How to improve steam room circulation and avoid cold feet

[ImproveSteamRoom]

Hi. The pool I go to has a very popular steam room, but they have just modified the design by filling in some holes in the side to prevent steam from scalding anyone sitting too close to the box. Now, the steam goes straight up from the corner box (which has a tray of some plants for smell) in a big cloud. However, it just hangs up at about chest height, slowly moving to lower levels, then someone opens the door and the heat gets dragged out. Obviously there is a problem with the circulation now. I have discussed it with the management there and we are trying to find a solution. Can the experts here give advice please? The room used to be much more evenly heated and much hotter.

Not being an engineer, myself, I am loathe to say too much but I would guess some type of perforated pipe coming from the side of the the tile walled box under bench 1. However, that raises 4 issues A. it would have to be enclosed in a wooden box with many holes, to prevent someone from touching the hot metal. B. would steam rise up to scald someone's bottom? C. What size pipe and holes and spacing/number would work? D. Is there enough air pressure for the steam to escape sideways or will it just keep going straight up?

Probably there is a complicated solution that I can't see, and I hope someone can figure this out. Thanks

 

[3DDave]

Hot, high humidity air is less dense than colder, drier air, so there is certainly going to be a tendency to get this.

If one is looking for a cheap fix, I don't think there will be one.

The cold floor could be managed by using a hot-water underfloor heating system. This would increase the temp without increasing the humidity. An alternative might be adding better insulation under the floor and to the walls to decrease the heat loss.

Adding a small area with a second door would limit the outflow of heated air and influx of cold air. This will require some floor space; they used to have a circular door for dark rooms that would allow only one side to be open at a time to ensure no light was unexpectedly let into the dark room; this had a floor space requirement not much larger than a swinging door requires.

Adding a circulation fan, like used in convection ovens, would even out the distribution, but then there is the question of whether people want to experience a breeze in the sauna.

Infrared lamps might also be used to provide direct heating of the occupants.

 

[Compositepro]

The box should be filled with rocks for thermal storage within the mass, and it needs to be lifted about two inches off the floor so that cold air at the floor can be drawn in to mix with the steam and rise through the rocks. Mixing the steam with cold air tempers the steam so that it is not scalding hot when it comes out of the box. It also removes the cold air lying stagnant on the floor. The heat stored in the rocks maintains the convection (circulation) of air through the box of rocks during periods when the steam is off, due to the thermostat on the wall of the sauna sensing that the set temperature has been reached. This prevents the stagnation of a layer of hot air over cold air within the sauna. If more humidity is desired, water can be poured onto the hot rocks.