Steam Generators For Steam Showers

Mike Finley

What steam generators have you used, what are your favorites and why?

mdshunk

Steamist and Kohler. They're both digital, and people like digital. Both basicly the same unit, but the Steamist is cheaper.

Be advised that these units can take up to a 60 amp circuit, so a service upgrade is sometimes required.

ChrWright

Steamist...

Straight forward setup & cx.

Self cleaning/draining.

Have put in two of them & both work very well

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mdshunk

No kidding. They are easy. Electrical circuit to the steam generator, and a phone line runs from the generator to the keypad inside the shower. No stupid programming or anything like that. Very intuitive install. You might not even need the instructions.

I know one plumber that had some gripe about where he was going to terminate the T&P valve, but he was a grouchy guy anyhow. Every steam generator has a relief valve. It's a boiler, for pete's sake.

mdshunk

I just remembered a problem that was related to me about one steam generator install. The contractor was having trouble getting a steam nozzle in the metal finish that the customer had selected for all the other fixtures. I'm not sure if that was resolved or not. I forgot to look when I went back to do my trimout. I know that some people have used the toe tester for a steam nozzle, but that seems like a hazard in my mind. That toe tester sticks out too far, and it would be easy to bump it with your leg and get burned pretty badly.

KillerToiletSpider

Mr. Steam mostly, they are generally smaller than the others. We do condo and co-op work mostly, and size is always a factor.

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Double-A

Sounds familiar, but I don't recall doing one in Pennsylvania Dutch country.

Where to terminate that T&P drain is quite important. It will dump very hot water and steam if it opens. I've been known to get grumpy while trying to figure out where to terminate one. Code is sorta strict and our inspectors are even more strict.

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KillerToiletSpider

We have to put a testable double check on the supply of all steam generators here.

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ChrWright

A preventer? Does it require an annual? Does it matter residential vs. comm?

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mdshunk

A lot of these things only have a 3/8 supply. Do they make them that small? Or, do you have to go with a 1/2 or 3/4 before the supply tube to the steam generator?

KillerToiletSpider

Yes it has to be tested annually, it makes no difference on residential or commercial.

We use a 1/2" Watts 007 and use a compression adapter on the outlet side into the generator.

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3Kings Plumbing

The last one I installed was 3 years ago it was a steamist. Nice unit!

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Mike Finley

When having a auto clean system are you plumbing this drain line right to the shower drain line?

For instance we are looking at a scenario where the steam unit could be on the other side of the wall of hte shower, basically a common wall between the shower and a walk in closet so the unit would be within 6 feet of the shower drain.

KillerToiletSpider

By Chicago code it would have to discharge to a vented open site drain with accessibility.

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Mike Finley

Right, now as I recall I do believe that is what one of the plumbers was telling me.

So how do you handle an open drain in living space? We aren't talking about draining it into the shower right? Seems there would be an issue with that kind of hot water being discharged in there and a burn concern. What are some nice design solutions for an open drain for this thing?

KillerToiletSpider

We put the steam generator in the back of a closet, and pipe an open site drain into the closet next to the generator, with the top of the open site above the spill of the shower pan, and the GC boxes it it out with an access panel. Most of the condos we do have closets bigger than the bathroom in my house, they can spare three square feet.

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neolitic

http://www.steamist.com/Downloads/pdf2/326-G.pdf

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STEAMKING

any of the Thermasol units drain to the shower drain. The water is cooled before exiting into the shower. There are thousand installed chicago.

Mike's Plumbing

This is too funny. Look at the date of the post. I'm pretty sure Finley has it figured out by now.

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