In the old days, there were no light sources inside the bath rooms. Spots and candles quickly went out due to humid and dense air. Modern steam rooms are hard to imagine without good lighting. Before you install lighting fixtures yourself, you need to familiarize yourself with the basic requirements and rules in advance in order to avoid problems with the electrician or an insufficient number of light bulbs.
Steam room lighting requirements
Safety and uninterrupted lighting of the bath are the most important points when using steam rooms. Excessive humidity makes it necessary to install the wiring in another way, to use certain lighting devices. Consider the following:
- for lighting in a sauna and a bath buy appliances (lamps, switches) with a protection mark above IP44;
- the wiring method is strictly linear (straight), angles of 90 ° are built for turns;
- the cable should be located at a distance from the ceiling, floor, other communications - at least 15 cm;
For a steam room, you can use multi-wire heat-resistant wires - for sockets - 50 cm from the floor, eyeliner from below;
- for switches - 1.5 meters from the bottom of the steam room;
- the cable connection is first twisted, then strengthened by welding (soldering);
- if it is required to use terminals, it is important to constantly check the strength of the contact, tighten the devices;
- You can install wiring if the walls are built of non-combustible materials, or that have undergone special processing.
The main thing when installing lighting in a steam room with your own hands is to ensure the safety of wires and devices from excessive humidity. It is necessary to do electrical work immediately after installing the bath box (bar), then it will turn out to hide the cable under the casing and take into account the fire treatment.
Choice of housing and lamp power
For baths and steam rooms, not all appliances and bulbs are suitable. Excessive brightness is not needed - soft, diffused light adjusts to rest, relaxation. Yellow is suitable - it is familiar to the eye, does not cause unnecessary stress.
Glass and other materials must have a high level of heat resistance, tightness - 100%. The following options are considered optimal:
- classic bulbs with an incandescent element;
- lamps with a fiber optic rod;
- LEDs
In corners and on the ceiling, only fiber optic lighting devices are used. Other options are prohibited due to excessive accumulation of wet steam and heating in these places.
It is better to choose ceramics as the base material - heating is slower, there is less likelihood of burns on contact and cracking. The maximum power of lighting devices in the bath is 60 watts. Stronger lamps heat up faster, which leads to quick breakdowns, short circuits. The most popular are light bulbs for lighting in a 12-volt bath - several pieces allow you to create the desired level and experiment with design.
Location Principles
There are no particularly strict rules for the location of devices. You must be guided by general principles and your own preferences. The light in the bathhouse and dressing room is located so that it does not interfere with use and is at a sufficient distance from the floor, ceiling, stove.
Sockets and switches are installed in the dressing room, locker room - the external elements of these devices cannot be protected from moisture, so it is better not to use them for lighting in a steam bath. Most often they use one chandelier on the ceiling or several scattered lamps on the walls - if all the rules are followed, the final version depends on the preferences of the owners.
Often use colored lights, but you should not choose it as the main light in a sauna or steam room. The best option would be several sources with the ability to separately control and adjust the power.
Types of Lighting
Each type of device has its own characteristics - pros and cons. To make the final choice, you need to take into account the dimensions of the room, the amount of necessary lighting in the steam bath and other rooms. Before buying, you should familiarize yourself with the advantages of each type, calculate the required power of the devices (it is better to always take with a margin) and their number.
Traditional
Classical "Ilyich bulbs" despite their solid age remain the most popular option. They are easy to find in stores, replace or replace with fundamentally different ones. Cost is the lowest among all available options. However, it must be remembered that due to the specifics of the room (high humidity and temperature), they will often have to be changed. It is better to buy spare immediately.
LED
Such fixtures attract efficiency and functionality. Small sizes - in particular, "point" - allow you to create interesting compositions and unique designs. The main thing is to choose heat-resistant materials for the case (the marking is indicated on the outside).
Fiber optic
The most safe for lighting in the bath, in the steam room. Their internal elements well tolerate aggressive humid environments, long heating. Even after a few years, the base and the body do not deform, do not crack. A little more expensive than the others, but pay off their price. The reviews of professional builders confirm their high quality and expediency of use.
An interesting option is the salt lamps. In addition to a soft glow, they create special pairs. They are used in combination with other lamps because of too dim lighting.
Sources of light
The choice of lamps for lighting in the bath is a highlight. The number of devices, their power and the planned location depends on how the cable will pass, the size of the pipes for laying wires and much more. The required materials should be calculated and acquired in advance, maximum - after installing the main duct of the building, before the lining stage.
Incandescent lamps
Standard and economical option. An ordinary light bulb gives a soft yellowish light, familiar to the eyes. The main advantages are price and affordability. There are more disadvantages - they are very hot, there is a high risk of burns. It takes only 5% of the energy consumed to produce light, the rest is converted into heat. For a steam room, it is better to use a different type.
Fluorescent
They are considered harmless and are positioned as durable and economical devices. However, using them in a bathhouse and steam room is dangerous. Inside the flask are filled with mercury vapor, the glass is not heat resistant. Such light sources break easily, crack, which is extremely harmful to the health of vacationers.
Some fluorescent lamps emit mercury vapor already during use in steam rooms - high humidity and temperature heat up the elements, dangerous gas is released.
LED
Lighting in the bathhouse and steam room with LEDs is recognized as the most safe and economical.The cost is slightly higher than usual, but it pays off with a long service life and the absolute harmlessness of the elements. In comparison with other options - brighter with identical power.
How to choose
There are several key points to consider when organizing lighting in a bathhouse. General recommendations:
- the material of the shades is chosen matte to get a soft diffused light;
- portable devices cannot be used, especially if their power is connected to electricity directly;
- lamps with daylight or containing mercury are immediately excluded from the list;
- LED strips are suitable as emergency lighting for the steam room in the bathhouse (separate switch);
- purchase devices only in trusted stores;
- discounts and promotions are the first sign of low-quality goods.
Lighting in the bathhouse is a source of increased danger. When buying cheap and ill-conceived options, the risk of breakdowns and fires increases.
Installation of fixtures
It is possible to make lighting in the sauna with your own hands, if you follow the general principles and rules. First, a plan is created with a detailed indication of the location of the lamps, their power, the required number of sockets and switches. For wiring you will need a cable of the appropriate section. You should consult with a competent electrician, the uninterrupted operation and safety of the entire system depends on this.
The load calculation and a detailed grounding plan must be done before purchasing the devices. In the process, weaknesses are often identified. It will also protect against the acquisition of unnecessary devices.
Popular manufacturers
The modern market offers a lot of different options - domestic and foreign. The most popular are Finnish companies - Harvia, Tylo. These manufacturers produce a series of special lighting products for saunas and steam rooms. The price is high, but justified by good performance and long life.
Linder and Steinel products are popular, but have low moisture resistance. Good reviews distinguish TDM Electric products.
To organize proper and safe lighting in the steam room is not an easy task, but feasible. You can not be guided by the principle of "cheap and fast." The timing of their use and the safety of vacationers depends on how accurately all the elements of the system are selected.
