Steamcore review:
Steamcore makes steam totally different than Mr. Steam and Thermasol.
Steamcore is an atmospheric steam generator that makes steam at the same pressure as the air. It comes out the most balanced and controlled and is able to keep the room temperature never go over 1 degree or under 2 degrees of what you set it at. No other generator can do this. (based on a 7 foot ceiling)
Steamcore a slow burn steam. It takes about 3 times as long to put out the same amount of water. It's steam will keep running for 90 seconds while another brand will only take 30 seconds to deliver the same amount of steam. This is a huge selling point for people that need their steam room whisper quiet. It doesn't come out with high force creating high decibel level noise.
Steamcore has a 3 level sensing water system so you get the exact steam you crave each time. Steamcore make steam with the highest dryness fraction of all steam generators I have tested.
Steamcore boils water at near normal atmospheric pressure, it does not shoot out any condensate that has not been vaporized. Think of it like taking a hot skillet on the stove on a burner on high. When you pour a teaspoon of water on it, the vapor cloud is 100% dry, zero condensate. When the steam first comes out of the the steamhead, the steam is invisible. With most brands, you can see the steam coming out of the steamhead. It just takes about 5% more water in the steam to see the steam before it hits the atmosphere.
Steamcore steam has the thickest clouds due to its slow burn release. Brownian motion doesn't take over as much since the steam doesn't come out as densely. Think of it like filing up your gas tank and letting it come out at full speed versus barely squeezing it and having it come out at 1/3 the speed. The first has 3 times the fluence.
The boiling tanks in the Steamcore generators are non galvanized or zinc coded. They are stainless steel. It not only has an autoflush but has an auto rinse so it never has any mineral deposits on the elements. They are the only company that uses incoloy heaters. These are not used in pressurized tanks. Incoloy heating elements are good only if they are low watt density. Their pro model takes it to another level with 11 foot incoloy haters. Their 9 kw pro model with three 11 foot elements costs about 2500 dollars more than their Spa 2 model with two 2.5 foot heaters.
Steamcore gives full body steam - not just steam that heats just your upper body filling up the top half of the room. The dryer the steam the longer and lower the steam cloud fill up the room. If it has more condensate, the latent heat will make it rise and create a steam trap at the ceiling. Steamcore does not have this problem.
Note: With constant steam and constant temperature (within 1 to 2 degrees that the temperature will change while in the steam room with a 7 foot ceiling), the dew point at the higher thermoclines near the ceiling do not condense into water as quickly as the fast burn steam generators. This means that the steam in the room is doesn't get close to its saturation point as quick. The dew point is the temperature where the ambient steam room temperature must be cooled down so that the steam starts condensing.
The feeling of the steam from a Steamcore is different than pressurized types. When the steam hits your skin, since it has a lower dew point it doesn't feel as sticky on the skin and I like how it is easier to breath due to low condensate and maintaining a temperature that doesn't change over 1 to 2 degrees. When the dew point is too high, the latent heat can feel to intense for many people and can make it hard to breath for many people.
When the steam hits the skin if it has too much condensate it will transfer more latent heat to the body resulting in getting hot too quick and this can get your heart rate up too quick and you may feel the need to lower the temperature in the room or get out. Know that you can have two brands of steam generators both at the same temperature. With different dryness fractions and thermoclines you will have totally different experiences,
IF YOU WANT A HEAVY DEW POINT AND HIGH CONDENSATE IN YOUR STEAM - GO WITH A CHEAP CHINESE IMPORT.
With Steamcore, just say you have it at 114 degrees, you are actually gettting steam at that temperature. With some brands, when the steam hits your skin and condenses due to a wetter steam it gives the perception of feeling the steam. Meanwhile, the room is just hot and you are feeling mostly condensation, NOT STEAM.
Since the temperature in the steam room doesn't fluctuate like the pressure type generators having a low dew point than just a high relative humidity at different temperature fluctuations is the best way to describe there steam.
Note: if the steam room gets too hot the dew point will be higher but the thermostat will cut the steam off. The Steamcore excels at balancing the dew point and relative steam.
I don't know how to do the mathematical equation but I have been told by steam engineers that the best possible steam room is when the dew point is under 60 and the relative humidity at 100%.
Steamcore uses about 2/3 of the water that most steam generators use. Another reason the steam is dryer. With their low watt density elements, the water stays in contact with the element longer.
What does Steamcore steam feel like? If you have ever been in a sweat lodge...Steamcore steam feels the closest to this. It is something you have to experience to understand. With their steamers with 11 foot heaters, this is when it is the closest to a sweat lodge experience. You will never need to splash water on the thermostat since it doesn't go under 2 degrees from what you set it at.
Steamcore generators use VERY SMALL 304 grade surgical steel boiling tanks. Since they are very small the incoloy heating elements can make steam with very low condensate. Very little steam that comes out of a Steamcore is unvaporized. Many generators let out the steam when it is less than 95% vaporized.
Dry Vapor from Steamcore: How does it feel?
The best way to describe the open tank vapor making steam without pressure is taking a very hot pan from the stove and putting it in the sink and pouring just a little water in the pan and watching 100% of the water evaporate. The steam from a low psi pressure cooker, the best example I can use is just sticking my face over the boiling pasta water and feeling the wet steam hit my face.
Picture of 2.5 foot 304 surgical steel toxin-free heater. Hand Curled, not a Chinese import - Saunacore incoloy elements - The most expensive elements you can buy.
11 foot handmade heating element - surgical steel (304 grade) - ultra ultra low watt density
Steamcore surgical steel tanks are hand made (TIG Weld) and toxin-free. These are the hardest steel elements you can get. Exceptional heat conduction. Made with no solvents and in a chemical free weld shop. Steamcore only uses this type.
For those that have sore muscles or are using the steam room for pain, a drier steam should let most people stay in longer so they feel the heat but doesn't heat your core too quickly and your pulse rate goes up and you can't make it for a long session. There are a few hacks to staying in longer. I do EWOT during my steam. I always have a bottle of Boost oxygen on my bench.
Things I DON'T LIKE ABOUT Steamcore
1. It takes longer for steam to start since it's not pressurized but advantages outweigh them to me, such as it being super quiet and low condensate.
2. Does not have a fancy digital controller
3. There sound system does not sound as good as the other top brands.
4. Their light is not fancy. It's just a little brighter than a nightlight.
5. They take about 2 weeks go build out - they don't ship the next day like other brands.
6. They are very expensive compared to most brands
7. There can be extra shipping expenses since it comes from Canada
8. Steamcore cannot play videos on its touch screen - I don't understand it but some people like to watch videos on their steam controller while in the steam room.
If you want an atmospheric steam generator and want constant steam and constant temperature, there is no other company that does this.
The video above is a Steamcore review showing how the steam generator works.
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The SSB series has the same generator as the SPA 2 series but costs nearly twice as much with their fancy controller, bluetooth, speakers (best sound of all I tested) and their lighting system (higher lumens than all the mood lights I compared).
The Spa 2 series has 304 surgical steel elements and boiling tanks. Drip pans are not necessary. Please make sure you get the pressure reducer at Home Depot and 3/4 inch piping. Experience super dry steam!
STEAMCORE REVIEW
The Steamcore has the least bells and whistles. If you need oil rubbed bronze and want it compatible with Alexa and want to turis the one that it in the steam on while driving home from work on your phone this brand doesn't offer this. It also takes as long to boil a kettle of water for the steam to start (up to 7 minutes). If you want instant steam, go with Thermasol.
Steamcore generators have a dual tank system (not dual pressurized tanks like Thermasol). It is an open tank, not a closed sealed tank. The holding tank shoots water into the boiling tank (just enough so the steam stays dry) and utilizes 3 water sensors in the tank (the only company that does this). The main boiling tanks receives hot water (not cold water like most generators dump into the tank).
Note: you never need to add mineral solution to a Steamcore tank or elements to clean them since they don't produce mineral scaling like elements that undergo high pressure. This is why the cleaning system is important on pressurized steamers.
My opinion of the Steamcore steam generator.
Once you watch this you will know why their generators are so freakin expensive!
Best way to describe their Dry Steam
LED MOODLIGHT
This has a transformer built in so you don't have to buy anything else to run it. It also can withstand temperatures above 104 degrees which sets this apart from other waterproof lights.
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Steamcore heat co-efficient is very low. This means it is can get VERY hot as it has less water condensation in the steam and the steam cloud is insulated so it doesn't stick to the body and walls as much. You feel it but not just the sensation of hot condensate on your body. The steam stays in the air longer instead of sticking to the walls and ceiling as much. If you understand heat co-efficients in steam you will appreciate this. For those who want to stay in longer and keep their core temp high and build heat shock proteins will want a dryer steam.\\
Steamcore is often cheaper to run as its steam is not as trapped at the ceiling due to it's slow burn steam and atmospheric dry steam. Also, having a floor fan and a dry steam to start with is guaranteed to give you a steam room rating of 99+ (only a sweat lodge gets my 100 out of a 100 rating). By having both of these in your favor, the ceiling temperature and floor temperature should be closer than any other set up.
New for Steamcore:
The older model was continuous within 6 degrees. The newest Steamcore Spa 2 controller can keep the steam constant within 1 degree if it goes over the set temperature and if it goes below 2 degrees it will turn back on again. If the TEMP is to 100°F, it will stop heating if the ambient TEMP is more than 101°F. (quote from Steamcore Spa 2 manual). This is the most advanced steam controller I have tested so far (but the least advanced if basing it on smart home features)
Steam quality Comparison
1. Steamcore cloud lingered almost twice as long as the lowest of the 4 brands I tested
2. Noise: Steamcore had the lowest decibel level compared to all pressurized steam generators.
3. Steamcore had the highest heat co-effecient and lowest latent heat compared to all the wetter steams at the same temperature.
4. It's steam had the least "stingy feeling" when I had a fan blowing off the thermal barrier on my skin.
Towel Twirl Test
The best way to tell if the steam is too wet is to twirl a towel around like a helicopter. If it stings the person next to you, the steam coming out has too much moisture. Dry steam with a twirling towel feels amazing.
Green laser test
We took green laser pens and shined them at the same thermoclines. The Steamcore steam allowed the laser to have the brightest dot on the wall as there is less condensate to block the light. With wet steam, you are unlikely to have the laser reach the opposite wall at the same tested height.
8 foot ceilings - If a ceiling is 8 foot tall, nearly 20% of the steam will be lost above the head. A a floor or Kona fan and a dryer fraction steam eliminates the problem.
9 foot ceiling - If a 9 foot ceiling, nearly 40% of the steam cloud is over the head, I recommend 2 Kona fans or a 16 inch floor fan to fix this problem.
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Know before buying a steam generator
Know before buying a steam generator
Know before buying a steam generator
New SSIII keypad
Picture of a 2.5 foot Chinese import heater - Cheap and gets limescaled quickly.
Many steam generators use high watt density elements that provide faster heating but can have to be replaced more often and stop getting as hot the longer they age. They wear out much faster than low watt density incoloy heaters that have a 25 year expected shelf life. People call for replacement heaters all the time complaining their steam room doesn't get as hot as it used to. The only disadvantage to low density elements is that they take longer to heat up but once they get going it's not a problem. The choice to make is if you want quicker heat up times or spend money replacing elements when they go bad. Also, low density elements are better if you are not using filtered water as they don't scale up like the high watt density elements.
