Steam Types:
When people call in for a steam room and they don't know the type of steam they want almost always people are disappointed. Take a freaking humidity/temperature meter. I strongly urge people to borrow one of my meters and go to a local gym or spa and send me the reading on the steam room you liked the best.
Some steam types are comparable to a sweat lodge. Nothing beats pouring water on red hot rocks. If someone wants this type of quality it is very expensive. The standard steam generator for a few thousand dollars won't give this. There are some that give the quality of that steam but the fluence is lacking. The steam is so dry that I have to put a towel over my mouth so I won't start choking. When the steam is so fluent that you literally have to duck down and crawl out of the steam room is the type I am talking about.
Note: Some steam generators put out about a half gallon of steam and some put out nearly 2 gallons of steam in 20 minutes. With higher water output, the wetter the steam is unless the generator is able to produce dryer steam which will always cost more. Most people don't want to spend over 2000 dollars so it's hard to help those that want that type of steam when they only want to spend under 2000 dollars. I do have discounts on demos and used models for those that.
Note: Steam generators, depending on the brand, can have a high pressure or a low pressure. The wetter the steam the lower the pressure is and it can put out the same amount of steam as the high pressure ones. You can tell by how far the steam blows out when the steam head is not screwed in. A high pressure generator that blows out less steam is going to be dryer and have more fluence but it will take a lot longer for the steam to fill up the room but the quality will be higher.
Note: Steam rooms with radiant heat loss will cause more wet steam to condense. When going to to local steam rooms make sure you let me know the types of walls they have. If you don't know, take a picture of it because if I pick out a steam generator that match that steam type, if you have a room that will just condense a dry steam, it can make the whole steam room bunk.
Note: Low quality steam generators that I do not approve of that have high pressure output can create friction in the piping and over time can produce a lower fluence steam. This can add up to about 5% wetness that wasn't there when the steam generator was first bought. If the steam generator you are looking at produces a higher temperature steam, and the construction is subpar, a higher grade steam generator may be required if high performance is desired.
Let me know the type of steam you want and I will recommend the steam generator that best fits what you want. Just note that all steam room set ups allow for the type of fluence people want. Take my steam room quiz here.
Which steam generator best serves You? I compile useful information to help you make a decision.
Steam Spa - Steamist - MR. STEAM - KOHLER - Amerec - STEAMBATH - THERMASOL -Whirlpool - ROMA - STEAMCORE
Take the
Dry Steam VS WET Steam Generators
The Most important page on this site
How to choose between the 2 Types
Don't buy without reading this page.
Extech Instruments
Model # 445580
Compact Humidity/Temperature Pen
I do not promote steam generators that fall below 82% percent at 2 feet.
Take my steam room quiz to make sure you get the steamer that will give the size of your steam room humidity 82% of higher. By knowing your steam room size I can pick out just the right steam generator.
Take to different steam rooms at spas and gyms in your area. If there is a certain steam room you like, note the temperature and humidity level and let us know if you want one. Different steam generator brands will have a different temperature ratio to humidity and this is the best way to get a subjective preference.
Ask for a free loaner humidity pen. Call me at 1-877-310-8385 if you want to borrow one of my pens. I strongly urge people to go go different steam rooms in your area. Many steam room boilers have already undergone the vulcanization process of repeatedly heating and cooling and they still produce lots of steam but at lower temperatures.
Need advice, call Sharon or Alex at 1-877-310-8385
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SteamReviewed.com
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Why Adding Salt to your Steam Room:
For those that haven't tried this I offer the low iron oxide himalayan salt (not the cheap reddish stuff).
Putting the salt directly under the steam head make the steam session totally different. Every time I go to the gym people always comment on something is different about the steam this time. I always wait to see how long people will wait till they mention it. It's a similar feeling as being at the beach breathing in the salt in the air on a humid day especially when its a bright sunny day. I use salt in a regular sauna too but in the steam room the salt gets into the air. The salt will "melt" away and it costs about 20 bucks a month to use salt every day. The clearer the salt without the iron oxide is more expensive.
Being in a salt sauna will make your skin super salty with trace minerals. I always wait just a little while before showering to keep my pores open so my skin can absorb these minerals.
If someone is already dehydrated going in a steam room sometimes they can get worse by over steaming in a steam room.
If a person does a fast 20 minute session then mostly the body sweats out 99% water that was inside and outside the cells keeping them hydrated. If a person does a longer session 60 minutes plus (or several hours off and on like sweat lodge tradition) then the core body temperature is raised more slowly and less water is released and more toxins. Over this period of time I drink some salt water about every 20 minutes.
This is the ion meter that I use. You can soak the salt rocks in a spray bottle and mix with a little eucalyptus oil. I do this at the same time I put salt rocks on my infused tiles. This meter will tell you if you are using enough salt or the ions in the room are not high enough. But, the best way is to let the steam from the steam head aim directly on the salt itself. Spraying can raise the latent heat index and make the steam quality go down.
The 6 types of steam generators on the market
This will break down the 6 different types of steam generator technologies used by the differnet brands out there. I have reviewed Mr. Steam, Thermasol, Steamist, Elite Steam, Steamcore, Kohler, Steamspa and many brands that have came and gone out of business over the years.
I will rank them from the wettest steam with the highest condensate to the driest steam (highest dryness fraction with the lowest condensate).
Type 1:
Low PSI pressure cooker (lowest priced, usually a Chinese import, low quality components)
Type 2
High PSI pressure cooker (mid range price, higher quality components, usually fancy bells and whistles to distract people from what to expect (long duty cycles, wet steam but not as wet at type 1)
Type 3
Low PSI dual tank pressure cooker (These are the knock offs of the Thermasol). They look almost identical to the person who doesn't know how to research the component quality of the generator and just buy based on specs. These low psi, Chinese import Thermasol knock offs give a wet and drippy steam and leak water for the first 5 or 10 seconds at the beginning of each duty cycle when the steam comes back on. These produce just slightly better quality steam than a single tank low PSI steam generator (type 1)
Type 4
These are the High PSI dual tank steam generators. These have the least amount of condensate of all the pressure cookers and are in my Tier 1a which is the highest quality steam generator for pressurized generators out right now. Do not get confused as knock offs have the same specs on paper but when you go in a low psi and a high psi model you will notice the dryness fraction is not even in the same ball park as the type 3 generator.
Type 5
These are the non-pressure cooker steam generators. They have dual tanks (boiling tank and inlet tank). Since they are not pressurized it takes a few extra minutes to start steaming but once it starts it is continuous no more than 6 degrees from what you set it at. These have the driest steam fraction due to the inlet system dripping water just enough to limit condensate (moisture in steam).
Notice: for those that get a type 1 or type 3 low psi generator, I urge people to get a closed loop circulator or a ventilator to get rid of the condensate that can start sticking to the ceiling. A closed loop will bring that condensate down to the floor and it will keep your feet and legs warm and it is too heavy at this point to rise to the ceiling again.
Note: There is a type 6 (L series) that is ultra high end, super high psi dry steam for pressurized steam but it is too expensive for most people and Mr. Steam is more affordable and most people want continuous dry over duty cycle dry. The steam that comes out of the L series only starts at 9KW also. Because it is such a high quality steam and most household water is not right for it, most people will find cleaning the limescale off all the time too much maintenance unless
The 9KW model is rated for a 360 cubic feet (very similar to the non pressurized model that works up to 375 feet). Both have very little condensate compared to the lower end pressure cooker type (low psi). Thermasol Model PRO-240 (10kw model) works up to 240 cubic feet). My first priority when choosing a generator is first making sure which steam quality is best for the type of steam room. If the room has ceramic tile and a glass door and over 7 foot tall, those are 3 things not in favor of working with high condensate. Once the steam hits the walls, wetter steam is most likely going to stick more than dry steam.
The only time I really don't have problem with wet steam is when I don't have to upsize 30% for the til and 10% more for a glass door. I am not against wet steam depending on the application.
