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Ventilation in the bath - design features and practical recommendations. How to properly ventilate a steam room in a Russian bath Ventilation valve for a steam room

Ventilation in the bath is a mandatory structural element. Without proper air exchange and fresh air supply, even the highest quality wooden building capable of completely becoming unusable in 2-3 years. However, even in this short period of time, vapers will have to enjoy such “charms” as dampness, bad smell, lack of fresh air.

Therefore, the installation of the ventilation system must be approached with all responsibility. It is not difficult. Moreover, in most small private baths (especially with the “Russian bath” mode), natural ventilation is the most optimal. And its construction, unlike the forced analogue, will not require the installation of expensive fans. And in some baths, it is generally created "by itself" - only due to the appropriate design of the steam room.

How is the natural ventilation system arranged?

Natural ventilation is driven by air convection that occurs when there is a difference in pressure (temperature) in the room (bath) and outside.

According to the laws of physics, the heated air in the room always rises, and the cold air descends to the floor. the main task ventilation in the bath - to ensure the flow of fresh air (cold) and displace the exhaust (warm). Therefore, when planning natural ventilation, the inlet is usually located below the exhaust. Then warm air, rising up, goes out through the exhaust shaft. At the same time, a vacuum (reduced pressure) is created in the room and fresh cool air is drawn in through the inflow near the floor. Gradually, it warms up again, rises and displaces a portion of the exhaust air through the hood. This ensures continuous convection and natural ventilation.

As extracts in a bath with natural ventilation, air vents, vents, and a stove chimney can be used. The air flow is carried out through the crowns of the walls (in chopped baths), open doors, ventilation holes. Both supply and exhaust openings (air vents, vents) are provided with shutters or adjustable grilles. This helps to control the air exchange in the room and prevent drafts.

There are several options for natural ventilation. Each of them has its own advantages, special functionality and some restrictions on use.

Option 1. Volley ventilation - airing

Volley ventilation is common in small Russian baths. This is the usual ventilation, which is performed either after bathing procedures, or between entering the steam room. Volley ventilation contributes to a quick change of air, drying the surfaces of the steam room.

With burst ventilation, the role of ventilation holes is performed by a door and a window leaf located on opposite walls. To change the air, they are opened on a short time after soaring (or between visits to the steam room). Depending on which direction the pressure drop is directed, air will move from the window to the door or vice versa.

The role of salvo ventilation is to freshen the air in the steam room, but at the same time not to cool the walls. Therefore, the ventilation time is short - 1-2 minutes is enough.

Option #2. Ventilation with outflow through the chimney

A stove with a chimney can be the driving force behind ventilation. When the fuel is burned, the exhaust air is drawn into the furnace blower and exits through the chimney. In order for fresh air to flow in, a gap of about 5-10 mm is made at the bottom of the door. Or loosely close it during procedures. In log cabins, when a fire is burning in a stove, air from the street is drawn in through loosely fitted lower rims.

Ventilation through the outflow of air through the chimney is only possible while maintaining the fire in the stove. If the combustion of the fuel is not maintained during vaping (for example, in a black-bath or in a short-time oven), no air change will be performed. It will take more universal system ventilation.

Option #3. Air exchange through vents

Air exchange carried out through special vents - universal view natural ventilation. It allows you to gradually change the air in the steam room several times during the soaring (ideally - 5-6 times per hour). With proper planning of such ventilation, drafts and a decrease in surface temperature will not be observed.

The exhaust hole is usually arranged under the ceiling, above the top shelf. It has dimensions of 15-20 cm, it is square or round. The hood is closed with a removable plug or a sliding flap (door), with which you can change the size of the hood and the degree of air exchange.

A few more rules:

• It is undesirable to place the ventilation holes at the same level opposite each other. There is a high probability that Fresh air, who entered the steam room, will immediately fly out into the hood. This eliminates the full circulation of air, but leads to the formation of a draft.
• The linear dimensions of the hood, ideally, should match the dimensions of the inlet. Or be more. If the dimensions of the hood deviate downwards, new clean air will not enter the bath.
• If you want to increase the outflow of exhaust air, the dimensions of the hood make it larger than the supply vent. Or they arrange 2 hoods for 1 inlet.

For the influx of clean air in the steam room, an inlet is equipped, as a rule, 0.2-0.4 m from the floor surface. It can be on the same wall as the hood, or on the opposite side. It is desirable - next to the stove, so that the incoming air has time to heat up and enters the soaring zone already warm. The inlet is closed with a ventilation grill so that the air is drawn into the room in separate streams, and not in a continuous stream.

Step by step installation guide

The classic workflow is:

1. In the walls of the bath, two holes are made with transverse dimensions of 100-200 mm. It is advisable to form the ducts even at the construction stage, so that later you do not have to carve them into prefabricated walls. One hole is made behind the stove (or next to it), at a distance of 20 cm from the floor. The other is on the opposite wall, diagonally, at a distance of 20 cm from the ceiling.
2. Boxes are installed in the holes. They can be bought ready-made - made of metal or plastic. In chopped baths, it is better to use wooden boxes knocked together from boards.
3. A ventilation grill is placed on the inlet, and a valve on the exhaust. If one of the openings faces the street, with outer side an insect net is installed on the box.

But this order of work is not the only correct one - it all depends on what kind of structure you have and what duct scheme you have chosen.

Advantages and disadvantages of such a system

Among the advantages of natural ventilation, the most significant are:

• simple device and easy installation;
• low cost - natural ventilation does not require the installation of expensive forced fans;
• Efficiency in work - allows you to avoid spending on electricity;
• reliability - the absence of mechanical devices makes natural ventilation practically “eternal”, not subject to breakdowns and not in need of repairs.

There are also disadvantages:

• the dependence of the ventilation force on the temperature difference in the steam room and on the street;
• in autumn and winter, cold air coming from the supply openings lowers the temperature in the steam room, drafts may occur;
• smells from the street.

Agree, the shortcomings are insignificant. IN small bath standing on own site, natural ventilation is the most rational decision. If there are no pools and large washing facilities inside, there is no point in overpaying for mechanical fans (for forced air exchange). If, for some reason, natural ventilation will not cope with the functions assigned to it, you can convert it to mechanical at any time - just put fans on the holes!

In the bath, it is important to maintain an optimal level of humidity and temperature: steam, heat and the sharp temperature difference that accompanies them have destructive force capable of deforming even building materials newest generation. But how to make ventilation in the bath so that such fundamental characteristics strengthen the durability of the entire building, and our health too? Consider the best options.

It has been proven that wood (the main material for the construction of baths) under these harsh conditions will last up to 20 years, but only with intensive air exchange. And the constant insufficient flow of dry air will force us to replace the lining in the steam room in 5 years, having paid a substantial amount for this repair.

Due to lack of fresh air wood paneling intensely affected by fungi and bacteria and depresses us with a persistent unpleasant odor. By the way, the use of aggressive disinfectant chemistry in the bath is absolutely prohibited. Therefore, let's figure out how to properly ventilate the bath in order to completely remove this harmful “cocktail”, reinforced by mold and fungus spores, from the room.

Ventilation in the bath

Ventilation is the process of removing exhaust air and complete replacement his outside.

The mechanism of action of ventilation is simple: through one hole, fresh air enters the room, and through the second (exhaust) it goes outside. The strength of the air vortex depends on the size and location of such vents. At the same time, the correct calculation of parameters for a particular bath will help us avoid popular mistakes.

Ventilation features

Consider how to properly ventilate the bath.

Projects are carried out by professionals for any baths, but during the installation itself, it is important to comply with such conditions.

• directly during construction, since it is not easy and dangerous to punch ventilation channels in an already finished building. In addition, a suitable ventilation scheme will inevitably require appropriate changes in general plan building.

• The exhaust opening is always larger than the supply vent: to speed up the outflow, 2 hoods are also equipped. In this case, the exhaust air will leave the room faster, making room for fresh air.
• We will regulate the rate of such replacement with valves: we will completely close them when the bath is heated in order to quickly reach the desired temperature. In addition, in winter, we also cannot do without such containment of the natural cold flow. So, valves perfectly regulate the intensity of ventilation.
• The cross section of the hole is strictly proportional to the volume of a particular room: 24 mm per 1 cu. m.

In the photo - a valve on the hole.

• The supply ventilation system also involves heating the air in winter and cooling it in summer. Exhaust ventilation only removes unhealthy air from the steam room.

Note!
The exhaust opening cannot be placed opposite the supply one: the air mass will not have time to gradually and gently mix, and a dangerous draft is formed.

• A strong convection current will freshen the air as much as possible, because in 1 hour it takes almost 10-fold renewal of the atmosphere in the steam room.

Ventilation Device Methods

Specialists have developed optimal options for the location of the ventilation hatches themselves in the steam room, and the choice of a specific scheme depends on the features of the construction of the bath. Consider the most popular types.

Behind the oven

• The inlet will be very handy at the bottom behind the stove, while the heater will be in the way of fresh, but cold air.
• We make output channels right in the floor, and the subfloor communicates with leading to the street.
• The exhaust air descends and goes underground through the holes, and from here it escapes through the pipe.
• This scheme saves heat, and always drains the damp underground, preventing the appearance of fetid and harmful mold spores there.

Above the oven

• The inlet for outdoor air is equipped above the heater, and the outlet is made in the opposite wall, but below the inlet.
• Then the warm stream at the furnace will raise the cold one, then fall and go outside.
• Cold air cannot enter through the outlet duct.

Under the stove

• We make an inlet near the furnace, below.
• Cold air, passing by the furnace, heats up and goes up.
• We put the outlet pipes in opposite corner, one a meter from the floor, the second - under. They are connected by a single ventilation box, which we lead to a common channel or to the roof, or even to the attic.
• We equip all openings with gratings and valves that regulate the intensity of air flows.

Draft from the stove

If the stove is built right in the steam room, we will use this ingenious scheme:

• We arrange the heater so that the blower is below the floor, and we equip the ventilation inlet duct a little higher, above the floor.
• Now the stove itself will provide traction, without fans.
• The exhaust air leaves through its pipe, and a low supply inlet will increase the efficiency of the heater.

Hood under the floor

• We arrange the supply entrance behind the stove, one and a half meters from the level of the heater, but we make an exhaust hole on the opposite wall 30 cm below the floor.
• We will install a fan in the exhaust hole.
• The advantages of the scheme are in the uniform heating of the incoming healing air: the cold stream instantly heats up from the furnace, goes under the ceiling, and, cooling down, rushes down to the exit.
• The lower the hood, the stronger the return from the furnace.

Other options

• Scheme 1: a cold stream enters the steam room, heats up from the stove and is removed through the hood on the opposite wall. A fan mounted in the hood is used to blow air.
• Scheme 2: the instruction recommends that both the supply and exhaust openings be located opposite the stove on the same wall ׃ the entrance is 30 cm from the floor, and the exit is 30 cm from the ceiling. This is an excellent scheme if the sauna at the house has only one outer wall, and only we use it for ventilation vents.
• Scheme 3: we equip the supply hole behind the stove 30 cm from the floor. We will place the hood on the opposite wall, also 30 cm from the floor.
• Scheme 4: for baths with a continuous cycle: here the heater blew - there was also an exhaust hood, so with our own hands we equip only one supply hole near the floor, directly opposite the brazier.

Mechanical ventilation

Let's clarify how to make the ventilation ideal in the bath: it is the electric heater that will provide an intensive supply of fresh air through the ventilation.

Artificial steam injection by a steam generator is widely used in modern Russian baths. Similar ventilation is in the Turkish bath with a mandatory humidity of 100%. Mechanical exhaust here is done under the dome, but an air dryer is inserted into the pipe, which removes moisture into the sewer.

Advice!
In Russian baths, where steam is prepared by hand, we will use folk ways ventilation: sew the bottom of the doors with a ventilation grill.

High-speed ventilation evenly warms up and comfortably refreshes the room. Special fans are made of heat-resistant glass-polyamide and can withstand temperatures up to +130 degrees, consume from 18 watts. The protection class of such a device is from IP-44 and higher.

Conclusion

The organization of a soft, gentle, but fresh blowing of the steam room while maintaining a pleasant microclimate - in a special layout of the supply and exhaust openings, as well as a specially arranged auxiliary equipment to them.

Ventilation depends on:

• direction and amount of warm air;
• lack of fumes;
• economical fuel consumption.

Mechanical ventilation involves the use of software devices that control and independently maintain the set parameters of temperature, humidity, fresh air. But the price of such an ideal is considerable. However, the choice is ours.

Combined ventilation is based on the laws of placement of vents, and the pressure difference is given to us by mechanical devices that draw air - fans. This best option bath ventilation.

The video in this article will clearly show us the process of creating an optimal air environment in the bath.

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. In order to avoid dampness, it is required to create a pair of ventilation windows - one serves to bring in clean air from the outside, and the other helps to exit the heated one, which has 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 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 must be selected very carefully, because the conditions for their operation in baths differ from the usual parameters.

The peculiarity of such devices lies in the increased waterproofing of electrical circuits and main mechanical parts, in adaptation to work at high temperatures without consequences for technology. The state of supply ventilation and its arrangement in each room is adapted 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 for the arrangement of 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 stove. 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 even more complex systems when a pair of supply and a pair of outlet ventilation windows are placed (always 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 pair of 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.

Walkthrough for the installation of ventilation in the bath is not difficult to find, however, the simplest option is the use of asbestos-cement pipes and gratings, selected according to the diameter of the channel. If we talk about the technical design, the use of supply valves is recognized as the most effective and convenient design in frame-type walls. 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 heating of the air is reduced only for 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 negative phenomenon seems simple - this is the lengthening of the channels output in the right direction or the application 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 temperature regime of operation of bath rooms is very different from the microclimate of ordinary living rooms. Accordingly, more stringent requirements are put forward for air exchange inside the steam room. This guide discusses the traditional technique of how to properly ventilate a bathhouse built with your own hands from any materials - timber, logs or foam blocks.

Why do bathrooms need ventilation?

In the process of washing the air inside the sauna is heated and saturated with moisture. The higher the temperature in the steam room and washing room, the large quantity air can absorb water vapor. At the end of the bath procedures, the building cools down and the contained moisture begins to condense on all wooden surfaces, provoking the formation of mold and fungus.

The supply and exhaust in the bath are designed to solve 3 tasks:

1. Renewal of the air environment during washing in accordance with the requirements of sanitary standards.
2. Removing excess moisture from the premises, drying wood.
3. Creating a circulation of moist air in the steam room.

The last point requires clarification. When you steam in a heated Russian banya and add a parka, hot humidified air rises to the ceiling. A properly installed hood removes cooling air masses, due to which circular flows arise that equalize the temperature throughout the entire height of the room. Without ventilation, the lower zone of the steam room will remain cold.

Reference. The physical processes occurring in the Russian and Finnish baths are almost the same. The difference lies in the temperature and degree of air humidity. In the first case, the temperature reaches 70-80 degrees, humidity - up to 70%, in the second 100 ° C and 30%, respectively (the so-called dry steam).

In the washing room, rest room and dressing room, ordinary ventilation is needed to renew the air environment. For gas operation, an additional inflow is provided to ensure combustion.

Universal air exchange scheme

The most economical and efficient is considered classic version- natural ventilation in the steam room, shown in the diagram. The main washing system operates as follows:

1. The inflow is organized through a gap of 2-3 cm under the front door, where heated air from the adjacent room penetrates.
2. Receiving a dose of heat from the stove and saturated with steam, the hot air mass rises to the ceiling.
3. Cooling from contact with surfaces and people, the air descends to the lower zone, from where it is removed by means of an exhaust grille and a separate channel arranged in the opposite corner.
4. The volume of inflow is regulated by a valve installed on the exhaust port.

An important nuance. Hot moist air is much lighter than cold dry air, so the hood is provided from the bottom of the steam room. If you make a ventilation hole near the ceiling, the lion's share of the heat will go outside, it will be uncomfortable in the microclimate near the shelves.

How the bath ventilation system should work, the expert will tell in his video:

An auxiliary hood, made near the ceiling, is designed to ventilate and dry the steam room at the end of bath procedures. During washing, the hole is tightly closed with a valve. Instead of an exhaust opening, it is allowed to use ceiling diffusers or a regular swing-out window.

Consider several alternative steam room ventilation schemes shown below in the picture:

1. Supply of inflow directly from the street through a hole made near the stove. From contact with a hot surface, the air instantly warms up, circulates through the steam room and leaves through a vertical box to the outside.
2. A similar scheme with heating the inflow at the furnace, the exhaust is organized through a hidden channel under a wooden deck. In a steam room with a concrete floor, such a solution is difficult to implement.
3. Role exhaust duct plays furnace chimney, in which a priori there is good traction.

Note. These schemes are used in certain conditions- when air is supplied from the street, exhaust through the floors or in the case of placing the firebox inside the steam room.

In other rooms, the ventilation device is simpler - the hood is provided in the upper zone, the inflow is supplied to the lower one. Moreover, in winter, fresh air must be heated or first passed through a dressing room so that it does not blow cold in the steam room. To clean and heat the street flow, it is advisable to use local supply units with forced air injection.

Option to return air to the shower room through a vertical channel and overflow grille

Choosing the Right Materials

The very idea of ​​a Russian or Finnish bath involves the use of environmentally friendly materials and the corresponding heating equipment. If you are, the use of polymer insulation, glass wool and various plastic elements is not allowed.

To arrange ventilation in the bath (especially in the steam room) with your own hands, it is recommended to purchase the following materials:

• air ducts made of galvanized steel or wooden boxes;
• grilles, shutters and diffusers - made of wood or painted metal;
• sealing pipes with access to the wall - tow, moss, jute;
• fans - made of special plastic, with a high degree of electrical protection against moisture.

Advice. Try to use a minimum in the steam room metal elements. If you raise the temperature to 80-100 ° C, the parts will get very hot and can burn you if accidentally touched.

Inside the steam room to make ventilation from plastic pipe absolutely not recommended. When heated to 100 degrees, the polymer begins to lose stability and releases harmful substances. In a good way, you can’t put fans in the steam room either, and there’s no need to.

Forced exhaust creates a powerful air flow, entraining a large amount of heat, the oven will run idle. For drying the bath, the fan is also not a panacea - just open the window and the front door, organizing a draft. Injection is appropriate in one case - when it works Supply unit with heating.

Ideally, ventilation is designed and laid down at the construction stage of the bath. The placement of air ducts is thought out in advance, the furnace model and the air exchange scheme are selected. The best option the main hood - through the floors into the side vertical channel, more economical - grill or diffuser in the wall.

An important point. Often there is a mistake when the owner competently equips the hood, forgets about the inflow and gets a deplorable result - mold in the corners. Remember: no substitution supply air exhaust ventilation will not work. Installing a suction fan will not solve the problem either.

When installing ventilation, we suggest following simple recommendations:

If a bath with a steam room has already been built, the ventilation duct can be brought out through the wall and raised to a height of 3-4 m next to the chimney. It is desirable to insulate the pipe, otherwise you will have to deal with condensation. How best to organize the ventilation of bath rooms, look at the video:

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Bath procedures heal and relax. However, without good ventilation in the steam room, being in it can end in problems. In addition, if wooden shelves and walls are not dried regularly, they will not last long.

Wood from the abundance of moisture will inevitably begin to deteriorate. However, it is not so difficult to make effective ventilation in the bath with your own hands. There are several schemes for its device in this room. You can always choose the best option for self-implementation.

The main types of ventilation for baths

The classic Russian bath is a small room. Not all types of ventilation can be implemented in it. Often in complex air exchange systems in this case there is no need. And most hosts country cottages and cottages building a steam room with their own hands, they prefer to look for the simplest solutions.

All variations of ventilation systems are divided into:

• natural;
• forced (supply, exhaust and combined).

Air distribution in the steam room with proper ventilation

In the first case, ventilation is arranged so that the processes of air exchange in the room occur due to natural draft and convection. In the second, the air is forced to move around the room with the help of a fan installed on the exhaust, inflow, or both directions at once.

To organize ventilation in the bath, you can use all these methods. However, the natural option is more preferable. It is cheap, non-volatile and does not require supervision of electrical equipment. But in some cases it is not enough.

Air flow during natural ventilation

For example, it was decided to make a steam room in the house itself, and not in the form of a separate building on the street. Then only exhaust or supply ventilation can help. It is not recommended to equip a combined supply and exhaust analogue with a heat exchanger or electric heater in a bathhouse due to the high cost and complexity of installation. And in the steam room, such an option with additional air heating is simply not needed.

Air circulation in the bath, depending on the location of the stove

Ventilation schemes for steam rooms and baths

It doesn't matter if there is a fan in the duct or not. Ventilation in the bath is always done so that there are two ventilation ducts (windows or openings to the street). One input goes to the supply, and the second output to the exhaust. Moreover, ideally, they should be located on opposite walls and have doors, valves or latches to adjust the draft.

On the one hand, proper ventilation in the steam room should ensure a constant flow of oxygen inside, and on the other hand, it should not draw heat too quickly outside. If the air exchange is made too intense, then you won’t save up any firewood for such a bathhouse. All heated air will immediately go outside.

Temperature distribution in a ventilated steam room

The wood stove and electric heater continuously burn oxygen during operation. And the ventilation in the bath should also continuously replace it so that those who come to take a steam bath do not feel discomfort. Therefore, bath ventilation windows should have valves that will allow you to regulate the volume of air supply and exhaust.

by the most efficient schemes placement of ventilation windows in the bath are considered (direction "inflow" - "exhaust"):

1. On the wall near the stove - on the wall opposite above the shelf.
2. On the wall by the stove - through the cracks in the floor and further into the outlet of the dressing room.
3. On the wall under the shelf - in the chimney.
4. Through an outlet in the foundation and a crack in the floor - on the wall under the ceiling.

Types of hoods

In the first case, cold air is heated at the stove and goes up to the opposite wall, where the shelves are located. When implementing the second version of bath ventilation, the heated air masses first rise to the ceiling, and then, due to the draft, they fall and are pulled out through the cracks between the floor boards.

In the third scheme, a small pocket with stagnant hot air is created above the shelf. But such ventilation still draws oxygen into the steam bath and in sufficient quantities.

The fourth option involves the presence of vents in the subfield. It is more difficult to execute it in an already built bath with your own hands. In flooded concrete foundation punching holes for ventilation is a problematic task. But with him floor boards below the ground will always dry quickly after bath procedures and will last longer.

Methods for locating ventilation in the bath

The entrance window should be located from the floor at a height of 20–40 cm, and the exit window should be 15–20 cm below the ceiling. It is best if both of them are the same size. And both should be provided with blinds or a valve.

exhaust and forced ventilation usually done with duct fan, which is mounted directly in the duct. It should be chosen for a bath with increased protection against steam and high temperature. All mechanical and electrical components of this fan must have improved waterproofing. IP protection here should be chosen at least "54".

You can always ventilate the steam room by simply opening the doors and windows in it. You don't even need air vents for this. So the internal hot air is replaced by cold external air in just a couple of minutes.

Hot air circulation in the steam room

However proper ventilation It's hard to tell through open doors. In this case, all the steam ends up in the dressing room, where it instantly turns into condensate on the walls and interior items. TO this species"volley" ventilation should be resorted to only in an emergency.

Important nuances of the do-it-yourself bath ventilation device

If everything is done correctly, then you need to plan ventilation in the bath at the design stage. In an already finished building, it is more difficult to make ventilation holes even in wood than at the same time as laying a log house. The area of ​​​​the vent should be about 200-300 square meters. see. This is more than enough for the majority of small square steam rooms.

Bath ventilation scheme

Another important point- dowels in the walls, fastening logs together. If they are metal, then when creating vents, it is important not to run into these rods.

It is better to generally move the vents away from them as far as possible to the side. It will still not be possible to completely get rid of moisture, so the metal of the fasteners should be kept away from it.

Steam room plan with ventilation

Vents are not recommended to be placed on the same wall. In this case, the ventilation will be such that the air flow will immediately go from the bottom up, without circulating through the steam room. Holes should be made in height no more than the section of the log (beam). The required opening area is easier to select by increasing its length. It is impossible to build an outlet between two logs. This is more difficult to perform and can lead to damage when the log house settles.

Forced ventilation in the bath

Steam room ventilation duct outlets with outer wall must be protected from rain. If water gets inside the holes, it will be inside wooden walls. And for a long time after that, the wood is unlikely to stand without decay.

When making ventilation in a Russian wooden bathhouse, the outlet vent should be led into its wall, and not into the ceiling. Bath steam should go immediately to the street. There is nothing for him to do in the attic. There wooden rafters, which excess moisture is contraindicated.