Toxicology of zinc and its compounds. Protecting the walls of the bath from the heat of the furnace: the rules for installing protective screens and sheathing Is it possible to sheathe a bath with galvanized metal

December 9, 2016

Many bath lovers often wonder about the use of galvanized steel, among the people of galvanization, in the construction of baths and saunas. In this article, we will try to answer this question.

In fact, the use of galvanized steel is safe, in its normal state it does not pose any threat. The greatest danger is achieved at elevated temperatures and when interacting with water, under these conditions, zinc vapor spreads. Under these conditions, zinc oxide is released.

Of course, many experts will say that zinc oxide is used in areas such as cosmetology. This is certainly true, but one must understand that the metallurgical and cosmetic industries are completely different, and, accordingly, the approach to the selection, storage and use of materials is completely different. Therefore, this argument is completely meaningless.

Zinc oxide in excess of its presence in the living space of a person can cause zinc fever. As mentioned above, zinc vapor is the most dangerous for humans, so poisoning occurs most often by inhalation.

Symptoms may be:

1) Sweetness in the mouth, and after a few hours thirst;

2) Compression in the chest area;

3) Cough;

Unfortunately, many manufacturers of stoves and chimneys do not attach any importance to this, this is done in order to save money. Galvanization costs significantly less compared to stainless steel. Therefore, making the purchase of chimneys and electric furnaces, you should pay attention to this factor. It is especially important to examine the materials from which the internal elements of the electric fireplace are made.

We hope that going to the bathhouse will bring you only positive emotions and only strengthen your health.

The time when a brick chimney or asbestos pipe was traditionally used as a smoke exhaust system is long gone. At the moment, there are many analogues (pipes made of stainless steel, ceramics, sandwich) that surpass the latest options in technical and thermal insulation characteristics. One of the possible options for arranging a smoke exhaust system is a galvanized steel chimney.

Can galvanized pipes be used for a chimney

Making a chimney from galvanized metal is probably one of the most controversial decisions. On the one hand, this option is much cheaper than stainless steel counterparts, on the other hand, there are fears (not without reason) that the use of galvanizing will affect the health of those who live in the building.

Before choosing a chimney of this type, you will need to take into account the possible risks and nuances of operation.

Damage to galvanized chimneys

It is possible to use stainless galvanized pipes for the chimney, but you will need to take into account certain nuances related to the operation and characteristics of the metal. One of the handbooks on galvanizing says the following:

• Heating zinc above 419.5°C is dangerous. At this time, especially in conditions of high humidity, metal oxide is formed. Vapors are poisonous and lead to severe poisoning.
• Pure zinc is not dangerous to human health and is found in the body: teeth, pancreas, blood, etc.
• Technical zinc is especially dangerous - during production, to give the metal the necessary technical characteristics, arsenic, antimony and lead are added to the impurity.

From all of the above, we can conclude that a galvanized chimney pipe can be safely used in smoke exhaust systems with a low flue gas temperature. Sandwich-type structures, where the inner contour is made of stainless steel, and the outer one of galvanization, do not affect human health at all.

It is worth making a chimney from galvanized steel when connected to heating equipment with an exhaust gas temperature of not more than 350 ° C. As a rule, it is safe to use the pipe in conjunction with gas appliances: columns, boilers and convectors.

Service life of a galvanized chimney

The life of the pipe depends on many factors, but in general, the chimney may well last up to 10 years, without loss of tightness. To increase the service life, the following recommendations should be followed:

Subject to all technical conditions, a galvanized pipe is guaranteed to last at least 10 - 15 years.

Types of galvanized iron smoke exhaust pipes

The consumer is offered single-walled and double-walled galvanized pipes. For ease of installation, manufacturers produce all the necessary components: tees, revision channels and condensate collectors. A standard range of diameters is supported. It will be quite problematic to order a pipe or adapters of non-standard sizes at the factory.

To select the necessary material for a smoke exhaust system, it will be necessary to take into account the technical characteristics, the resistance of the material to burnout and the effects of an acidic environment, as well as the main operating possibilities.

Galvanized chimney sandwich pipes

Double-circuit insulated chimney pipes made of galvanized sheet are available in two versions:

The inner layer of the pipe should be made of metal with a thickness of 1 mm, for the outer one 0.5 mm is enough.

The technical data of thermally insulated street chimneys in a galvanized casing are almost identical to those that have counterparts made entirely of stainless steel. To increase the service life, the outer contour can be painted.

Single wall galvanized chimney pipes

The product has a simple design. The technology for manufacturing chimney pipes made of galvanized steel is as follows:

Galvanized steel must be at least 1 mm. SNiP allows the installation of a galvanized chimney with a thickness of 0.8 mm. But as practice shows, such products quickly burn out and become unusable.

A galvanized chimney quickly burns out in the following cases:

• There is no insulation.
• Incorrectly selected pipe thickness.
• Non-compliance or violation of the production process. Galvanization is made from carbon steel, according to GOST 14918-80.

If all these conditions are met, a single-layer galvanized pipe can work up to 10 years.

Installation of galvanized flue pipes

Most manufacturers, when selling a kit for a smoke exhaust system, enclose detailed instructions for do-it-yourself installation. It is not difficult to mount the structure yourself, it is enough to take into account some features that are well known to professionals:

Installation is carried out in accordance with existing fire regulations and SNiP.

Rules for the external and internal arrangement of the pipe

Proper installation of a chimney made of galvanized pipes indoors provides for the following recommendations:

• The distance to the supporting structures is at least 1 m.
• Fire cutting, when passing through the floor slab with an insulated pipe, at least 50 mm, non-insulated 150 mm. The gaps are filled with non-combustible insulation.
• Galvanized chimney sealing is a prerequisite for operation. Joints are treated with a refractory silicone-based sealant.

The following guidelines must be observed for outdoor installation:

• It is forbidden to install structures without insulation. The disadvantages of a cold galvanized chimney are increased condensate production, short service life and the likelihood of reverse draft.
• The height of the pipe is calculated depending on the degree of remoteness of the chimney from the ridge. A pipe located at a distance of up to 1.5 m is raised at least 0.5 m above the highest point of the roof. The smoke exhaust structure, removed by 1.5-3 m, is made flush with the ridge.
• When used for a stove or solid fuel boiler, a spark arrester is installed on the chimney cap.
• The chimney pipe made of galvanized iron should be fixed with the help of special brackets, in a strictly vertical position. Horizontal sections of the chimney should not exceed 3 m.

The use of insulated galvanized pipes for chimneys reduces the amount of condensate that falls on the inner walls of the condensate circuit and, accordingly, increases the service life.

How and how to insulate a galvanized chimney

If you independently insulate the chimney pipe made of galvanized steel from condensate, you can reduce the cost of construction by 1.5-2 times. To complete the work, you will need the following:

• Thermal insulation - a mineral non-combustible insulation with a low degree of moisture absorption is used. The thickness of the material is at least 5 mm.
• Protective layer - on top of the mineral insulation is covered with foil material. The layers are fixed with knitting wire or clamps.

Thermal insulation of the chimney made of galvanized iron helps to solve the problem of condensate and the presence of stable draft. The pipe warms up well and quickly, which ensures stable pressure in the smoke exhaust system.

It is possible to install a galvanized insulated chimney for gas boiler equipment, stoves, fireplaces and other equipment.

Is it possible to paint a galvanized chimney

Over time, galvanized steel turns white. This is due to the oxidation of the zinc coating. At the same time, the appearance of the product and its strength characteristics deteriorate significantly. To avoid loss of metal properties, it is necessary to paint the pipe.

Ordinary enamel, in just a few months, will begin to peel off and fall off the surface.

Roofing iron paint is used to paint the chimney. Painted galvanizing is guaranteed to last longer, at least 5 years.

Galvanized chimney - questions and answers

Like any other material used in the manufacture of chimneys, galvanized steel has its pros and cons. Creating the right operating conditions improves the technical characteristics and increases the service life of the metal.

Buyers have been observed to ask the same questions over and over again. Some of the most typical, experienced installation teams tried to answer.

What requirements must galvanized steel used for chimneys meet?
It will be optimal to use a chimney made of galvanized steel, grade AISI 309. This is an alloy that includes chromium, nickel and zinc. The composition provides high thermal performance: resistance to burnout, high temperatures.

AISI 309 is an acid resistant galvanized finish. The optimum wall thickness of the pipe is 1 mm. Under the condition of using a sandwich construction, the thickness of the outer layer can be reduced to 0.5 mm.

What to do if water constantly drips from a galvanized pipe?

The reason lies in the accelerated formation of condensate in the pipe. Increased condensation, in turn, indicates several errors made during installation.

• Incorrect pipe height - as a result, insufficient and reverse thrust is formed, which provokes the formation of moisture in the pipe.
• Uninsulated pipe - pure galvanization, without insulation superimposed on top, is the main cause of increased accumulation and appearance of liquid.

To avoid the constant production of condensate, it is worth choosing an insulated stainless steel chimney with a galvanized steel outer layer.

How to clean galvanized pipe from soot?

The safety of a galvanized steel chimney largely depends on the regular maintenance of the structure. It is extremely important to ensure that soot does not accumulate inside the circuit. There are several reasons for this:

• Soot ignition - the combustion temperature is about 1000 ° C, it takes a little more than 500 ° C to deform and burn out the pipe.
• Acid attack - soot is the main chemical element necessary for the condensate to be converted into a strong acid.

For cleaning it is better not to use mechanical devices. Such cleaning leaves scratches on the inner surface and leads to an accelerated accumulation of soot. A galvanized chimney will last for 10 years, only where they take care of the removal of combustion products.

What is better for a chimney - galvanized or stainless steel?

Comparing stainless steel and galvanized chimneys, we can conclude that the former have a clear advantage in terms of service life and reliability, and the latter in terms of cost. Prices for galvanized pipes are approximately 2-3 times lower than for stainless steel counterparts.

On the other hand, stainless steel chimneys are guaranteed to last at least 25 years. And as practice shows, often the owners order the replacement of a galvanized steel chimney with a stainless steel chimney, already after 2-3 years of operation.

It is worth mentioning the possible harm of zinc to humans, which makes it impractical to use the pipe when connected to heating equipment with a high temperature of exhaust gases. It is not recommended to use galvanizing for a fireplace, solid fuel boiler, wood stove, etc.

Single-wall zinc pipes are best used as a temporary chimney. The use of this material for change houses, garages and other non-residential premises will be optimal. In apartments and private houses, sandwich chimneys should be installed - internal stainless steel, external galvanized.

Which chimneys are better - enameled or galvanized?

Enamel reliably protects the pipe from corrosion, and a person from the evaporation of heavy and toxic metals. From a safety point of view, the use of enameled pipes is better than galvanized ones. The disadvantage of enameled chimneys is the exposure of the protective coating to mechanical stress. On impact, the enamel can break off. Installation must be done with extreme care.

Installation of the smoke exhaust system must be carried out using galvanized sandwich pipes for the chimney. Structures without insulation are best used solely as a temporary measure. After a few years, it is better to replace the cold pipe with a similar one made of stainless steel, or install a ceramic smoke exhaust system. Without proper insulation, the pipe, at best, will last only 1-2 heating seasons.

Regular consumption of foods containing zinc helps to improve the condition of the skin, hair, and prevent various diseases. It is wrong to believe that the more of this microelement comes from food, the better. Both deficiency and excess are equally harmful. When compiling a diet, it is necessary to maintain a balance so as not to harm health.

Most of the element is in spermatozoa.

Is zinc harmful?

Professor Jay von Fraunhofer led the study to explore the beneficial effects of zinc on the body. But is zinc harmful? As a result of the experiments, it turned out that this chemical element also has an extremely negative effect on humans.

Excess zinc in the body leads to a violation of the body's ability to absorb copper. In addition, zinc is distinguished by another property - the ability to accumulate.

Excess zinc

The history of zinc use dates back thousands of years. So, the Aesculapius of the ancient world, five thousand years ago, very actively used an ointment prepared on the basis of this component to treat various skin diseases and to accelerate the healing process of wounds. Nevertheless, scientists became seriously interested in the properties of zinc and its role in biological processes only in the middle of the twentieth century, when it was accidentally discovered that in rats that received burns, wounds healed an order of magnitude faster if a small amount of this mineral was added to their daily diet.

Zinc is a component of more than three hundred different enzymes and hormones.

About the benefits and harms of zinc on the human body

Zinc is an important element of the human body and ranks second in its content after iron. Even in ancient Egypt, zinc-based ointments were used, which contributed to the rapid healing of wounds. But, like any element of the periodic table, zinc requires a precisely balanced attitude. An overweight of just one milligram can determine the vector of action of the metal.

I found galvanization in the steam room. What to do?

Zinc is an important element of the human body and ranks second in its content after iron. Even in ancient Egypt, zinc-based ointments were used, which contributed to the rapid healing of wounds. But, like any element of the periodic table, zinc requires a precisely balanced attitude. An overweight of just one milligram can determine the vector of action of the metal. The benefits and harms of zinc have a fine line between them, which is better known in theory than in practice.

Most researchers believe that today, mostly people suffer from zinc deficiency in the body.

Poisoning with zinc and its compounds

Zinc chloride and sulfate are colorless crystals, used in the pulp and paper industry, for wood preservation, in the production of artificial fiber, zinc paints, for tinning and soldering.

Under production conditions, zinc enters the body mainly through the respiratory organs, is excreted through the gastrointestinal tract, and partially by the kidneys. Metallic zinc in the solid and dusty state is non-toxic.

Vapors of zinc are harmful to health

Zinc is not just a mineral necessary for the life of all organ systems of the human body. This is an element, the deficiency and excess of which negatively affects the human immune system. Therefore, it is very important to know how much zinc is needed for the body to function properly and how much of it can be harmful to health.

Zinc is found in high amounts in cereals (especially wheat germ), eggs, beef, dairy products, nuts, beef liver, and strawberries.

Foods Containing Zinc: Pay Attention to Seafood

Zinc is called the trace element of youth. Without zinc, proper metabolism is impossible, since it is part of all enzymes, hormones and vitamins, which means it affects the state of the body at the cellular level. Especially a lot of zinc is found in seafood.

The amount of zinc in the human body is 1.75 g, that is, only two times less than iron. A large amount of zinc is found in the pituitary gland (the main endocrine gland in our body), other endocrine glands, liver, skeleton, nails and hair.

Vehicle Welding Technology

Due to their anti-corrosion properties, zinc alloys are always used in the automotive industry for the manufacture of parts for various vehicle systems. Parts of carburetors, fuel pumps, brake valves are made from zinc alloys. Zinc is a hard to weld material. The whole difficulty lies in the fact that during the welding process, zinc evaporates.

Dear advice, you seem to be not bad, but did you yourself re-read the site before publishing information on it? How can you use foil without a counter rail? Meaning? And it is not good for people to advise in the steam room to make safety from DSP and galvanized sheet (seen in the drawings) after heating them, the body will not improve. I want to advise you to fix it on Minerite and only stainless steel.

Dmitry, Tula.

Hello, Dmitry from Tula!

When I published information you didn’t like about the use of galvanizing and cement particle boards, there was no Finnish minerite of flam sheets on sale, and our site is already over a decade old.

Now there are no problems with them, there is money - everything can be bought.

And I had to get to everything not only from construction literature, but also by typing. Yes, now we do not mount foil without a counter rail, whenever possible we advise customers to install stainless steel screens instead of galvanized sheets.
But even today there is a galvanized screen and a frame of a metal home-made stove made of DSP sheets. Not entirely good, but there is no money or time for rework, and so far he has not died from bad ecology, allergies and fire.

When welding metals containing zinc, a sweetish aftertaste really appears in the mouth, but the welding temperature is many times higher than the temperature behind the sauna stove lined with fireclay bricks, and only then installed with a galvanized sheet-screen. With the same success, you can not steam bath brooms in galvanized basins installed on the stove in the steam room, where do you wet them?

And what - all bath accessories such as outlets-passages from bath pipes, outer shells of pipe sandwiches are made only of stainless steel? I have never seen, at best, only flame tubes, and sometimes water heating tanks. Everything mentioned is from galvanization, and its temperature is not much lower than the temperature of the mentioned screen.

About stainless steel. At our enterprise they made (naturally illegally) skewers from it. X18N9T, as far as I remember. So, in the brazier at certain temperatures, there is no release of components of chromium, nickel, titanium, etc. into the barbecue? And the officially produced canning lids from the same metal under the program of consumer goods after contact with canned mushrooms for some reason oxidized. An indignant grandmother ran into the workshop to the head of the Quality Control Department and began to swing the rights, showing a blackened cover.

I will not retell the content of Internet forums, they provide a fairly large number of examples of the use of various materials and all their pros and cons. And your minerite can still burn, albeit with not quite the right technology for its installation. Tanks and those are on fire, along with their stainless steel components. The whole question is only in the heating temperature.

I do not exclude the possibility that over time they will remember with horror all the materials currently used in steam rooms and the effect that they had on bathers. And the infamous asbestos, dust and other things were once completely considered not to have any effect on human health.
Do the lead pipes of the aqueducts, the tableware made of lead, the mercury medicine of ancient Rome mean nothing to you? Aluminum utensils from which we scraped semolina? Silver glasses, if they are constantly stored with water, can release unsafe doses of silver ions into it. Maybe in a dozen years they will recommend completely different materials for steam rooms.

Everything flows, everything changes.

However, I will not argue. What was good yesterday is becoming unacceptable today, and what will happen tomorrow is completely unknown to us.

In any case, thanks for the criticism.

P.S.
And finally - In our country, there are tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of wells, from which water is drawn with galvanized buckets.
So, cancel them or leave? After all, it is still contact between zinc and water, although at a minimum temperature.

Other questions on the arrangement of the Russian bath.