Do you need special lamps for a Russian steam bath?

One of the main stages in the construction of a bathhouse is the installation of lighting in it, and special attention, of course, to the steam room. Lighting in a steam room must be carried out with very strict adherence to technical standards . After all, high temperature and humidity, which are practically incompatible with electrical wiring, have not been canceled.

Bathhouse fans love to talk about preserving and following ancient steam traditions. However, according to these traditions, there was never any lighting in the bathhouse, neither a candle nor a torch was lit, since this was prevented by the special hot and humid environment in this room. Today, nothing prevents the combination of the traditions of antiquity and modernity, namely, the implementation of beautiful, practical and even designer lighting. But still, this should be done in compliance with all measures that guarantee the safety of vacationers and the safety of the bathhouse itself.

One of the main stages in the construction of a bathhouse is the installation of lighting in it, and special attention, of course, to the steam room

Features of baths and what to consider

A bathhouse or sauna is a special place where, as they say, body and soul relax. The main feature of saunas and baths is that there is always high humidity in different rooms, such as a steam room and shower, as well as a room with a swimming pool. Plus, the steam room also has a specific temperature regime. This should definitely be taken into account when creating a lighting system here with your own hands. The following functional division is typical for saunas or baths:

• dressing room;
• locker room;
• restroom;
• steam room;
• shower;
• room with swimming pool.

Each room in the bathhouse should have its own lighting. This is due to the fact that the working conditions in each of the listed premises will be different. If you do not take into account the specifics of the premises, then the wrong conditions will be created for people to relax, because lighting plays an important role in matters of relaxation. And this, in turn, will negatively affect the comfort of vacationers, no matter what room of the bath complex they are in, and they will have to forget about positive emotions. Due to the presence of specific conditions characteristic of saunas, the lighting system here, especially if it is created by hand, must meet the following requirements:

• safety. This is the most important aspect, since electrical appliances are not very compatible with humidity and high temperatures. Therefore, when creating lighting in a steam room, it is imperative to properly protect the wiring and lamps from the negative factors present in this relaxation room;

Note! When organizing lighting in a steam room, there are special steam rooms that are designed to minimize the risk of electric shock to people, increase the service life of lighting fixtures, and also eliminate the risk of fire.

Steam room lighting

• creating a relaxing atmosphere that should be in any relaxation room, even in the pool area, even in the steam room. The light emitted by lamps in the sauna should be soft and diffused. The best solution is to use warm and soft light.

These two nuances must be strictly observed when organizing lighting for saunas and baths with your own hands.

Russian bathhouse: how does its condition affect the lamps?

But before we deal with the issue of saving, let's just go through the main characteristics of our national bath regime and see what requirements they put forward for lamps for a steam room.

An increase in air temperature automatically increases a person's sweating. This is an ancient mechanism of self-cooling of the body, which requires that the released moisture evaporate, taking with it excess thermal energy. But in order for water to evaporate, the air must be dry enough . The more water vapor is already in the air, the more difficult it is for water to evaporate from the skin (the air, as it were, is already clogged with other water molecules).

If water from an overheated human body cannot evaporate, the body begins to suffer from heat stroke . The cardiovascular system is primarily affected.

So here it is. A Russian bath does not overheat a person , because the entire bath procedure is based on an excess of water vapor. 40-60 is enough to steam using light, that is, finely dispersed steam. We wrote a lot about this when we talked about stoves, if you are interested, read this section.

Steam in a Russian bath comes from stones heated to several hundred degrees, so the starting temperature of the steam is above one hundred degrees . It rises to the ceiling, where it forms a cloud, a steam cake. There the temperature will be higher, but still not as high as in the sauna.

The characteristic excess steam is quantified as 50-55% humidity.

It is clear that in such conditions, electrical equipment is more vulnerable to moisture than high temperature - 40-60 degrees are not critical for wire insulation designed, say, 70 degrees, but increased humidity places higher demands on the moisture protection of electrical appliances, including lamps.

IMPORTANT! Yes, in fact, in a steam room, all electricity should be limited exclusively to lamps, and switches, sockets, transformers, power supplies and wiring should be located exclusively outside!

PUE for wet rooms recommends a minimum protection class of IP44, but IP65 is still better. (You can learn more about the electrical standards in the bathhouse from this article. And from this one - about wiring practice.)

In practice, moisture protection of lamps comes down to ensuring their tightness. For this purpose, gaskets between the lampshade and the base.

ADVICE! The silicone gasket is considered to have the best longevity.

As for the influence of temperature, it can be reduced if the lighting is placed not on the ceiling, but on the walls, and preferably below the steam cake level , although this applies primarily to LED lamps or strips.

Requirements for lamps to be installed in the bathhouse

The most important aspect in creating your own lighting is the correct selection of lighting fixtures. Here the choice must be based on the following criteria:

• moisture protection. In the steam room, shower and in the room with a swimming pool, it is imperative to install lighting fixtures that have a high moisture resistance class (for example, 68 IP). This class means that the lamp is able to withstand prolonged direct contact with water and not let it enter the device where the electronic filling of the lamp is contained;
• anti-corrosion materials that were used to make lamps. If there are no such materials in the design, then at high humidity the lamps can very quickly become covered with rust, becoming unsightly in appearance;
• high tightness of the lamp body. In order for the lamps to work for a long time and with high quality in any relaxation room of a bathhouse or sauna, there must be a sealed component between its body and the base - a rubberized base.

Lamp in the sauna

Only special lighting devices can cope with such requirements, the light sources of which can be:

• incandescent lamps;

Note! It should be remembered here that the power of such light bulbs should not exceed 60 watts. Otherwise, the product will become very hot, which may cause a fire;

• LED bulbs and strips. LED lighting is the most optimal today, as it has high performance properties and energy savings. But such products need to be installed in a steam room with caution, since LEDs at high temperatures (above + 30 degrees) begin to heat up, which negatively affects their operation and service life.

In addition, fiber optics are often used to illuminate saunas, which can serve as high-quality lighting in any room of this type of structure. Fiber optics are the main alternative to LED lighting. It is worth noting that due to the specifics of sauna premises, lighting fixtures that meet all operational requirements are not very diverse. In order for them to fit beautifully into the overall ambiance of the saunas and not stand out from the general background, special screens should be put on them.

Screens for lamps

Such special attachments can not only make the lamps more aesthetically pleasing, but also make the light flux more subdued, giving the rest room a more relaxing effect. And all this can easily be done with your own hands.

Lighting in the waiting room.

Due to the fact that the conditions in the dressing room are not so humid and hot, types of lamps , sockets and switches is allowed I always recommend that everyone move all switches and sockets into this room as much as possible, as well as place all electrical appliances.

As a rule, a chandelier and several wall lamps are installed in the dressing room in the center of the ceiling. Less commonly, there is LED lighting near the ceiling, beams, under benches, etc. In general, there is room for your imagination to run wild, thanks to the huge variety of options for using all kinds of lighting devices.

One piece of advice: be guided not only by your taste, but also by maintaining harmony with the design of the room and furniture!

Regarding lighting, I tried to outline the most important and important things, but any bathhouse and sauna cannot do without ventilation, but I will talk about this in the next article.

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1. Valentine

   :

   December 28, 2013 at 16:42

   Why put tubes on the wires inside the lamp in the steam room? Is it possible without them? Is it really inconvenient to connect the lamp?

   Answer

   Experienced Electrician

   :

   December 28, 2013 at 17:58

   So that the wires do not short out among themselves due to melting of the insulation. I additionally try to lay them separately from each other so that they do not overlap.

   Answer

Organization of lighting in the steam room

A steam room is an integral part of saunas and baths. Here there is the highest humidity and elevated temperature. Therefore, when approaching independent organization of lighting in this room, you should definitely take these nuances into account so that the steam room meets not only the requirements for the level of illumination, but also fire safety standards. The classic lighting option in the steam room is side wall lighting. To organize it, different types of lamps are installed in the corners of the room at different levels.

Corner placement of lamps in the steam room

This placement is convenient for the following reasons:

• does not interfere with people resting on the shelves;
• creates a camphor-like level of illumination that promotes relaxation;
• allows you to place lamps away from the most heated surfaces, which helps to increase the operating life of lighting fixtures;
• the ability to share wiring with other rooms, which will reduce the risk of a fire hazard.

As for lamps, it is recommended to use fiber optic tapes. They can be replaced with heat-resistant LED strips. But when placing LED strips, even despite the presence of special protection, you should adhere to certain rules:

• no joints between wires;
• the use of sealed products to create wiring;
• avoiding the hottest places in the room.

Guided by this, you can organize lighting in the steam room efficiently and without consequences.

Room with pool and shower: lighting features

The lighting in a bathhouse in a shower room and a room with a swimming pool will differ significantly from a steam room. Here the temperature regime is not so high, so for lamps the most important selection criterion will be the degree of moisture protection.

Note! The higher the moisture resistance class, the more resistant the lamp will be to direct exposure to moisture.

Sauna lighting in a room with a swimming pool

Here the lighting can be:

• general Organized using ceiling chandeliers/spotlights placed around the perimeter of the room or concentrated in certain areas;
• additional. This level of illumination is achieved using wall sconces or LED strips that run around the perimeter of the room;
• decorative. LED strips and fiber optics have proven themselves to be excellent decorative lighting. They can be placed both along the pool and along its bottom, which will create a beautiful and unique lighting.

In all other rooms (locker room, dressing room, etc.), the lighting system is organized according to a standard scheme and is not much different from a house or apartment.

Do-it-yourself fiber optic lighting for a bathhouse

You can choose absolutely any lamps for your bathhouse, however, experts advise that the best option would be devices made from optical fiber. This is a modern synthetic material with an affordable cost and many advantages.

Fiber optic lighting for a bath may not even have a wooden lampshade, since during operation it does not generate a large amount of heat. At the same time, they are not too bright, so they do not dazzle the eyes, and are able to withstand very high temperatures, due to which they are considered one of the most reliable.

To make such a lamp you will need the following:

1. Wood.
2. Glass with a thickness of at least 4 mm.
3. Plywood.
4. Heat-resistant film.
5. Aluminum tape.
6. Glue.

If you have everything you need at hand, then you can start assembling the lamp. How to make lighting in a steam room using fiber optics?

The whole process is carried out in the following sequence:

1. Templates for all parts are made from plywood, and wooden planks with rounded edges are cut from wood. After this, all elements are placed on glue and additionally tightened with self-tapping screws to give strength.
2. The glass is cut out and wrapped in heat-resistant film.
3. The planks are cut and glued, and holes are drilled on two of them to fix the glass.
4. A hole measuring 5 millimeters is cut in the getinax sheet.
5. The reverse side is covered with aluminum tape, which acts as a reflector, after which the lighting elements are attached to superglue.
6. A power supply is installed outside the steam room, from which the electrical cable is supplied to the lamp.
7. The lighting fixture is mounted on the wall using self-tapping screws, taking into account basic safety requirements.

Using this principle, LED lighting in the bathhouse is manufactured and installed. It has low power consumption, as well as excellent reliability and safety. In addition, among their main advantages is the fact that when making the main frame for a lamp, you can make it in absolutely any shape, as well as implement various interesting design solutions.