Free standing or modular steam showers are quickly becoming one of the bestselling home remodeling appliances on the market. They are popular because of their affordable price and ease of installation. Most home owners can install a modular steam shower in a matter of hours. Here is a quick walk through of the basic installation process.
The first order of business depending on the type of shower you purchased is to level the base and prepare the drain. If the steam shower you are working on has a removable skirt in the front, the drain does not have to be installed when the base is leveled. You can move the unit into place after it is assembled to connect the drain. If you have a solid base then after you level the base you will need to connect the drain. If you are using a flexible drain its best to connect it using a Fernco. This will allow you to disconnect the drain if you ever need to move the shower for any reason.
Rarely do the installation instruction mention sealing the steam showers. Every shower needs some sealing, we recommend using heat resistant clear silicone. Normal bathroom caulks will melt and discolor from the high temperature of the steam shower. If is important to sell the unit as you put it together for best results.
Assembling the steam shower is on of the easiest parts. Typically the doors are constructed as one piece so once those are assembled ¼ of your shower is done. Assembling is a two man operation and should take anywhere from ½ hour to 2 hours. Once the unit is assembled then it’s time to hook up all your small water and electrical connections.
Since modular steam showers are made for remodeling in mind all your plumbing is already done for you. There will be about 5 hose that you need to connect to corresponding hoses. Most use an alphabet or number system to help you match up the correct ones. The small electrical connections are the same way this shouldn’t take you more than 5 minutes.
Finally it’s time to move you steam shower into place and if you haven’t already connect the drain. Now it’s time to connect your water and electrical source. The water lines should be prepped with a ½” male connection. The electrical varies but it should always be hardwired to a GFCI breaker. After this you are free to enjoy your new steam shower once the silicone has set.
