Steam Showers 101

Steam showers
appear to be rather basic; turn water into steam and you're done. However, steam showers are actually rather more complicated

than they appear. The basic function of a steam shower is indeed to just turn water into steam, but it does this by pumping an exact amount of water into a chamber with an electrical element in it.

The electrical elements then heats up to the right temperature in order to get the water molecules moving fast enough to undergo a phase change -- from water into steam.

The steam is then let out in controlled amounts through a shower head, similar to one you would find in your regular shower, but designed to withstand much higher temperatures.

The stall in a steam shower is also far more complicated than it appears. Although they might look like any other shower stall, steam shower stalls have to be constructed to hold all moisture inside and not let any escape and risk damaging the environment outside of the stall. This means that the stall has to be built with sealed connections and no large gaping holes.

The materials on the inside of the stall, such as the sides, floor, and steam head, all have to be able to withstand tremendous amounts of moisture and heat without wearing out.

One of the things that people tend to forget about steam showers is that they consume quite a large amount of electricity, even though it is only needed to boil the water.

This is important because variations in the steam generator or electrical element can change how much energy the steam shower will use and how efficient it will be. Of course, factoring in all the positives, a slightly higher electricity bill seems a rather small price to pay for pure bliss.