How to properly make lighting in a steam bath with your own hands

Lighting in the bathhouse is of great importance, especially in the steam room, since there is most often no natural light there. To do everything correctly, you must follow a number of recommendations, since operating conditions are very different from standard ones and any violations can lead to short circuits or even fire. According to statistics, fires in bathhouses most often occur precisely because of poor-quality or incorrectly laid wiring.

The light in the steam room should be not only comfortable, but also safe, since the equipment is used in extreme conditions.

Lighting elements

Now let’s look at the components of each lamp, because inside the same model you can put lamps of different types, and surround the outside with a lampshade, which will make the sauna more comfortable and stylistically uniform.

Lamps

The following types are allowed in the sauna steam room:

• incandescent lamps;
• LED;
• halogens.

ATTENTION! Please note that we are only talking about lamps, so we will not mention LED strips and fiber optics, although they can also be installed in the steam room.

Incandescent lamps

Ordinary lamps, known since time immemorial when the entire country was electrified.
The only limitation that should be taken into account concerns power - it is not recommended to use more than 60 W in the steam room, but there are no restrictions on the number of light bulbs. However, there are two unpleasant aspects associated with them:

• Firstly, they are quite fragile, break easily, and burst easily if cold (relative to their own temperature) water gets on the flask when it is heated.
• Secondly, they are connected to a 220 V network, so if there is a problem, a person can be killed by such a current. Moreover, in a bathhouse, where it is humid and water conducts electricity very well. True, there is an option: installing 36-volt ones through a transformer, many people practice it.

To protect against the first - lampshades, nets and lampshades. From the second - RCD.

LED bulbs

LEDs can be in the form of lamps and in the form of strips. Here we will consider only lamps. More complete material can be found at this link.

The sockets are different, but the E27 socket is typical for bath lighting - this is a medium threaded socket with a diameter of 27 mm, which is suitable for incandescent lamps, and for LED lamps (if they are designed for 220 V), and for halogen lamps.

BY THE WAY! LEDs are still installed in the bathhouse not so much for the sake of reducing energy consumption, but because they are powered from a low-voltage network, most often 12 V (24 and 36 V are also possible).

For LED light bulbs that are powered from a 220 V network, you can also install an RCD. And for 12-volt ones, connect either a step-down transformer (see article on electricians in a bathhouse) or a switching power supply.

IMPORTANT! The power supply should preferably have galvanic isolation, which will not allow 220 V to flow into the circuit in the event of a failure. The transformer and power supply are installed outside the steam room

The transformer and power supply are installed outside the steam room.

And now the most important thing: you can put LED lamps in a sauna, but they will not last long, because for them the temperature is already above 65 degrees on the crystal. Just imagine that the crystal itself gets very hot during operation, so heat removal is needed, which is unattainable in an overheated sauna.

So you either need to place the strips somewhere lower, as a backlight, or abandon the idea of ​​LEDs altogether, and use regular incandescent or halogen light bulbs closer to the ceiling.

Halogen

These bulbs tolerate high temperatures well, but are not without their drawbacks. In particular, this concerns their service life. Interestingly, LEDs do not respond to the number of times they are turned on, while for halogen ones, each turn on reduces their service life.

In principle, you can find both 220 V and 12 V halogen ones on sale, but the latter have a different base from the standard E27, and in general they are not intended for insertion into conventional structures with lampshades.

Varieties

There is a wide range of lighting products on the market, but not every model is suitable for a bathhouse, since the difference in temperature and high humidity in the room are not suitable for every lighting device.

There are several main types of bath lamps, including waterproof, heat-resistant, LED, moisture-resistant, low-voltage, wireless, and so on. We need to talk about everything in order:

Halogen lamps

The most heat-resistant lamps are halogen. The power of such lamps ranges from 20 to 35 Watts, the maximum heating for them will be 400 degrees. An important aspect is that the voltage used by the lamps is not dangerous to people, and their contacts are protected from moisture. In addition, halogen lamps have a pleasant appearance; it is possible to select shades of different colors.

LED lights

LED lamps are one of the most economical and environmentally friendly lighting options, however, it is better to place them as low as possible in the steam room, since they are quite difficult to tolerate heat and moisture. Such lamps are often used as lighting; they can be placed behind shelves; they can illuminate the room in different colors, since their spectrum is quite wide.

A room with LEDs will always be well lit, and such lamps do not consume a large amount of electricity.

When purchasing waterproof lamps for a bath, you need to consider several aspects:

1. On the box or frame of the lamp you need to look at information about how high the degree of protection of this model is from humidity; for this there is a certain international classification; An IP value of 45 and higher will be acceptable.
2. In addition to the fact that the lamps must be moisture-resistant, they must also be heat-resistant - in a steam room, the air temperature can fluctuate from 60 to 120 degrees and the lamp must be designed for such temperature fluctuations; Well, for ceiling models the standards are even higher, since they need to work at temperatures up to 300 degrees Celsius.

Fiber optic lamps

The best waterproof lamps are fiber optic lamps. By purchasing a fiber-optic lighting device, you can be sure of its moisture resistance, even without paying attention to the degree of protection factor. This is possible due to the specific properties of the material; it is capable of transmitting only light waves, but not electricity. These lamps can also be used in water tanks and swimming pools.

Also, the advantage of these lamps will be a fairly soft light, which will help create a cozy atmosphere and relax.

Accommodation options

As mentioned earlier, there are quite a large number of different lamps suitable for installation in baths and saunas. But each room has its own differences, and accordingly, the lighting for them is selected according to the appropriate parameters:

In the steam room

In order to install a lamp in a steam room, you must first carefully select it. The thing is that this, one might say, is the main room in the bathhouse; it is saturated with steam, moisture and hot air. All these factors influence the selection of a lamp; not every model meets these characteristics. In addition, too bright and contrasting lighting also does not speak in favor of certain types of lamps; for the holy of holies of the bath, soft light is needed to help you relax.

Since the steam room has its own special microclimate, the lamp can be installed in it only on the very top of the wall or at the joints - in the corners. This is due to the fact that the ceiling and walls are one of the least hot surfaces in the steam room, moreover, this location can be called convenient, the light streams from behind and does not strain the eyes of those who are relaxing in the bathhouse. You can install fiber optic lamps, then the lighting will definitely be soft and diffused, this will help you relax.

You can also choose LED lamps, they are heat-resistant, have several lighting modes and rich colors, you can easily save energy with them, and LEDs have a long service life. But in any case, the lamps must be covered with a protective frame or a heat-resistant shade; also, to create an ambience and additional protection, you can cover the light with a beautifully designed wooden grille.

Such lamps are made of heat-resistant material, ceramics or porcelain; the body is additionally strengthened, making it airtight.

In the washing room

Unlike the steam room, in the washing room it is necessary, on the contrary, to have bright and powerful light, since this room is not intended for relaxation, it is necessary in order to wash after the steam room. It is for this purpose that the light in the sink is set to be contrasting and sharp, but it still should not hit the face of the person in the room.

But here you also need to be careful, this room has a source of moisture, you need to protect lamps and wires from accidental contact with water. The switch should be located outside the washing room to prevent water from entering there; for the same purpose, all lamps will have protective waterproof frames or shades.

In the dressing room

In the dressing room, the lighting can be set to almost anything, since the room does not have any special temperature changes or moisture concentration. The classic option would be a chandelier in the center of the room or several lamps that are mounted on the ceiling. The light from such lamps is bright, but does not hurt the eyes and generally creates a fairly comfortable atmosphere in the room.

It is also possible to stylistically design the dressing room in a certain manner, then the lamps can be placed on the wall and executed in accordance with the general concept of the interior.

In the rest room

In the rest room, just like in the dressing room, there is a certain humidity coefficient, so when installing lamps there, you need to be sure that they will have a protection class of at least 1. Lamps for such rooms are quite ordinary, from 75 to 100 Watts , you can also install regular lampshades or sconces.

Lamps: which ones can be installed, which is better

In addition to choosing the shape of the lampshade, you also need to decide what kind of lamps you will put in it.

In the bathhouse, 60-watt incandescent lamps, LED lamps and strips, as well as halogen and fiber-optic light sources are acceptable.

Bath light bulbs: incandescent lamps

In the old days, there simply weren’t any other options. However, this variety is very fragile and sensitive not only to mechanical stress, but also to sudden temperature changes, for example, when water gets on the flask. Therefore, they are dangerous by the very presence of glass and a red-hot spiral.

Another factor not in their favor is the voltage they consume - 220 volts can kill a person if the unexpected happens. Although there are 36 volt light bulbs, they can work through a transformer.

You can protect yourself from electric shock by installing an RCD (more details in this and this article on our website). In this case, the current will turn off so quickly that it will not have time to harm a person. And the lampshade with a mesh should protect the flask from mechanical destruction.

CONCLUSION: you can use such light bulbs for a bath not only in dry rooms, but also in wet ones, including a steam room. But taking into account protective measures. In addition, this is the most budget-friendly type.

Fiber optic

Optical fiber is not cheap, but if this is not a question, then it can be used to illuminate a relaxation room, a steam room, and a swimming pool.

On sale you will find two types of cables - with side and end glow. The difference is clear: in the former, the light spreads from the entire surface of the cable, while in the latter, the cable itself does not glow, but a bright light shines from the cut at its end. A cable with a side glow may have internal notches that make the glow inhomogeneous and chaotic.

Both varieties are suitable for installation in bathhouses.

The lamp structure includes a projector and cables of the required length.

ATTENTION! If you intend to use fiber optics in the steam room, then the projector must be located outside it, although not too far, literally behind the wall.

The projector can be equipped with crystals and discs of different colors.

LEDs

In principle, if you are interested in this topic, you can look at a large material dedicated only to LEDs for baths.

Here we will describe them briefly. LEDs can be a strip or a lamp. The latter is screwed into a regular socket; the mains voltage can be 220 or 12 V.

To power 12-volt LEDs, either a step-down transformer or a power supply is used. If a power supply is used, it must have galvanic isolation, which ensures that even in the event of a failure, 220 V will not flow to the consumer.

LEDs are sensitive to two factors - current fluctuations in the network and high temperature (above 65 degrees on the chip). This shortens their service life.

Installing them in a steam room is undesirable, but beneficial - low voltage, low energy consumption. Therefore, the high temperature trade-off is usually resolved by mounting the LEDs low in height (where the temperature is lower). If these are tapes, then they are laid under and behind the shelf.

IMPORTANT! Tapes used in wet rooms must have a high degree of moisture protection - placed in a transparent sealed tube, at a minimum. As a maximum, transparent silicone is filled inside the tube.

Methods for connecting electrical wiring to points

In order to correctly install all the light sources in the bathhouse, you need to know how to conduct electrical wiring to each of them.

There are two ways:

• Open;
• Hidden.

It is better to install electrical wiring inside the bathhouse using an open method, since it is safer and more convenient. In this case, the wiring lines are quite easy to view, and there are no difficulties during the replacement or repair process.

It is better to conduct hidden electrical wiring to lamps only in the steam room.

You should also follow some rules when wiring to lamps:

1. The electrics in the bathhouse are mounted exclusively on the lower part of the wall;
2. The electric wire to the lamp in the steam room is routed directly to the place of its installation;
3. It is very important that all electrical appliances in the bathhouse are grounded. This can be done using a cable consisting of three cores. Two of these conductors are connected to phase and neutral, and the third is connected to the panel or fittings;
4. All sockets in the bathhouse must be provided with an individual differential switch;
5. The use of artificially connected wires in the steam room is not allowed, only solid wiring;
6. The wires from each of the elements are connected only on the panel;
7. The shield should be installed as far as possible from the steam room.

Information. The electrical wiring cable must be laid either strictly horizontally or strictly vertically.

How to make your own fiber optic lighting in a bathhouse

Which lamps are best for a bathhouse is up to the owner to decide, but experts recommend fiber optic lighting. These light sources are used to equip steam rooms: they can withstand temperatures up to 200 °C, do not dazzle the eyes, and are therefore optimally suited for use without wooden lampshades. Fiber optic lighting for a bathhouse is the safest and most durable, easy to install, applicable in exclusive interior design (for example, using lenses and special crystals you can make original lamps with the effect of flowing water, northern lights or burning flames).

For safety reasons, it is better to install LED lamps in a steam room from below, for example, under benches, since the temperature near the floor is much lower than near the ceiling. Here the devices will function more stably.

Making a lamp for a bathhouse with your own hands is not difficult, and it will not cost much. For this you will need: wood (possibly what was left over from construction work), plywood, glass 4 mm thick, a special PET film resistant to temperatures of at least 120 ° C, electrical insulating material getinax, LEDs with a lighting angle of 120 °. Also, for do-it-yourself lighting in the bathhouse, you need to purchase aluminum tape, superglue and assembly adhesive.

Before making lighting in the bathhouse, templates of the main parts are made from fiberboard. According to the template for the lamp frame made of linden wood, vertical slats with rounded edges are planed: 4 pieces measuring 750x35x15 cm, 8 pieces measuring 750x40x15 cm, 4 pieces measuring 750x45x15 cm and 1 piece - 550 - 50 -20 cm (it will be needed when arranging a groove for glass).

1. The main parts for lighting the steam room in the bathhouse are fastened with slats and coated with universal mounting adhesive; the fastening points are tightened using self-tapping screws 70 mm long.

2. Before making fiber optic lights for the bathhouse, specially designed strips are attached to support the glass. The glass is cut out and wrapped in PET film as insulation.

3. Then the slats are sawed, tried on, coated with mounting adhesive and tightened with self-tapping screws.

4. On two slats measuring 750 x 45 x 15 cm, mark the points where holes for the glass are subsequently drilled. With the help of slats it will be fixed in its place. In this case, the outer vertical slats are fixed with screws from the reverse side.

5. Print out a table with 3x3 cm cells on a computer, glue it to a sheet of getinax and drill in the places where the lines intersect. The diameter of the resulting holes should be 5 mm - just the diameter of the LED. A larger drill is used to make conical recesses so that the light from the LEDs is more directional. The paper is washed off the part with water.

6. LEDs (80 pcs.), soldered in groups of 4, are attached to the back side of the panel with superglue. There will be 20 LEDs in total - 4 at each point. The lamp is designed for 12 V. The reflector for the LEDs will be aluminum tape.

7. Install the power supply as for halogen light bulbs. Place it outside the steam room, connecting the cable to the lamp through the wall. This original lamp will consume only 250 mA, or 3 W.

8. Attach all the slats (they should not be visible from the front side) to the frame using self-tapping screws. The panel with LEDs is wrapped in PET film and attached to the base.

Now you know how to properly make lighting in a bathhouse; below you can familiarize yourself with the rules for installing lamps.

Safety regulations

Lamps for saunas and baths will illuminate a room where the temperature reaches 100-120°C. Therefore, they must have sufficient heat resistance.

High humidity is another source of potential danger when operating lighting fixtures. Therefore, a lamp for a steam room in a bathhouse or washroom must be waterproof. Additional protection will be provided by sealed lampshades that are resistant to moisture and high temperatures.

It is necessary to choose sealed lampshades for the bath

It is better to install lighting sources under the ceiling or in the corners of the room

In this case, it will be possible to avoid accidental contacts and/or mechanical damage to lighting devices due to negligence. When choosing lampshades, the main condition is tightness. To give additional aesthetic properties to a simple lamp, you can use openwork wooden overlays in the form of gratings or carved screens

It is better to install lighting in the corners of the room under the ceiling

Wooden grilles are often used to refract lighting in a bathhouse and as lampshades.

Light: types of lamps

Let's start with the fact that a bathhouse usually has not one room, but several, and a comfortable stay in them requires sufficient lighting. It’s not bad if you can choose something that suits your style. Let's look at a few popular varieties.

And if you are interested in the specifics of light sources in a Russian steam bath and a Finnish sauna, we recommend that you follow the links.

Ceiling lamps

Lampshade - this name was originally coined for a round ceiling lampshade. However, over time, it began to refer to all translucent solid lampshades made of glass or plastic.

BY THE WAY! If you want to learn more about what kind of lampshades can be used in a bathhouse, read this material.

Matte bath lamps are usually used in steam rooms and washing rooms. At the same time, quite often they have another, additional lampshade made of wood, which serves as additional protection against mechanical damage and water getting on the heated surface of the lampshade.

Those located in wet areas are subject to the requirement of moisture protection. In the dressing room or rest room you can place any model suitable for residential premises and suitable in design.

Chandeliers

Well, in our opinion, this is said too loudly: “chandelier for a bathhouse.” Still, we must take into account the meaning of the word. A chandelier is when something hangs from the ceiling in the form of a cluster of lamps with shades. At least with one lamp. It is difficult to combine in your mind the image of a wooden interior (and most people choose it) and a more or less classic chandelier. However, it is possible that people are simply using this word instead of saying "lamp".

Okay, be that as it may, we were wondering if it was possible to choose suitable models for the rest room, for example (other rooms are not the topic at all). And you know, in principle, they exist.

For example, it could be a wooden wheel, like from an ancient cart, which is suspended from the ceiling on chains, and such pointed light bulbs in the form of lights are attached to the rim. These, it seems, were in taverns, and are quite in harmony with the wooden walls.

Hanging chandelier Daddy`s Pipes Photo source: funale.ru

If you don’t want to imitate antiquity, you can buy or make this option yourself: a meter-long wooden beam with light sources mounted in a row, suspended either on chains or on cables. Also interesting are more complex structures made from similar beams - for example, connecting them into a triangle or other shape.

Lanterns

A good option that will fit into the interior of the dressing room, and, if the size is suitable, then into a small rest room.

Depending on the interior, the type of lantern for a bathhouse can be extremely utilitarian (a mesh for a lamp with a visor on top) or even pretentious, with rich forging and metal decorations.

Another point of choice is that on sale you can find lanterns in the form of sconces that are attached to the wall, in the form of a chandelier that is attached to the ceiling, and in the form of a free-standing lamp (there are table and floor versions).

Other benefits of civilization

If your desires coincide with your capabilities, then you can do the following: put a refrigerator for soft drinks, and a TV for watching movies.
After a steam room, a desire for active action often appears. Therefore, it’s a good idea to have a billiard table in the room. To create special aromas, you can arrange cedar and spruce cones, dried flowers, cypress, birch brooms, or simply hang a fir branch. It wouldn't hurt to hang a beautiful exclusive watch.

And yet, the relaxation room in the bathhouse is a flight of your imagination. This relaxation room, made according to your wishes and capabilities, will bring you, your friends and relatives a lot of pleasant emotions.

Wisdom Quote: Respect yourself if you want to be respected.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=NsGF9KcmAfM

Principles of conducting electricity

Before you start making lighting in the steam room, you need to study the principle of the work. It is necessary to select lamps according to power, and correctly position them in bath rooms.

Power selection

When purchasing a lamp, you need to pay attention to the power of the device:

• optimal voltage level - 12 V;
• maximum power - 75 watts.

You cannot choose more powerful lighting fixtures, as their lampshade will overheat. Over time, this will lead to a violation of the tightness and failure of the lamp. To maintain one voltage level, you need to buy a transformer. It should be located in, closed with a metal box.

For a bath, you can choose lamps made of heat-resistant plastic, ceramics, and porcelain.

It is not recommended to buy pendant lamps.

Attention should also be paid to the presence of a seal. It should be made of heat-resistant rubber and tightly cover the junction of the lampshade with the lamp body

Selection of lighting equipment

Types of lighting fixtures:

Standard. Classic lamps in which the light bulb is covered by a shade. Can be attached to horizontal or vertical surfaces. The shape is often round or oval. Heat-resistant frosted glass is used to make lampshades. Fiber optic. Lamps made of glass fiber, which has light sources on both sides. Outwardly, they resemble a fan lamp with many threads, at the end of which light bulbs glow. Fiber optic threads can withstand heating up to 200 °C. Do not collapse when exposed to moisture or ultraviolet radiation. They produce soft, diffused light that helps you relax. The lighting device can be assembled independently from separate tubes

It is important to insulate all twists and wire connections. LED. Resistant to moisture and temperature changes

Suitable for installation underwater. This allows you to illuminate the pool. The high level of tightness of the devices is explained by the presence of a silicone sealing film. The degree of luminous flux intensity depends on the size of the LEDs. Using the remote control you can change the level of lighting.

Types of lamps by light source:

1. Incandescent lamps. They have a filament inside. They only use 5% of their electricity consumption to produce light. Incandescent lamps heat up quickly. If moisture gets on hot surfaces, an explosion will occur. One of the varieties is halogen light bulbs. The technical characteristics are superior to standard products.
2. LED. Harmless light sources. They have low power and shine brightly. They do not contain mercury and are energy saving. In terms of service life they are ahead of analogues. They produce a directional stream of light. To fully illuminate the room, you need to use several lamps or an LED strip of LED strip, which can be placed on the ceiling or walls.
3. Luminescent. Classic energy saving lamps. These are gas-discharge tubes with a power of about 11 watts. Converts ultraviolet radiation into visible light. Mercury vapor and phosphor are pumped into the tubes. Manufacturers claim that fluorescent lamps are harmless, but during operation they release mercury vapor into the air.

Rules for choosing a lamp for a bath:

1. It is prohibited to use portable lighting devices that are connected to the network in the washing room or steam room.
2. It is better to choose matte products.
3. It is prohibited to use lamps containing mercury in the washing steam room. Upon impact, they release toxins into the air that are harmful to health. Mercury light sources often burst due to temperature changes.
4. A high-quality lamp cannot be cheap. It is recommended to find out in advance which manufacturers are the best on the world market and clarify their weaknesses.
5. You need to buy an LED strip and make it into emergency lighting. The switch must be wired separately.
6. When purchasing sockets, you need to choose products marked IP 54.
7. If a large number of people visit the bathhouse, you need to install additional protection on the lampshades.

You need to check the lamps at the time of purchase.

Recommendations

To like the result and have more pleasure from visiting the bathhouse, you need to listen to the advice of experienced finishers and bathhouse attendants:

1. If the floors are concrete and you don’t want to wear shoes, you can install a heated floor system. The temperature regulator is located in any convenient place.
2. If the oven has an external channel, it is better to buy a model with a transparent glass door. It will look like a fireplace, and you can control the load on the firebox.
3. It is better to decorate all rooms under the same style.
4. It is not recommended to use bright lamps.
5. To make the interior cozy, you don’t need to clutter it with a large number of decorative elements.
6. It is better to avoid experiments with mixing different colors, especially bright and provocative ones.
7. Sockets and switches should be at a convenient height.
8. Before operation, the wiring must be checked and completely insulated.
9. Communications need to be hidden in the walls and floor so that they do not interfere with bathhouse visitors.
10. The dressing room should have large windows.
11. It is advisable to make a small vestibule near the entrance so that visitors can leave their outerwear and shoes. You can fence it off with wooden panels or two wardrobe cabinets.
12. To provide more natural light, you can install display windows.
13. Walls look beautiful when decorated with tree cuts.
14. Color transitions should be smooth so that a person does not get hung up on them.
15. For finishing you need to choose materials that are resistant to humidity and temperature changes. In the dressing room, cold air coming from the street and hot air from the stove are mixed.

When visiting a bathhouse, a person wants to get maximum pleasure from bathing procedures and relax. Since visitors spend most of their time in the dressing room, the layout and decoration of the room needs to be carefully thought out - choose the design style, furniture, colors, etc.

Bath lampshade: shape

An interesting point: somehow it happened historically that there are two main forms - a grille and a screen. We will assume that other options, if they existed, died out due to some kind of unsuitability or inconsistency. Or the survivors turned out to be the simplest and most practical. (Of course, no one forbids doing something original; we are talking about the most common.)

Lattice

The question arises: what else could be made from slats or solid planks? The simplest and most effective way is to assemble a lattice, a kind of “fence,” leaving slits for light.

IMPORTANT! The brightness of the lighting depends on the width and number of slots.

However, even with the simplicity of the idea, variations can be sufficient - the slats can be attached to bases that will give the structure a cylindrical or conical shape, or they will be combinations of simple shapes, if you like.

BY THE WAY! The slats may not be solid - if you make a slotted pattern in them, then there will be a combination of a lattice and a screen.

The attractiveness of this form is that it harmonizes perfectly with walls finished with clapboard, or with log walls or timber. Overall, a lattice wood lampshade looks great on a wood wall. And the material for it can also be the remains of the same lining, unused during construction.

Screen

It differs from the previous version in the absence of slots between the slats. And also because some recognizable outline is usually carved into the central element. However, here, too, various variations are possible - there can be as many slotted elements as you like, not necessarily one central one.

Combinations with a lattice are possible, when a lattice is made on the sides, and in the center there is a solid strip with a cut out outline.

The slot can be left as is, without any inserts, or you can experiment - put a decorative or practical diffusing material on the back side, for example, mesh or frosted glass (we’re not talking about plastic, because it’s hot in the steam room). Without the matte material, the light may be too harsh.

ADVICE! Instead of matte material, you can use a plate with numerous small holes.

For baths and saunas - is there a difference?

The difference between one and the other type of national bath is the temperature and amount of moisture. In a Russian bath there is high humidity and a relatively low temperature (no higher than 70 degrees), and in a sauna the humidity is low (5-15%), but the temperature is not less than 90 degrees, and sometimes even higher than 100!

Therefore, those varieties that are more sensitive to high humidity should not be placed in a Russian bath. This primarily applies to the Himalayan salt lampshade for the bath. As mentioned above, it consists of the usual soluble salt NaCl, so moisture will ruin it.

Wood can be protected from moisture using impregnations and varnishes, which you can read about in the corresponding article.

High temperatures are contraindicated for most types of plastic, so it is strictly forbidden to use it in saunas, but moderately in Russian baths, and this does not apply to lamps, because there the heating comes from the lamps themselves.

Otherwise, there is not much difference - the same wooden models can be used as lampshades for baths and saunas.

Types of electrical wiring: advantages and disadvantages

1. Electrical wiring is:

• open;
• hidden.

1. Open wiring is usually installed in steel boxes, corrugated hoses, or in special trays and electrical baseboards. Electrical wires are usually laid along the walls, on the ceiling and placed on supports. Open wiring has a number of advantages: firstly, it is cheaper, because there is no need to perform additional gating of the walls, and secondly, such wiring is much easier to repair.
2. The disadvantages of open wiring include:

• her unpresentable appearance;
• the fact that plastic boxes in wooden walls deform over time;
• The corrugated pipe quickly collects dust, and when laying it it is quite difficult to maintain a perfect vertical or horizontal position.

1. Hidden electrical wiring is contained in special boxes, which must be recessed in walls, ceilings, ceilings and located below floor level.
2. Particular attention must be paid to insulating cable joints. If hidden wiring is laid from the inside of a wooden structure, then the wires must be laid with insulation on top and bottom of the electrical wires.
3. For steam rooms and saunas, it is recommended to install hidden wiring, which should have the following advantages:

• high degree of fire safety;
• moisture resistance;
• do not have direct contact with hot air in the bath;
• be much more durable;
• do not spoil the design and appearance of the room.

1. Hidden wiring during installation has a number of shortcomings and inconveniences, namely:

• difficulty of access to repair damage;
• labor costs during installation.

Which lamp to choose and how to install?

Experts agree that in order to provide lighting in a bathhouse, you should not choose fluorescent lamps, since they are not resistant to high temperatures and humidity.

It is better to choose halogen or LED lamps; a fiber optic lamp is also suitable, but all this must be secured with a protective shade. In the dressing room, you can use two lamps at once with parallel switching on of the light source to add brightness to the room lighting.

An interesting option would be to install small LED lamps on the ceiling of the room; they are placed pointwise around the entire perimeter; LEDs for bathrooms are well suited for such purposes. This is, rather, an option for a dressing room or rest room, since high temperatures will not always allow a strip of LED light bulbs to work properly.

LED lamps can also be used as emergency lighting in a steam room; this is done by installing a not very large 12-volt battery and several multi-colored LED strips: they mark potentially traumatic places in the steam room, then the LEDs are connected to a special unit, which has a voltage indicator networks.

It is not recommended to install lamps with incandescent lamps in a Russian bathhouse, as they have the risk of creating increased network voltage, and moreover, they do not have any special protection. The best option for a steam room would be a 12-volt halogen lamp, which has a ceramic socket and is also sealed with a special rubber ring.

It must be remembered that you should not install lighting in the bathhouse yourself; this is a high-risk room due to fairly high temperatures. It is imperative to comply with all the standards established by the set of rules for the design of electrical installations.

You can also install a lamp in a bathhouse yourself; there are several steps:

First, you need to mark the places where the lamps will be located, and also mark with a pencil or marker the places where the wires exit; It is very important to calculate the distance between the lamps if there is a need to make several lighting sources. Next, you need to conduct a power supply, which is placed in a special corrugation that protects from heat. Before starting any work, it is necessary to accurately check the wiring.

• Next, the walls are sheathed, holes are cut in them in the shape of the lamps, the exact parameters of which are indicated in the passport.
• The installation of mortise lamps differs from overhead lamps; the wires of the first are cut and then attached to the socket, while the mounting plate of the second is fixed.
• If you plan to install 12 W lamps, then you need to connect a transformer that reduces the electricity supply to the required power; it must be placed in a frame.
• Screw in the lamps only after all the lighting has been installed.

You will learn more about bath lamps in the following video.

Features of electrical wiring in the bathhouse

According to the PUE, clause 7.1.40: “In saunas, bathrooms, toilets, showers, as a rule, hidden electrical wiring should be used.
Open cable routing is allowed. In saunas, bathrooms, restrooms, and showers, laying wires with metal sheaths or in metal pipes and sleeves is not allowed.”

Thus, it is possible to lay both hidden and open electrical wiring along the walls, for example, in non-flammable plastic corrugation or a specialized cable channel.

Similar data is contained in GOST R 50571.12-96, clause 703.52: “Electrical wiring must have insulation that meets the requirements of GOST 30331/3 and not have metal sheaths and pipes.”

Selecting brands of cable products:

Steam room.

• multi-core RKGM, PRKA, PRKS, PVKV (withstands 180°C);
• single-core/multi-core PMTC (up to 200°C);
• OLFLEX HEAT 205 (up to 200°C).

Dressing room, shower room, rest room.

The VVGng-LS cable is optimally suited. The use of PUNP wire is unacceptable. The cross-section of the current-carrying conductors is selected based on the magnitude of the operating current.

What should you pay attention to when choosing lamps for your bath?

In the case of traditional Russian baths, you should not install lighting in the ceiling. There are certain conditions under which lighting points are installed at least 30 cm from the sauna ceiling. Also, due to the nature of the fixtures, choosing LED bulbs is not the best choice for sauna lighting. Light-emitting diodes remain sensitive to very high temperatures as well as strong temperature fluctuations. Sauna conditions will significantly reduce the lifespan of the LED. This does not mean, however, that lamps of this type are not used at all. LED lights are placed in the lower parts of the sauna cabins in the form of luminous grids in the floor section or as LED strips located below the seat line.

Choose one of the many lighting options for your sauna, which guarantees safe installation and long service life in the steam room, providing its users with maximum comfort.

Briefly about the main thing

In conclusion, we can summarize that the question of which lamp to choose for a steam room is not so difficult, the main thing is that it meets the following requirements:

• Safety - any type of bathhouse light must be sealed, moisture-proof, and heat-resistant;
• Practicality - to provide soft diffused lighting of the room, not to interfere with water procedures, so that the bather does not accidentally touch it with his hands;
• Functionality - in each zone of the bathhouse, the appropriate type of lighting is installed: tilted, diffuse, adjustable;
• Ease of maintenance - it is advisable to take care of the design of the light in advance so that it is easy to maintain;
• Cost-effective – required for commercial steam rooms where the lights are constantly on, and the use of energy-efficient lamps will save your budget;
• Quality – choose high-quality lamps and reliable shades for the bath.

Of course, we should not forget about aesthetics, because a person comes to the steam room not only to wash, but also to rest, relax, and restore peace of mind. Therefore, you should design the lighting according to the style of the bathhouse interior. It’s a good idea to contact a designer at the design stage so that he can develop an optimal electric lighting scheme and select suitable lamp options that fit seamlessly into the design.