Steam Shower Size Calculator
Estimate raw shower volume, adjusted cubic feet, heat-loss multiplier, and a practical steam generator kW range using enclosure dimensions, surface material, glass exposure, exterior walls, slope, bench displacement, warm-up preference, altitude, and venting allowance.
Load a real enclosure pattern, then adjust the dimensions and modifiers to match the planned shower.
Detailed sizing breakdown
To select a steam generator for a steam shower, you must understands the steam shower’s specific need. The selection of the steam generator that is suitable for the steam shower will allow the steam shower to reach the desired temperature. Should you select a steam generator that is too small for the steam shower, the steam generator will not be able to heat the steam shower room quick enough.
If you select a steam generator that is too large for the steam shower, the steam generator will use too much electricity and will turn on and off too many times within the steam shower. These factors is not the only factor to consider when selecting the steam generator that people will use in the steam shower. Other factors to consider include the materials used in the steam shower’s construction and the environment in which the steam shower will be used.
How to Choose a Steam Generator for a Steam Shower
The materials used in the steam shower will affect how much heat the steam shower absorbs. A steam shower contain not just steam and water but also the materials that make up the steam shower. For instance, ceramic tile is a common material used in steam showers due to the thermal mass of the tile.
However, natural stone have a higher thermal mass than ceramic tile. Because of this, the more thermal mass used in the steam shower, the more energy require for the steam to heat to the desired temperature. Additionally, materials like glass will allow the heat from the steam to escape the steam shower.
If there are glass wall in the steam shower, the heat from the steam will heat the steam shower bathroom, forcing the steam generator to work harder to maintain the temperature within the steam shower. The environment in which the steam shower will be used will also affect the steam generator’s performance in the steam shower. If the steam shower contains an exterior wall, the exterior wall will release the heat within the steam shower to the outside of the bathroom.
The heat loss will make the steam shower colder than if there were no exterior walls in the steam shower. Another environmental factor to consider is the steam shower’s altitude. The more high the altitude of the steam shower, the more the steam will behave differently then at sea level.
This change in steam behavior changes the variable for the steam generator. Therefore, another factor to consider when choosing the steam generator is the altitude of the steam shower. One factor to consider in relation to the steam generator that will power the steam shower is how quickly you would like the steam shower to heat to the desired temperature.
Steam showers may be establish with the idea that the temperature should increase slowly within the steam shower. However, many steam showers are establish with the desired outcome of quickly increasing the temperature of the steam shower to the desired level. For steam showers that require the rapid heating of the steam, the steam generator will have a higher kilowatt (kW) rating than steam shower that require slow heating.
The higher the steam generator’s kW, the more heat it will produce in the steam shower. However, the higher the steam generator’s kW, the more expensive the steam generator will be to purchase and operate. The most accurate way to calculate the size of the steam generator that is required to heat the steam shower is to use the adjusted cubic feet rather than the raw cubic feet.
Raw cubic feet is the standard way of measuring the cubic feet of the steam shower based off the length, width, and height of the steam shower. Adjusted cubic feet is the measurement of the volume of the steam shower and the additional volume created by the steam absorbing heat from the stone, glass, the exterior wall of the steam shower, and the shape of the steam shower’s ceiling. For instance, steam showers with vaulted ceiling will have a higher adjusted cubic feet than steam shower with flat ceilings.
Steam showers with sloped ceilings may have pockets of steam that are cooler than the steam in the rest of the steam shower. Adjusted cubic feet account for these difference in steam showers so that the steam generator can be accurately sized to provide steam and heat to the steam shower. Finally, the rate of air leak in the steam shower must be accounted for.
Steam showers may have leaks at the seal where the steam shower connect to the steam generator. There may be exhaust fan in steam showers that will allow the steam to escape the steam shower. Because steam and heat will leave the steam shower through these leaks, the steam generator will have to be powerful enough to replace the steam that leave the steam shower through these leaks and through the absorption of steam by the steam shower wall.
By accounting for each of these factors, steam showroom can ensure that they purchase a steam generator that will provide them with a consistent and comfortable steam shower experience.
