HOME BATH

For the fan to go to the sauna to warm up not only means (or rather, not so much) the performance of routine procedures of purification of the body, as a ritual process of “purification of the soul.” And often steam replaces many medical treatments and promotes healing and rejuvenation, even So the home bath can not compete with the Russian bath or Finnish sauna, though… why not have a steam room right at home, in the bathroom?!

 

For the first time this idea I realized ten years ago (the description of the device the home of the baths was given in the article “Steam in the bathroom” No. 10 “Model construction” 1997).

 

For many years I regularly, without leaving home, could afford to enjoy this healing procedure. Experience has confirmed the correctness of the basic idea. However, appeared some drawbacks that ought to be addressed.

 

In this article, I would like to share with those readers who followed my example, experience improvements to the previously proposed design home bath.

 

The main change occurred in the “heart” of the sauna — elektrokaminy. Unfortunately, the thermal electric heating elements (heating elements) from the cooking plates of electric or portable electric stoves were not durable, and after 5 — 6 sessions needed to be replaced. This required large expenditures of time and material resources. So, a little experimenting, I eventually settled on the spiral of 1.5 mm nichrome wire with a length of 6 — 6.5 m. to Produce such a spiral is not difficult: it is wrapped around with a simple homemade devices on the basis of the electric hand drill. A mandrel is a steel rod with a diameter of 8 mm, length 400 mm 5 — 6 mm from the end perpendicular to the axis of the rod drilled hole with a diameter of 2 mm. Further from a 20-mm Board made two guide strips, the wide sides are compressed in a vise, and the junction of the drilled hole with a diameter of 9 mm. That’s all the device.

 

 

“Stove-stove” in the holder, mounted on a stand and covered with a wooden fence

 

 

 

Start wrapping the spiral Into the hole on the end of the mandrel inserted nichrome wire and tightly, turn to turn, manually doing 5 — 8 turns. Wound part is mounted in a hole between two guide strips, and the free end of the mandrel is clamped in an electric drill Chuck. Tucked tightly grip the nichrome is wound on part, turn on the drill and on low speed, produce the winding of the spiral. The whole process takes very little time: all you need to do about 300 rpm. After winding, the mandrel is removable from the Chuck of a drill and very carefully pushed the jaws: it should be borne in mind that the spiral is turned into a tension spring and, freed from the grip, its end can “play” and cause injury.

 

Biting off the end of the wire inserted in the rod, remove the spiral from the mandrel. Then hold one end in a vise, and the other pliers tie rod to lengths 3 — 3.5 m. This operation, as well as wound, to avoid injuries, you should use gloves and glasses.

 

The “stove-stove” has remained virtually unchanged — it’s a bucket 10 l bucket (or tank linen), filled with a heat storage material. As experience has shown, instead it is better to use ceramics from high-voltage insulators or porcelain plumbing. When using ceramics work “stove” more stable, while the stones eventually crack and require replacement.

 

Pieces of pottery, such as fragments of the broken sink or toilet, should be treated with a sanding disc, grinding off sharp edges. The size of pottery (or stone) — not less than 5 cm, but you will need smaller pieces to completely fill the volume of the bucket. The top of the “stove” for aesthetics it is better to spread small stones. At the base of the bucket should be drilled 15 — 20 holes with a diameter of 3 to 4 mm for the water flow, not had time to evaporate. Must be drilled from the inside of the bucket so that the burrs went outside and did not prevent the exit of water.

 

 

The heating spiral in the “stove” is placed between the filler along a helix with uniform spacing, 2 — 3 cm as from adjacent turns and from the walls of the bucket. The food at spiral is supplied via the power socket, fixed outside on top of the bucket. The wires to the block are attached with M6 bolts with nuts and washers. Inside the bucket washer must be at least 2 mm thick to avoid deformation at high temperature. From the outside you can put washers thinner.

 

Wiring connections “bath” is quite simple. “Bath” consumes 22 — 25 And, therefore, the whole transaction is done with a separate wire copper heat resistant flexible cross-section of 4 mm² in the silicone insulation. At a length of about 100 mm terminals on the wire strung ceramic beads In the switchboard, you must install a separate machine 25 And applied to the circuit of the diode АЛ132-80 (80 A) on a powerful radiator can reduce the length of a spiral in 2 times, respectively, in 5 — 7 times to increase the durability of the electric heater.

 

Since the power consumption of “bath” is 5 — 6 kW, and the current is 25 A, the required socket with increased reliability (for the usual outlets maximum current— 16 A). I solved this problem by leaving, but modernizing an old ceramic light socket for hidden wiring. First, the ceramic provides the strength of the body when overheated. Second, socket-pin plug consists of two contacts; a stationary and a movable, spring loaded. It (provides a reliable connection and the ability to use both conventional and “EuroVelo” (in this case, the hole in the lid of the socket should be drilled to 5 mm).

 

Revision of the socket is very simple. First, delete the item of the intermediary — intermediate level with two threaded holes. Fastening wires carried directly to the fixed contact screw and nut M3 and set it in the hole at the bottom of the housing and the fixing plaster (and plaster).

 

We offer you design freely And holds 25, as in it nothing is superfluous, the case is ceramic, and the contact reliability between socket and pin plugs is provided by the spring

 

Holder steel 10-mm rod and stand with a focus area from 25×25 mm do not differ from the original version. The fence and seat changed my “image” become more convenient and easy to manufacture.

 

The operation of the installation is possible in two modes: as in the Russian bath or in the Finnish sauna. In the first case, it is sufficient for 1.5 — 2 hours of heating to a temperature of 50 — 60°C. In the mode sauna in the room must have 70 — 80°C, which would require 3 to 4 hours.

 

When the room warms up, it is necessary to first turn off the power supply (see below) and then a wooden fence (from bars 30×30 mm) to cover the heater. Only after that you can proceed to the “sacred” procedure.

 

Better to turn up the hot water from the shower, pouring them from the top. Water that didn’t evaporate, flows out of the buckets, so as not to burn the legs, you must keep them in a basin of water.

 

Service “stove” baths is a periodic tightening of the threaded bolt contacts the power pad, replace the cracked upper stones. If the spiral is blown at a distance of 100 mm from terminal, you can shorten and use on. If closer to the middle — needs to be changed. I spiral enough for a year (approximately 60 sessions For the control spiral is convenient to use a clamp meter.

 

 

 

In conclusion, I would like to draw more serious attention to the observance of safety rules when using a “bath”.

 

Any electrical power from 220 V in damp and wet areas pose a serious threat of electric shock. Moreover, the electric shock can be obtained not only from contact with metal parts, but when you touch any objects in the room, as wet surfaces are perfect conductors of electrical current. So to use the bathroom and even go into it it is possible only if you completely disconnected the power to the electric machine should be outside the bath to be turned off. This is the main rule http://proem.in.ua.

 

To stand under the heater for greater security, you can bring the ground, connecting it to the pipe of cold water. Additionally the stand should be isolated from the bath by sticking pieces of rubber from Velocimetry.

 

The power-on sequence “baths”:

 

1. Make sure that the machine 25 And the fuse box is off

 

2. Connect the power supply to the power connector on the housing of the electric heater.

 

3. You insert the plug power supply unit into the socket.

 

4. To turn the machine to the switchboard.

 

After warming up, bathing the room to the desired temperature to carry out the shutdown in reverse order, starting with the machine.

 

O. LAVROV, Moscow