How to equip ventilation in the steam room. Sauna ventilation - the right device and common mistakes How to calculate the size of the ventilation grills in the steam room
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 needs to be equipped proper ventilation, because what can cope with the microclimate better than her? 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 point is that the air 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, it is important not only right choice any ventilation scheme. Diameter is also important. 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, the 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. Perfect option- install the outflow box 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, goes outside 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
In order for bath procedures to bring only benefit and pleasure, two conditions are necessary:
- high level of temperature and humidity in the steam room;
- the presence of a sufficient amount of oxygen.
These seemingly mutually exclusive tasks are solved by ventilation in the bathhouse in general and in the steam room in particular. Despite the fact that high humidity and temperature should be maintained in the steam room of the Russian bath, one cannot do without access to fresh (cold) air: oxygen is processed by our lungs, partially burned out by the stove, and carbon monoxide (CO - chemical formula carbon monoxide).
How to make ventilation in the bath. In the figure, red arrows show the movement of hot air, blue - cold
If you do not organize the replacement of "exhaust" air with fresh air, instead of improving health and increasing efficiency (this is what we go to the bath for), you can get in best case lethargy, weakness and headache, and at worst hospital bed or even a place in a cemetery.
Right arranged ventilation provides air circulation, while oxygen enters in sufficient quantities, and carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide are released into the atmosphere. After the end of the bath procedures, with good ventilation, the steam is actively removed outside the building, and the rooms in which there was previously high humidity dry out. If this aspect was not given sufficient attention, after a couple of years in the steam room, and then in other rooms, the lining rots, the smell of mustiness and sweat appears and gradually increases, and the wood turns into dust. Now, I hope, it is clear whether ventilation is needed in the bath ...
Heating and ventilation of the bath. Please note that the exhaust hole is located at a low height from the floor - as a rule, not higher than 50 cm. With this scheme, exhaust steam is emitted into the atmosphere. Moreover, the floor in the steam room warms up well Ventilation in the bath is not needed in only one case: if it is all built of wood and has not been insulated anywhere - neither inside nor outside. In this case, air exchange occurs due to the fact that the wood "breathes". Even in this case, they talk about the presence of natural ventilation in the bath: any wood has pores and crevices through which the outflow / inflow of air occurs, temperature and humidity are regulated. But if there is insulation or moisture / vapor insulation in the bath from rounded logs, then the creation of additional ventilation holes is necessary.
There are three types of ventilation:
- mechanical ventilation. In this case, the inflow and outflow of air masses occurs due to artificially created air movement. Air parameters are controlled by technical means.
- Natural ventilation: circulation occurs due to the difference in pressure inside and outside the room. This method is possible only if there are "breathing" walls or thoughtfully arranged ventilation vents.
- Combined ventilation: simultaneous use of the natural movement of air masses and technical devices(in the simplest case - fans).
The video below shows a variant of combined ventilation.
In a specific case, 100 micron aluminum foil was used in the construction of the ventilation duct.
Bath ventilation device
In the simplest version, the ventilation system of a steam room or bath consists of two (sometimes more) holes in the walls and / or foundation: supply and exhaust. The whole trick is in choosing the location of these holes and in their sizes. Sometimes, to provide more active air exchange, fans can be installed.
Heating and ventilation of the bath. In the simplest case, the exhaust vent is located near the ceiling There is no single ventilation scheme for a bath: they are too different both in design features and in the materials from which they are made. But there are general rules and some of the most common schemes, adhering to which, you can choose the optimal ventilation for your particular case.
The dimensions of the ventilation openings are calculated based on the volume of the steam room: for one cubic meter ventilated area, the size of the holes should be 24 cm 2.
Despite the fact that the main task in the bath is to maintain high humidity in the steam room and a sufficient level of temperature, it is impossible to make the ventilation holes too small: they will not provide the necessary level of air exchange. Exhaust vents must match the size of the supply: if the proportions are violated, air exchange will also be insufficient. In some cases, to speed up the removal of exhaust air and speed up the drying of the bath, two exhaust holes can be made.
To ensure the required air conditions when heating the steam room, special covers / plugs are made on the ventilation ducts that can be opened / closed from the steam room, thereby regulating humidity / temperature / air exchange. Generally speaking, the presence of plugs or covers on any vent facing the street is a must: in winter, cold air actively rushes into a warm room and the presence of covers or regulators to stop it is necessary.
Where can there be supply and exhaust openings
Most often, at least partially located in the steam room. In this case, the supply hole is made near the furnace at a distance no higher than 30 cm from the floor. The incoming cold air quickly warms up from the furnace and rises. It's quite popular, but not the most The best way organization of ventilation for the bath. Ventilation is much more effective when the supply openings are located in the foundation under the floor (so that rodents do not penetrate through them, the openings are equipped with metal gratings). This option solves two problems at once: it delivers fresh air to the bath, and also effectively dries the floors and walls after the procedures are completed. Floor boards, in this case, are not laid close, but with a small gap for free passage of air. If you don’t want to leave gaps in the floor (although this is very good for a bath), you can make several ventilation holes in the floor, closed wooden gratings. The air movement in this case will not be so active, more powerful fans, but the circuit will still work.
When planning the supply vents in the foundation, keep in mind that the air in the bath should come from the street, and not from the underground, otherwise it will have a musty smell. To organize air intake from the street, a box made of wood (often home-made), plastic or metal (ready-made) is placed in the hole, and it is also taken out near the stove. Usually, the inlets are located in the area that is protected by a metal or asbestos sheet from coals and firebrands.
Ventilation openings in the foundation are provided at the planning stage. If the foundation is already ready, but there are no ventilation holes, you can make the floor ventilation in the steam room differently: lay the floor boards on the logs, but not close to each other, but with a gap of 0.5-1 cm. In the gap between the draft (earth / concrete) floor and the finishing floor, an outlet is arranged, which passes into a ventilation pipe that leads the exhaust air to the roof (but not to the attic). This option provides for the presence of only one inlet, which is usually arranged below the heater. The exhaust pipe under the floor is installed on the opposite side of the room (but not opposite, but obliquely).
Make an exhaust pipe in the steam room from plastic boxes it is impossible for ventilation - they cannot withstand high temperatures, but it is permissible to use them in a locker room or washing department.
With such a ventilation scheme in the steam room, cold air warms up near the stove, rises up, then, cooling down, falls down, seeps through the cracks in the floor under the floor and is discharged through the outlet pipe. These two options effectively remove moisture after the bath, they can also be considered floor ventilation schemes in the bath.
Exhaust openings can be located on the opposite wall from the supply opening (if both of these walls face the street) or on the same wall, but in opposite corner. There is a scheme in which they are located at the top on the opposite wall (30 cm from the ceiling), sometimes they are located below (30 cm from the floor). If the exhaust vent is at the bottom or on the same wall as the supply vent, a fan is needed to create airflow.
In order for the ventilation in the bath to remain effective, it is impossible:
- make ventilation vents smaller than calculated ones;
- position the supply and exhaust openings one opposite the other - so the incoming air is almost immediately removed without giving up oxygen, a draft is formed, which is contraindicated for a bath.
Steam room ventilation schemes
Consider some of the most common options for ventilation in the steam room:
These are the most commonly used ventilation schemes for steam rooms in the bath, there are many more variations and combinations. Based on these four options for organizing ventilation, you can develop a scheme for your steam room.
Ventilation in the washing section of the bath
In the washing room, high humidity is a common thing, and so that the lining does not rot or appear bad smell floor ventilation must be provided. It is arranged similarly to floor ventilation in a steam room: an exhaust hole is made between the rough and finishing floors, which can be equipped with a fan. exhaust pipe goes out to the roof.
With this scheme of floor ventilation in the washing compartment, the coldest exhaust air is removed, and warmer air descends in its place. upper layers. Thus, an increase in the comfort of the people living here is also achieved.
The principle of the ventilation device in all other rooms of the bath is the same. You need to decide on the optimal ventilation system specifically for your conditions and select / develop the most suitable scheme. The ventilation in the washing department differs only in that, due to more low temperatures air, plastic ventilation ducts can be used here (which cannot be done in the steam room) and fans can be installed not heat-resistant, but only tolerant of high humidity (waterproof).
Brick and Turkish bath ventilation
When planning a ventilation system for a brick bath, it must be taken into account that its efficiency should be several times higher than that of a wooden one. Indeed, in this case, it will be necessary to dry not only the inner lining of the steam room / washing / locker room, but also the walls: brick is a very hygroscopic material. To remove all moisture, it is necessary that the inflow / outflow of air during the drying period be very active, and the vents should have reliable dampers that allow you to adjust the intensity of air movement.
With a ventilation device with its 100% humidity, exhaust ventilation must also be very efficient: in an hour of operation, it is necessary to provide six changes of air in the room. In addition, it is necessary to provide for the possibility of draining the condensate that forms during cooling in large quantities. There are two ways to solve this problem: install an air dryer in the pipe, which discharges condensate into the sewer system, or provide a channel for condensate drainage in the ventilation pipe (it also goes into the sewer).
Conclusion: it is necessary to plan ventilation at the design stage of the bath, placing supply vents in the foundation. If necessary, you can make vents in prefabricated walls, but it is quite troublesome and difficult.
Why is ventilation needed in a Russian bath? Let's take a simple example: a person is steaming, there is hot steam around him and he breathes it. Oxygen is exhaled and carbon dioxide is constantly inhaled - and if there is no influx of fresh air in such an environment, the vacationer can simply burn out. That is, if there is no ventilation, the bath becomes simply life-threatening, which is why there are so many subtleties in the technical rules for the operation of the bath. Yes, sometimes you can hear from experienced craftsmen that ventilation in brick bath, for example, is not needed - but this is not about the fact that fresh air is not needed in the steam room, but that sometimes natural ventilation is enough in the bathhouse, and she does not need forced ventilation.
General rules for planning bath ventilation
The ventilation system in the bath itself has two main tasks: to deliver fresh air during the procedures and to ensure fast and high-quality drying of the bath rooms after them. And both options should be thought out and implemented.
And here is what ventilation should not do:
- Violate with fresh air temperature regime baths.
- It is wrong to stratify temperature flows - i.e. it can be cool only near the floor, but not on the shelf where a steamed person sits.
- To remove from the steam room the wrong air - not exhausted, in which there is the most carbon dioxide.
Also, the lack of fresh air will invariably lead to the appearance of an unpleasant smell in the bath - and it is difficult to get rid of it. Yes, the air filled with mold and fungus spores is not the most healing for a resting person.
In total, ventilation in the bath is provided by the following types:
- Natural, when the entire air flow occurs due to the pressure difference between the street and the room.
- Mechanical - when both the temperature and the air supply are monitored by devices.
- Combined when pressure is artificially created using a fan.
And in the bath itself, not only inflow is needed, but also outflow - and this is already done with the help of a box, which is always located diagonally from the supply channel.
Ventilation is vital not only in a stuffy steam room - but also in the shower room, in the locker room and even in the rest room. Just initially you need to decide which of its types is suitable for a particular bath.
The floors in the bath should also be ventilated - because they are constantly in contact with water, which can lead to their destruction. If this is not done, they will have to be changed at least once every 5 years. Therefore, in order to extend their service life, it is important to do the following:
- Initially, even during the laying of the foundation, it is necessary to ensure the ventilation of the floors - to make small vents on opposite sides of the basement.
- It is necessary to leave two more ventilation holes near the opposite walls of the steam room - for fresh air. And so that a rodent does not accidentally enter the bath, these windows are usually closed with bars.
- During the installation of the furnace, it is important to make sure that the level of the finished floor is slightly higher than the blower - then it will work as a hood.
- Boards should be laid so that there are gaps between them from 0.5 to 1 cm.
- At the end of the bath procedures, the floors must be dried well - every time.
You can also make ventilation “according to Bast” in the bathhouse: arrange an influx of fresh air under the stove, and exhaust from the ceiling directly opposite the door in the corner. For this, a special exhaust box is used - it can be made from a board and sheathed inside with foil
Correct direction of air flow
Under the floor, the veterinary duct must be made directly right at the metal sheet - it is he who protects the floors from fire. And the size of the box itself should not exceed the diameter of the chimney by 20%. In general, such a system is good - it is easy to regulate the flow of fresh air from the street, but the unpleasant smell no longer penetrates into the steam room.
If the firebox is located directly in the steam room, then this option is the most rational. Of course, the design turns out to be more complicated - after all, two boxes already need to be installed in it: one to ensure the convection of air masses, the second - to burn firewood. And the channels themselves can be placed directly in the brick podium - if the furnace is installed.
5 popular device schemes to choose from
But the ventilation in the steam room should be thought out especially carefully - otherwise there will be no comfort from pleasant procedures. And you can provide it in different ways:
Option number 1. The inlet is located behind the stove, half a meter from the floor, while the outlet is on the opposite side, at a height of 30 cm. A fan is installed in it for forced air movement. In this option, the air warms up evenly - cool streams heat up from the furnace and go up, where they cool down and go down. There they are already brought out through the exhaust hole. And the lower it is, the stronger the air flow will be.
Option number 2. Both vents are on the same wall - opposite the stove. But the input is at the bottom, 30 cm from the floor, and the output is at the top, 30 cm from the ceiling. Here, a fan is also placed in the outlet. But the flow pattern is somewhat different: cold air enters the steam room, hits the stove, heats up and rushes up - into the hood and out.
Option number 3. In this method, the inlet is behind the stove, at a height of 20 cm from the floor, and the outlet is at the same height, but on the opposite side. And here, too, a fan is placed. The whole system is quite simple: cold air enters the steam room, passes through the stove and is pulled out with the help of a fan.
Option number 4. This option is ideal for a steam room with floors where there are gaps for water to flow out. The inlet behind the stove at a height of 30 cm from the floor, the air that has cooled down, goes down and penetrates through the floor, and then through the ventilation pipe is discharged into the street.
Option number 5. This method is for those baths where the stove is constantly working. The inlet is opposite the stove, 30 cm from the floor, and chimney and a firebox with a blower act as an exhaust hood.
If you need to raise the temperature in the steam room or increase the amount or saturation of steam, then it will be enough to close the inlets with plugs. And after the end of the procedures - remove the plugs. And it's easier than pressing the buttons on some remote control to a complex and expensive ventilation system. This is how the ventilation of the bath is done with your own hands - nothing complicated!
During the construction and repair of baths, attention is paid primarily to construction materials, stoves, insulation and waterproofing. It is assumed that natural air circulation will be sufficient for high-quality ventilation of the premises in the bath. But this is absolutely not the case, and if you approach the matter superficially, you can face serious problems.
Peculiarities
Ventilation in the bath can be done in various ways.
Depends on her presence:
- distribution of heat flows inside;
- comfort and safety of washable;
- period of operation of the building.
Water and steam are continuously concentrated there, the tree actively absorbs them. Even if you dry the building periodically, without adjusting constant movement air, the effect will not be strong enough. To avoid dampness, you need to create a pair of ventilation windows - one serves to enter clean air outside, and the other helps to get out heated, having absorbed a lot of water. Choosing the location of the openings, they change areas that are especially intensively ventilated. The use of a pair of outlets in the steam room and dressing room sometimes improves the orientation of the air flow in the required direction.
Certainly, great importance has both the size of each window and the ability to adjust the clearance. They put valves that open fully or partially. The calculation of the volume of ventilation openings is repelled, first of all, from the area of \u200b\u200bthe bath rooms. If you make them too large, mold will never appear on the floor and in the sink, but the steam room will heat up for a very long time, it will consume an unusually large amount of fuel, or electrical energy. Too much narrow windows will not allow the air inside to cool or become dry.
All deviations from normal parameters , which allow you to exclude the occurrence of powerful temperature changes - this not only creates discomfort, but can also provoke health problems. It is impossible to completely eliminate the difference in the temperature of the flows; it is only necessary to limit their magnitude. Normal ventilation systems are formed during the construction of the bath, while making channels and preparing openings. Windows are mounted only after the decorative cladding of the building has been completed. Therefore, you will have to enter information about the arrangement of ventilation ducts into the bath project.
In most cases, the ventilation openings are made strictly the same. The outlet can be made larger than the inlet, but for safety reasons it cannot be less than the first. For the same reasons, sometimes they resort to paired exit windows. As control elements, it is worth using not doors, but valves, when closing which it is impossible to preserve the gaps. When the steam room is heated for the first time, the valves are closed 100% until the air reaches the desired temperature.
The use of elements with controlled position is also useful because the amount of air flow must be adjusted according to the season. When there are negative temperatures outside, even a very small trickle of air brings a lot of cold. That's why open ventilation windows does not follow completely. The cross sections of such windows should average 24 square meters. cm per 1 cu. m of internal volume. But these are only preliminary figures, and if in doubt about the result obtained, it is worth contacting qualified heat engineers for calculations.
It is categorically impossible to place ventilation windows at the same height or even directly opposite each other, since this will not allow all the air in the bath to be heated sufficiently. In addition, such a design will not allow the air masses to be evenly mixed, which means that it will be necessary to thoroughly calculate the accuracy of the location of the ventilation elements. Exhaust windows are recommended to be placed just below the ceiling, because the air immediately rushes up after heating.
Types of ventilation systems
The ventilation device in the bath varies according to the design of the room and its total volume. Natural ventilation is based on the difference in temperature and pressure inside and outside. In order for it to work efficiently, the air inlet is organized near the stove, at a level of 25-35 cm from the floor. The outlet is made on opposite walls about 15-25 cm below the ceiling. But it is important to consider that such a scheme is not good enough for steam rooms, since it is relatively cold down there, and always hot upstairs.
The natural movement of air in such a situation is too difficult to organize, you will have to very carefully and accurately arrange the components of the ventilation system. A forced circuit does not always require the use of electronic control systems, with complex panels and so on. There are simpler options when ventilation windows, placed in a special way, are complemented by an exhaust fan. The combination of such components is especially effective when the bath is located inside the house, the windows are not placed inside the outer wall, but are connected to the exits by a long ventilation box. Duct fans it is required to select very carefully, because the conditions for their operation in baths differ from the usual parameters.
The peculiarity of such devices is the increased waterproofing of electrical circuits and the main mechanical parts, in adaptation to work at high temperatures without consequences for technology. State supply ventilation and its arrangement in each room adapts to individual characteristics and to the type of bath. It follows that the time spent on calculations and thinking through the project is not wasted - it will save a lot of money and time, get the best result sooner.
As already known, the bulk of the projects involve the location of the introductory windows near the furnaces, 0.25-0.35 m from the floor. With this design, the stove transfers heat to the air coming from outside, and a flow occurs that moves in the direction of the hood. Having overcome the entire distance, hot and street flows eventually cover the entire volume of the steam room, and the area where the upper shelf is located is heated the most.
In the second variant, by installing exhaust fan you can mount the inlet and outlet on the same wall. The air flow is directed first in the direction of the heating device. Having received a thermal impulse, it begins to rise towards the ceiling and moves in a wide arc that covers the entire room. This approach will be effective if the bath is built into the house and has only one outer wall, while there is no need to arrange a ventilation duct.
If a bath with a leaking floor is created, the introductory window is placed in the same place as in the first case., right next to the oven. When the heated air gives off heat in the upper lobe of the steam room, it cools and descends to the floor, leaving through the holes in the flooring. This technique improves the evaporation of water accumulating below and allows you to delay the failure of the wooden floor. The hood is placed either in the next room, or in isolated channels that do not allow air to return to the steam room. The complexity of the flow path makes the use of a fan mandatory. This option is used very rarely, since it is not easy to calculate everything exactly, it is not easy to foresee the details properly.
Another type provides for a continuously operating furnace, the blower hole of which replaces the hood. For the inflow, a window is made under the shelf opposite the furnace itself and at the same level. Cold air displaces the heated mass upwards, and when the heat-releasing parts of the flow descend, they go into the blower channel. There are more complex systems when a pair of supply and a pair of outlet ventilation windows are placed (mandatory with a forced circulation type). It is quite difficult to adjust complicated complexes, but their effectiveness is higher than in the simplest cases.
The Bastu system is the placement of air inlets(with adjustable valves) behind or below the oven. The organization of vents under the stove is not required, although it is highly desirable. Through these openings, air from the underground part of the bath enters the room, which is connected to the external atmosphere by the foundation vents. When a bath is made in a previously finished room, you need to choose a room with a couple external walls; when preparing the basement, choose an angle that meets the same requirements. The dimensions of the inlet and outlet are calculated according to the general rules.
How to do it right?
Installation of ventilation implies that when the pipe is brought out, it is protected from the penetration of snow, dirt, rain and melt water. When this does not work out, you can organize a ventilation duct or direct the pipe up, passing it through the ceiling and roof. IN last case the channel is covered with an umbrella to prevent the penetration of the same precipitation and falling leaves. Arrange ventilation high level means to ventilate and dry all rooms, structural parts of walls, floors, attics and under roof spaces.
It is not difficult to find a step-by-step guide for installing ventilation in a bath, but the most simple option it turns out the use of asbestos-cement pipes and gratings, selected according to the diameter of the channel. If we talk about technical performance, the use of supply valves. First, the valve is disassembled and circled on the wall with a circle marker where future ventilation ducts will pass. To obtain holes in the skin, a drill is used, and large-diameter drills are taken, into which a jigsaw knife can easily pass.
- using the jigsaw itself, cut out a circle;
- remove wooden parts;
- take out the insulation and vapor barrier material;
- pierce with a long drill outer skin(this must be done in order to avoid mistakes when placing the outer share of the valve);
- mark a suitable hole outside and make it using long drills;
- saw off valve tubes along the thickness of the wall.
Then you need to mount the tube in the hole with your own hands and fix the inner segment of the valve with self-tapping screws, only after which you can put the outer part of the product. Installation of valves is recommended in the washing department and in the dressing room.
When preparing a new building, it is imperative to calculate both the size of the openings and the required fan power. It is possible to establish ventilation even when it was not originally done. A common mistake is to rely on burst ventilation and the use of stove draft to dry the air. In principle, this scheme works, but it has serious drawbacks. So, when opening windows and doors, instead of lowering the temperature, steam is released into adjacent rooms.
It does not go outside, but turns into condensate. The air heating is only reduced by a short time, and very soon it becomes uncomfortable again in the bath. To use the effect of stove draft for ventilation, holes are needed, but they should be made only at the bottom. This will ensure the flow of air from neighboring rooms, where fresh portions will come from outside. The damper and the doors of the furnace itself help to adjust the ventilation, to increase the flow they are opened to the limit, and to weaken them they are partially covered (to avoid the ingress of carbon monoxide).
A simple calculation can only be made with respect to forced ventilation, and the natural flow of air is much more complicated and subject to a number of different factors. Among them Special attention it is worth paying attention to the strength and direction of the wind that blows in a particular area. If the outlet is on the side from which strong winds are directed, this can lead to the inflow of the supply mass into it (the so-called effect reverse thrust or its overturning).
Prevention of such a negative phenomenon seems simple - it is the lengthening of the channels output in the right direction or the use of turns in them. But each turn complicates the work and reduces the speed of exit or entry of air. The solution would be to orient the inlet to the side where the wind mostly blows, while placing the outlet on the opposite side or on the roof (with a tall chimney).
Do not use a ventilation duct in a block wall, in such cases, mount it according to inner wall and partition. According to experts, the best air duct is the one built from galvanized pipes. Plastic structures can be mounted with care, carefully evaluating the temperature range allowed for them. The gap from the pipe to the walls of the hole is filled mineral wool or more modern heaters. Mounting foam helps to eliminate gaps at the inlet and outlet.
The method of fastening the ventilation grilles is selected according to the material that serves as the base. Checking the quality of ventilation is very easy - a fire or a smoking object is brought to the hole. This will additionally find out how fast the air is moving. Most often, only an extractor hood is placed in the dressing room, supplemented by a fan.
When the furnace firebox is brought into the dressing room, it is necessary to make a special ventilation channel based on galvanized steel, passed under finishing floors and supplying air directly to the oven door. It is necessary to create a channel before the finishing floor is laid. One edge of the pipe is inserted into the hole and fixed in it with mounting foam, sealed with a grate. An adjustable plug is installed on the edge suitable for the furnace.
good ventilation- this is the one that avoids the occurrence of condensate on the surface of the ceiling. As for the subfloor, work on it begins with preparation cement screed, which is tilted towards the sewer. The foundation is equipped with a pair of holes (in opposite walls, but not directly opposite each other). Air flows should go under the floor along the most intricate trajectories. The holes are closed with valves, which will allow you to adjust the rate of movement of the jet according to the current season.
In the bath, which was originally built without floor ventilation, it is required to drill concrete base down to the ground. This will prove to be a decent replacement for full drainage when there is no desire to work on installing drain pipes. The ventilated floor must be decorated with jumpers, which are used as pipes or wooden beam with a section of 11x6 or 15x8 cm. The logs are covered with processed and well-polished oak boards.
How to choose?
In the Russian bath, unlike the usual washing, it is necessary to provide with the help of ventilation the following conditions:
- temperature in the steam room - from 50 to 60 degrees;
- relative humidity - not lower than 70 and not higher than 90%;
- Very quick drying any wooden surface after washing;
- operational decrease in humidity while excluding drafts and opening doors;
- the same air quality in the steam room, as well as in the relaxation room, regardless of the season;
- preservation of all the traditional properties of the Russian bath.
None ventilation devices will not help escape carbon monoxide if there is a constant supply. You will have to continuously monitor the completeness of the combustion of firewood, and only after the attenuation of all the coals, close the chimney. The organization of air flow in a chopped log bath occurs through the crowns of the walls.
This approach, for obvious reasons, is not suitable for a brick building. When the walls are sheathed with boards or clapboard, it will be necessary to use ventilation holes, otherwise the negative effect of dampness will be excessively strong. In most cases, a hole of 200x200 mm will be enough to bring pipes outside. The choice of plastic or metal should be made in accordance with the specific project and operating conditions of the ventilation system.
A bath of foam blocks must be ventilated inside the walls. The layers of waterproofing and cladding are separated by a ventilation gap, for outer cladding it is 40-50 mm, and inside the bath - 30-40 mm. A typical design involves the use of battens, which already help hold the wall cladding. In addition to in-wall ventilation, all rooms are equipped with an air intake at the bottom (most often behind stoves) and an outlet (near the ceiling). The advantage of an active air freshening system is that it can be placed anywhere.
In most cases, foam block baths are ventilated in a salvo way, that is, at the same time opening front door and the window furthest from it. Only a professional calculation is guaranteed to make it possible to find out whether artificial ventilation is needed or whether the natural circulation of air masses is enough.
Accessories and materials
A fan heater for a bath must have a certain level of thermal protection (not lower than IP44), its body is always made of heat-resistant materials. Modern devices have very high power and operate almost silently, the volume is no more than 35 dB.
As ventilation holes in attics, you can use:
- special windows;
- aerators;
- spotlights.
The Russian bath is known for its health benefits. Her visit is great way relieving stress and normalizing all vital processes in the body. If you want to take a steam bath with benefit, you should make sure that the ventilation in the Russian bath is designed and done correctly.
It is useful to visit the bath only if it is equipped with ventilation.
Without proper ventilation, the air becomes saturated with carbon dioxide. It is not safe to be in such a place. Lack of oxygen leads to dizziness, loss of consciousness and even death.
Why is ventilation in the steam room so important?
All the peoples of the world know about the miraculous Russian bathhouse. Having visited it at least once, you can notice an improvement in well-being, a surge of vigor and strength. The effect of steam treatment is achieved due to the influence of hot air on the human body.
During overheating everything is vital important processes start working harder. The blood circulates more actively, the lungs cleanse themselves, and the skin becomes soft and supple. An important feature Russian baths help fight fatigue and stress: during the procedures, the body gets rid of lactic acid, the effect of which is felt by all people after an exhausting day at work.
The effect of the bath on the body can be negative. Significant harm is caused by poor ventilation in the steam room of the Russian bath. Combustion products emitted into the steam room quickly accumulate in it. Without proper ventilation, the concentration of carbon monoxide becomes dangerous to humans. And in combination with high temperature and high humidity, the steam room becomes a real hell. Visiting such a place is dangerous and risky.
We must not forget that humid air in a hot environment undergoes condensation. Water that covers walls, floors and furniture is dangerous, but not for a person, but for a building. Russian baths are made of wood, which is exposed to the negative effects of condensate.
This natural material rots and quickly falls into disrepair. But this problem is solved: you can make effective ventilation in the bath with your own hands. The ventilation organized by the chosen scheme will allow you to bathe with health benefits.
Properly equipped ventilation significantly extends the life of the room
Types of ventilation and their features
About whether ventilation is needed in the bath, people have been thinking for a long time. Even many centuries ago, its visitors felt a deterioration in well-being due to carbon monoxide, which saturates the air in the steam room.
The situation changed for the better when the attendants went out into the street. Therefore, each bath builder paid due attention to getting fresh air into the steam room and removing carbon dioxide from it. People did not carry out any heavy mathematical calculations. The ventilation device looked like this:
- construction of a stove with a chimney through which combustion products leave the steam room;
- the formation of cracks and gaps between boards and logs, through which clean fresh air penetrates into the steam room, as well as between door leaf and floor.
Such ventilation of the steam room is still used today. But its efficiency is much lower modern schemes natural and forced ventilation. Even a simple, properly positioned through supply window will be more useful than a few cracks in the walls or floor. Therefore, it is necessary to give preference to already proven, high-quality ventilation schemes.
Ventilation in the steam room can be simple (natural) and mechanical (forced).
The natural scheme works according to physical laws. Warm air lighter than cold and therefore it will rise, located under the ceiling. Cold air currents push them out from below, under the pressure of inflow flows from the street.
In order to remove hot air from the room, install the exhaust window to opposite wall from the inlet. Its presence in some schemes is optional: high-quality air exchange can be carried out using the thrust that the furnace pipe forms.
The ventilation system also works under the mechanical action of fans. Installing these devices in exhaust channel allows you to make the scheme independent of weather factors. Besides forced ventilation much more effective than natural.
Installation of fans in the ventilation ducts makes the system independent of weather conditions
Common ventilation schemes in a Russian steam room
If you decide to start building a bath on your land plot, it is important to pay attention to the design of the ventilation system. The best option will provide high-quality air exchange of the room without a threat to the health of the visitor to the steam room. The most common schemes are:
- with an exhaust hole above the stove;
- with a supply hole behind the stove;
- with supply and exhaust openings on the same wall opposite the furnace;
- without exhaust hole.
Each option has its own advantages and disadvantages. When choosing a suitable scheme, you can be guided by the area of \u200b\u200bthe room, its layout, the location of its individual components (stoves, doors to the locker room, etc.). The main thing is that during the bathing procedures, carbon dioxide continuously leaves the room through the exhaust window or the stove chimney.
Constant effective work ventilation schemes due to the influence of natural air exchange is impossible. The quality of ventilation depends on the air temperature in the street, the indicator atmospheric pressure, wind speed, etc. Often, the owners of Russian baths have difficulty visiting the steam room in the summer, when the weather is hot and windless.
Under such conditions, the thrust is weak, it alone is not enough for a safe stay in the steam room. For safety, install a fan in the exhaust window (if any), which will forcibly draw hot air out of the room. The system will be more efficient if the same device is installed in the inlet.
Simple ventilation scheme
One of the simplest but efficient schemes ventilation, is the option to install an exhaust window above the stove. Hot the air is light, according to the laws of physics, it rises to the ceiling, and the hood, installed in the right place, will quickly remove it. Features of this scheme:
- A through supply hole should be punched on the wall opposite the stove. The best place- 15-20 cm from the floor. Fresh air, penetrating into the room, will mix with the remnants of cold air in the steam room, displacing hot streams up.
- The exhaust opening is installed above the stove (14-20 cm from the ceiling). The generated draft removes the heated air, which is concentrated under the ceiling.
- Through windows must be the same size. WITH inside they are closed with decorative grilles or special valves that are used to adjust the traction force.
The best effect with such ventilation can be obtained only with the help of a fan. It is installed in the exhaust hole and connected to the mains.
The best effect of simple ventilation can only be obtained with a fan
Not every device can be used in rooms with high humidity. Before buying a fan, you should find out which device models have the appropriate moisture protection.
Scheme with a supply hole behind the stove
If in the steam room between back wall the oven and the building itself have a gap of at least 25 cm, you can use another method of ventilation. In this scheme, air is supplied through an opening located behind the stove. The builder should take care of:
- on the installation of a supply duct at the bottom of the wall, at a distance of 50–55 cm from the floor;
- on the installation of an exhaust hole on the opposite wall at the bottom of the wall (25-30 cm from the floor);
- about installing an exhaust fan.
Without forced draft, this ventilation scheme will be ineffective.
Air, penetrating into the steam room, collides with the stove. As it warms up, it rises. The operation of the fan creates artificial draft, which removes mixed streams of cold and hot air.
You can do without mechanical devices only by placing the exhaust hole at the top of the wall. But, such a scheme will bring the desired effect only when creating technological gaps in the floor. Passing through them, air currents save the wooden floor from condensation. That is, they extend the life of building materials by several slots.
Ventilation with supply and exhaust openings on the same wall
An easy way to ensure high-quality ventilation in the bath is to make ventilation windows on one wall. Important condition: they are installed opposite the oven. Requirements for this type of ventilation:
- the supply window is mounted at a distance of 30 cm from the floor;
- exhaust window - 30 cm from the ceiling;
- there should be no obstacles on the way between the supply window and the stove.
The work is simple: air, penetrating into the steam room, is attracted to the stove. It heats up and rises, where it is removed by the exhaust hole. For best effect the system is made forced (a fan is installed in the exhaust window).
The scheme with ventilation elements on one wall has drawbacks, the main one being a draft. Fresh air, penetrating into the steam room, goes to the stove. During bath procedures, this flow can be harmful. This version of the ventilation system is only suitable for spacious baths.
Schematic without exhaust port
In small baths, the most common option for creating high-quality microclimatic conditions is ventilation with one supply window. The role of the hood in such a system is performed by the chimney of the furnace. This ventilation option works like this:
- Fresh air flows that have entered the room are attracted to the walls of the furnace.
- As it heats up, the air rises.
- When it cools down, it falls and is discharged into the chimney.
The main feature is the possibility of operation only during the operation of the stove (taking bath procedures). At other times it is ineffective.
The fan can only be installed in the supply window. Cold air is attracted to the walls of the furnace along the bottom of the room, which brings discomfort to visitors to the bath.
