In todays hectic world, steam bathing provides the opportunity to enjoy even short periods of relaxation. Within moments warmth penetrates your body from head to toe, easing tired muscles and helping your cares drift away. Whether combining with a cool shower for an invigorating start to a busy day or relaxing with a warm shower as a prelude to restful sleep - the reward is equally special.

Helo is the worlds largest sauna & steam company. In the UK they have been selling sauna & steam products for around 20 years, and during this time have built a reputation for quality and service.

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THE BASICS....

Filling an area with steam rasies humidity and temperature, creating a pleasant environment within which to relax and detoxify. The most popular space to use for steam is a new or existing shower - there are 3 reasons for this: no extra space is needed, a regular shower enclosure is 90% ready for steam, its nice to shower after steam bathing.

A compact steam generator is installed within 5 metres of the steam room. The more powerful the generator, the more steam it will produce; the larger the room the more steam it needs to get hot. The space you are using has to retain most of the steam, otherwise it won't get hot. So you need to choose a door that has relatively small gaps and either cap the shower enclosure with a Helo dome or box in above the shower. It is not necessary to get the area 100% steam proof - some steam will always escape when you open/close the door, but standard bathroom vent extraction will cope with this.

The idea is to relax, so you ideally need to provide somewhere to sit - this can be achieved by creating a structural bench in the shwer, or by using a foldaway shower seat.

HELO STEAM GENERATORS F.A.Q.’s

1: What door should I use?

The only factor to consider when choosing a door is whether it will keep most of the steam in the shower. The door does not need to be air-tight, any shower or steam door which has a reasonable vertical seal and not too large gaps top and bottim will be fine for steam.

2: What shower tray should I use?

Any shower tray is suitable for steam - there are no special requirements. The steam outlet is mounted on the wall 300mm above the shower tray/floor. The steam is directed back at the wall, therefore the shower tray or floor below will not be adversely effected by the heat.

3: Do I need to use special tiles or grout?

No, any tiles or grout suitable for a shower will be fine for steam. The humidity in a steam room is higher than a regular shower, but this is only water in the air, and the temperature is raised, but only to about 40-45 degrees celsius which is not hot enough to cause a problem. 

4: Do I need special steam proof lights?

No, any lights suitable for a shower will be fine for steam. Use low voltage (12v) IP65 rated lights. There are also available from Helo.

5: Where does the generator go?

The steam generator should be located in a room or space up to 5 metres from the shower, for example in a cupboard, under the stairs, in a loft or garage. Helo generators are quite compact, but please allow enough space around the generator in case access is ever required.

6: How does the steam come out in the shower?

The N and M-series generaotrs both come with a white steam outlet made from a material called Acetal. This material does not conduct heat and therefore remains relatively cool to touch, hence reducing the possibility of the steam bather getting burnt by the steam outlet. This steam outlet features a small stainless steel reservoir where essential oils can be placed in order to infuse the steam with a chosen aroma. The A-series generator comes with a cool touch steam outlet, wwith plastic interior and plated exterior. This means the A-series steam outlet is available in different finishes such as gold or chrome. This outlet also has a built-in reservoir for essential oils. Where space is tight and there is a chance that the users feet may be close to the steam outlet, you may wish to diffuse the steam with the optional "weep box". This is a Perspex cover, which fits over the outlet, diffusing the steam gently into the shower area.

7: What about water supply?

The generator needs a 15mm cold water supply (warm water can also be used) with a minimum pressure of 6 foot head or 0.2 bar. This is because thewater inlet solenoid on the generator needs a small amount of pressure to work. If there is less than 0.2 bar pressure, the steam generator will not work or may only work intermittently as it fills up with water very slowly. It is unlikely that the water pressure in a house will be this low. However there is one instance you should be aware of, which is when the generator is located in a loft area and the water supply also comes from a tank in the loft - here the water has not dropped far enough to create any pressure. In this instance, the water supply should be taken from the supply to the tank, rather than from the tank itself. Ideally the pressure should not exceed 1 bar or 33.5 foot of head, this is because if the pressure is too high the bather may hear the noise of a rush of cold water hitting the boiling contents of the generator tank. If the only water supply available is at high pressure, the installer should fit a pressure-reducing valve.

8: Does the generator need to be connected to a drain?

The only practical reason to fit an automatic drain to a steam generator is to help counter the effects of limescale. Helo generators feature incalloy elements and a stainless steel tank, both of which are highly resistant to limescale, therefore reducing the need for an automatic drain. A-series generators use copper elements and are supplied as standard with an automatic drain system.

9: What about the steam generator pressure relief valve?

All Helo steam generators have a pressure relief valve. This is a safety precaution - if for some reason the steam pipe were to get completely blocked with the steam generator on, there would be a pressure build up in the steam generator tank, which would be able to escape from the pressure relief valve, In almost 20 years of selling domestic steam in the UK, to the best of our knwoledge, this has never happened. However, although we do not consider it necessary, it is quite simple to run a copper pipe from the pressure relief valve connection on the steam generator to an outside wall or drain, should you wish to do so.

10: How long does the steam shower take to get hot?

The steam generator should start to produce steam within a few minutes, and the steam area will be comfortable to bathe within 10-15 minutes. If a thermostatic control is being used, the steam room temperature will continue to rise until the preset temperature is reached, at which point this temperature will be maintained by the generator. If the generator is installed in a manual state (with a simple on/off button instead of a thermostatic control), the steam room temperature will continue to rise until the user presses the button to stop it. For safety, manual generators are futted with a default 25 minute run-time, which switches the generator off.

11: Do I need special ventilation?

No, you do not need any special ventilation for a steam room or steam shower. The steam will condense back to water and drain away. You can speed up this process by running the shower. Most bathrooms have a vent extract which should be sufficient to remove any steam that escapes during use. If you are building a larger steam room with a particularly well-sealed door, a vent inside the area will assist the steam circulation.

12: Do I need a water softener?

No, in a domestic installation a water softener should not be necessary unless you have particularly high levels of limescale or calcium – for example, if your water comes from a borehole.

13: What is the best height for a steam room/steam shower?

Heat rises, therefore having a low ceiling makes it easier and more economical to heat, and also makes the room warmer at low-level, which is where you are sitting. Whilst a lower ceiling height is a good thing for steam, it is not critical. Helo recommends 2.1m as an ideal ceiling height, and a maximum effective height of 2.4m, however provided the steam generator is powerful enough the ceiling can be any height, within reason.

14: How do I finish the steam room / steam shower ceiling?

To keep the steam in a shower enclosure, you need to either box in above the shower, or use one of Helo's acrylic steam domes. If you decide to box in, simply infill above the shower door and finish to match the rest of the bathroom. You can then form a false ceiling in the shower area, perhaps with a low voltage IP65 rated ceiling light. The ceiling should be made from a material which is water resistant, for example Helo steam panels or tiles. If possible, you should incorporate a slight fall (approx. 1 in 20), so that any condensation will run away. If you opt for the steam dome solution, just choose a dome size/shape that matches the shower enclosure. If you cant see one the right size, contact us as it may be possible to have one made specially by Helo to suit. The dome comes with simple fixing clips, which allow it to be removed for cleaning.

15: Do I need a special drain in the shower?

No, any standard shower waste or wet area drain will be fine. By the time the steam reaches the drain it has already condensed back to water and will simply drain away.

16: Do I need to insulate the room?

Insulation is not necessary. However, as with a standard shower enclosure, using a simple tile backer board does help to keep the chill off tiles, which enhances the shower/steam experience and also acts as addition DPM. Using a tile backer board will also reduce heat up times if you are using steam.

GENERATOR POWER OUTPUT ACCORDING TO ROOM SIZE & FINISH

The following table is designed to help you choose the best generator output power based on the wall finish/max size of the shower area. The table assumes the ideal height of 2.1m. The other important factors in the formula are the volume of the room and the material from which the walls are made. Acrylic or shower panels are the most efficient, ceramic tiles less so and stone/marble the least efficient.

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