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To create hot steam, a huge cauldron was boiled in a medieval hammam. Nowadays, creating steam is much easier. You can build a Turkish bath even in your own apartment. For this you will need a steam generator.
Where are steam generators used?
Spa facilities can be divided into three categories: Finnish sauna, Russian bath and Turkish hammam. Nationality has nothing to do with it. Each category is a combination of temperature and humidity. The Finnish sauna is dry and hot, the temperature rises to 110° and the humidity is about 10%. Russian bath is a compromise option, temperature up to 70° and humidity up to 80%. The record holder for humidity is the hammam, where it is 95-100%, but the temperature is only 35-50°.
Let's draw conclusions. There is no need for a steam generator for a sauna. To create the climate of a Russian bath, it can be useful if you have an electric stove with dry heat, or it is not possible to constantly heat it. In these cases, a steam generator will help create the necessary climate. When building a hammam, you cannot do without a steam generator. Creating the climate of a hammam or Turkish bath is the main purpose of a steam generator.
Types and features
What types of steam generators are there:
- Electrical. They are the easiest to install, which is why they are the most popular.
- Diesel. They are not typically used in households or commercial establishments.
- Gas. Economical option - uses cheap fuel. Relevant when gas is supplied. Otherwise the procedure will be too expensive. It will need to be coordinated with gas services.
Important: Diesel and gas steam generators are used in industry and are not used in everyday life. Among steam generators for Turkish baths, there are only electric options.
Heating element or electrode?
Heating element steam generators are designed on the principle of an electric kettle. The heating elements heat the water and produce steam. The main disadvantage is scale deposits. When scale completely covers the heating elements, they will overheat and burn out. Scale is formed from minerals dissolved in water, so when working with a heating element steam generator, you must use purified, softened water. It is necessary to install a special water treatment system on the water supply system. If you are going to use regular tap water, be prepared to clean the steam generator frequently.
Electrode steam generators create steam by passing current between electrodes through water. At the same time, the manufacturer, on the contrary, recommends using ordinary tap water. Excessively softened water does not conduct current well and the steam generator will not work.
Scale also forms in the electrode steam generator, but it will not break the unit. In the worst case, it will produce less steam. Even if scale completely clogs the steam generator, it will stop working, but after cleaning it will work again. The disadvantage of an electrode steam generator is that the electrodes dissolve over time and need to be changed. The frequency of replacement is affected by water quality and intensity of use. For example, on Moscow water in a public hammam with an average load, the electrodes will need to be changed once a year.
Operating principle
Equipment diagram for hammam
Steam room equipment is turned on before visiting the Turkish bath. Through the solenoid valve, the tank is gradually filled with water. At the same time, the liquid begins to heat up. The steam formed from water goes into the main room through special copper tubes. There it is sprayed and fills the volume of the hammam using nozzles attached to the ends of the lines.
As the steam room heats up, the tank empties. The water level reaches a certain point. The solenoid valve is then turned on again. As a result, water again begins to fill the container allocated for it.
The number of nozzles and steam lines must be calculated based on the area of the Turkish hammam. One set is enough for a sauna volume up to 10 m3. A steam generator for a Turkish hammam is usually supplied with it.
For a sauna volume of 18 m3, it is better to install 2 nozzles. For a large steam room in a Turkish bath, a hammam with high power in kW should be set to 3 or 4.
Water is discharged through a technical channel. It is advisable that the compartment for the steam generator be well ventilated. The device is fixed to the wall or floor, depending on the volume of the sauna. The room is located on the same level as the steam room or the floor below.
Service
Steam generators require constant descaling. This is best implemented in Hygromatik. Any of their steam generators can be disassembled and the scale removed. The method seems primitive, but nothing better has been invented. The only thing is that after cleaning you will need to change the set of replacement o-rings. In Tylo steam generators, cleaning is carried out only by pouring cleaning agents into the tank. An additional disadvantage is that you don’t know how much scale has accumulated, because the Tylo steam generator cannot be disassembled. In a heating element steam generator, the heating elements may burn out, but in an electrode steam generator, prepare to regularly replace the electrodes.
Manufacturer's choice
The variety of steam generator models on the Russian market today allows you to choose the equipment configuration that most accurately suits the hammam. Among the most popular brands represented in Russia and the CIS countries are:
- Harvia
. The Finnish company produces both small steam generators designed for home hammams and powerful equipment for professional Turkish baths. The company produces models with automatic descaling, which most competitors do not have. The most popular models are Harvia HGX 45, Harvia HGX 90 and Harvia HGD150. - Hygromatic
. A German company with a good reputation in Russia produces equipment with a wide range of capacities. Hygromatic specializes in the production of devices in which the heating element is represented by electrodes. Models such as Hygromatik FlexLine Heater, Hygromatik FlexLine Plus and Hygromatik HeaterSlim have proven themselves positively. - Tylo
. The equipment of the Swedish company stands out among competitors with its modern and stylish design. Many models of this brand have established themselves as the most economical steam generators on the European market. Tylo VB, Tylo Steam Commercial and Tylo Steam Home models are very popular. - "Paromax"
. Today there are 2 models of the Russian company on the market: “NEO-Intellect” and the more advanced device NEO-MAX STYLE. Paromax brand equipment is in demand in the post-Soviet space due to its successful combination of price, quality and performance. - Hello
. Finnish steam generators occupy a significant share of the Russian market of equipment for Turkish baths due to the large number of models and high reliability. In online stores today, the most popular modifications are Helo HNS 47 T1, Helo HNS 60 T1 and Helo HNS 95 T1. - Sawo
. The Finnish company produces fully automatic steam generators, many of which are equipped with an autonomous descaling system. In Russia, such models as Sawo STN-120-3-X, Sawo STE-40-1/2 and Sawo STE-75-C1/3 are in demand.
Harvia offers a wide range of models.
Brands
A lot of them. From serious professional equipment to Chinese crafts. When choosing, remember that the stingy pays twice and that health is more expensive. For ourselves, we have chosen two brands that are convenient for us to work with - Tylo and Hygromatik. Tylo is suitable for private use. For commercial purposes it is better to take Hygromatik. Hygromatik is good because it is one of the few world-class companies that deals only with steam generators and knows its business very well.
Health effect
Even in ancient times, doctors proved the benefits of visiting the hammam. Together with steam and warm water, all ailments (asthma, bronchitis, colds) are washed away, cheerfulness appears, and the soul is filled with peace.
Many spas offer a hammam along with other treatments. After all, a steamed body more effectively perceives health-improving manipulations (massage) and the use of cosmetic techniques (peeling, masks, etc.).
Equipment must be reliable
When making your own, the choice of equipment is important.
There are no trifles in this matter; you should pay attention to the most insignificant details. Otherwise, the pleasure of visiting a Turkish bath may be very doubtful.
Ventilation and sewage systems play an important role.
Ventilation will help keep the room dry, so it should be arranged separately from the home ventilation system. The steam generator, which is the heart of the hammam, releases steam from the room after a certain time. The air humidity in the bathhouse can be 100%, so a new flow of oxygen must be supplied here every quarter of an hour. This entire system is regulated by a special valve located in the ceiling.
The heating system ensures uniform heating of the hammam. When building a bathhouse with your own hands, you can make it water or electric. Experts say that the first option is preferable. But the heating must be independent, and not in the same system with the house. A boiler is installed in the utility room, which provides the steam room with heat, and metal-plastic pipes are installed under the benches and around the walls.
As for lighting, it must first of all be safe. Be sure to use a heat-resistant electrical cable. It is best to choose lamps that have durable protection against moisture. Fiber optic lighting is used to supply light to the ceiling.
Steam generators as an important element of the Turkish bath
In ancient times, the hammam was heated using a special container that was placed under the floor. As the water in the tank was heated, the floor became warmer and the walls became hotter. The steam entered the steam room through holes made in the floor. Thus, the hall was saturated with steam, which brought health and good mood to visitors.
Steam generator for hammam
Today, even in Turkey itself they do not use this method of heating. In the modern world, steam generators successfully cope with this. Many companies produce them, but you can do it yourself. Steam generators vary in size and equipment. There are devices that have a self-washing and draining system. Such steam generators can be controlled remotely using a remote control. All steam generators have temperature sensors, and as soon as the air temperature in the room reaches 55 degrees, the equipment turns off.
In the sauna, the steam generator maintains a temperature of about 30 degrees. On the day of the visit, approximately 6 hours before the start of the procedure, the room should be heated to 45 degrees. The steam generator should be brought into operation within an hour and a half. As a rule, the service life of this equipment is quite long. Typically, steam generators fail because their heating elements wear out. These parts of the device should be replaced, and then it can serve for many more years.
An excursion into history - how did the hammam appear?
The ancestor of the baths, which are now called Turkish, was not Turkey at all. For the first time such steam rooms appeared in Ancient Rome. Roman baths, as well as hammams later, were heated using huge cauldrons of boiling water. As a result of boiling water, steam was formed, which entered the bathhouse through small holes and completely heated it.
Hamams became widespread and used among Muslims thanks to the Prophet Muhammad. It was he who proclaimed that true Muslim believers must keep their bodies clean. Since then, visiting baths by adherents of Islam has become a regular and widespread phenomenon. In addition, a special philosophy of the Turkish bath has emerged, which includes various rituals and traditions. For residents of the East at all times, hammams were considered a source of pleasure and were distinguished by luxurious decoration.
In our area, the first Turkish bath was built for one of the monarchs in Tsarskoye Selo. The author of the project of this incredibly luxurious oriental building was Ippolite Monighetti. In Europe, the first hammams appeared in the 19th century. They became very popular and were considered a panacea for many diseases.
The benefits of visiting a steam room
Especially in the cold season, our body requires more heat. The easiest way to compensate for its lack is to visit a steam room in a sauna or bathhouse. Such procedures give our body many benefits that you don’t even think about. Firstly, under the influence of hot steam the entire body warms up. This increases blood flow, the internal organs are enriched with oxygen and this improves their performance. The procedure also has a positive effect on the immune system, increasing it. Secondly, from exposure to hot steam, the body begins to release a large amount of liquid, i.e. sweat, and with this fluid, toxins and other harmful substances are removed from the body. This regimen also helps in losing weight, because at the same time the metabolism becomes higher, which helps in the breakdown of fats. Such procedures can even be prescribed by nutritionists.
But to ensure that visiting the steam room does not cause undesirable consequences, you must follow some rules. You should not be exposed to steam for more than 5 minutes, and after that time you need to cool down in the pool, shower, or just lie down in a cool place. The next visit to the steam room should be no earlier than 15 minutes later. Also, during the rest period, you should replenish the water lost by the body. Drinking various teas, water, and herbal infusions is allowed. It is not recommended to drink alcohol in the bathhouse. Don’t forget to wear a special headdress when visiting the steam room, otherwise heat stroke may occur.
Characteristics of devices
Everyone who has ever used a similar device installed in a bathhouse at least once notes the ease of its operation. At the same time, no one needed to use special skills and knowledge. To select the most suitable temperature regime and obtain the optimal steam density, you just need to use the thermoregulation device installed on the body of the device. Having set the necessary parameters, you can be sure that a stable microclimate will reign in the steam room, the maintenance of which does not require any additional expenditure of human energy.
In modern hammams, as a rule, the temperature is maintained at 30-55 degrees, and the humidity approaches 100%. Thanks to the use of a steam generator that produces fairly light steam, a certain comfort is created in the room even for those people who cannot stand extreme heat.
Heat exchange devices with a power from 2 to 16 kW are excellent for Turkish baths. If a device with a maximum value cannot cope with a large volume of room, it is allowed to connect additional devices with similar characteristics to a single circuit. All heat exchangers are installed in a technical room, where the air is much drier than in a steam room. The presence of a certain amount of high-tech equipment in one room requires the arrangement of natural ventilation.
Correct power calculation
Calculating the power of the steam generator allows you to determine the future consumption of water and electricity. The principle of operation of the steam generator is based on heating water to a boil. The resulting steam moves under pressure through a pipeline to a nozzle, which disperses the steam. The more steam the steam generator produces, the greater the power consumption. The calculation of steam generator power includes three components: 1. Total cubic capacity of the room; 2. Availability of ventilation; 3. The material from which the room is built. The calculation formula is as follows: N=V(rooms)*k1*k2, where k1 = 0.75 – For rooms equipped with ventilation; k1= 0.52 – For rooms in which there is no ventilation; k2= 1 - For acrylic surfaces; k2= 1.25 – For tiles (mosaics) and thermally insulated panels; k2=1.5 - For tiles (mosaics) and concrete walls. Thus, the calculated power is approximately equal to the volume of the hammam room. That is, the larger the volume of the room, the more power the steam generator should have.
How to make a steam generator for a bath with your own hands: the simplest and most obvious option
The tens need to be strengthened in the canister, or rather, placed inside it. And to do this, holes of the appropriate diameter should be drilled in the canister body. From the inside of the canister (through the large lid) we insert a heating element into them, seal it and secure it well. In a word, we remember a boiler immersed in water and do it by analogy!
After the heating elements are inside, you need to connect their electrical terminals to the wire outside, and the contacts should be securely wrapped with electrical tape and protected from accidental touch. One stage of the work has been completed, congratulations, you did it!
Unit control mechanism
Using an electronic remote control, the temperature and steam intensity are adjusted. In addition, devices for monitoring the operation of the device are located on the body of the device itself. There is the possibility of automatic and manual adjustment. The presence of a display on the remote control of some models allows you to study information about using all the functions of the device. Using a timer, you can program the hammam. You just need to specify the necessary parameters and set the time to turn the steam generator on and off. By adjusting the temperature of heated, humid air, you can achieve the effects of relaxation, sweating and removal of toxins. The sensor installed in the steam room will transmit a signal about the existing temperature in the room directly to the control panel. When choosing a heat exchanger with a device for monitoring the operation of the device, you should carefully think through the options for the requests that it should solve.
