Avoiding Drippiness and wall stick
Complaints
Dripiness - For those that have taller ceilings and using a porous wall like ceramic or porceline, you will need to squigy your ceiling several times each time you use your steam room if you have a steam generator that produces a steam with a lot of condensate. I get calls all the time from people asking how to stop the dripping. If you do have a generator that produces wet steam, the best way we have found to counteract the steam from sticking to the walls and dripping from the ceiling is shown in the video below.
First, avoid 15 psi models that work at lower pressure if you don't want excessive drippiness and you don't want high condensate wet steam that sticks to the walls and has a higher micron size that will make it fall to the floor and not linger in the air long. 20psi steam generators make the difference but only if they have a 3/4 or larger pipe line. Definitely avoid 1/2 inch pipes if you want a dense, dry steam. The 15psi models have less pressure and release more water with the steam. Also, these are much louder. You would think they would be quieter since it has less force but the lower the psi the more water that comes out. The loud noise is the water hammer it causes. Not a big deal but if you like it quiet, avoid 1/2 inch pipes and 15 psi. Also, if you get a 20 psi model, make sure the pipes are 3/4 inch otherwise it can blow steam too hard and burn your feet when the steam comes out. I hate having to lift my feet every time steam comes on. But, it does work your abs doing all those leg lifts.
As far as steam sticking to the walls and ceiling, 15 psi models cause quicker water bubbling on the ceiling and loss of steam in the air, especially if you have ceramic or anything more porous. If the wrong psi and wrong piping, you are going to get a wet steam from the start and it will be drippy and less comfortable during your steam session. Drippiness can be avoided if you adjust the room size correctly but more importantly balancing the psi of the steam with the piping size and also having the steam generator as close as possible to the steam room, not 25 feet away like some people do.
Brownian Motion - must read if you are buying a steam generator
Condensate in steam will rise much faster to the ceiling and stick to the walls and ceiling if the steam generator is producing too wet of a steam. I try to avoid the effects of brownian motion and I know how to counter act it by having a dryer steam, a higher psi generator (not the cheap 15 psi models), and avoiding steam pipes lower than 3/4 inches. Generators with 1/2 inch pipes give a wetter steam with a higher micron size and can cause the steam to get trapped at the ceiling unless it is blown down with a fan.
Steam that is dryer stays in the air longer and you feel it more than having a hot steam room that feels more like a sauna. Wet steam is less steam. Dry steam is more steam. Dry steam has less condensate so you feel the steam rather than just being hot in the room. If you take a spray bottle and spray water the entire time in a room with dry steam, it will make it wet and this what the single tank and low psi pressure cooker type steam rooms feel like.
see video here. Tajk abiout how you are adding condensate to the air. Talk how the heat makes brownian motion take a bigger effect. The wetter the steam makes it either rise to the ceiling and stick or fall to the floor when it becomes too heavy and you get a room with very little steam cloud, just a hot room. Talk about how the brands that typically output 2 gallons of steam in a 30 minute session instead of 1.5 gallons will usually have less steam even though it is putting out more water. I try to avoid wet steam so I won't have steam traps around the top of the ceiling and also I want the steam to stay in the air, not stick to the walls.
In this video, I show Brownian motion. I take a spray bottle and spray water in the steam room. The steam rises to the ceiling. I don't the spray water falling down on my feet. This is why you don't want to oversize or Brownian motion will cause steam traps at your ceiling.
If the generator makes too wet of a steam, the latent heat from the water will make the steam rise and stick to the ceiling and walls. If you understand the laws of condensation, the best way to fight drippiness and wall stick is to keep a bucket of cold water or use a removable shower head if you have one of those. Keep the bucket filled up so you can splash it on the ceiling and walls. When the ceiling is cool, it will make the steam room super cloudy. When steam room walls get hot, it makes it look like there is less steam.
Know before buying a steam generator
Know before buying a steam generator
Know before buying a steam generator
DiscountSteamGenerators.com
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1-800-336-9285
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DiscountSteamGenerators.com
We're open now
1-800-336-9285
Ask for Sharon
We're open now
1-800-336-9285
Ask for Alex
Awareness: oversizing is the biggest reason for drippiness and high condensation buildup at the top of the room. Please take my Steam room sizing quiz and get the right size.
