gas during stove heating.
If necessary, ventilation can solve the problem of quickly adjusting the temperature. In some cases, sick people or children require an accelerated decrease in temperature and its further maintenance at a new level.
According to current standards, high-quality ventilation of the bath should provide an air exchange rate of 5 ... 10 room volumes per hour.
Natural or forced supply and exhaust air exchange using a fan can be used. Natural ventilation for a bath is characterized by simplicity, no energy costs, and reliability. Its feature is the obligatory presence of air inlet / outlet vents with a control damper device.
The combined version uses a fan - to intensify air exchange. For a mechanical type of ventilation, the control is carried out by humidity and temperature sensors.
Efficient ventilation - necessary in all areas of the bath
Proper ventilation for a bath should comply with the following principles:
- when designing a bath is selected
- arrangement of ventilation ducts, inlet and outlet vents is carried out during construction;
- the area of the exhaust opening necessarily exceeds the area of \u200b\u200bthe inflow opening, otherwise it will not be possible to achieve access to the required amount of fresh air;
- the calculation of the area of the ventilation hole is made from the dependence of 24 cm2 of the area of the vent per one cubic meter of the volume of the room;
- it is forbidden to place the exhaust and inflow openings on the same straight line in order to avoid violating the correct air circulation;
- be sure to equip the ventilation valves for the bath at the inlet and outlet openings.
The presence of adjustment of the free section of the inflow and outlet allows:
- significantly accelerate the achievement of the desired temperature of the steam room with closed ventilation;
- achieve comfortable conditions by adjusting the intensity of air exchange;
- adjust to weather conditions.
Combined ventilation in the bath requires the use of fans with a protection level of at least IP44 with a heat resistance of about 130 degrees.
Do-it-yourself ventilation in the bath - device features
Proper and effective ventilation in the dressing room is organized according to the following rules:
- hourly productivity should be three times the volume of the dressing room;
- the inflow must correspond to the air outlet;
- air movement is directed from the residential area to the economic one;
- the most effective is the combined air exchange with an exhaust fan;
- the ventilation grill is arranged at a two-meter level from the ground.
Consider how ventilation is performed in the dressing room of the bath with your own hands:
- the door from the steam room should be as close as possible to the stove to ensure a comfortable temperature regime;
- on the opposite side of the steam room, they make an outlet 0.15x0.2 m with an adjustable damper;
- install an axial exhaust fan;
- the supply vent is performed at a height of half a meter above the floor;
- under the floor of the dressing room, an air duct for the exit of hot air from the steam room is equipped, improving heating.
It is extremely important to ventilate the floor in the bath, allowing it to dry quickly and ensure the durability and reliability of the coating. Basic rules for its implementation:
- in the subfield they make a cement screed with a slope to the drain pipe;
- brick pedestals are used to fix the floor log;
- the foundation of the bath under the flooring should have air holes on opposite sides, but not opposite to each other;
- when laying the flooring between the boards, gaps of about 8 mm are provided;
- equip the mark of the finishing floor above the level of the blower of the furnace;
- Ventilation vents in the subfield must be provided with control dampers and protective grilles.
5 best ventilation schemes for a bath
The best results are given by the ventilation of the bath - the scheme of which corresponds to one of the five main options.
According to the first air exchange scheme:
- an air inlet is made behind the stove 50 cm above the heater mark;
- the exhaust outlet with a fan is placed on the opposite wall at a level of about 250 mm above the zero mark;
- the cold air stream warmed up by the stove goes under the ceiling, cooling down, it goes down to the hood hole;
- uniform heating of fresh air is guaranteed.
According to second scheme for air exchange:
- air supply and exhaust openings are made on the same wall opposite the furnace;
- the inflow vent is located at the bottom 200 ... 300 mm from the floor, and the hoods at the top 200 ... 300 mm below the ceiling;
- put a fan in the exhaust hole;
- in the process of circulation, the flow of cold air goes to the stove, is reflected from it upwards and under the ceiling goes to the hood.
The scheme is used when there is only one external wall used for air inlet/outlet openings. 
According to the third scheme ventilation in the steam room is carried out as follows:
- the supply outlet is placed behind the stove 200 mm above the floor;
- the hood hole is placed on the opposite wall also 200 mm above the floor mark;
- to intensify the hood, a fan installed in the exhaust vent is used.
This scheme is characterized by fast, uniform air heating, freshness and comfort.
Fourth scheme used for steam rooms with a leaking floor:
- an inflow hole is made behind the heater 200 ... 300 mm above the floor;
- the air is heated, passing the heater, and falls under the floor;
- from there, the exhaust air goes up through the ventilation pipe and is discharged over the roof.
During the continuous operation of the furnace, the steam room is ventilated according to the fifth scheme:
- an air inlet is made opposite the heater on the far wall;
- air outlet is carried out through the furnace blower.
Often ventilation in the steam room of the Russian bath is performed according to the sixth scheme:
- the inflow occurs through an outlet in the lower part of the wall behind the heater;
- two exit holes are made on the opposite wall;
- exhaust openings are connected by a flexible pipe and equipped with dampers;
- during procedures, the upper opening is closed;
- for quick ventilation and drying of the steam room, both vents open.
Given the sensitivity of wood to high humidity, for ventilation of a bath from a bar is necessary:
Features of sauna ventilation
While the principles are similar, sauna ventilation has some peculiarities. The following air exchange rates are recommended for different sauna rooms:
- shower room - 50;
- massage room - 5;
- steam room - 5;
- rest room - 3.
Air supply and exhaust openings located on opposite walls are spaced diagonally.
Most often, ventilation for a sauna is performed according to two schemes:
- Includes an air inlet behind the stove above the floor. From the opposite wall, two exit holes are made connected by a ventilation duct. The first outlet is made 100 cm above the floor, and the second below the ceiling. This arrangement improves the uniformity of air exchange throughout the volume of the steam room.
- Provides a supply outlet at the furnace slightly above its level. The hood hole in the opposite wall is arranged 50 cm lower. For efficient exhaust, a fan is installed at the outlet.
To determine the value of ventilation in the bath know its purpose:
- Rapid heating of the room, uniform distribution of heat. Savings in heating costs.
- Constant air renewal during soaring. This is necessary for the comfort and health of vacationers.
- Rapid removal of moist air. Implementation of mandatory drying of the premises.
- Preservation of the building for a longer time. No fungi or mold appear. Objects are not deformed, do not change color under the influence of moisture.
No or insufficient ventilation unpleasant odors gradually accumulate in the room, the air becomes damp. Fresh air is not supplied, it becomes difficult to breathe. There is a risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. Without ventilation, all the warm air will gradually go up, and the cooling air will accumulate below.
Proper ventilation system in the baths
In baths made of natural logs any punching of holes to provide ventilation is considered superfluous. The lower crowns of the walls are laid with the installation of holes through which a moderate amount of fresh air passes. If there is a stove-heater in which the blower is simultaneously designed to bring air out, you can limit yourself to its presence. They let in air through the open door, a gap of 5-7 mm is enough.
Ventilation is designed for regular entry into the bath of fresh air, outflow of cooled and moist. For fresh air flow need to build vents. If they are not, then you can use the vents, doors. The hood also takes place through special openings; a furnace blower can be used; a chimney is of great importance in the outflow of steam. In order to be able to fully control the air exchange, the openings are equipped with shutters, by adjusting which you can stop or resume the flow and exit of air.
There is a wide range of ventilation systems:
- For inlet and outlet located opposite each other, one level is used. In some cases, the low placement of the inlet helps to retain heat for a longer time. To activate the air exchange, a fan is installed, an air duct or a deflector can also be used. You can not place holes with an exact match in level. As a result of the rapid release of air, accumulations of cold at the bottom and warm in the rest of the bath can form.
- The air currents directed by the operating ventilation device lower the pressure inside the duct. Exhaust air is drawn out due to a decrease in pressure inside the bath. To raise the pressure again, fresh air is supplied.
- The vents can be arranged in this way: the supply air is 30 cm from the floor, the outlet located opposite does not reach the ceiling by 30 cm. Fresh air immediately heats up from the stove, rises, gradually leaving the room.
To ensure constant control over the speed and volume of incoming and outgoing air, dampers are created. It is advisable to make them retractable, slightly opening to the required distance. The length of the duct is determined by the dimensions of the bath, as well as the maximum volume of required incoming air.
When the room is only heated with a preheated stove, all openings should be covered. When the temperature becomes optimal for vaping, the shutters open slightly and are immediately regulated so that the air exchange does not change the temperature in the room. Both inlet and outlet openings must have a connector close to the same. To make the influx of fresh air stronger, you can slightly increase the outlet.
The inlet connector must not be larger than the outlet. This leads to a reverse draft, which contributes to the release of fresh air from the bath, and not its active circulation.
Ventilation in the Russian bath
In a classic bath, created according to the Russian model, no special holes, so air exchange should be performed in a more natural way. Normally, conventional ventilation is used to supply fresh air. You can open the door leading to the street and the window opposite to it. Sometimes forced exhaust is used with the door open. To better get rid of the accumulated dampness, you should sweep the leaves from the broom in a timely manner. Benches and other wooden objects can be dried when wet, sometimes sheets are swept. These procedures will not allow the formation of heavy steam, remove unpleasant odors and decay products from the room.
After the bath is ventilated and dried, need to start steaming. To do this, pour water on the stones in small portions. The prepared steam rises quickly and stays there for a long time, so it may turn out that it is already very hot at the top, and still cool at the bottom. With a strong temperature difference, you can wait until the steam sinks or use artificial methods to lower it.
It is enough to work with brooms to create movement in the steam room, the air will immediately mix. Waves with a towel or broom should be carried out closer to the ceiling.
You can make a fan: on the wooden handle there is a stainless steel loop, on which the fabric is stretched. Horizontal or vertical movements are made by this device to move warm and cold air. Sometimes they begin to use it in the manufacture of steam. To do this, one person pours water on the stones, and the second works with a fan.
in the steam room
In classical bath ventilation schemes, it is assumed air flow in the steam room from below. The hole is usually located below half a meter from the floor. The hood can be placed close to the ceiling by equipping a hole on the opposite wall. The regulation of the level of humidity and heat of the air is carried out by extending or closing the shutters.
The best option, especially for a small steam room, is to create an air inlet next to the stove. This is necessary to instantly heat the incoming fresh air. This arrangement will not allow strong drafts to form, helps to avoid a large temperature difference in different parts of the steam room. The heat from the steam room can not only be taken outside, but also moved to other rooms for their high-quality heating.
Proper ventilation works by bringing fresh air under the box. Air masses leave the device through the top opening. The steam room warms up quite evenly until the warm air reaches the bottom of the box. Hot air will gradually displace colder air, providing warming before leaving the room. The steam room simultaneously heats up and dries out.
In the bathhouse
The ventilation channel is directly connected to the duct, the diameter of which usually exceeds the chimney by no more than 20%. With such parameters, oxygen fills the room, and does not leave it. Air intake from the underground is not needed.
The walls of the stove, if it is in the dressing room, should be close to the floor. Shelves are not necessarily placed in a strictly horizontal position. They are able to slow down the rise of heat to the ceiling. For better absorption of warm air, it is better to equip the stove with several chimneys.
Sometimes during the heating of the bath in the room a large amount of smoke is formed and retained. This means that the air inside the dressing room is colder than in the environment. Cold air is somewhat more massive than warm air, so it often creates a shell in chimneys. In order to push out this air, it is necessary to equip an additional door for burning ash.
Forced ventilation
Ventilation in the bath with the help of electronic systems is carried out if it is impossible to provide good air circulation in natural ways. Fans can be installed on both supply and exhaust openings. They accelerate the movement of air masses, providing the room with fresh air, quickly removing moist.
Exhaust ventilation
In the design of this ventilation is always present exhaust fan. For air circulation, a supply air is also necessarily constructed. Sometimes cracks in the walls are used for fresh air to enter, windows or doors are slightly opened. The advantage of exhaust ventilation is to reduce the pressure in the bath. The action must be compensated by a constant flow of air from outside.
Ventilation with a powerful hood perfectly removes harmful gases, humid air with an unpleasant odor. It is possible to build such a ventilation system not only in the steam room, but also in showers, washing rooms, departments with a pool or in bathrooms. Usually, the basic set of the exhaust ventilation system includes a fan and a box. If the device is too noisy, a silencer can be used.
Forced ventilation
It is installed according to the exhaust principle, however the fan must be placed on the inlet. When the supply ventilation system is activated, an increase in pressure in the room is observed, which should be compensated in a timely manner by the release of air through the hood or gaps in the walls, floor, ceiling, through the windows, the door.
Supply fans are not considered convenient if they will operate in cold temperatures. In winter, they supply icy air, which must be additionally heated by pre-installed air heaters. If it is necessary to purify a large amount of incoming air, filters can be used.
Supply and exhaust ventilation
Combination of artificial inflow and exhaust air is often equipped with recuperators, silencers, filters. Additional devices provide comfort while in the bath, at the same time there is a constant, good air circulation. In order not to worry about ventilation, you can equip it with an automatic control unit.
Creating a design for supply and exhaust artificial ventilation often causes difficulties. It is necessary to calculate the optimal air exchange in all rooms of the bath at the design stage. The amount of outgoing air must match the incoming air. Sometimes air flows are not specifically balanced. In order to prevent the spread of excessive humidity or unpleasant odors from a certain room, the pressure is artificially reduced in it. To do this, the hood is mounted with greater intensity than in other rooms.
When arranging ventilation in the bath, you should take care not only of the steam room, but also of other important rooms. To save heating costs, you can use the warm air generated in the steam room, taking it out not to the street, but through other rooms. By adapting the ventilation system to specific requests, you can make the most successful option.
Being indoors, a person absorbs oxygen, exhaling carbon dioxide. Everything seems to be as usual, but if such a room means a steam room, where hot steam is constantly swirling, then fresh air in this case has nowhere to come from. In such a room it is impossible not only to rest, but even just to be. After all, the body gradually relaxes, the amount of oxygen, in turn, decreases, and by the time there is nothing to breathe, a person may simply not reach the door.
According to safety standards, the replacement of air in the steam room should occur many times a day so that the people who are there can relax and cleanse themselves. Otherwise, a person will not be able to restore strength and will return home tired, with migraines and oxygen starvation. That is why the bath must be equipped with proper ventilation, because what can cope with the microclimate better than it? Neither herbs nor various incense will be able to add a couple of "usefulness" if there is no air circulation.
So, today we will talk about how ventilation is provided in the steam room with your own hands.
Improperly equipped ventilation can lead to certain consequences.
- Even with good ventilation, the tree is subjected to enormous loads, so it often lasts no more than twenty years. Without fresh air, the service life will be reduced several times.
- If carbon dioxide is not removed from the steam room, then its use will do more harm than good. In addition to carbon dioxide, combustion products accumulate there, and fungi and mold are permanent “guests” of any room with insufficient ventilation.
- If the steam room is not ventilated, then soon it will be filled with the smell of rotten wood and stale air.
Another important function of air circulation is heat transfer. The fact is that air with high humidity does not conduct heat well and as a result, the stove will only heat the space around it. That is why the ventilation inlet is usually located behind the stove, almost above the floor itself. This contributes to the fact that already heated air is distributed through the steam room; if the ventilation inlet is located in another place, it will supply cold air to the room, thereby disrupting heat transfer.
The exit must be installed on the opposite side of the entrance.
Note! A common mistake is often encountered: the entrance and exit are placed on the same level. This creates a vicious cycle that barely affects most of the room. As a result, it will be too cold below, and too hot under the ceiling.
When arranging a bath, not only the correct choice of one or another ventilation scheme is important. Of great importance is the diameter of the ventilation holes. It is calculated as follows: for every 24 cm of the hole there must be one cubic meter of the room, otherwise there will be no circulation.
It should be noted that it is desirable to equip the inlets and outlets with plugs to regulate the intensity of air exchange. Mines should be laid even during the construction of the bath.
Bath ventilation methods - which is better?
The steam room can be ventilated both by natural air movement and artificially, using a specially installed fan. Artificial ventilation is rightfully considered simpler, because it is possible to properly equip the entrance / exit only with special knowledge and considerable experience.
Note! Not every duct fan is suitable for providing artificial air ventilation. The installed model must tolerate high humidity and temperature changes well, otherwise the electronics will break, which is extremely dangerous in a conventional wooden structure, which is often a Russian bath.
The technology of arranging ventilation in the steam room
To begin with, we note that the air flow primarily depends on the furnace. So it's worth finding out how it works.
Where does the ventilation of the bath begin?
It is worth noting that the firebox can be located both in the steam room itself and in the next room. Brick or stone is used for lining the furnace. A 5 cm gap is required between the lining and the metal.
Often, a firebox is installed in the rest room - so the garbage will not accumulate, and you will not have to run to the steam room every time in order to throw firewood. And now - directly to work.
First stage. Forced ventilation
A special channel is equipped for it, located above the floor. The channel should be located near the firebox where a metal sheet is laid that protects the tree from coal.
Step one. First you need to build a special box, which would be about 1/5 more than the chimney. The box is displayed outside, and not under the floor, otherwise unpleasant odors will constantly hover in the steam room.
Note! When the firebox is located directly in the steam room, two boxes are needed at once - the second will be convection.
Step two. Next, you need to equip a special podium near the wall, in which holes are made for air flow. For this, three rows of bricks are laid out with an “edge” - one under the wall, the second in the middle, and the third at the edge.
Step three. Masonry is being made for a furnace 25 cm high up to the very brick screen, in the upper part of it (masonry) must be blocked. In place of the immediate location of the furnace, you do not need to put the last two bricks - so fresh air will go into the furnace itself. The end must be laid with a brick.
Step four. The convection box must be brought to the end. A blower is installed on its end. It is necessary to put something under it, otherwise it will constantly rub against the floor when opening / closing etc.
Step four. After the construction of the podium, you can install the oven. This is best done on special metal corners, which will evenly distribute the load on the box. It remains only to overlay the oven and install a screen with several holes. These holes will be ventilation, which will allow you to warm the room with hot air.
Second phase. Outflow ventilation
We have already considered the construction technology of the main heat pump. It remains only to take care of the outflow of air. The ideal option is to install the outflow duct diagonally with respect to the inlet, which will allow you to ventilate the steam room as efficiently as possible.
Step one. If the brick shirt of one of the walls goes, for example, into the rest room, then you just need to bring out another door there. So you can kill two birds with one stone: take the air out of the steam room and heat the dressing room (of course, if the box is installed correctly).
Step two. Box construction. This box must be made with an area of 125 cm² (+ 10%) and installed approximately 30 cm above the floor surface. Next, the ventilation duct should go through the wall to the ceiling and go outside.
Note! For the construction of the structure, you can use ready-made ventilation ducts, sheathing them with clapboard after assembly. So the products will look more natural, not differing from the general background.
About heating and ventilation
If the lower doors are open during the operation of the furnace, then the air, penetrating through them, warms up and leaves the room through the upper ones (but not completely - some of it drops and heats up again). The lower door should be opened even before the oven is melted in order to ensure its “acceleration”.
At the same time, the steam room will heat up until the hot air reaches the bottom of the box, after which it will begin to squeeze out cooler air, which, in turn, comes out and heats everything that comes in its way. This is how the steam room is ventilated and heated at the same time, and this is how proper ventilation should function.
Note! The convection doors open every time someone is in the steam room. These doors, being connected to neighboring rooms, warm them up.
As a conclusion
Few people know that when insulating a chimney in a bath, they deprive themselves of another source of heat. Of course, you should not leave a red-hot chimney in a “bare” form, you need to make a brick casing around it, building a blower door on the second row. And if you equip a second door on top, then a real heat pump will come out, which will both warm up and ventilate the room.
Video - Do-it-yourself steam room
We have repeatedly addressed the topic of bath ventilation, but these were materials regarding its theoretical part.
This article corrects the preponderance of theory and is entirely devoted to the practical issues of ventilation in the bath.
How to make ventilation in the bath: plan at the construction stage
Indeed, there are far from isolated cases of the construction of baths without any kind of ventilation. At first glance it seems that the train has already left. However, in reality there is always the opportunity to fix everything, however, you will have to come to terms with the fact that this will cost a pretty penny. It is especially difficult to make forgotten ventilation in a brick bath, where ventilation ducts are laid in the walls during the construction phase. But in other cases, the task is not easy.
But what does it mean to plan during the construction phase? First of all, we are talking about the layout of the ventilation openings and the channels by which they are connected to the street or neighboring rooms (depending on the choice). Based on this scheme, the volume of rooms and standards, the diameter of the pipes is calculated, which provides the necessary gas exchange in each of the bath rooms: a steam room, a washing room, a rest room, a dressing room, a toilet. If the ventilation is forced, then the power of the fans is calculated.
If the bath is already built
Let's take, as an example, an ordinary Russian bathhouse, in which they forgot to make ventilation holes. In principle, if there are windows, and the furnace firebox is located inside the steam room, then you can do without drilling holes at all. But you will have to constantly resort to burst ventilation and use the draft of the furnace as a ventilation one.
This will solve the problem in general, but there are downsides to be aware of:
- By opening windows and doors, we do not so much reduce the temperature in the room, but distill the steam into other rooms (instead of the street where the inflow comes from, it goes inside and condensate falls there), and then the steam comes out, and the temperature has only dropped slightly and will recover in a short time.
- To use stove draft, you still have to make holes, but only in the lower part of the steam room door. Then an influx from neighboring premises will go through it, which, in turn, will pull through the cracks from the street.
To adjust the ventilation with the help of the furnace, the gate and furnace doors are used. If you need to increase air exchange, just open the damper and the firebox doors to the stop. To reduce it, the gate is covered, but not completely, because when closed with unburnt firewood, this is a guarantee of carbon monoxide poisoning.
By the way, the problem of forgotten ventilation in a bath made of any material is solved by the methods described. They cannot completely replace the supply and exhaust ventilation, but they relieve the worry of making holes in the walls.
If such ventilation is not enough, you will have to drill the wall. But more on that below.
Device, schemes: how to make ventilation in the bath
There are a number of materials included in other articles, therefore, in order not to repeat ourselves, we suggest that you follow the links below - there you will find a lot of useful information on the topic of interest:
Do-it-yourself ventilation in the bath: a step-by-step guide
Now let's proceed to the analysis of the points that make up the creation of bath ventilation with our own hands, let's call it a step-by-step guide.
Schema selection
In terms of choosing a scheme, the answer to the question “how to properly ventilate a bath” is ambiguous, since there are different schemes. Physics says that the inlet should be located below the exhaust. What exactly will be the height difference between them is up to you. Despite the fact that in many sources it is proposed to make an exhaust hole under the ceiling (but in no case on the ceiling, so as not to spoil the attic with condensate), there is a more advanced scheme in which there are two exhaust holes inside for one exhaust hole outside. It's simple: a pipe with two holes is placed - lower behind the middle shelf and under the ceiling, and this pipe has one exit to the street.
The schemes also differ in what walls to make the hood on. Most often, there are no questions with the inflow - it is done under the stove, and the hood is made on the opposite, and on the same walls, and with access to the street, and to the adjacent room.
Choose the optimal ventilation flow path
Calculations are simply made only for forced ventilation. For a natural one, many factors have to be taken into account, in particular, the strength and direction of the winds that usually blow in this area. Why is it necessary? Let's take the case when the exhaust opening faces the same side from which a strong wind is blowing. And it turns out that because of this, the influx strives to get into the exhaust hole. Then the supply will also “turn around” in the opposite direction. This is called reverse thrust or thrust tipping.
In order to avoid this, the ventilation ducts can be extended to lead in the right direction, and even done with turns, which, by the way, reduce the speed of air movement.
The idea is simple: it is better to orient the inlet to the side where the wind often blows, and the outlet of the hood is on the opposite side or through the roof along a high pipe.
ADVICE! Rather than making ventilation ducts with knees, it is better to immediately make forced ventilation.
By the way, not every wall will well accept a ventilation duct in its thickness. It is better not to do this in the outer walls of the blocks. There, all ventilation is carried out along the internal walls and partitions, often over the walls.
How to make a hole in a wall
This point is discussed in more detail below.
Installation of pipes and gratings
Galvanized pipes can be used as an air duct.
ATTENTION! If you take plastic ones, pay attention to their temperature range so that the steam room does not spoil them.
Ventilation in the dressing room
The dressing room should be a warm room with fresh air, in which it is comfortable to be after bath procedures. Therefore, it is usually equipped with only one ventilation hole - an exhaust hood. And to speed up the process of gas exchange, a fan is often placed on this hood. The exhaust hole itself is located opposite the steam room at a height of half a meter. It is drilled in an accessible way in the wall, a plug is placed on it on one side, and a grill or deflector on the other. In the case of forced ventilation, there is a fan inside, connected according to the instructions attached to the device.
But if the furnace firebox is not in the steam room, but in the dressing room, you will have to make sure that fresh air from the street enters the furnace. To do this, a ventilation duct is equipped, most likely made of galvanized steel, which runs under the finished floor and delivers fresh air directly to the oven door. The installation of this channel is carried out until the end of work with the floor. A pipe of the estimated diameter is inserted at one end into a hole in the wall, where it is fixed with mounting foam and closed with a grate, and on the other hand it is led out to the furnace and is supplied with an adjustable plug.
How to make ventilation in the steam room of the bath
The ventilation mode of the steam room differs from other rooms of the bath just as the steam room itself differs from them in its extremeness. In the Russian bath, while soaring, the ventilation is blocked for a while. But at the same time, it's extremely important. to saturate the steam room with oxygen, uniform heating, distribution of air flows.
More detailed information on this topic can be found in the articles and in general. In particular, Bastu ventilation can be called among the well-proven methods of ventilation of this room. But you can read about it in the articles mentioned.
Do-it-yourself ventilation in the steam room
Steam room ventilation schemes can also be found in. As for the stages of self-installation of air ducts, they are no different from those given above, so now we will consider in detail the method of drilling holes in walls from a log house or timber, as well as from blocks.
How to make a hole in the wall of a log house
- Before you start you need to know place and size future hole, which is a little larger than the diameter of the pipe, because you still have to wrap the pipe with a heat insulator. After that, markup is done. (It is advisable to have both pipes and grates at hand at this moment so that the process can be controlled through them.)
- A drill for wood, the length of which should be greater than the thickness of the wall with all the "pie", if any, a through hole is drilled in the center of the markup.
- After that, from the outside of the wall a circle of the desired diameter is drawn with a drilled hole in the center.
- External and internal wall trim neatly sawn in a circle, freeing the log of the wall.
- The same drill is made holes in the log around the circumference marked circle. And the closer they are to each other, the easier it is to remove the inner fragment later. Make sure the drill is perpendicular to the plane of the wall.
- Chisel and chisel will help remove jumpers between drilled holes. Work should be done both inside and outside the bath.
- Pulling out the middle part don't smooth the edges- it's too much.
Useful video
And here on the video the same thing is done with a drill and crown:
How to make a hole in a block wall
The method for a block wall is exactly the same as described above, except that a concrete drill is taken (you can use a crown instead). By the way, the blocks are very soft, the main thing is not to collide with metal (reinforcing mesh, dowels, fastening fittings for openings). If this happens, you will need special tongs (hydraulic).
IMPORTANT! There is also a chance of colliding with metal when drilling a log house - there are dowels under the ceiling that hold the Mauerplate, so the pliers should be rented in advance.
As for air ducts, plugs and valves, all this is purchased in stores. The air duct is most often a galvanized pipe (round, square or rectangular in cross section), which must be thermally insulated (wrapped with insulation) and sealed with foam so that condensation does not form and the wall does not get wet.
Plugs and dampers are bought for the desired diameter. It is better to take wooden ones, because the plastic in the steam room will release carcinogens that we do not need, and the metal will be burned in a heated steam room. As for the schemes, we have already given links to them.
Useful video
It shows how to make a square hole in the wall using a drill.
Well, that's all we could tell you about how to make ventilation in the bath. We can only wish you success in the implementation of your plans. Do-it-yourself ventilation in the bath is a difficult task, but feasible for many. We hope that you have planned everything well and to the end, and in the future you will not have to regret either the lost time or the money invested.
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