Lamp in the steam room
Greetings to all visitors to my blog! I think that today’s topic will be very relevant and in demand for many.
We all know very well that artificial lighting plays a very important role in the overall interior of our home. The bathhouse in this case is no exception.
The coziness and comfort, and in some cases, the safety of your steam room, depend on how well the lamps are selected, how and where they are placed. Let's see what conditions lamps for baths and saunas must meet.
Heat-resistant lamps for baths
Since the temperature in the steam room is often more than one hundred degrees, this means that the lamps in the bathhouse should easily tolerate it. That is, they must be made of heat-resistant materials: glass, metal and heat-resistant plastic. In my practice, there have been cases where people bought cheap Chinese lamps and put them in the steam room.
After a good hot bath, they simply flowed down the walls, and everything had to be replaced with a new one of better quality. It's good that these cases did not end in a short circuit. The consequences could have been more dire.
So, the steam room should have special heat-resistant lamps for the bath. This is the first point you need to pay attention to. The lamp should easily withstand temperatures above 120 degrees. Pay attention to the socket inside the lamp. It should be ceramic; carbolite is less suitable in this case.
Waterproof lamps for baths and saunas
Moisture-thermal protected lamp
Go ahead. The humidity in the steam room is always different. It can reach 100 percent. In order for the lamps in the bathhouse to work smoothly, they must be sealed. This is achieved due to the design of the light source itself. There must be a heat-resistant silicone gasket between the case and the protective glass.
By the way, about glass. For saunas and baths, it is specially made milky-matte in order to obtain a soft, even and diffused light. The glass used is special, which is not afraid of sudden temperature changes and water splashes. This lamp can be placed both above and below the shelf.
Another important point about waterproof bath lamps in terms of electrical safety. In electrical engineering there is such a thing as the moisture protection class of a device. You've probably seen the following characteristics: LED strip IP-20, socket IP-44, lamp IP-65. IP-20, IP-44, IP-65 - this is the moisture protection class of an electrical appliance. The higher the number, the more humidity the product can withstand.
In our bath case, the IP of the lamp must be at least 54 units. If there is more IP, it means better. Pay attention to this. I’ll tell you separately how and with what wire to connect the lamp.
What lamps to use in the sauna
We sorted out the lamps. Now let's see what kind of light bulbs to use that must be covered from splashes? First, let's take energy-saving ones. They are good for everyone, but they are not suitable for a steam room due to their operational temperature characteristics. They cannot be used above 60 degrees. In the recreation room, “savings” will be ideal.
LEDs are a great option, but not for a steam room. High temperatures are also detrimental to the diode. The durability will be several times less than stated by the manufacturer. I don’t recommend halogen lamps for the simple reason that they get very hot, and the temperature in the steam room is already high. Fluorescent lamps are not used in the bathhouse due to safety and design features. These lamps contain mercury vapor, and the lamps contain electronic starting units, which are quite sensitive to moisture and temperature.
What do we have left? Of course, the Ilyich light bulb. She is not afraid of high temperatures and humidity. Therefore, in the steam room, feel free to use incandescent lamps with a power of 40-60 watts. You should not use brighter light, as the light in the bath should relax, not strain the senses. Another fashionable and expensive option is the use of fiber optic lighting. Diodes are also used here, but they are located outside the steam room. This is described in detail in another article.
Can LEDs be used in a sauna? How to properly light a bathhouse
If you are building a bathhouse, you will definitely encounter a controversial issue about its lighting. The windows in the steam room are either small or non-existent. We will start the conversation with the question of power supply for lamps, and end with LED lamps for baths and saunas.
Selecting voltage
In addition to comfort, relaxation and benefits, a bathhouse is a difficult environment for electrical wiring and lighting fixtures.
The bathhouse has high humidity and temperature. These are extremely undesirable conditions for any electrical circuit. Splashing water is another dangerous factor. How can you avoid the risk of electric shock in such conditions?
To protect yourself and others, use heat-resistant cables for wiring in the bathhouse. They usually come in single-core form, so honor this fact when calculating. A regular cable near a stove may not withstand high temperatures.
According to the installation method, both options are possible - external and internal. Naturally, it is better to ensure maximum security and distance from people of any type of wiring.
If you are using the outdoor installation method, use special porcelain insulators to insulate the cable from the wall.
Do not use corrugated cable; it will soon fall apart due to temperature changes.
We exclude switches and sockets from the steam room. It is better to install them in the dressing room, or any other relatively cool and dry place. Electricity must be supplied through a residual current device (RCD).
What voltage should I supply the electrical circuits in the sauna with? Subject to all safety measures and advice on organizing power supply, you can use 220V voltage.
However, the abundance of options for damaging the integrity of electrical wiring makes you think about using a reduced voltage of 12-24-36V. This is safer and will not incur additional costs. Electronic transformers and power supplies for 12V LEDs have dropped in price recently.
For example, a power supply device with a current of 10A, which can supply power to 5 meters of a powerful LED strip in a bathhouse, costs about 10-15 dollars!
What lamps can be used?
First of all, pay attention to the dust and moisture protection class of the lamp; the higher it is, the better. The ideal option is for the protection class to be IP68.
The second thing you should pay attention to is the material from which the lamps are made. Such lamps are produced by Lindner; they are in great demand and are regularly used in saunas.
Their body is made of iron, ceramic and glass, which ensures resistance to high temperatures, and is ideal for saunas.
Stay away from lamps made of plastic and other materials that cannot withstand high temperatures!
Mining lamps and lamps for housing and communal services of various variations are also great for a bathhouse. They must be protected from moisture, equipped with sealing gaskets at the joints and have no plastic parts.
Here is an example of a great LED steam room light. In some cases, it is possible to install spotlights in the floor or deck chairs.
Protected bath lamps do not look very aesthetically pleasing. They are often covered with wooden lampshades or sewn up with platband. In any of the described lamps you can install an LED lamp of the appropriate base.
Is it possible to use an LED lamp in a sauna?
All LED lamps have a problem - overheating. High temperature (more than 70 degrees) is the main enemy of LEDs.
To use LED sauna lights, install them behind the bottom shelves or along the floor. Try to lower it as low as possible and move it away from the oven. If you plan to illuminate the heater itself, use fiber optic lighting.
The photo shows the lamps at the opposite end of the room from the heater and under the shelves, where the temperature is much lower.
You know that hot air rises and the temperature under the ceiling can reach a lethal 100 degrees for LEDs. This arrangement will to some extent protect the LEDs from overheating, which (albeit with a stretch) will make it possible to install LED lamps in the steam room.
Alternative LED lighting option
Lamps with LED lamps in 99% of cases are not intended for saunas . 1% are specialized lamps or individual solutions from professionals.
There are special solutions that will help adapt them to work at elevated temperatures. For example, heat-resistant LED strip for a bath. It is covered with a thick layer of protective silicone coating that is resistant to high temperatures.
Its appearance resembles a duralight cord. And the design will allow you to realize the desired LED lighting for the bath. Working with it is similar to working with regular tape.
Like regular LED strips for steam rooms, they come in a variety of colors. Its advantage is the high luminous flux values.
LED lighting in the bath
In general, such an LED strip in a steam room works the same as a regular one at room temperature. Be careful when purchasing, the copy in the first picture has a supply voltage of 24 volts. Make sure you have an appropriate power supply.
Remember! When lighting a steam room, LEDs operate in extreme temperature conditions, and in some cases even beyond the limits. You should not hope that they will develop the required resource of 30,000 - 50,000 hours.
However, high-quality branded lamps and strips can work comfortably in this range. It is better to purchase specialized heat-resistant products. To make a choice without errors, use catalogs from manufacturers.
In general, LED sauna lighting makes sense if you power it from a reduced voltage power supply. All power supplies for LED strips are galvanically isolated and are safer than 220V LED strips and lamps.
Remember about LED problems with high temperatures. If you do not want to regularly maintain, repair and replace LED installations, it is better to consider alternative lighting sources. Finnish engineers are actively promoting the method of bathhouse lighting using fiber optics. This is a radically different way of lighting.
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Source: https://SvetodiodInfo.ru/voprosy-o-svetodiodax/svetodiodnye-svetilniki-dlya-sauny.html
Buy or make it yourself?
What else can you say about lamps for baths and saunas? Many, in terms of economy or creative impulse, try to make them themselves. Personally, I have nothing against this. Just take care of fire and electrical safety by observing the above points. In fact, many hand-made bathhouse lamps look very elegant. Use decorative wooden lampshades for these purposes. They add overall aesthetics to the steam room and dim the light well.
Harvia lamp
Sauna lamp
But still, the best option, in my opinion, is to buy a lamp for the bathhouse on some Internet portal or in any electrical goods store. Today there is a very large choice in this regard. It is impossible not to mention the Finnish company Harvia, which, first of all, is known to our customers as the best ]stoves for saunas[/anchor]. Their range also includes lamps for baths and saunas. For many, the price will seem high, but it corresponds to the quality.
The Linder company will please you with a lower price, although all the requirements for a lamp are high. There are many good manufacturers on the market today, so the choice is yours. The main task is to select a light source for the interior, choose the desired shape, decide on the installation location and install it correctly. Well, you already know the requirements for the lamp.
Wisdom Quote: It’s not the one who doesn’t know who is stupid, but the one who doesn’t want to know.
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The bathhouse is not only and not so much a place where one washes. The bathhouse gives relaxation, a pleasant pastime, and communication. And for this you need to create a cozy environment. A significant role in its creation is played by lighting in the steam room of the bath and in rooms for relaxation and water procedures. Dim, subdued light, illuminated design elements, the ceiling, and even an illuminated pool look much nicer than the coolest, but darkest one. It would seem that choosing lamps that suit the design is very simple, fortunately there are now many models and types. However, the lighting of the bathhouse, especially the lighting in the steam room of the bathhouse, is subject to serious safety requirements.
Electricians in a bathhouse are no joke
In baths, you can only use sealed, moisture-resistant lighting fixtures that can withstand high temperatures. This is especially important for a steam room, where the humidity is especially high. And without a large amount of steam, it is no longer a bathhouse, but a sauna.
LED lighting for a bath: advantages and disadvantages
Today LED lamps are very popular. They are reliable, durable, and easy to integrate into design elements and the room itself. Therefore, they try to use them almost everywhere. And the bathhouse is no exception in this regard.
Convenient, beautiful LED lamps allow you to create unique, inimitablely beautiful lighting or use techniques already developed by designers that make it possible to give the room a special chic. For example, the now extremely popular imitation of the starry sky looks amazing in the twilight over the pool.
LED lamps can be easily integrated even into the furniture of rest rooms. They can illuminate a shower, locker room, or any bathhouse. Besides the steam room... And this is perhaps their only drawback.
LEDs cannot be used for lighting in a steam room.
No matter how much you would like to use LED lamps in the steam room, we highly recommend that you do not do this. More precisely, no one forbids you to do this... But what are the main advantages of LED lamps? Long service life and reduced energy consumption. And the main disadvantage is the high price, right?
The steam room conditions do not affect the energy consumption, but they do have a critical effect on the service life. LED lamps are not designed for very high steam room temperatures and will quickly fail. This is fraught with unnecessary costs and basic inconvenience - who likes it when the lamp goes out “in the most interesting place,” of course, while you are in the bathhouse?
If you don’t want to overpay many times over, avoid installing LEDs in the steam room. Otherwise, LED lights for baths and saunas are the best choice!
