Supply and exhaust ventilation in the steam room. How to make proper ventilation in the bath: methods and options

Since ancient times, people believed that the bath is able to heal the body. It is not for nothing that a saying appeared among the people: “The bathhouse soars, the bathhouse rules, the bathhouse will fix everything.” To really get a charge of vivacity and health, it is necessary to create the most favorable microclimate for this with a sufficient content of oxygen in it. This is the purpose of ventilation in the sauna in the steam room, where during every hour the air must be updated at least 2 times. When we talk about a bath, we also mean a steam room.

The quality of taking bath procedures and our well-being directly depend on whether the ventilation scheme in the steam room is correctly implemented. Before we look at how to make ventilation in the steam room, we will analyze its functions.

Steam room natural ventilation functions

The bathhouse needs ventilation, because. it performs 3 main functions:

Saturation of the steam room with oxygen.
Creation of optimal bath processes for steam and air exchange management.
Drying the bath after washing to prevent the formation of mold and fungi that destroy wooden structures.

In order for the steamers to breathe easily, a constant supply of fresh air is required. after washing, air the bath through the door and window.

In the human body at the time of soaring, the process of oxygen exchange in the blood increases several times. For one visit to the steam room (up to 2 hours or more), an adult produces 0.5-1.5 liters of sweat, which is a concentrated toxin. Without an influx of fresh air, we are poisoned by the products of our own vital activity. An air mixture low in oxygen and high in carbon dioxide can cause headaches, nausea, dizziness, and lethargy. People perceive this as an intolerance to the bath, and do not realize that they themselves have created such conditions. The reason is that there is no ventilation in the steam room.

How are steam regimes created? In order for the air stream to heat up quickly, it is introduced at the bottom of the furnace, from which it heats up and, mixing with steam, rises to the ceiling and to the soaring zone.

A layer of steam is created there, which, when cooled, begins to settle in the form of condensate. On the wall, opposite the stove, opposite the side below, under the bath shelf, a hole is made for the outlet of the exhaust air. Due to internal circulation, fresh air is actively mixed in and unnecessary air is removed. Valves are installed on the channels to adjust the air exchange in the steam room. This is how steam is managed, and bath procedures are carried out in more comfortable conditions.

On the opposite wall from the inflow, in the upper part, another exhaust hole is made, which is closed for the period of heating and washing. The top extractor is not for steam modes. It is only needed to dry the bath after washing. After taking bath procedures, it is necessary to open both the upper hole and the lower one in order to thoroughly dry the room.

Many are mistaken, claiming that it is possible to dry the bath with an oven with doors and windows closed. This is an illusion. In the absence of air exchange, it will not be possible to dry the bath well. When heated, air is able to hold a lot of water (steam). When it cools, everything happens the other way around: the air cannot hold much moisture and begins to throw it out in the form of dew. As a result, a lot of dampness will remain in the bath. With organized ventilation, with each new stream, excess moisture is also carried out into the street. Any steel oven will cope with this, because the cooling process takes up to 3 hours.

Ventilation of the steam room through the foundation

The design of the building affects the choice of the type of ventilation system.

An example of steam room ventilation through the foundation

Previously, there was no ventilation in chopped baths, or it was used in its simplest form. The air from the steam room came out through the blower of the stove, which was installed here. Fresh air was supplied through a door ajar by 5 mm. The design of the bath was as follows: a steam room, a washing room and a stove in one room.

In order for the stove to work as a hood, it must be installed so that the blower is below the floorboards. It should be borne in mind that ventilation through the stove blower goes only during the burning of fire in the stove. If furnaces with short-term operation are used, an improved ventilation system cannot be dispensed with.

Here is another diagram that will help those who have a metal oven. The basis of steam room ventilation is the burning stove itself. It should ventilate not only the bath, but the entire foundation. Bad air with an unpleasant odor usually accumulates under the bath if everything is not arranged correctly. The air vent made in the foundation contributes to the flow of air under the floor.

Underfloor ventilation

In the warm-up (firebox) mode of the bath, air circulates between the washing room, the steam room and the space under the common floor. To do this, a window with a shutter is made in the partition between the steam room and the sink to regulate the ventilation mode.

From the chimney of the furnace comes draft to the surface. For her, air comes from all possible cracks.

5-10 l / s of flue gases pass through a metal pipe with a diameter of 115 mm, which is equivalent to the intake air of the furnace - 300-600 l / min, and this is 2-3 barrels of air per 1 minute, the furnace pumps out into the chimney.

Therefore, if your stove smokes cheerfully with a pipe, it means that it absorbs the same amount of air through the blower from the bath, while giving off an enormous amount of heat.

If your stove takes air with its blower from your steam room, it first of all ventilates your steam room, then the underground and through it the air gets back, because. has a total volume. There should be a common underground space under all sections of the bath. If the floors are made independent of each other, then there will be no ventilation. Floor boards should not be laid tightly, through 5-10 mm from each other.

Within 15 minutes, the entire bath air is completely changed, 100% air exchange occurs through the chimney. For additional thermoregulation, you can also open the door of the main room to the dressing room so that the air goes out there and further out into the street.

The optimal scheme for the steam room

There are many schemes with different benefits. Here is one common scheme by which ventilation in the steam room can be arranged with your own hands. It also allows you to adjust the airflow to maintain one or another mode.

Let's consider in more detail. Furnace and door on one side. Air intake behind the stove and through the bottom slot of the door. Opposite, two exhaust channels are mounted (one under the ceiling, the other above the shelf), interconnected by a pipe or duct.

During the heating period of the steam room, both exhaust openings are closed, while the supply air openings remain open.
During the soaring period, the upper exhaust valve is closed, and the lower one is opened. The circulation of air masses begins: it rushes from the furnace to the ceiling, resting against the wall, and descends. Partially, it is pulled out by the lower valve, and the rest continues to move lower to the floor and back up.
After soaring, both exhaust valves are opened to dry the bath.

Application of mechanical and combined ventilation

In paired rooms, ventilation can be arranged in several ways. In addition to natural, mechanical and combined ventilation is used in the steam room. It depends mainly on the layout, for example, if the bath is attached to a residential building. When only one wall borders the street and all valves are installed on it, then ventilation in the bath in the steam room will not do without mechanical stimulation.

In a mechanical and combined ventilation system, special devices are used that control air exchange.

The lower the ventilation holes are placed, the more heat will remain in the steam room. To achieve a good result, it is necessary to additionally equip the ventilation system with mechanical devices. For this, deflectors or simple fans are used in the air ducts. Air exchange is carried out according to the previous scheme, only the removal of unnecessary air from the room is due to the fan. This is a combined system. With a mechanical type of ventilation, a fan is installed in both the supply and exhaust ducts.
Each room has its own type of system.

What conditions must be met

The temperature regime in the steam room should not be violated. Ventilation should properly distribute air flows without violating the set temperature: hot air at the top and cooler closer to the floor.
To change the speed of air movement, valves with the possibility of adjustment should be installed on the channels.
The entry of new air masses into the steam room should be directly from the street. Based on the features of the building, it is possible to mount air ducts.
To avoid back draft, do not allow any difference in area between the exhaust and supply ducts.
To protect the floors from fire, the supply channel under the floor is installed near the metal sheet of the furnace, blowing it with cold air.
At the end of the bath, thoroughly dry the floors and all rooms.
Cover ventilation openings from the outside with gratings to protect against rodents.

Measurements of the microclimate in the steam room

Each bather has individual requirements for temperature and humidity conditions. They are based on personal experience. You can achieve the creation of certain parameters using devices.

Measure the temperature in the steam room with an alcohol thermometer. Mercury thermometer must not be used. You can use an electric thermometer. The thermocouple is placed in the steam room, and the indicator is led into the dressing room or rest room.

Humidity can be measured with a hygrometer. Based on the individual preferences of the steamer, you can use this device to set a certain mode.

What is the result?

Comfortable conditions for vaping and ultimately the degree of satisfaction are due to a balanced regime of humidity, heat and the presence of fresh air. To create such conditions, supply and exhaust ventilation is used. The main thing is to organize it correctly.

A suitable microclimate and the correct air ventilation scheme create conditions for better vaping.

Kirill Sysoev

Calloused hands do not know boredom!

Content

It is not easy to create an oasis of harmony among hot steam, a flowing river of shower water or mini-pools. The operation of the bath requires compliance with some subtleties even at the construction stage. So that high humidity does not spoil the structure, and stale air does not interfere with bathing procedures, it is necessary to choose and make ventilation correctly.

Ventilation in the bath - scheme and device

The inflow and outflow of air is the most important condition, since air exchange is based on the balance of supply ventilation (fresh air) and exhaust ventilation - exhaust air. The movement of the air flow can occur in a natural, forced or combined way. The level of air humidity, flow circulation, and heat transfer will depend on the correct choice of the ventilation system. If the ventilation scheme and device are violated in the bath, the microclimate will be disturbed, it will be difficult to breathe, and mold will appear on the walls. Here are some expert tips to help you avoid this:

The exhaust outlet must be higher than the inlet, because cold air is heavier than warm air.
It is not recommended to make an exhaust hole on the ceiling, as this place warms up more slowly than others.
The classic location of the inlet is near the stove and close to the floor.
The ventilation of the bath should be built according to the principle: the inlet openings are located on the opposite wall from the exhaust ones, while dampers should be installed on the latter.

Steam room ventilation

To choose the right system, extending the life of the building and finishing materials, you should understand the features of each type, and the ventilation of the steam room can be of the following types:

According to the principle of work	Peculiarities	Is it suitable for a bath?
Natural	The convection flow is formed due to the pressure difference between the street and the room, and the location of the supply and exhaust openings will interfere with normal heating.
Combined	Use of devices for drawing air; the lack of strict recommendations for the placement of vents makes this one of the best methods.
Mechanical	The supply of fresh air, the temperature is maintained by special devices, but with all the convenience, the disadvantage of this method is the high cost.

Ventilation in the dressing room

The steam room, with its high temperature, is often surrounded by functional spaces. To dry the elements of the situation, to maintain comfortable conditions, to ensure the flow of oxygen-enriched air - these are the main functions of ventilation in the dressing room. If the steam room is used all year round, then you need to take care of installing a fan, the ideal option is a forced (mechanical) system with the exhaust air removed through the toilet or washing compartment. The natural way - open doors and windows wide open - is an unreliable way to ventilate the dressing room.

Ventilation in the bath sink

Correctly installing the stove, distributing the flow of cold and warm air is just as important as taking care of other bath procedures. The desire to wash, rinsing with water, will require a careful approach to arranging this place. So that dampness does not accumulate under the floor or in the walls, ventilation is needed in the washing department of the bath. The easiest option is to make a combined steam room and sink, and if these rooms are separate, then special equipment will be required to remove condensate.

Ventilation in the rest room

After active bathing procedures, when the superheated steam air relaxes the muscles, you want to relax. The ventilation device in the rest room of the bath is almost no different from the general principles. With a small size of the room, where there are a couple of shelves, and there is no contact with water, it is possible to periodically arrange a draft. If the room is large, then ventilation is necessary for a combined type of bath. Among the latest technical developments, it is better to give preference to compact devices - ventilators.

Ventilation in a frame bath

Wooden floors will rot in a couple of years if you do not take care of the ventilation system and drying. Even antiseptic treatment will not cope with this in the same way as ventilation in a frame bath, providing fresh air. The layout of the natural ventilation system includes: channels, a pipe from the furnace, a through recess, vents, doors. The vent in the bath is located on top, closer to the roof, while to regulate the flow it must be equipped with a valve or damper. Forced ventilation in a frame bath is used where only one of the walls is external.

Extractor hood in a log cabin

A traditional Russian steam room is obtained from a wooden beam, and if the vents are correctly positioned, then the direction of the air flow will create comfortable conditions. To ensure complete ventilation, the hood in the log cabin bath will still have to be equipped. The classic version involves the device of a natural air exchange scheme. The peculiarity of the blower of the stove, the damper with the valve for the chimney, the fastening of the fans to speed up the air exchange - all this is necessary to prevent the formation of a layer of condensate and draft.

How to make ventilation in the bath

Even at the construction stage, it will be necessary to provide for the creation of a ventilation system. How to make a hood in the bath to maintain the microclimate? The logs of a traditional steam room are laid with a gap, so the cracks in the log house allow fresh air to pass through, and you can ventilate with a draft. The ventilation system in a brick bath, from a foam block or from other modern building materials, will require laying a ventilation system with the required number of supply and exhaust openings before the construction of the building begins. Preference should be given to a combined or mechanical scheme.

Bastu ventilation

In order for dry steam to give hot hugs, to heat floors and protect walls from rot, bastu ventilation is installed as follows:

Special holes are not needed in the foundation of the building, you can make a wooden floor with slots. Equip the room with a glass door with three canopies, a good seal, a latch on magnets.
Install an electric convection type oven, which will ensure the circulation of air flows according to the principle of an inverted glass.
Make the inflow under the stove, and the exhaust hole - under the shelf 30 cm from the floor. Warm air will rise up the duct under the lining and be discharged outside through a hole that should be made on the opposite wall from the inflow (diagonally and as far as possible).
Warm air will fill the steam room, pushing cold air down. If you make a channel with an adjacent room, then the steam room will give off part of the heat to it.

Sauna ventilation

It is necessary to lay the foundations of the ventilation system at the construction stage, because reworking the finished building will cost more. A brief instruction for designing a bath ventilation system looks like this:

A free arrangement of vents is allowed, therefore a combined or mechanical system, including hoods for a bath, is suitable.
For a continuous supply of fresh air, make an outlet at the level of half a meter from the floor near the stove, and an exhaust hole on the opposite wall.
Be sure to install adjustable dampers (shutter, gate) on the inlet and outlet to maintain the microclimate.

Ventilation in the Russian bath

In order for natural ventilation in the steam room of a Russian bath to contribute to a healing effect, the following scheme must be followed when arranging:

Take care of the possibility of ventilation: window, door, air vents.
The upper levels of the window and door should match, and above is the place for the heat pocket. For volley ventilation of small steam rooms, simple ventilation is enough to quickly renew the air.
A stove with a chimney is a natural exhaust for a bath: the exhaust air will go up the duct, and the inflow will be through the slots at the bottom of the door.
For air exchange, equip air ducts: an exhaust hole under the ceiling, equip it with a door (damper), and make an inflow next to the stove and install a ventilation grill.

Video: how to make ventilation in the bath

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At present, building technologies are developing so rapidly and new materials are appearing that you can meet a real Russian bath (not in name, but in fact) only in remote villages. We consider it necessary, before directly considering the question of how to make ventilation in a Russian bath, to remind developers what a traditional Russian bath is, how they bathe in it, what are the conditions for temperature and humidity. This knowledge will help to correctly solve the tasks and not turn the traditional Russian bath into an ordinary “washing-steam room” or a mixture of baths of various peoples.

Russian bath - steam room in white

Russian baths with a firebox in white

The first mention of Russian baths appeared in the Novgorod chronicles at the beginning of the 11th century. In those days, the baths were heated "in a black way". There was no chimney, the smoke came out of the steam room through the open doors. After heating, the bathhouse was ventilated for several minutes, then the doors to the steam room were closed, the room was heated again from the stove and the bathhouse was ready to receive people.

Bath in black - photo

Such baths are unlikely to be found today, but there are quite a lot of more advanced traditional Russian baths.

We will talk about these baths in detail, only knowing all the secrets of a real Russian bath will give you the opportunity to make effective ventilation in it and preserve originality. What did a traditional Russian banya look like?

Russian bath - photo

Foundation

In our understanding, the foundation was missing. Large stones were laid at the corners of the structure, they held the weight of the entire structure. Between the large stones lay small ones, they almost did not perceive any load, they were used only as a protective obstacle from the wind. In winter, one or two crowns of the bath were covered with snow, in this way the floor was insulated. By the way, the village huts and cellars in them were also insulated by filling with snow several lower crowns of the log house.

Stones are the foundation

log cabin

The bath was made of thick logs; dry moss was used for interventional insulation. Until now, this material of interventional insulation in all respects is considered one of the best. Moss was harvested in the spring on moss, dried all summer, and only then used during the construction of the log house.

Logs were prepared only in winter, deadwood was often used. If there was no natural deadwood nearby, it was prepared independently. The bark around the selected tree was removed, the tree died and stood in the forest in this state for at least a year. The sanded material was additionally dried before use.

For floors, the logs were sawn in half, the water went into the cracks. A thick floor could stand for decades in any conditions, no one cared about special additional protection against decay processes.

The same sawn logs served as the ceiling. The bath had dimensions within 2 × 3 meters and consisted of only two rooms - a steam room and a small dressing room. The ceiling was only in the steam room, the dressing room had no ceiling, the temperature in the dressing room was equal to the air temperature. Men were the first to go to wash, they undressed / dressed in a cold dressing room. Women and children undressed / dressed directly in the steam room. There was one small window in the steam room and a slightly larger window was installed in the dressing room.

Shelves necessarily had two tiers, those who could withstand high temperatures steamed on the second tier, and children and the elderly on the first or on the floor. A broom was used as a "fan". Without a broom and a large amount of steam, a Russian bath is unthinkable.

Roof

Dvuhskatnaya under shingles. Shingles, by the way, served thirty or forty years. In comparison, modern "innovative materials" rarely have a useful life of more than fifteen years. Today, the torch is back in fashion, only there is one significant difference - if earlier it was a roofing material for the poorest, now it is exactly the opposite.

Bake

The most important element of the Russian bath. The stove was large, the dimensions occupied up to a third of the entire steam room.

It was made of bricks, a large cast-iron vat for water was embedded on top, with a capacity of at least one hundred liters. The vat not only heated water to a boil, it served as a heat accumulator and could warm up the steam room for a long time. Next to the stove was a barrel for cold water, if the vat boiled, then cold water from the barrel was added to it. As the bath was heated, the water in the barrel with cold water was gradually diluted with boiling water from the vat and heated up.

The stove was placed in the chimney. Often it was an ordinary iron barrel with a diameter of about 40 cm, access to the stones was provided by a separate door. Above the stove was a chimney with a damper. When all the firewood in the bath burned out, the gate closed and water was splashed on the stones with a ladle for steam.

The temperature in the bath was relatively low, about +50°, the effect of heat was achieved due to the humidity of the air, it reached 90%. We know from school that humid air conducts heat much better than dry air. If in a dry Finnish bath you can withstand temperatures up to + 110 ° more, then in a Russian bath under such conditions a person will literally boil.

How the Russian bath was ventilated

During the adoption of water procedures, the doors from the steam room to the dressing room were sometimes slightly opened. But these actions were carried out not for ventilation as such, but to lower the temperature and humidity.

After washing, the steam room door opened completely and the moisture came out right through the roof - there was no ceiling in the dressing room. Of course, such ventilation was ineffective, especially in winter. Frost and ice appeared on the walls, wooden structures almost never dried completely. Only in the summer period it was possible to really dry the wooden structures. As you can see, the operating conditions of wooden structures, even with all the desire, cannot be called favorable. But due to the large thickness and high quality of lumber, the bath served for several decades. Then they took it apart and put in a new one. Or they raised and changed the lower crowns and flooring.

Why did we talk in such detail about real traditional Russian baths? Only knowing the principles of their functioning, you can make ventilation in such a way as not to lose the main thing - the merits and differences of the folk bath.

What should the ventilation of the Russian bath provide?

We hope that now you understand what criteria should be used to ventilate a Russian bath so as not to turn it into a “warm washroom”. To be sure, let's list its tasks again, ventilation should:

maintain the temperature in the steam room within + 50 ÷ 60 ° С;
relative air humidity within 70÷90%;
dry wooden structures as quickly as possible at the end of the adoption of bath procedures;
if necessary, ventilation should quickly reduce the humidity in the room without creating unpleasant drafts and without opening the doors of the steam room;
be versatile and multifunctional, work equally effectively in summer and winter. And at the same time, of course, to preserve all the features of the Russian bath.

A few words should be said about the "purification of air from exhaust" gases. As for carbon monoxide, no amount of ventilation will help if it constantly enters the room. It is necessary to ensure that the firewood is completely burned out, there are no smoldering embers left in the firebox, and only after that close the stove damper. Ventilation is able to remove carbon monoxide already present in the room, provided that it no longer enters.

Now about "oxygen". You can find many articles on the Internet in which "bath experts" are concerned about the ventilation of the steam room in order to supply oxygen. Let's not delve too deeply into this issue, let's just say one thing - a person inhales no more than 10 liters of air per minute at maximum physical activity, one cubic meter is enough for 100 minutes (more than an hour and a half). Now calculate the volume of the steam room, it is at least 2 m (width) × 3 m (length) × 2 m (height) = 12 m3. This is a supply of air for one person for almost twenty hours, or for twenty people for an hour. We no longer mention that you can breathe air with a lower oxygen content. Do any of us steam longer? Not? Then let's not bother ourselves with "oxygen starvation in the steam room." Moreover, during a decrease in temperature, fresh air will enter the bath without our calculations.

So, the goals of ventilation in the Russian bath are already clear, let's consider the means to achieve it. There are only two of them - with the help of natural or forced ventilation.

The simplest from a technical point of view, but the most difficult for combing from an engineering point of view, ventilation. The fact is that there are quite a few unpredictable and independent factors that affect the technical characteristics of ventilation. We list only a few variables that affect natural ventilation.

The difference between the air temperature in the street and in the bath.
The difference between the relative humidity of the air in the street and in the bath.
The specific location of the ventilation inlet and outlet openings.
Features of the location of the outlet on the front wall of the bath.
Direction of the wind.
Structural characteristics of air gratings.

For a Russian bath, it is enough to have a maximum change of six volumes of air per hour. This will allow you to quickly lower, if necessary, the temperature and humidity and create optimal modes for drying the premises. The fact is that in winter it is impossible to ventilate very quickly, the room will cool down and the rate of evaporation of moisture from wooden structures will greatly slow down, and then completely stop.

Practitioner heat engineers propose to calculate the cross section of the inlet and outlet openings at the rate of 20 cm2 per cubic meter of the room. For example, if a steam room has dimensions of 3 × 3 × 2 (length, width and height) = 18 m3, then the conditional diameter of the air duct passage should be approximately 360 cm2. Of course, this is a very simplified approach, but in practice it works perfectly, for a more accurate calculation there is no need to involve large and expensive teams of "scientific institutes and design organizations."

One more note. It is desirable that the air inlet is located on the windy side, and the outlet is on the opposite side. Unfortunately, this is not always possible due to various reasons. In this case, it is recommended to close the decorative grilles with conical caps, they minimize the risks of a significant reduction in draft due to overpressure by external air flows.

With the theory sorted out, let's move on to practice.

How to make natural ventilation in a Russian bath

Step 1. Decide on the specific location of the inlet and outlet.

The entrance of fresh air should be done at a distance of about 10 ÷ 20 centimeters above the floor, preferably behind the stove. If the holes are behind the stove, then the cold air will warm up a little before entering the room. This is first. Secondly, hitting an obstacle, the air flow loses its strength, which eliminates the appearance of drafts on the floor. The presence of drafts in the steam room is an extremely unpleasant phenomenon.

The outlet must be made under the ceiling diagonally from the inlet.

You can find advice to make an outlet hole in the ceiling, but we do not recommend this option. On the one hand, the attic protects it from the wind, the risks of a critical decrease in thrust are excluded, which is a plus. But, on the other hand, the truss system will be constantly wet, this is a minus. The minus is much more significant than the plus, you should not risk wooden roof structures.

Ceiling outlet is not the best option

Step 2 Purchase materials. You will need pieces of square or round ductwork, adjustable decorative grilles, sealant, mineral wool, and hardware. The vents can be round or square, this does not affect the efficiency in any way, be guided only by your preferences.

Mineral wool prices

mineral wool

Step 3 Make holes in the walls. You can use two methods.

Manual. A drill drills holes around the perimeter of the ventilation duct. Drill them as often as possible, the drill should be strictly perpendicular to the wall. The size of the hole should be 1÷2 centimeters larger around the perimeter than the size of the duct. Next, with a chisel and a chisel, gradually select the jumpers remaining between the holes. The work is hard, “sad” and long. For such purposes, professionals use a gasoline saw, the holes are sawn through the end of the tire. But this method grossly violates safety regulations, we do not recommend using it. It is better to lose more time than your health.
Mechanical. For round holes, crowns can be used - special metal cutters for wood. They have one limitation - the maximum diameter of most tool manufacturers does not exceed 120 mm. But for baths this is not a problem, if the steam room is very large, then you can make several holes and close them with one decorative lattice.

Video - Crowns on wood

If the walls of your bath are not made of wood, but of concrete or brick, it is better to use the drilling method, the steps of which are shown in the image below.

Very important. Take all possible measures to prevent rainwater from entering the log house in the openings. To do this, the grilles on the outside must be tightly closed; for thorough sealing, foam the space around the holes and with the sheathing.

The location of the inlet air duct under the shelf is allowed. The advantage of this solution is that ventilation becomes invisible. Minus - very inconvenient to open / close the vent.

Before starting work, check the tool for serviceability. The chisel and chisel must be sharpened - you will have to cut the wood across the fibers, and this is very difficult. Take your time and don't try to make a hole all the way down one side of the wall: the deeper the hole, the harder it is to work.

The crucial moment is the marking of the hole on the other side of the bath. You can do it this way:

first, drill a through hole with a small diameter drill, hold the drill only perpendicularly;
further from the central hole in a circle, drill new ones. If you get it right, then the thickness of the beam will be small, the end of the drill will fall into the already made channel. If you make a mistake, the thickness of the beam will increase, stop further drilling in this place. To make it easier to control the drilling depth, you can use a special factory drill stop. There is no stop - with ordinary insulating tape or tape, wind the strip on the drill at the desired distance from its end.

Do not try to make the walls of the hole perfectly even, the main thing is that there is a gap for mineral wool between them and the pipe. Put the cotton around the perimeter tightly, during the installation of the pipe, make sure that it does not cling to the end of the insulation.

Video - A hole in a log of large diameter

To fix the pipe in the hole, use mounting foam, foam the gap between the pipe and the bath wall as deep as possible.

Step 4 Insert air ducts into the holes, take all technological measures to insulate and seal them. Cover the openings with bars.

Prices for air ducts

duct

This work is completed. For complete confidence in the functioning of the ventilation system, it is worth checking it. To do this, fully open the inlet and outlet. Bring a piece of burning paper to the fresh air inlet and see how fast the smoke is drawn in and how it spreads throughout the volume of the steam room. The presence of smoke will make the air currents visible, it will be possible to roughly recognize the problem areas and take measures to eliminate them. Problem areas are places where air currents move too fast or do not move at all, the so-called "dead zones".

Video - Assembly procedure for external ventilation grilles

How to make forced ventilation in a Russian bath

The main advantage of forced ventilation is complete independence from weather conditions and the ability to adjust the air flow rate depending on the microclimate in the steam room. As for the cost, it increases slightly, the price of ordinary fans is available to absolutely every developer.

Modern fans can adjust the speed of rotation of the blades - the intensity of ventilation changes. In addition, some can be controlled by remote controls, and the air vent closes automatically after the fan is turned off.

For Russian baths, there are some restrictions on the use of electrical equipment - high humidity puts forward strict requirements for the protection class of the body. Practitioners do not advise installing fans at the air outlet - the operating conditions are too difficult there. It is better to install a fan at the inlet, but one condition must be observed. The fact is that the speed of the air flow is very significant, cold air can create very unfavorable zones in the steam room. To prevent this from happening, install the fan only behind the stove, this will allow you to break the jet, the supply of fresh air into the room will be more gentle. You should not install a fan under the shelf, cold air at the feet does not increase the comfort of bath procedures.

Conclusion

There is no general recipe for ventilation for all types of baths; you must be able to make decisions on your own, taking into account the individual architectural features of the room and your own preferences. But in any case, you need to make every effort so that ventilation increases the comfort of staying in the bath, and not vice versa.

And the last. There are a few general rules to keep in mind:

the more complex any design, the more likely it is to fail, the more difficult it is to make, the more problematic it is to maintain;
not everything that is complex is considered the most efficient to use. Quite often, simple natural ventilation with a “window” in a steam room will do its job no worse than forced ventilation with a remote control.

Advice should be heeded, but final decisions should be made independently and be held accountable for them. And for this, one cannot do without a certain baggage of theoretical and practical knowledge. It is for this purpose that in the article we tried to consider the problems of the Russian bath ventilation device from various angles and offered several solutions at your discretion.

Video - Ventilation in the sauna

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 a 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 bath, and she doesn't need a forced one.

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 the temperature regime of the bath with an influx of fresh air.
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 stove, 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 complex - 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 the chimney and the 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!

In the process of arranging the bath, special attention should be paid to the organization of high-quality ventilation. Without proper air exchange, the steam room simply cannot be used normally. If desired, all work on the installation of the necessary systems can be done by hand. It is enough just to figure out the order of laying and connecting the main units and do everything in accordance with the instructions.

Bath ventilation is very important. To avoid lengthy and not very interesting explanations, you can consider everything with a specific example.

The visitor to the bath stays in a room filled with a large amount of hot steam. The person inhales this vapor. We know that humans breathe in oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. In the absence of sufficient air exchange, after a while a person will simply burn out.

That is why the ventilation in the bath should be as efficient as possible and made in full accordance with the technology. There are several types of ventilation systems. Explore the features of each option and choose the method that best suits your case.

Ventilation systems are installed to solve two main tasks, namely:

ensuring the supply of clean air to the bath;
removal of exhaust air from the steam room.

Additionally, ventilation provides faster and better drying of the steam room. It is necessary to study the features of existing ventilation systems and understand the order of their installation in order to obtain the most efficient and high-quality air exchange.

It is important that during the operation of the ventilation system the temperature regime characteristic of the bath is not violated. Air exchange should be organized in such a way that there are no disturbances in the distribution of temperature flows in the bath. Cool air in the steam room can only be near the floor. And the higher the ceiling, the higher the air temperature should be.

Ventilation should not remove clean air from the bath. A properly equipped system supplies fresh air to the room and removes the exhaust air. Errors in the installation of the system will lead to extremely adverse consequences for both the bath and its visitors.

The main types of ventilation systems

There are several types of air exchange systems suitable for use in a bath, namely:

Exhaust air is removed from the bath through a special ventilation duct. The air exchange installation technology requires that the duct be installed diagonally to the inlet through which fresh air enters the bath.

Take care of the ventilation device in all areas of the bath, and not just in the steam room. The dressing room, rest room and other rooms of the bath should also be well ventilated.

What you need to know about floor ventilation?

Quite often, the owners of the baths forget that the floor of the steam room must also be well ventilated. Such forgetfulness leads to a very rapid deterioration of the structural elements of the floor and, in general, a deterioration in the characteristics of the bath.

Floors are constantly in contact with water. Without properly organized air exchange, the floor will collapse very quickly, and the floor covering will have to be changed after 2-3 years.

You need to think about floor ventilation even at the stage of bath construction, because. in an already finished room, it will be much more difficult to create high-quality air exchange.

First stage. Make small vents in opposite walls of the basement. It is best to provide for these vents at the stage of construction of the concrete base of the bath. Creating any holes in an already finished structure will lead to some decrease in the strength of the building.

Second phase. Make one ventilation hole in opposite walls of the serviced room. Through them, clean air will flow into the room. Holes must be through. Ready channels are recommended to be closed with special ventilation grilles. Such protection will not allow all sorts of rodents and other pests to enter the bath.

Third stage. When building a furnace, make sure that its blower is slightly below the level of the finished floor. Thanks to this placement, the oven will also start working in the hood mode.

Fourth stage. Lay floor boards. When laying them, you need to leave gaps about 7-10 mm wide. Through these cracks, water can flow down. If the liquid lingers on the floor every time, the boards will rot very quickly.

Quite often, floor ventilation is arranged “according to Bast”. According to this technology, fresh air comes from under the stove, and the waste oxygen is removed through a hole under the ceiling.

In accordance with the requirements of fire safety, a metal sheet must lie near the sauna stove. It is near this sheet that a hole is created to supply fresh air to the bath.

For the device of such air exchange, a special exhaust duct is required. You can buy a box ready-made or assemble it yourself from boards. The inner surface of the exhaust box must be covered with foil. The size of the box should be approximately 15-20% larger than the diameter of the chimney.

Ventilation "according to Bast" is the best option for those cases when the stove is located directly in the steam room. In such a situation, ventilation ducts can be equipped even directly in a brick podium.

Pay attention to the installation location of the sauna stove. If the stove is located directly in the steam room, then natural air exchange is present initially. You just don’t need to rely solely on it - such ventilation only works when the stove is running.

The most optimal option for installing ventilation is the arrangement of air exchange channels on opposite walls of the bath. They must be at different heights.

It is not recommended to place the ventilation holes too high. Although in most other cases it is recommended to make an exhaust hole directly under the ceiling, slightly different rules apply in baths. If you place the hood directly under the ceiling, hot air will leave the room very quickly.

For baths, the optimal height for placing ventilation holes is a level equal to 1-1.5 m.

Bath ventilation installation guide

There are several simple ways to organize effective air exchange in the bath. Study each of them and choose the best one for your steam room.

First way. Create an opening for fresh air. It should be behind the stove, about half a meter from the floor. Make a hole for exhaust air from the side opposite to the inlet, at a height of about 30 cm from the floor level. Install a fan in the outlet.

The lower you place the exhaust duct, the more intense the air exchange will be.

However, there is no need to be too zealous either. Try to make holes at the recommended height, as such values are the most optimal. Openings are recommended to be closed with ventilation grilles.

The second way. With this air exchange, both vents will be on the same wall. Work will be carried out with a wall parallel to the stove. The inlet duct is created at a level of about 30 cm from the floor, the exhaust duct is at the same distance from the ceiling of the bath. The exhaust opening is equipped with a fan. Close open channels with ventilation grilles.

The third way. Make a hole behind the sauna stove for air to enter. Position the intake duct about 20 cm from the floor surface. The exhaust channel is made at approximately the same height, but in the opposite wall. The exhaust opening is equipped with a fan. Close open channels with ventilation grilles.

Fourth way. This air exchange option is great for baths, the flooring of which is laid with slots to drain water. Make an inlet behind the stove unit at a distance of about 30 cm from the floor surface. An exhaust hole is not made in the case of such ventilation - the exhaust air will leave the bath through the cracks in the floor covering, and only after that it will be discharged to the street through a common ventilation pipe.

Fifth way. Such ventilation is ideal for baths with a constantly working furnace unit. Install the inlet channel opposite the stove, stepping back about 30 cm from the floor. The function of the hood will be performed by the oven.

Thus, the procedure for arranging ventilation is practically the same in all the considered methods. Each of them involves the creation of one or two holes, only the place and height of their placement change.

You can also make the holes yourself. Brick walls are easily passed with a puncher, and log walls with any tool suitable for this, for example, with a wood drill. It is recommended to put plastic pipes into the finished holes. Don't forget about protective ventilation grilles. In the future, you are unlikely to be happy with uninvited guests in the form of rodents.

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