Customers with 9 Foot Ceilings
Customers with 9 foot ceilings are when people get their generators and usually complain about their steam but it is not the generators fault, it is a sizing issue. Many companies will tell you to upsize 2 sizes if you have a 9 foot ceiling. This will only make it so you get enough steam. If you have a steam generator that produces a very wet steam with lots of condensate, yes, you will need to do something to bring the steam down 24 inches lower otherwise the hot steam will linger at the ceiling and you will have a very mild steam experience.
If someone has ceramic or natural stone, it makes the problem even worse since the ceiling is not only 2 feet higher than optimal but it is now acting like a sponge soaking up the steam due to it being porous.
With a 9 foot ceiling, I urge people to get a steam generator that has 3/4 inch pipes or bigger. I would seek out the dryest steam available and definitely one that has a constant slower burn steam. If it has 15 psi, that is going to make a very wet steam and will not be a pleasant experience and those with 9 foot ceilings will probably not want to use their steam room daily if the steam is muggy and humid and not gassy like the models that have a high dryness fraction give.
If you have a 9 foot ceiling, before getting a larger killowatt steam generator, the best scenario is when you have 2 fans suction cupped to the ceiling and getting a high psi continous steam so the steam is not trapped at the ceiling from a single tank model that lets the whole load of steam out at once.
9 Foot Steam Traps
I strongly urge those who have 9 foot ceilings to bring their ceiling down to at least an 8 but if you can't there are ways to make the steam quality better. A 9 foot will have a fair steam quality (10 is poor, 8 is good, 7 is optimal)
At 9 foot the way to keep the steam trap away and to make sure all the hot steam doesn't wick to the ceiling and upper walls 24 inches over the 7 foot standard ceiling is to not only have the fans but to splash very cold water a few times during the session to cool the walls and ceiling down. This helps to keep the steam drier and less drippy.
If I am going to have a 9 foot ceiling, I would only use a higher psi generator that has less condensate from the start.
Notice: I do not recommend getting 2 sizes larger due to having a 9 foot ceiling. Many companies will tell you to upsize 2 sizes if you have a 9 foot and 3 sizes more if you have a 10 foot ceiling. All this does is make steam faster than it falls to the floor. Too many grams of steam are coming out at once. The slow burn steam generators make a better quality steam that won't rise too quickly due to Brownian motion and create a steam trap at the ceiling.
Know before buying a steam generator
Know before buying a steam generator
Know before buying a steam generator
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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
Steam Room Thermoclines - 40% steam trap if not taking care of - the valuable steam is lost at the ceiling
Those who have a 7 foot ceiling still need to read this. The top thermocline near the ceiling will have such intense heat that it is over the 110 degree comfort level. A 7 foot ceiling is perfect so that your upper body level (waist up) is in that 100 to 110 degree range that most people like to stay within.
The problem is when someone has an 9 foot or higher ceiling, the thermocline is shifted up 24 inches and the body is now in less than the 100 to 110 comfort zone. If the steam is not constant or is not a slow burn, the hot steam will travel up to 9 feet and a 2 foot difference from the standard 7 foot ceiling will create an exponential shift in the temperature and steam quality of the room. Those who don't have a fan at the ceiling will never experience full body steam therapy. Those who have 9 foot ceilings will never get full body vasodilation, only half body steam therapy. That extra 40% heat loss in the extra 2 feet makes the quality go down from an A to a C- to a D if not using a fan to bring down the steam trap. The lower steam room temperature (legs down to feet) can have a steam quality from fair to poor if the flow rate of the generator is too high and doesn't make a constant steam.
I urge people to compare the differences between pressurized generator to atmospheric generators. If you have an 9 foot or over steam room, I only recommend 3/4 inch pipes and either atmospheric or 20psi generators, not the 15 or 10 psi models that release too much condensate. I urge people to bring the ceiling down to 8 foot or 7 foot but having a 9 foot ceiling can still have an A+ steam quality if do what is needed to fix it.
The bottom room temperature is the hardest to get hot and maintain that heat unless you fight the rising heat and the steam dropping to the floor.
If you like a very hot steam and you want to contain that heat and steam the entire session, you have to choose if you want to settle with a hotter room with less steam or a more steamy room that mixes the thermoclines (floor thermocline and ceiling thermocline) and the room temperature is near the same from the ceiling to the floor. When I experience full body steam therapy and it is all at my desired temperature, that is the best steam quality I can get.
If you have a 9 foot ceiling and are not going to bring it down, please let me know on my steam generator sizing quiz here.
Notice: steam rooms with 8 foot ceilings are prone to steam traps. Those who are getting generators that produce high condensate may want to research my steam trap page.
