Pros and cons of steel bath

Light plastic steel allows you to purchase a budget version of the bath. The buyer takes doubts - whether such a design can withstand the entire severity of the loads experienced by the plumbing? Let us consider in more detail its features.

Features of the manufacture of steel baths

The material for steel bathtubs is metal sheets up to 5 mm thick. The necessary form is obtained using presses, then enameled. The whole process is carried out on stamping lines, under the control of electronics the thickness of the walls and bottom of the bowl is regulated. The accuracy and smoothness of the process allows to obtain high-quality products with a long shelf life. Defects are virtually eliminated.

The technology involves a number of operations:

  • thin-walled steel is cut into sheets of the right size;
  • using the forming apparatus, the sheet is stretched to the desired shape;
  • excess metal is cut off, the bottom is equipped with a drain hole, the wall is equipped with an overflow hole;
  • the inner surface is enameled: after applying a thick layer of enamel, it is baked at high temperature.

The whole process is automated and does not involve active manual labor. Hence the relative cheapness of a quality product.

How is steel different from other materials?

Unlike the cast-iron bathtub, obtained as a result of the metal casting process, which is carried out almost manually, the steel bathtub is made by stamping. Result - the weight is almost four times less than that of the cast-iron "brother", and a significantly lower price. In the care, these baths are approximately the same - they allow moderate use of brushes, abrasives, aggressive chemicals.

From an acrylic bathtub and luxurious marble casting bowls, a steel bath differs democratic - and prices, and appearance. But it is able to compete with them in the hygiene of the coating and is easier to care for: you can’t clean an acrylic product with a budget Pemolux, and a steel bath is easy!

Steel Bath Benefits

The steel bath weighs no more than 15 kg, greatly facilitating transportation and installation processes. Forms and sizes have long gone beyond the standard: plasticity of steel allows you to make a bowl of any shape, including round and angular. Quickly warming, the walls of the steel bath allow you to start water procedures immediately after the collection of water.

All modern features (hydromassage or backlight) are available when choosing budget steel baths. This makes them no less comfortable than the more expensive acrylic options.

The wear-resistant enamel applied by the electrostatic method is much more durable than cast iron models, and the ability to not be covered with microcracks for a long time enhances the hygienic properties of the product - fungi and bacteria have nowhere to breed (subject to timely cleaning!).

Important! Enamel, resistant to mechanical influences, is still better not to rub with metal brushes and not to abuse means with acid.

The indisputable advantage of steel baths remains affordable price.

5.1

Disadvantages

Thin walls of the bowl account for most of the shortcomings of the steel version of the bath. A rapidly heating surface cools just as quickly, requiring constant hot water to be added.

Important! A quality product cannot weigh less than 12 kg and have walls less than 3 mm thick.

A steel bowl is not suitable for people with a solid weight - quickly starts to stagger and slide. Rigid fasteners and a reinforcing structure - a special frame somewhat reduce the severity of the problem. The impact resistance of the product also raises complaints: enamel itself withstands severe tests and loads, but can peel off due to deformation of a thin and flexible metal.

Another minus is loud noise when pouring water: the walls are not only thin, but also sonorous - upon impact of jets they resonate, reflecting the sound.

Advice! If you have skilled hands, you can refine the bath, reducing the severity of the problems. Apply a layer of mounting foam on the outside of the bowl - the bathtub will become stronger, will retain the heat of water longer and will make less noise.

What to consider when choosing?

Choosing a bath consider weight - A solid construction of any size should weigh at least 13 kg. Move the bathtub with one hand, try to raise it. It turns out? Most likely, the walls of the bowl are thinner than laid!

Important! Request a certificate from the seller and carefully check the product for compliance with its points. Make a guarantee.

Inspect the enamel properly (not shy of glasses and a flashlight), check it by touch - the coating should be even, smooth, without roughness and sag, especially if the certificate declares equipped with a self-cleaning function. Pay special attention to the inspection of the walls: the smoothness and evenness of the metal processed by molding should not cause complaints.

A correctly selected steel bath is able to function properly up to a quarter of a century, despite its cheapness.

Watch the video: The great bath debate: steel versus acrylic (March 2024).

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