Saunas have been used for centuries across many cultures for their wide range of health and relaxation benefits. Traditional saunas utilize dry heat, but modern advances have allowed for new designs that incorporate steam. The combination of dry and wet heat provides an intensely soothing and therapeutic experience. This guide will explore saunas with steam, how they work, their advantages, proper usage, safety tips, and more.
What is a Steam Sauna?
A steam sauna, sometimes called a wet sauna, uses a steam generator to heat water and release hot, humid steam into the sauna enclosure. The steam causes the temperature inside the sauna to rise while also increasing the humidity level to near 100%. The hot moist air is very gentle on the body compared to dry saunas. It allows you to comfortably enjoy the heat at lower temperatures between 110-140°F versus 160-200°F in a regular sauna. The steam helps open your pores and provide a deep sweat and cleanse.
How Saunas with Steam Work
Traditional saunas use either wood burning stoves or electric sauna heaters to warm the air inside the room. Steam saunas have an additional steam generator which boils water and distributes the steam through vents or outlets within the sauna walls. Controls allow you to adjust the temperature and humidity level. The combination of dry radiant heat with the hot humid steam makes for an intensely calming experience.
Types of Steam Saunas
If you’re looking to add steam to your home sauna, there are a few design options:
Hybrid Saunas – The most popular design is a hybrid sauna that offers both dry and wet heat options. You can use it as a traditional sauna or turn on the steam generator.
Steam Shower Saunas – These smaller enclosed showers have steam outlets, temperature controls, and seating. They provide the benefits of a steam sauna in a more compact area.
Infrared Steam Saunas – Infrared heaters warm your body directly while the steam generator provides moist heat and humidity.
Modular Steam Units – Self-contained modules can be added to existing traditional home saunas to introduce steam functionality.
Benefits of Steam Saunas
The addition of steam to dry sauna therapy provides the following wellness benefits:
- Deep Sweating – The steam makes you perspire more intensely to flush toxins from your skin. This cleanses and refreshes your entire body.
- Skin Cleansing – The deep sweat opens and cleanses pores and removes impurities like dirt, makeup, dead skin cells, and excess oil. Your skin will glow.
- Relaxation – The meditative combination of gentle heat, humidity, and low lighting is deeply calming. Mental and physical stress melts away.
- Pain Relief – The warmth temporarily relieves aches and pains in muscles, joints, arthritis. Sauna endorphins also reduce discomfort.
- Detoxification – Sweating profusely eliminates heavy metals, alcohol, nicotine, sodium, and other toxins/waste from your body.
- Immunity Boost – Moderate sauna use with steam enhances immune function and kills germs/bacteria on skin surfaces.
- Congestion Relief – The steam helps open nasal passages and sinuses providing natural congestion relief.
- Circulation – Switching between the hot steam and a cool shower improves blood flow and circulation throughout your body.
- Weight Loss – The intense sweating burns 300-400 calories per average sauna session with steam.
Designing Your Steam Sauna
If building a new sauna room with steam generator, consider the following design factors:
Size
Make sure the sauna is sized appropriately for the planned number of people. Couples or solo saunas can be as small as 60”x 60”. Larger saunas accommodate 3-6+ people depending on layout.
Materials
Use weather-resistant wood like hemlock or cedar for the interior benches, walls, ceiling. Avoid soft woods that warp. Use sealed ceramic tile for floors.
Insulation
Proper insulation keeps the heat and steam inside. Fiberglass, rock wool and rigid foam boards provide sufficient thermal insulation.
Vents & Doors
Ensure proper ventilation above the heater and steam generator. Use sealed glass doors to contain the steam.
Steam Generator
Select the appropriately sized steam generator based on sauna room volume and seating capacity. Follow all installation instructions.
Safety Controls
Include safety controls like timers, temperature sensors, humidistats to prevent accidental overheating or burns.
Lighting
Install waterproof lighting on dimmers to create a calming ambience. Many saunas have colored mood lights.
Accessories
Benches, towel hooks, ladles, water buckets, hourglasses, thermometers, and hygrometers complete the design.
Consult with experienced sauna designers and builders to ensure your custom sauna with steam is perfectly tailored to your needs and space.
Using Your Steam Sauna Safely
To safely enjoy your sauna enhanced with steam:
- Start with 10-15 minutes maximum to gauge comfort and temperature.
- Allow body to completely air dry before dressing to prevent heat rash.
- Check with your doctor about any health conditions that may limit sauna use.
- Drink plenty of cool water before, during and after use to avoid dehydration.
- Never use a sauna under the influence of alcohol, medications or drugs.
- Sit on towels and wear minimal clothing to allow perspiration to fully evaporate.
- Add a few drops of eucalyptus oil to the steam generator reservoir for congestion relief.
- Use the ladle to throw water on heated rocks to get occasional bursts of dry heat.
- If feeling dizzy, nauseous or unwell, immediately exit the sauna and cool down.
- Install safety handles by doors and benches in case of fatigue or weakness.
Do not overload your first few steam sauna sessions. Listen to your body and ease into regular use when ready.
Maintenance Tips for Saunas with Steam
Caring for your steam-enhanced sauna involves a few routine maintenance tasks:
- Daily – Wipe down benches and floor after use. Remove towels, buckets, ladles.
- Weekly – Clean glass doors, hygrometer, controls. Check steam rocks.
- Monthly – Use wood cleaners on benches, walls, ceiling as needed.
- Every 6 Months – Descale the steam generator of mineral deposits.
- Yearly – Hire an electrician to inspect the sauna wiring and steam generator.
- As Needed - Refinish wood surfaces damaged by condensation or water.
Follow all manufacturer directions for properly cleaning and caring for your specific sauna model and steam generator unit.
Sauna Safety Precautions
While incredibly beneficial, saunas enhanced with steam do come with some basic safety precautions:
- Avoid using immediately after an intense workout as it can stress the body.
- Monitor children at all times if allowing use. Recommended ages vary.
- Set a timer and keep hydrated to avoid overheating and dehydration.
- Check with doctor before use if pregnant, elderly, or having medical conditions.
- Allow body to fully air dry before dressing to prevent trapped sweat.
- Avoid steam burns by staying clear of hot rocks and the steam outlets.
- Do not pour water directly on electric heating elements as it can damage them.
- Never sleep inside the sauna. Remain seated upright on benches only.
Troubleshooting Saunas with Steam
Here are some common troubleshooting tips for steam-enhanced saunas:
Insufficient steam – Check water levels in generator, clean mineral deposits, remove obstructions from vents.
No steam – Confirm steam generator power is on. Press reset buttons. Check for tripped electrical breakers.
Burning smell – Turn off sauna immediately. Inspect for electrical short circuits or burning wires.
Too much humidity – Adjust humidistat to a lower target percentage. Open vents to allow airflow.
Light not working – Replace light bulb, check for loose wires or faulty ballast.
Door not sealing – Tighten door hinges, test seal with paper. Replace if sealing gasket damaged.
Sensor failures – Check and replace batteries in wireless sensors. Clean sensor contacts.
Conclusion
The addition of steam to traditional saunas provides soothing moist heat with a long list of health benefits. However, improperly designed or maintained steam saunas can present safety risks. Be sure to follow all manufacturer guidelines and safety precautions. When used properly alongside a healthy lifestyle, saunas enriched with steam offer an unparalleled way to cleanse your body, relax your mind, and feel rejuvenated.
Reputable sauna steam room fixing companies troubleshoot and repair issues with heaters, steam generators, ventilation, waterproofing, lighting, and accessories to restore custom installations for safe therapeutic moist heat sessions.
